Chapter 1483: A Temporary Measure

"The birthday celebration is imminent, and the entire city is under martial law; this is not the time for rash actions. If the Secret Guards fail, the King of Yao will seize upon it as a pretext." Her previous exchanges with the King of Yao, move for move, had all been measured, never crossing the line. If she were to directly order the secret assassination of a Yao official, it would be a unilateral escalation of the conflict, dragging the struggle directly into the next phase. "If the Secret Guards succeed, everyone will know I kill at the slightest disagreement, which would only push the ministers further into the arms of the King of Yao!"

As an outsider acting as Regent, could she really threaten the lives of the entire court? Did she truly think the King of Yao, who held the real power, didn't exist? "Besides, manipulating the hundred officials has always been about promotions, rewards, punishments, and interests, never life and death!" Qingyang sighed. "If you lived to my age, you would understand that even if you set the rule early on that corruption means execution, the corrupt officials would still be endless."

To her, He Yang's indignation was merely childish annoyance.

He still couldn't stand it: "Could it be that this foul wind cannot be stopped, and we can only watch them, monarch and subject, put on this performance?"

"One side wants to show loyalty, the other wants to collect money—they hit it off immediately. You are right, this foul wind will only intensify—" Qingyang plucked a string of osmanthus flowers from a nearby branch, "—in the short term!"

"I ask you, these officials and nobles spending vast sums to buy these refined residences and show their loyalty, what is it really for?"

He Yang recalled what Qingyang had just said and immediately replied: "For their own official careers?"

"For promotion and wealth, right?" Qingyang laughed. "The Prince of Qing's mansion bought one, and the Prince of Qing's faults were wiped clean; Bai Tan bought one, and Bai Tan's relatives were promoted. Other officials saw this and imitated them to buy refined residences."

"The first phase of the Youhu Shanzhuang has over a dozen buildings, and who knows how many there will be in the second phase; I imagine the number is not small. Since they have spent the money and shown their loyalty, shouldn't the King of Yao reciprocate?" Qingyang shook the osmanthus branch, and the fragrant flowers fell in a rustle. "Promotions and raises for dozens of people—what a massive scale of personnel change that would be!"

Every buyer of a Youhu Shanzhuang residence wants a promotion, a pardon, or a raise? Even the King of Yao couldn't act so recklessly.

"Conversely, what about the officials who didn't buy a refined residence? With all the opportunities for promotion and raises taken by others, do they still have a chance to get ahead?" Qingyang's voice carried a hint of mockery. "The promotion assessments of the entire court don't look at political achievements, virtue, or integrity, but depend entirely on which side one stands on, and loyalty depends entirely on spending money! The court and the platform are like a farce, yet they still claim to be a great nation of flashing gold!"

He Yang said in a low voice: "The Palace Master is wise!"

"Thirty years ago, in the Shanyu Nation, a vassal demon state of my Beijia, the Prime Minister Cao Peng used similar methods to force officials to choose sides, and for a time, it was also grand and rapidly expanding. But in less than half a year, the tree fell and the monkeys scattered!" Qingyang threw away the flower branch. "The reason is that people do not fear scarcity, but inequality. There simply isn't enough profit to go around for everyone!"

"Besides, the group of people who bought Youhu residences to show loyalty to the King of Yao are themselves at odds with one another. Bai Tan has always looked down on the uncle and nephew Qi Yunsheng and Qi Shu'an; the Gu family and the Bu family don't get along, and the Lu family and the Liu family have been fighting for over thirty years." Qingyang chuckled. "To deal with me, the King of Yao has forcibly tied them together, but how much combined strength can they really have?"

"This He Xiao is talented. But what he has offered the King of Yao is only a temporary strategy, not a plan for a lifetime."

He Yang also said bitterly: "The Palace Master has foresight! Such crooked paths can never last."

"The crazier it gets, the harder it is to sustain! Just watch, in a month at the shortest, two months at the longest, this farce will come to an end." Beijia is a six-hundred-year-old nation; what strange or chaotic things haven't happened? She had long since grown tired of these little tricks in officialdom.

She looked at He Yang and smiled slightly: "You don't need to be anxious; we must wait for Zhongwu to take office and successfully lead the troops! This matter is too important; we absolutely cannot let the King of Yao go back on his word!"

"Yes."

"By then, the fanaticism of the Yao court should have faded; that is when we should make our move." For now, it is better to avoid the sharp edge.

Just then, a bird demon flew over and landed on a tree branch.

Qingyang casually untied a bamboo tube from its claw, pulled out the note inside, and opened it.

It contained only one sentence:

Envoy Liang has entered the palace.

Qingyang slowly tore the note to shreds: "Good, very good. The King of Yao taking Liang Xiao-hao into custody shows he is determined to oppose me!"

Removing Liang Xiao-hao meant offending the Temple Envoy of Miaozhantian. The King of Yao was willing to pay such a price because he believed the value and significance of the "Youhu Shanzhuang" were extraordinary and could help him consolidate power.

Qingyang did not like this stubborn King of Yao.

"The new temple being built for Miaozhantian has been under construction for two and a half years, always dragging on. It is said that the new batch of Panjin stones has been stuck for over four months without being delivered, and Envoy Liang has expressed his dissatisfaction. And now, this..."

"Why doesn't the King of Yao understand that I am here to help him?" Qingyang sighed leisurely. "As long as the Yao Nation remains as obedient to Beijia as before, why would I need to make things difficult for him?"

He Yang said: "The King of Yao is short-sighted and does not know the Palace Master's painstaking efforts."

"I am old, and coming to the Yao Nation, I only want to spend my remaining years in peace. But the Yao monarch and his subjects are increasingly lacking in reverence, so I can only fulfill the mission given to me by the Emperor." Qingyang took another elixir, her complexion becoming even more ruddy. This medicine could help her suppress the solar true qi she had just collected. "A pet dog that has food and drink, after living a few comfortable years, thinks it is a companion, thinks it is the master's partner—this is called not knowing the height of the sky or the depth of the earth."

He Yang sneered: "A dog that doesn't know the height of the sky or the depth of the earth will eventually be killed for its meat. The Palace Master is kind-hearted, still thinking of saving them. I only fear that the Yao monarch and his subjects will not recognize their place until the end, wasting the Palace Master's good intentions in vain."

"Alright, you are no longer a child, don't be so hot-headed." Qingyang patted his arm and said affectionately, "After Envoy Liang leaves the palace, he will come to me. Prepare to welcome the guest."

The Yao Nation Royal Palace.

The King of Yao had just finished listening to Liu Wu's report, his brows furrowing: "After the incident at Xiaotao Shanzhuang, Qu Ruhai is still lingering nearby?"

"Yes, Qu Ruhai's appearance is distinctive, and several people have identified him." Liu Wu said, "After committing a crime, the culprit usually likes to return to the scene of the crime to take a look."

"A fake alibi, his whereabouts that night are a mystery, and the next day he appears near Xiaotao Shanzhuang, hmm—" The King of Yao pondered.

Everyone knew that Xue Zongwu was killed by the Great Emperor of the Nine Netherworlds. But who was behind the mask of the Great Emperor of the Nine Netherworlds?

The Luodian people had always been the primary suspects, and Qu Ruhai was becoming increasingly suspicious.

Liu Wu asked for instructions: "Should we interrogate Qu Ruhai?"

The King of Yao vetoed it: "No, just send someone to keep an eye on him; don't relax for a moment."

If they went to ask now, Qu Ruhai would certainly not admit it, and then the ball would be kicked back to the King of Yao himself—what should he do with him? Acting rashly against Qu Ruhai was not a good idea; it could easily lead to a diplomatic incident.

It was better to search for evidence first.

"Yes." Liu Wu reported again, "In addition, the Mubang tribe also flatly denies that General Xue was killed by them."

The King of Yao couldn't help but sneer: "They deny that they are the Black Armor Army?"

He could imagine the Mubang tribesmen's panic when they heard the news of Xue Zongwu's death. They only wanted the reputation of acting on behalf of heaven, but they didn't want to bear the crime of killing a great general of the Yao Nation.

"No."

The King of Yao said nonchalantly: "Then let them explain clearly, otherwise my Yao Nation's great army will raze them to the ground."

Liu Wu responded and withdrew, just as the Imperial Guard Zhao Song requested an audience.

"My King, He Xiao reports that there are only two refined residences left in Youhu Shanzhuang."

He had been sent by the King of Yao to be by He Xiao's side and often had to report to the palace.

"So fast?" The King of Yao was slightly surprised, a smile immediately appearing at the corners of his mouth. "Who else has gone to buy a refined residence?"

The first row of refined residences facing the lake at Youhu Shanzhuang sold out in less than a day—the moment he received this good news, he understood the value of He Xiao's Youhu plan! It hadn't even been two days, and the first phase was almost sold out? He truly hadn't expected this.

Zhao Song presented a box with both hands: "This is the updated list of buyers, please take a look, my King."

In fact, the box contained not only the list but also brand-new silver banknotes.

Yesterday, just after two refined residences were sold, He Lingchuan had sent the gold-plated down payment to the palace.

Daily settlement!

With a gesture from the King of Yao, the old palace servant Qiu Long, who was standing behind him, stepped forward twice to take the box and turned it over to the King of Yao.

The list only had the building numbers, the buyers, and the prices, very simple. The King of Yao took it, flipped through it, and finished reading, unable to help but laugh out loud: "Ayo, Minister You can't sit still anymore."

Seeing him beaming, Zhao Song hurriedly said: "Minister You acted late and only bought one in the third row, but he has pre-ordered one in the first row facing the lake for the second phase from He Xiao."

"Minister You is still Minister You." The King of Yao was all smiles. Ever since the Beijia Regent began participating in politics, Zhao Song had rarely seen the King so happy.

The King of Yao was naturally happy.

From the time the Prince of Qing's mansion bought the first Youhu Shanzhuang residence until now, it had been less than a dozen hours, and the first phase of Youhu Shanzhuang was almost sold out.

What did this mean? Ten ministers had shown their hearts to him in this way:

They would firmly stand on the opposite side of Regent Qingyang.

The speed and the number of people exceeded the King of Yao's expectations.

The faster and more Youhu Shanzhuang residences were sold, the larger the team of officials standing with him.

He understood that he had used He Xiao's move correctly.

No wonder State Preceptor Shuangye would use this person to deal with Qingyang; He Xiao indeed had a way.

At this time, a palace servant came to report that You Rongzhi was requesting an audience.

The King of Yao ordered Zhao Song to withdraw and wait outside the hall.

The monarch and subject in the hall discussed some official business and then talked about Youhu Shanzhuang.

As the supervisor of the villa, You Rongzhi immediately reported on the progress of the construction site, including materials, labor, and actual difficulties, etc. The King of Yao also paid special attention to Qingyang's reaction.

Afterwards, he said: "The first phase of the villa is about to be sold out. He Xiao says that the approval for the second phase has already been submitted?"

The King of Yao gave a hum: "Looking at the progress of the construction site, is there any problem?"

You Rongzhi immediately replied: "So far, materials and labor are in place, and everything is in order."

Went to the hospital today.

The time spent doing check-ups, waiting for tests, and receiving treatment at the hospital was longer than expected.

Rushed home to work on the draft, finally caught up...