stonecrandall Chapter 897 The back-up plan has been prepared long ago!
Chapter 897 The back-up plan has been prepared long ago!
"I understand, I have always understood." Lu Zhi whispered to herself and walked to the window.
The crabapple trees in the courtyard were in full bloom, their pink and white petals swaying gently in the morning breeze. She recalled the day Gao Yao ascended the throne, and how she could only stand among the ministers, watching him ascend alone to the supreme position. At that moment, she knew that some distances can never be crossed.
But Gao Yao still gave her the opportunity to return to the court and assist him in another way. He trusted her ability, accepted her advice, and even handed over full authority to her to manage the affairs of the harem. Over the years, he never truly neglected her, but simply protected their relationship in another way.
"You should say what you deserve based on your position. As a king, there are many things that cannot be done casually." Lu Zhi said to Yu Shu beside her, as if she was also trying to convince herself.
She knew very well that Gao Yao could guarantee her continued importance, but he couldn't let her ascend to the most dazzling position. Otherwise, some ignorant people in the court would inevitably make a fuss about Lu Gong's affairs. If that happened, everyone would follow suit, and Gao Yao's hard-earned empire would be shaken.
Yu Shu asked curiously, "Sister, don't you feel wronged?"
Lü Zhi smiled faintly, a smile that contained both relief and a hint of bitterness. "Feeling wronged? Being alive is a blessing, not to mention being able to stand closest to him. In this deep palace, so many people can't even save their lives. What else can I be dissatisfied with?"
She turned to her desk, spread out the bamboo slips, and began to deal with the day's affairs. Sunlight streamed through the window lattice, casting a warm glow over her. At this moment, Lü Zhi was no longer the ambitious woman she once was, but a wise woman who saw reality clearly but chose to face it calmly.
She knew that in this game of power, she was both a pawn and a player. And Gao Yao, the man she both respected and loved deeply, always protected this complex and profound relationship in his own way.
"Pass the message down and order the women in each mansion to stay in the palace temporarily!" Lu Zhi instructed the maid, her voice regaining its usual calmness and majesty.
This situation has already occurred. Lu Zhi's words seem to be to protect the families of the ministers in the court, but in fact it is a semi-coercive order. It depends on whether you come or not. If you don't come, it means that you have ulterior motives. Although you will inevitably bear some criticism afterwards, in extraordinary times, extraordinary things need to be done. Lu Zhi was still able to make such a cruel decision.
By dawn, the battle was basically over.
Xuanwu came before Li Zhao and reported the results of the battle: "Master Li Zhao, last night we killed over 1,400 bandits, captured 300, seized 300 war horses, and no less than 700 sets of weapons and armor!"
Li Zhao gasped. He hadn't expected so many people in the city to actually rebel, more than a thousand. Three hundred war horses and seven hundred suits of armor—that combination was definitely enough for a rebellion. If the Chu army set fire to the city during the siege, causing chaos and then taking advantage of the opportunity to storm a particular gate, the chances of success would be quite high!
Thinking of this, Li Zhao broke out in a cold sweat. If it weren't for the existence of the Qingyi Society, both the previous incident with Lu Zhi and this time defending the city would have been fatal.
"Where are Zhao Cheng and other leaders?" Li Zhao asked.
"They have all been captured." Xuanwu replied.
Sunlight finally filled Xianyang City. The bloodstains on the streets had been cleaned up, but the air still lingered with a faint smell of blood. Citizens cautiously opened their doors and found that there were more soldiers patrolling the streets, but other than that, everything seemed the same as usual.
Unbeknownst to them, this night changed many things. The power of the old nobility suffered a severe blow, Gao Yao's rule became more secure, and the mysterious Qingyi Society made its first public appearance, becoming a presence that people both revered and curious about.
Gao Yao also received the news from Xianyang at noon, and explained to him all the big and small things that happened in Xianyang.
Qinglong came up behind him silently: "All targets have been caught, no one has escaped."
"Well done." Gao Yao said without looking back, "But this is just the beginning. After this purge, those hidden enemies will be more cautious, and our opponents will also adjust their strategies."
"Qingyi Society is ready." Qinglong said firmly.
Gao Yao finally turned around, his eyes piercing, "We need to expand the Qingyi Society, not only to cover Xianyang, but also to gradually expand to other cities. We need more eyes and more ears."
"Yes." Qinglong bowed and accepted the order. After a moment's hesitation, he added, "Your Majesty, there is one thing I'm still unclear about. Why are you so sure the rebellion will happen in the next few days?"
Gao Yao smiled faintly: "Know yourself and your enemy, and you will never be defeated in a hundred battles. The enemy often likes to launch surprise attacks during seemingly peaceful times like this, catching people off guard."
Qinglong suddenly realized.
"Go down." Gao Yao waved his hand, "Let the brothers have a good rest, there will be more tough battles to fight next." Qinglong bowed and retreated.
Gao Yao's training system for the Qingyi Society bears some resemblance to the Ming Dynasty's Jinyiwei, yet it is fundamentally different. This system, completely detached from the conventional political system, is self-contained, with unique selection criteria, training methods, and operational procedures.
On the surface, Gao Yao has announced the existence of the Qingyi Society and declared the legitimacy of this organization to the world, but in fact, the main body of the Qingyi Society is still hidden in the shadows, and its core members, specific number of people, activities and even training bases are still unknown mysteries.
This semi-public, semi-secretive state of affairs was precisely the product of Gao Yao's careful consideration. He announced the existence of the Qingyi Society because his responsibilities were expanding, his territory was expanding, his population was increasing, and his administration was becoming increasingly complex. When a regime reaches a certain size, relying solely on traditional bureaucratic self-regulation is clearly insufficient; a dedicated supervisory body is needed to ensure smooth implementation of government policies and prevent corruption.
After Qin Shihuang unified the six kingdoms, many of his policies were intended to benefit the country and the people, but encountered numerous obstacles during implementation and even triggered strong resistance. This was certainly due to the resistance of the remnants of the six kingdoms, but the problems on the execution end should not be underestimated.
Policy formulation, issuance, and implementation are three distinct stages, each of which can lead to deviations. Even in later generations with advanced technology and rapid information transmission, policies must be adjusted according to local conditions during implementation. They cannot be crudely applied across the board, let alone imposed without considering local characteristics.