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

Chapter 1224 Li Yunrui's Best Pawn, None Other Than 1!

Temple.

These two words were the ones he heard most often and revered most since coming into this world. Legend had it that it was the abode of gods, the source of all martial arts in this world, a sacred place that everyone could only look forward to but never reach. But Gao knew that it was not the dwelling place of any god, but the ruins of a prehistoric civilization, the last trace left by a civilization far more advanced than the world he came from.

He traveled to a world where technology was advanced, industry was sophisticated, and humanity could fly into space and dive into the deep sea. But everything in that world was perhaps insignificant compared to this so-called "prehistoric civilization." It was a civilization capable of destroying itself, yet leaving behind a spark of hope; a civilization possessing technology far surpassing modern technology, yet ultimately perishing. Their relics, their technology, their weapons, scattered throughout the world, are now in the hands of a few, becoming a force that changes the world.

Ye Qingmei brought something out of the temple, or rather, escaped from it. With what she obtained, she changed the world's格局 (geju, a concept encompassing the overall structure, pattern, and overall structure). She established the Qing Kingdom, created the Inner Treasury, and showed this once ignorant world the power of technology. Yet, in the end, she still died. She died at the hands of the person she trusted most, and before the rules of this world.

why?

Because she was too hasty. Because she was too confident in her own power. Because she thought she could break all the rules, forgetting that rules are rules precisely because they possess an unshakeable power.

She wanted to make the world a better place, to achieve equality for all, and to break down outdated and corrupt ideas. But she never considered that when one's power becomes too great, and one's changes too drastic, she will become everyone's enemy. Those who have already benefited will hate her, those whose foundations have been shaken will hate her, and those who fear the unknown will hate her. The more noble her ideals, the more enemies she will have. The greater her power, the more tragic her end will be.

Ye Qingmei is dead, but the world continues to turn.

The rules she wanted to change still exist. The ideas she wanted to break remain firmly entrenched. The people she wanted to save continue living on their old ways, even indifferent to her death.

This is the truth of the world. Gao Yao doesn't want to become a second Ye Qingmei.

He was more clear-headed and calmer than Ye Qingmei. He knew which forces could be confronted head-on and which needed to be tested indirectly. He knew when to advance and when to retreat. He knew that the greatest wisdom in this world was not to forge ahead, but to know how to wait.

The temple's existence was so mysterious that Gao Yao had never known anything about it.

That was something he couldn't confront head-on with his current strength. It was the legacy of a prehistoric civilization, a crystallization of technology far surpassing the level of this era. He knew nothing about its weapons, its defensive measures, or its counterattack capabilities. To act rashly would only alert it, and might even lead to repeating Ye Qingmei's mistake.

Therefore, he needed a pawn. A pawn that was conspicuous enough, flamboyant enough, and attracted enough attention. Li Yunrui was that pawn.

Was she stupid? No, she was actually very clever. Her cleverness allowed her to survive in the court for so many years, to maneuver between the Imperial Treasury and military power, and to cultivate her own influence right under Emperor Qing's nose. But her cleverness was also her greatest weakness—she was too self-righteous, too confident in her own judgment, and too easily flattered.

She thought she could use Gao Yao. What she didn't know was that from the very beginning, Gao Yao was using her. He even cultivated her desires, making her want to become empress. She wanted to seize power? Fine, then help her seize it. She wanted to kill Emperor Qing? Fine, then let her kill him.

Let her do the most hated things. Let her purge the royal relatives of Qing, let her wage war against Northern Qi and Dongyi City, let her become a thorn in everyone's side. Let her enjoy the illusory satisfaction at the pinnacle of power, let her believe that she has truly succeeded, truly become the master of this world.

Then, the temple will intervene.

Gao Yao was almost certain that the Temple would not stand idly by while an empress appeared. Ye Qingmei had only wanted to change the rules back then, and yet she had already attracted so many attacks. Now that Li Yunrui wanted to completely overturn the rules and sit on the throne as a woman, how could the Temple possibly turn a blind eye?

What kind of reaction will that mysterious ruin hidden in the far north, those prehistoric artifacts sleeping beneath the ice, and those powers far beyond this era controlled by a few people make?

He didn't know. That was exactly what he was testing.

Let Li Yunrui be the scapegoat, to attract the temple's attention and bear its wrath. He, on the other hand, will remain hidden in the shadows, quietly observing and meticulously analyzing. He wants to see just how powerful the temple truly is, what its reaction mechanisms are, and what its weaknesses and flaws are.

Once everything has been tested and cleared up, once Li Yunrui has taken all the attacks for him, once the power of the temple has been depleted, exposed, and weakened... that will be the time for him to truly make his move.

Gao Yao slowly stood up, walked to the window, and stood with his hands behind his back. The river breeze stirred his clothes, bringing the coolness of the autumn night. His gaze was fixed on the faint lights in the distance, his eyes calm as still water, yet deep as an abyss.

The third step. This is the third step he has planned for himself.

The first step is to come into this world, gain a foothold, and accumulate strength. He did it.

The second step was to cultivate power, infiltrate the court, and weaken Emperor Qing's control over the Qing Kingdom. He was doing this, and it was already showing initial results. Hong Sixiang was dead, and Emperor Qing had lost his most loyal guard; the three prefectures of Jiangnan had fallen into Li Yunrui's hands, and the most prosperous areas of the Qing Kingdom had slipped out of his control; those forces that had originally been dependent on Emperor Qing were now quietly observing, wavering, and wavering.

Emperor Qing is no longer the omnipotent emperor he once was.

His prestige was waning, his control was weakening. So what if he was a Grandmaster? In this world, what can kill a Grandmaster is never just force. Ran Min could kill Hong Sixiang, so Gao Yao was naturally confident he could kill Emperor Qing!

But when Emperor Qing died, when Li Yunrui had almost purged the Qing royal family, and when the world fell into chaos and turmoil because of the Empress's appearance...

That was the time for Li Yunrui to disappear.

She would become the perfect scapegoat. She would bear all the infamy, all the hatred, and all the attacks for Gao Yao. She would become the "usurper," the "femme fatale," the sinner who plunged the world into war in history books. And Gao Yao could then take over everything naturally after she fell.