Chapter 1648: The King of Yao

How much longer could he wait? The Emperor's Flowing Nectar was coming soon.

"No news from Yuwen Yong either?"

"General Yuwen has no message."

The King of Yao paced in the study for a long time, pondering repeatedly. Yes, if Wang Sili had an accident on the way, how would Yuwen Yong, who was guarding the northern border, know?

"The night after tomorrow!" The King of Yao finally made the decision. "Immediately send the fastest bird demon to send a message to Yuwen Yong; if Wang Sili doesn't arrive at the northern camp by the night after tomorrow, tell him to find a way to take down Chong Wu!"

Doing it so hard was very dangerous. Chong Wu was also a general guarding the border, and on the surface, he hadn't made any mistakes. If Yuwen Yong wanted to take him down by force without the King of Yao's talisman and documents, it was neither reasonable nor easy.

If he used schemes or assassination? Chong Wu himself had strong combat power; once failed, the consequences would be unimaginable.

But the King of Yao couldn't care less; of two evils, choose the lesser.

At this time, he felt some annoyance. If he could have withstood Qingyang's pressure at the beginning and not given this important position to Chong Wu, there wouldn't be today's disaster!

"

The King of Yao asked casually: "What do you mean?"

Every few days, Zhao Song has to report on He Lingchuan's recent situation, even though the Tianshui Eastward Expansion project has already stopped.

"Yongquan Shanzhuang has lost quite a few people recently. Zhao Song had his palace guards observe carefully, and some of the 'Benevolent Seekers' never returned after leaving the villa."

Fewer people in Yongquan Shanzhuang? The King of Yao frowned: "Since there is unusual movement, why report it only today?"

"Zhao Song said these people were always coming and going, so their leaving or staying didn't attract attention. It was his palace guard who was flirting and having a secret affair with a maid at Yongquan Shanzhuang. That maid had sent him a plate of fruit the night before and agreed to meet behind the wine cellar the next afternoon, but she didn't show up the next day and hasn't appeared since. After Zhao Song heard about this, he observed carefully and discovered that there were fewer and fewer 'Benevolent Seekers' in the villa and more and more locals. Unknowingly, those servants had all been replaced."

"Useless trash, people are almost gone right under his nose, and he only reports it now?" The King of Yao coughed, his voice phlegmy. Qiu Long hurriedly handed him a spittoon, wanting to say something but hesitating.

The King of Yao coughed for a good while before exhaling: "What do you want to say?"

Qiu Long hesitated for a moment before saying: "The Regent Qingyang said the day before yesterday that there aren't many people left from the Benevolent Seeker Chamber of Commerce in Tianshui City."

He didn't dare to repeat the next few sentences Qingyang said:

You are obedient to He Xiao, but this person is really not a good thing; he has quietly moved his assets and personnel out of the Yao Nation. It is ridiculous that all the civil and military officials are kept in the dark.

You want to use him, but hasn't he been using you as a pawn? At the time, the King of Yao scoffed, but thinking about it now, her words actually had two points of truth.

"Send someone to the Benevolent Seeker Chamber of Commerce to investigate."

Qiu Long agreed and was about to go out to pass on the order, but the King of Yao suddenly waved his hand to stop him, lost in thought.

Seeing his brow about to knot, Qiu Long knew that whatever was worrying the King must be no small matter.

The King of Yao, however, was sneering in his heart; so He Xiao wanted to run and had been quietly transferring personnel out all along.

Right, this is the true nature of a merchant seeking profit and avoiding harm! He was swearing just a while ago that he would absolutely not leave. Fortunately, the King of Yao didn't believe him!

Expecting this person to see the Tianshui Eastward Expansion project through to the end? Ha! "Have Zhao Song take people to thoroughly inspect Yongquan Shanzhuang. Since He Xiao has the heart to escape, he will likely use some tricks." Otherwise, how could he slip away under the eyes of these hundreds of palace guards? "See if he dug tunnels or set up formations!"

"Your Majesty is wise; He Xiao will definitely not be able to escape your grasp!"

The King of Yao gave a hum, thought for a long time, and then seemed to make up his mind:

"There is one thing you must plan for in advance—"

"—Before the Imperial Flowing Plasma erupts, summon both Qingyang and He Xiao into the palace."

Since Qingyang intends to plot something during the eruption of the Imperial Flowing Plasma, he will strike first!

Qiu Long agreed and asked again: "Where do you intend to place He Xiao?"

"Naturally, the Jade Spring Palace."

Qiu Long's thoughts raced. Before the Imperial Flowing Plasma erupts, Qingyang, He Xiao, the Jade Spring Palace...? Connecting all these together, what is the King planning?

The King of Yao's smile was two parts sinister: "When this pair of enemies meets, they will be extremely jealous; who can say for sure what will happen?"

Qiu Long had been by his side for too long and suddenly understood: "Yes! My King, my King is wise! That He Xiao is audacious, and he is not a Yao person. No one knows why he hates the Regent Qingyang to the bone, daring to commit such a great transgression!"

But he was still secretly shocked in his heart.

He Xiao is the true controller of the progress of the Tianshui Eastward Expansion project. Before it temporarily stopped, the construction of the new city was indeed on the right track. The King is actually willing to push this person out, ignoring that a project worth tens of millions of taels might be affected! Letting go—this is truly letting go through pain.

It seems the King judges the current crisis to be imminent, forcing him to sacrifice even his most useful chess pieces!...

The night is deep.

Located in the suburbs, Yongquan Shanzhuang possesses a tranquility incomparable to Tianshui City. This night, even the refugees didn't come to cause trouble; only the trees were shaking their heads in the evening breeze.

The entire villa seemed to be immersed in sleep, and an unknown night owl began to call: "Woo-goo—woo-goo—"

It felt doubly cold and desolate.

Among the many people in the villa, originally only Dong Rui lived in the cave on the low hill. This small hill and the cave were natural; there was a small stream in front of the hill and a large pond behind it.

The previous owner used this cave as a wine cellar, and He Lingchuan specifically had it widened and reinforced to serve as Dong Rui's laboratory and residence.

When Dong Rui was still in the villa, the cave door was kept tightly shut day after day, and no one knew what he was tinkering with inside. Even if the palace guards were curious, they couldn't force their way in to check.

After all, the owner of the villa is He Lingchuan, and things here are decided by him.

Dong Rui has already slipped away, but the public explanation is that he went out on business and will return in a few days. So, during his absence, this kiln cave is in a temporarily closed state, with a "General Iron" (a heavy lock) guarding the door.

At midnight, there was no one around, and even the fish in the pond were suspended motionless.

A broken kiln cave is nothing worth guarding, and neither the palace guards nor the Benevolent Seeker guards usually approach the front of this cave.

When dark clouds obscured the moonlight, a black shadow with a hunched back and stooped waist darted quickly to the cave door, lowered his head, and began to pick the lock.

Little did he know, this brass lock had no keyhole at all. The black shadow fumbled back and forth, but simply couldn't find a place to insert his tools.

Damn it, how was this lock hung up?

Naturally, he didn't know that this was junk Dong Rui had picked up from the Ghost King's underground palace; Songyang Prefecture just repaired it, and it could be used again. This thing had no other use, except that only the owner could touch it open, and it rejected everyone else, so it didn't need a keyhole.

But the black shadow wasn't stumped; since the lock couldn't be opened, he would find a way on the door latch.