Chapter 477: Yuwen Yong

Chang'an.

Wude Hall.

The autumn sun slanted through the lattice windows, casting sparse wooden shadows on the ground.

The hall was so quiet that one could hear the light sound of the copper pot dripping. Yuwen Yong was dressed in plain casual clothes, with a jade belt at his waist, sitting at the desk flipping through military books.

The yellowed bamboo slips were spread out on the rosewood desk. His fingertips pressed on the three characters "Strategy to Attack Qi," his brows furrowed slightly, his gaze deep as a pool, as if he had already immersed himself in the deduction of thousands of troops and horses.

"Your Majesty, Lord Feng is here!" The eunuch's low voice broke the silence. He bowed and led Feng Qi inside, his robe hem sweeping across the ground without a sound, his eyes lowered throughout, not daring to disturb.

Yuwen Yong looked up at the sound, the sharp light in his eyes fleeting, then turned into peace.

He put down the bamboo slips in his hand, pointed to the couch covered with soft cushions beside the desk, his tone gentle: "Come, sit!"

Feng Qi stepped forward and bowed, saying deeply: "Subject Feng Qi, kowtow to Your Majesty."

Only after receiving permission did he cautiously sit on the couch, his back still straight.

Seeing this, the eunuch retreated to outside the hall without a sound, closing the hall door gently, isolating the autumn light and noise outside.

Yuwen Yong lifted the silver pot on the desk, and the clear tea soup poured into the celadon tea cup along the spout, the water vapor steaming with a faint tea fragrance.

He pushed the tea cup to Feng Qi, a faint smile hooking at his lips, the fine lines at the corners of his eyes stretching a bit: "Drink tea!"

Seeing Yuwen Yong's action, Feng Qi's pupils shrank suddenly, hurriedly springing up from the couch, waving his hands repeatedly, his waist bowing lower, his forehead almost touching the edge of the desk, his voice carrying a hint of urgent panic: "Your Majesty, no!"

"What virtue or ability does this subject have to deserve you personally pouring tea for me!" He spoke rapidly, his tone full of flustered surprise, his fingertips trembling slightly, "It is too much of an honor for this subject..."

Yuwen Yong's wrist sank slightly, his warm palm pressing steadily on Feng Qi's shoulder, pressing lightly, and he pressed Feng Qi back onto the couch. His fingertips could touch the tight shoulder and back muscles under the official robe.

"You are the backbone of this Emperor, it's just pouring tea, what is there to be honored about?" The smile on his lips deepened, but his eyes revealed a touch of solemnity, and his fingertips patted his shoulder lightly.

His tone paused, and he looked at Feng Qi with burning eyes, his words earnest, "In the future, this Emperor will have to rely heavily on you, my beloved subject!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Feng Qi's eye sockets suddenly became hot, the panic just now turning into boiling emotion. He took a deep breath, stabilized his trembling voice, cupped his hands high in front of his chest, and bowed straight: "This subject is willing to serve as a dog and horse!"

Seeing his emotions agitated, Yuwen Yong's smile became warmer, pointing to the celadon tea cup on the desk: "Hurry and taste this tea, it will be cold if you don't drink it..."

Feng Qi responded respectfully: "Yes."

He held the tea cup with both hands, his fingertips touching the warm porcelain wall, and took a shallow sip cautiously.

The tea soup was clear and sweet, carrying a faint orchid fragrance.

Yuwen Yong leaned back slightly, his back fitting the railing of the throne, his gaze falling on Feng Qi calmly, his tone without ripples, asking: "Beloved Minister Feng, how is the matter I entrusted to you going?"

Hearing this, Feng Qi put down the tea cup, his expression instantly condensing like iron, his waist straight, his hands pressed on his knees, his gaze burning toward Yuwen Yong, his tone solemn without half a vanity: "Those children of the gentry who are absolutely loyal to Your Majesty and have talent..."

"Have all been secretly transferred to various prefectures and counties according to Your Majesty's wishes, serving as inconspicuous auxiliary officials such as Gongcao, Zhubu, and County Magistrate..."

Yuwen Yong nodded slowly, his fingertips gently caressing the cover of the military book, a flash of approval in his eyes: "Well done."

This type of gentry children belonged to the group that had few opportunities to enter officialdom, but also wanted to touch power...

And the ones Feng Qi was asked to pick, besides having a clean family background, also had to have the talent for governing and training troops.

He wanted to implement a strategic intent that was silent and moistening things!

The words paused slightly, his brows raised, his tone carrying a hint of cautious inquiry: "Over there... didn't notice, right?"

Feng Qi's back stiffened, his voice lowered, but every word was clear: "They are all positions with small official power, the Heavenly Office didn't care..."

When completing these things, Feng Qi was as careful as he could be, almost avoiding all risks.

Moreover, the Heavenly Office had always only valued the appointment and removal of high-level officials and didn't care much about such grassroots transfers, and so far no wind had leaked out...

The smile in Yuwen Yong's eyes completely stretched, raising his hand and tapping lightly on the desk, the sound not loud but full of approval: "Very good!"

After a pause, he continued to praise: "Beloved Minister is thoughtful and acts steadily, truly my left and right arm!"

Feng Qi hurriedly stood up, cupped his hands and bowed, his expression humble and respectful: "Thank you, Your Majesty, for the praise!"

Bowing slightly, the hem of his official robe swept across the ground, "This subject just did a little bit of meager effort! Being able to share worries for Your Majesty is this subject's duty!"

Yuwen Yong raised his hand to press, signaling Feng Qi to sit down, his gaze suddenly deep, looking past the military book in front of the desk toward outside the hall, the afterglow of the autumn sun casting dark light in his eyes, "Beloved Minister, sit down and speak."

Only after Feng Qi sat down as instructed did he speak slowly, his words hiding deep-seated plans: "Next, we must place more young talents loyal to this Emperor in places that the Grand Tutor cannot see and does not care about!"

"Then gradually promote them!"

Speaking to this point, his eyes became sharper, carrying the edge of breaking the situation.

Yuwen Yong's deployment of chess pieces like this was preparing to play a long game, fighting a protracted war, exchanging time for power, step by step, hiding his light and biding his time...

First let his chess pieces sharpen in the dark, accumulate achievements, and gather people's hearts.

When the time is ripe, promote them secretly step by step, infiltrating these flesh and blood into the court and the military and political paths.

Only in this way can he pull the firewood from under the cauldron and slowly disintegrate Yuwen Hu's power!

And in this process, that powerful minister who controls the government will only grow older day by day, gradually losing control...

"Understood!"

Feng Qi straightened his waist, his gaze meeting Yuwen Yong's deep eyes, his tone firm without half a hesitation: "This subject is already speeding up the search for more usable talents..."

Yuwen Yong picked up the celadon tea cup on the desk, took a shallow sip, his gaze deep as a pool, and urged: "Our steps cannot be too big!"

"The action of planting cannot be too frequent!" He furrowed his brows slightly, weighing every word, "It is best to be once every half month..."

Yuwen Yong knew very clearly that everything must be cautious, careful is the best, step by step, only then can he deceive the world.

His biggest advantage is that he is young. Although he has no real power, he is a real political banner. He has time to consume, no need to be too impatient...

Moreover, that "Buddha-becoming" late emperor had already tried and made mistakes!

Feng Qi stood up fiercely, cupped his hands and bowed to the end, the wrinkles of his official robe casting regular shadows on the ground, his voice steady as a bell: "This subject will keep it in mind!"

Immediately, looking at Yuwen Yong burning, his tone was firm: "Must be cautious and cautious!"

A bright light fire vaguely ignited in the depths of his eyes, hiding his eager anticipation for the future.

Seven out of ten of his actions today were speculative bets, because he was not reused by the Grand Tutor and it was difficult to have a day of prominence...

But after His Majesty succeeds in seizing power, by virtue of the merit of assistance and the identity of a childhood friend, he will definitely rise to the top and become the most relied-upon heavy minister holding great power!

Yuwen Yong nodded slowly: "Mm, I am relieved to leave things to you!"

Having said that, he raised his hand and waved lightly, carrying a bit of ease: "Go!"

Feng Qi bowed again, saying deeply: "This subject takes his leave!"

His waist always maintained a respectful arc, his steps light and slow when turning, and he exited the Wude Hall steadily along the hall path.

Yuwen Yong leaned deeply on the throne, his spine fitting the railing, and his tight shoulders and back finally relaxed slowly.

Immediately, he raised his hand to rub his brows, his fingertips sliding across the fine lines between his brows, then let out a long turbid breath.

That breath seemed to be wrapped in long-accumulated depression, quietly dissipating in the hall.

Outside the hall, the autumn sun was gradually slanting, and the shadows of the trees grew longer. He looked at the military books spread out on the desk, his gaze distant and heavy, and a low, muttered self-talk spilled from his lips, his voice so light it was almost drowned out by the sound of the copper water clock: "This Emperor's foundation is shallow, and the court is full of the Grand Tutor's wings. Soldiers I can use, ministers I can trust, wealth I can rely on—I lack everything... and my prestige is not even half of his."

His fingertips tapped lightly on the desk, the rhythm slow but carrying stubborn strength: "Can't be impatient, can't be fast... can only accumulate bit by bit, increase the cards in hand step by step, plan slowly, only then can we reverse the universe..."

Between the lines, it was full of hidden toughness.

Yuwen Yong knew very clearly that the most important thing in playing politics is patience...

And the talent he wants most is Chen Yan, that literary and martial genius who can be a general and a prime minister!

Yuwen Yong shook his head lightly, the hair on his forehead swaying slightly with the movement, brushing away those distracting thoughts, only clarity and firmness remaining in his eyes, slowly standing up from the throne.

The robe hem fell, touching the blue brick floor without a sound. He stood in the hall with his hands behind his back, his gaze sweeping over the military books and tea cups on the desk, secretly thinking: "It is useless to say more now, useless to think more. What I need to do next is to calm down—"

"Use enough time to get familiar with court affairs, and keep people's livelihood and official governance in mind."

"Even more, I must hide my edge, pretend to be a law-abiding monarch," he rubbed his jade belt unconsciously with his fingertips, a flash of hidden strategy in his eyes, "Let Yuwen Hu feel that I am just a monarch who follows the rules and poses no threat to him, slowly lowering his vigilance."

The point after this is to be cautious while improving his various abilities, by the way paralyzing Yuwen Hu, and then accumulating enough power...

One strike to kill, holding great power alone!

Yuwen Yong walked slowly to the window with his hands behind his back, pushed open half a lattice window, the autumn sun wrapped in wind surged into the hall, blowing his plain robe hem.

Looking past the palace walls, the distant Zhongnan Mountains were layered with green, the near palace eaves reflected golden brilliance, and the Wei River wound eastward like a belt.

The mature wheat waves in the fields surged with light yellow, and the whole Chang'an was immersed in the quiet and magnificent autumn light.

He looked at this vast land, a low sigh spilling from his throat: "My Great Zhou's rivers and mountains are truly as beautiful as a painting!"

Just then, the low and urgent footsteps of a eunuch suddenly came from outside the hall, breaking the silence of Wude Hall.

The eunuch bowed and walked in quickly, his robe hem sweeping across the bricks without a sound, stopping until three steps away in the hall, his knees slightly bent to salute, his voice carrying a hint of hard-to-hide urgency: "Your Majesty, the Duke of Wei and the Prince of Ancheng ordered the embroidered envoys to escort Prince Qiao to seek an audience outside the hall!"

After a pause, he added: "Coming together are the Duke of Liang and the Little Tomb Steward!"

Yuwen Yong's brows furrowed slightly, a flash of surprise in his eyes, turning to look at the bowing eunuch, muttering with a hint of confusion: "What do you mean by escorting Prince Qiao?"

Immediately, he waved his hand, his voice clear and penetrating the silence in the hall, "Proclaim!" ===== CHAPTER 478 =====