After the Longevity King’s lineage was uprooted, the true breadth and vision of Emperor Hao began to emerge. Although there were some private criticisms, such as accusations of being overly ambitious, Emperor Hao remained resolute in his own way.
After leaving the Taiye Palace, Emperor Hao immediately headed to the Xiaolan Palace, which served as both his study and a place for handling state affairs. During the time of the Longevity King, Emperor Hao did not frequent this place much, and when he did, it was mostly for small, specialized meetings. But after the fall of the Longevity King, he spent almost every waking moment here, even neglecting his harem.
As soon as he sat down in the Xiaolan Palace, an attendant brought him a thick stack of classified documents. Emperor Hao read through each one, his face sometimes showing delight, sometimes turning grim. When he came to one particular document, his eyebrows raised in surprise. After reading it, he didn’t put it down but read it again from the beginning. He then called for Empress Li.
As soon as Empress Li entered the Xiaolan Palace, Emperor Hao said, “The situation in Yuedu is unfavorable. Do you have any good solutions to teach me?”
Empress Li smiled faintly, “My divination skills are currently unusable, so what good solutions could I possibly have?”
“Yuedu is in a dire situation, greatly weakening our national strength. Our progress in the new world has already fallen far behind the Evernight. Hmph, these fools! Once the new world stabilizes, I will sacrifice some of them to set an example!”
“Your Majesty, no matter how great or small the matters of the world are, they are not worth your anger. Speaking of which, haven’t you sent two legions there?”
Emperor Hao sighed, pushing his desk aside and pacing a few steps. “At this point, the legions that can be spared are not even worth mentioning in terms of their combat strength. They went to Yuedu, each fighting their own battles. The noble families want to use them as cannon fodder, but the two commanders would never accept such a loss. They found all sorts of excuses to avoid following orders, and in the end, they remained scattered and ineffective.”
Empress Li asked, “Is the Nan Gong family in charge of the overall command in Yuedu?”
“Who else could it be?”
“This is their usual style. However, to use the imperial legions as cannon fodder and scapegoats, they’ve gone too far.”
Emperor Hao snorted coldly, “Do they think I’m unaware of their little schemes? The Nan Gong family lost their territory, and if other noble families suffer similarly, the law won’t hold them all accountable. I can’t throw all the noble families in Yuedu into oblivion. We’re not quite at that point yet.”
Empress Li sighed, “This is a common ailment among noble families. For a thousand years, no good solution has been found. Unless…”
Emperor Hao shook his head, not allowing Empress Li to say the words “restrain the nobles.” He took out a document and handed it to her, saying, “At least there is some good news. It hasn’t completely disappointed me.”
Empress Li opened the document, slightly surprised, “The Yin and Kong families borrowed troops from Qian Ye and returned to Yuedu, where they have already annihilated a beast army, and the Kong family’s territory is now fully liberated? So quickly, it’s quite remarkable. How many troops did Qian Ye lend them?”
Emperor Hao held up one finger.
“Ten thousand? No, that seems a bit too few. Could it be a hundred thousand?”
“Just one, one divine general.”
“Divine general!” After the initial shock, Empress Li sighed, “It’s quite a bold move. He’s already established a firm foothold on Yonglu so quickly?”
“Not just a foothold. I suspect that his progress in the new world might even surpass Jun Du and Zi Ning. Look at this, and you’ll understand.”
Empress Li took the document, and upon opening it, she let out a soft exclamation, “Five hundred thousand! And they’re werewolves! How is this possible?”
Emperor Hao gave a bitter smile, “At first, I also thought it was impossible. But this information is absolutely true, reported by a veteran spy of the empire who has been in hiding on Yonglu for years, only reporting on significant events, and has never been wrong. Furthermore, it has been confirmed through different channels. Even some of the noble families’ people who went to Yonglu have seen Qian Ye’s werewolf army. Although they only saw about a hundred thousand, those were still in training. The bulk of the forces should have already entered the new world.”
“Qian Ye… is really…” Empress Li didn’t know how to describe it.
Emperor Hao said, “Qian Ye has risen too fast. In the past, he was just a promising young man, but now he can expand territories and dominate. In my view, this child has already developed a certain dominance, and we can no longer restrict him. Hmph, if it weren’t for those fools in the military, how could he have been driven out of the empire?”
“At least for now, Qian Ye still favors the empire. He does have vampire blood, so holding a high position in the empire would always be inappropriate.”
“That’s true. Regardless, Qian Ye is already worth fully courting.”
Empress Li said, “With Cheng En Duke, along with Jun Du and Zi Xuan, Ruoxi, and Zining, why would we worry about him siding with the Evernight?”
Emperor Hao shook his head, speaking slowly, “We mustn’t be careless. Don’t forget, back then, he single-handedly attacked the military for Nighteye, killing Shili Fungshui, whose power far exceeded his own. Although he managed to escape with Nighteye, it was due to the help of the Zhao clan. At the start, he truly had a death wish. If it’s for Nighteye, the people you mentioned may not be able to sway him.”
Empress Li gently asked, “Then, what should we do? Please give your instructions, Your Majesty.”
Emperor Hao spoke slowly, “Qian Ye is a man of deep emotion and honor. A single Jitianqing may not be enough to win him over. So, if you have any means, use them without hesitation.”
“There are many means, but all come with a price. I don’t know how much of a price Your Majesty is willing to pay.”
Emperor Hao was silent for a moment before saying, “At any cost!”
Empress Li agreed and bowed, taking her leave.
Emperor Hao did not return to his desk but instead turned and walked towards a gray stone display wall hung with numerous scrolls of calligraphy and paintings, featuring works of renowned artists, rotated every ten days. Every Qin Emperor had a love for calligraphy, painting, or both, and their works contained profound insights and experiences of the world. Appreciating their works was also a form of auxiliary cultivation.
Emperor Hao walked directly to the area closest to the rear lattice window, where a modestly-sized piece of art, amidst large landscape paintings, caught his eye. It was at the perfect height for viewing. He gazed at it intently for a while, suddenly looking weary, and gently rested his forehead against the cool stone beside the artist’s signature.
“Teacher… one day, as you wished, the true sun will rise from this realm.”
After leaving the Xiaolan Palace, Empress Li summoned Eunuch Liu. Once he was seated and had tea, she asked, “You met Qian Ye in the neutral zone. With your discerning eye, what do you think of his potential?”
Eunuch Liu responded slowly, “Does this need an old man’s assessment? He has already proven everything in the Condensed Jade Mansion and on Yonglu. This child is now capable of dominating a region, but his future is boundless.”
Empress Li, deep in thought, asked, “That’s exactly what I don’t understand. Why do the werewolves on Yonglu hold him in such high regard?”
Eunuch Liu, aware of the recent developments on Yonglu, replied, “In the old man’s opinion, there is only one reason: the power of his bloodline.”
“Please elaborate.”
“Though Qian Ye is not a werewolf, his dark origin force has undoubtedly reached an extremely high level of purity, perhaps no less than that of the Daybreak’s Dawn Initiation. The power of the dark races’ bloodlines is, in essence, the degree of purity of their dark origin force. The closer to the dark source, the more powerful the force. Blood energy or magic, they are merely the external manifestations of the dark origin force.”
Empress Li was slightly startled, “So, Qian Ye actually possesses top-tier blood energy talent?”
“That is the only explanation.”
“Truly incredible.” Empress Li sighed softly, shaking her head, “How did the empire miss such a talent?”
Eunuch Liu replied calmly, “Talents rise and fall, and missing one or two doesn’t affect the big picture. Among this generation, Zining isn’t bad. And as for Jun Du, the old man thinks he may still have a way forward.”
“Jun Du?”
“Since his foundations were damaged, he forced his way through the Divine General Heavenly Gate and then threw himself into mundane and martial affairs. Others think he’s given up, but in the old man’s humble opinion, he is reshaping his foundations through the method of purifying gold with fire, and he still has a chance of success.”
Empress Li sighed, “The Yan Yun Zhao Clan truly produces talents.”
“The Zhao Clan is smart but lacks genius, so they aren’t much of a concern. Historically, this clan has produced many talents, but because of their exceptional gifts, they often lacked the necessary tempering. You see, the Zhao Clan has a history of divine generals, but rarely has a single divine general independently supported the clan. Compared to other surnames, their geniuses are indeed impressive, but there have been very few emperors. If not for Zhao Wuji’s migration to the Western Continent, there wouldn’t have been their subsequent prosperity.”
“You speak wisely, perhaps our Li Clan is also too comfortable.”
Eunuch Liu replied noncommittally, “These are merely the thoughts of an old fool.”
“In truth, the journey of the Qingyang King, though it seemed smooth, was actually filled with immense sacrifices. Apart from martial arts, he almost gave up everything, and each advancement was fraught with life and death. His current achievements were built on those struggles. If any part of his journey had faltered, he would have perished.” As she spoke, Empress Li seemed to recall something and sighed softly.
“Is Your Highness thinking of that engagement?”
“Yes.”
“If the old man may be blunt, the Qingyang King never agreed to it.”
Empress Li sighed, “What you don’t know is that there was a chance to secure the engagement, but the Qingyang King had just become an emperor, focusing solely on martial arts and not wanting any entanglements. He said to discuss it again in ten years. Ten years is too long to wait.”
“Since he wasn’t willing to offer ten years of youth as a price, the engagement naturally couldn’t be made.”
Empress Li nodded, “From then on, I realized that for any accomplishment, something must be sacrificed. The more you want, the more you must give. It’s the same for a family, a country. Someone must make sacrifices for the sake of prosperity.”
Eunuch Liu calmly said, “The Li Clan is destined to become a great family, it’s just a matter of time. What else is Your Highness worried about?”
Empress Li shook her head gently, “Now, ascending to a great family, the merit is not enough, and it would invite criticism. Moreover, on the other hand, it was only after the Grand Minister Lin left that our Li Clan had the opportunity to ascend. In the game of divination, we have already suffered a devastating defeat.”
“The old man has something to say, whether it’s appropriate or not.”
“Speak freely, Eunuch Liu.”
“Xitang has the talent of heaven, no less than the Qingyang King. To compare ourselves to him is to court vexation.”
Empress Li smiled lightly, unperturbed, “I know this is true, but I just can’t accept it. Though he’s gone, he left many arrangements. I wonder if I can ever win against him.”
“Where does Your Highness plan to start?”
“Of course, with Qian Ye.”
“Your Highness, be careful.”
“Do you not have faith in me, Eunuch Liu?”
“If Xitang has set up a trap, Qian Ye must be at its core. If Your Highness wishes to test it, go ahead, but don’t lose heart if you fail.”
“A trap that cannot adapt to the times is a dead end. He’s gone, and even if he left some arrangements, they are nothing but a dead end. Can’t I still win?”
“Divination is also a reflection of the human heart. Though Xitang is gone, Qian Ye remains. As long as he’s there, the game is alive. Your Highness, calculating the fates of the stars is no match for you, but the human heart…”
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