Mythical Qin: I, Gao Yao, will never be a eunuch!

Chapter 1194 The Imperial Treasury is not important, the Overwatch Council is!

He looked directly at Fan Xian and asked, "Will Wu Zhu act entirely according to your instructions? Or is his primary task to protect your safety rather than to carry out your orders?"

Fan Xian's lips pressed into a straight line. Gao Yao's words precisely struck at the subtle nuances of his relationship with Wu Zhu. Wu Zhu was his protector, his family, but not his weapon. This silent powerhouse possessed his own logic, often acting according to deeply ingrained commands rather than being an extension of Fan Xian's will.

"As for your own strength," Gao Yao continued to analyze, his tone as calm as stating a fact, "at the upper ninth rank, you may have already touched the threshold of the peak of the ninth rank, which is indeed amazing among the younger generation. But looking at the entire Qing Kingdom, and even the world, although there are not many ninth-rank martial artists, they are by no means rare."

He counted on his fingers: "Emperor Qing has Gong Dian by his side, Northern Qi has Lang Tao, and Dongyi City has Yun Zhilan, not to mention those reclusive old monsters. As for you, Fan Xian, your specialness lies not in your martial arts, but in your identity, your background, and the things your mother left behind."

Fan Xian finally spoke, his voice somewhat hoarse: "So you think that my current consideration of revenge is wishful thinking?"

“No,” Gao Yao shook his head, “I mean, your current thinking about how to avenge Ye Qingmei is like a child swinging a giant hammer. Not only will you not be able to hurt the enemy, but you might even hurt yourself. What you should be thinking about now is how to accumulate the strength to be able to swing that hammer.”

He set down his teacup with a crisp sound: "Cooperation requires equal leverage. What you possess now is insufficient to make you a partner I fully support. Wu Zhu is a variable, not a constant; your martial arts skills are capital, not an ace; and the control of the Imperial Treasury that comes with your marriage to Lin Wan'er—"

Gao Yao smiled knowingly: "That's just a mirage. The Imperial Treasury will always be Emperor Qing's Imperial Treasury. The so-called 'management' is nothing more than being an accountant counting money for the emperor. Whether you're the executor or not, there's no real difference."

Fan Xian took a deep breath: "Then what do you think is the real bargaining chip?"

Gao Yao's smile deepened, a smile of satisfaction at finally getting to the heart of the matter: "There is a place that not only fits your logic of returning to the capital, but also allows you to truly accumulate strength. More importantly—it is the most promising part of the legacy left by your mother."

Fan Xian's heart skipped a beat, and he almost blurted out, "The Censorate."

“Smart.” Gao Yao nodded approvingly. “The Censorate is Ye Qingmei’s brainchild and her greatest hope for this corrupt world. The stone tablet standing in the courtyard, inscribed with ‘The power of the Censorate is granted by the people,’ is the fundamental meaning of the Censorate’s existence.”

His voice lowered, carrying a certain historical weight: "But what about now? What has the Censorate become? A tool in Emperor Qing's hands to eliminate dissidents, a mouthpiece for the court to control public opinion, an independent kingdom that Chen Pingping has cultivated for decades. It has deviated from your mother's original intention, but it has also accumulated astonishing power as a result—an intelligence network that spans the world, Black Riders whose combat strength is comparable to a thousand troops, and eight departments that each perform their duties, infiltrating every corner of the Qing Kingdom."

Fan Xian listened in silence. He knew Gao Yao was telling the truth. The Censorate was no longer the institution his mother had envisioned for advocating for the people, but the power it wielded was undeniable.

“You also have a force in the shadows,” Fan Xian suddenly said. “When dealing with Yan Xiaoyi and Shangshan Hu, I saw some clues.”

Gao Yao did not deny it: "Every time traveler prepares some backup plans for themselves. But my power is more suitable for operating in the shadows, while the Overwatch Council is a power that can be put in the open, an institution that can openly mobilize national resources."

He leaned forward and lowered his voice: "What you need to do is not become the head of the Overwatch Council, but control the Overwatch Council itself. Chen Pingping has been operating for decades, and almost everyone in the Overwatch Council is his man. Emperor Qing both relies on and fears him because of this. If you can gradually sideline Chen Pingping and truly control the Eighth Bureau and the Black Knights..."

“That would be like asking a tiger for its skin.” Fan Xian interrupted him. “Emperor Qing will not allow it, and Chen Pingping will certainly not stand idly by.”

Gao Yao's smile turned somewhat cold: "Therefore, the most efficient way is to get rid of Chen Pingping."

Fan Xian suddenly looked up, his eyes flashing with shock: "What? This..."

He did indeed harbor suspicions about Chen Pingping, sensing that the head of the Overwatch Council seemed to have some kind of scheme against him. But to eliminate him directly? Fan Xian had never considered that option. After all, when he first arrived in the capital, Chen Pingping had provided him with a great deal of help, and that concern didn't seem entirely fake.

Gao Yao looked at the struggle in Fan Xian's eyes and gently shook his head: "You're still too emotional. Chen Pingping is a pawn that has been planted long ago. His goals may overlap with yours, but they are definitely not the same. More importantly—he can't do it."

"What can't be done?"

"Overthrow Emperor Qing and avenge your mother." Gao Yao said, enunciating each word clearly. "Chen Pingping has been plotting for many years, but he has never actually taken action. Why? Because he is not confident of victory, because deep down he still fears that emperor, because of his own obsession and limitations. He is a rusty knife, and no matter how much he sharpens it, it will not become much sharper."

Fan Xian's fingers traced unconsciously across the table, his thoughts in turmoil. Gao Yao's words, though cold, were logically sound and went straight to the heart of the matter.

“Even if Chen Pingping is really dead,” Fan Xian said with difficulty, “it will not be easy to control the Overwatch Council. Emperor Qing will definitely install a new person, and those old subordinates who are loyal to Chen Pingping will not easily submit.”

Gao Yao chuckled softly, a hint of helplessness in his voice: "Fan Xian, you're still limited by the mindset of this era. Does it really matter who sits in the Dean's position?"

He stood up and paced around the cramped room: “The Control Yuan has eight departments, each with its unique functions: one department oversees all officials, the second is intelligence analysis, the third is drug production and use, the fourth is foreign affairs, the fifth is Black Knights military force, the sixth is assassination operations, the seventh is torture and detention, and the eighth is culture and public opinion.”

He turned to look at Fan Xian, his eyes gleaming: "As long as we have actual control over these eight departments, who is the dean is just a figurehead. Emperor Qing can appoint a new dean, but if the people below don't obey and the deans' orders don't leave the dean's office, that position will just be a magnificent cage."

Fan Xian was shaken. Gao Yao's way of thinking was indeed completely different from that of people in this era; it was a modern view of power and organizational management.

"How do you do that?" Fan Xian asked in a low voice.

“Divide, win over, infiltrate.” Gao Yao sat back down and held up three fingers. “Chen Pingping’s control over the Censorate isn’t monolithic. Zhu Ge in the First Division seems loyal, but he actually has his own ambitions; Fei Jie in the Third Division is your teacher, and this relationship can be used; Jing Ge, the deputy commander of the Black Riders in the Fifth Division, I’ve had dealings with him before. He’s a loyal man and has a sense of gratitude towards Ye Qingmei from back then…”