Chapter 2

Gao Feng was surprised.

Gao Yang said calmly, "Has Father ever heard of a Poisonous Strategist?"

"A Poisonous Strategist?"

Gao Feng frowned.

"There are three types of strategists: those who scheme for themselves, those who scheme for others, and those who scheme for the world. Those who scheme for themselves are Poisonous Strategists! Those who employ open schemes that harm hidden virtue are Poisonous Strategists!"

"Now that the world is unified, yet the north remains unstable, with treacherous villains harming the nation internally and feudal princes carving up territories, while barbarians eye us aggressively from without, ordinary methods will hardly work. This is an era for Poisonous Strategists!"

Upon hearing these words, Gao Feng's face was filled with astonishment.

Although he knew clearly that this kid was bluffing, the bluff carried a certain degree of logic.

Could he truly be hiding his abilities?

Just as Gao Feng was pondering, a gentle voice suddenly came from outside the Gao family gate.

"Uncle Gao, Wan'er has come uninvited; I hope I am not disturbing you."

Gao Yang looked up to see a woman dressed in a dark green long skirt, with skin as white as snow, standing at the entrance, her cold eyes fixed in his direction.

Yet, there was a trace of indifference in her gaze.

Song Qingqing, daughter of Song Li, the Minister of Rites of the Great Qian, was also his fiancée in name only.

Her arrival at this moment made Gao Yang sense something amiss.

"We are one family; there is no need for such politeness between us, Qingqing."

Seeing Song Qingqing, a gentle smile spread across Gao Feng's face.

Song Qingqing lifted her arrogant chin and said lightly, "Uncle Gao, I have come here to break off the engagement!"

"Break off the engagement?"

The moment Song Qingqing spoke these words, the entire Duke of Dingguo's residence exploded in uproar.

Gao Feng's face instantly darkened.

"The marriage alliance between the Song and Gao families was arranged since childhood; with the wedding imminent, how can it be broken off so casually?" Gao Feng said with an icy expression, looking at Song Qingqing. "By taking this action, where does the Song family intend to place my Duke of Dingguo's residence?"

Gao Yang was also stunned; he never expected that immediately after transmigrating, his fiancée would come to his door to break off their engagement.

This plotline was set in stone!

But then again, for the prestigious Duke of Dingguo's residence to have the woman's side proactively come and break off the engagement was an insult equivalent to tearing off all pretenses, even leading to a fight to the death!

Song Qingqing spoke up, "This matter is indeed the Song family's fault, but it is the decision of the entire clan, and Qingqing lacks the power to stop it. My father specifically instructed me to inform the Duke of Dingguo that should the Duke of Dingguo's residence encounter trouble in the future, my Song family will definitely offer our full support."

Gao Feng's face filled with furious rage. "Get out!"

"Tell that old thing Song Li that even if the engagement is to be broken, it will be my Duke of Dingguo's residence that goes to break it! What kind of thing is your Song family?"

Facing Gao Feng's explosive anger, Song Qingqing did not become annoyed.

Water flows downward, and people move upward; this is an eternal truth. In the past, the Duke of Dingguo's residence stood high above all, but now, with the Empress ascending the throne, the entire Changan is destined to undergo a shift in power.

As long as Gao Tianlong, the Duke of Dingguo, remains alive, the world will naturally respect him by three degrees, but how many more years can he live?

Gao Yang's reckless tearing down of the imperial edict is destined to send the Gao family into decline!

Her Song Qingqing's future husband is destined to be a dragon among men, reaching the highest positions of power, absolutely not someone mediocre like Gao Yang!

"Then my Song family will quietly await the Duke of Dingguo's honorable visit!"

After speaking, Song Qingqing turned and left directly, taking her servants with her.

Gao Feng's face turned iron-green, his fists clenched tight within his palms.

This was an immense humiliation.

But Gao Yang laughed.

"You beast! Having your engagement broken off publicly, and you can still laugh?" Gao Feng suddenly turned to glare at Gao Yang, his face filled with shock and rage.

Gao Yang smiled and said, "Father, for a woman so obsessed with vanity, what is so bad about breaking off the engagement?"

"In her eyes, with the new Emperor ascending and power shifting, the younger generation of the Gao family has no one capable of bearing great responsibility, destined to decline; otherwise, she wouldn't have rushed to break off the engagement the moment I tore down the Edict Seeking Worthies, fearing only that the Song family would be implicated!"

The look in Gao Feng's eyes as he gazed at Gao Yang changed.

Gao Yang saw things more clearly than he did.

But something wasn't right; wasn't this unfilial son determined to marry only this Song Qingqing?

Something was wrong; out of a hundred points, there were a hundred points of wrongness!

Yet he sighed, "Regarding the matter of breaking off the engagement, you need not overthink it; my Duke of Dingguo's residence will not let this rest easily. The most urgent task now is the assessment from the Empress in the Jin Luandian."

"I will immediately take you into the palace to audience the Sage; once we reach the Jin Luandian, it truly depends on your own abilities. I do not ask you to make the Empress look at you with new admiration, but only to make no mistakes!"

"Otherwise, needless to say about you, even the entire Duke of Dingguo's residence will suffer implications!"

"..."

Gao Yang followed Gao Feng all the way into the majestic palace of Great Qian, passing through several vermilion palace gates, heading straight for the Taiji Hall.

"Your Majesty, Gao Yang, son of the Vice Minister of Revenue who tore down the imperial list, has arrived outside the hall!"

"Summon him!"

A noble voice rang out.

Gao Yang was then pulled by Gao Feng straight into the Taiji Hall.

At this moment, civil and military officials stood in rows on both sides; when the two entered the hall, curious gazes all fell upon them.

After paying their respects, Gao Yang finally raised his head and looked toward the front.

On the dragon throne, Wu Zhao wore a golden-yellow dragon robe, her countenance exquisitely beautiful, her phoenix eyes majestic.

An aura of nobility permeated around her, making people dare not look directly at her.

Gao Yang's mind began to churn actively.

The Empress had only recently ascended the throne and was eager to accomplish great deeds; if he could cling to the Empress's great thigh, the entire Duke of Dingguo's residence would surely reshape its glory.

His good days would also last longer.

Wu Zhao's phoenix eyes fell upon Gao Yang, filled with some disappointment.

She had originally thought that anyone daring enough to tear down the Edict Seeking Worthies must be a startling talent found once in ten thousand.

But when Gao Yang's dossier was placed before her, the generation's Empress fell into a rare silence.

However, without rules there can be no order; since she, Wu Zhao, had established that those who tear down the imperial list must enter the palace for an audience, she would definitely issue the imperial decree.

It was just that the Gao family was a renowned military lineage of Great Qian, utterly loyal.

She only hoped that before the hundred officials, this Gao Yang would not be too outrageous, putting her in a difficult position.

Wu Zhao spoke lightly, "Our first question to you: when you have personally killed your enemy's entire family, and while feeling exhilarated looking at the corpses filling the ground, you discover there is still a child inside the room, what should you do?"

Wu Zhao's voice was very light, yet it carried an air of unquestionable majesty.

Gao Yang was stunned for a moment.

This question for the Empress's assessment was quite original.

Hearing the question, the hundred officials also fell into thought.

Wu Zhao tapped the armrest of the dragon throne slowly and rhythmically with her fingers, her gaze fixed on Gao Yang.

This question seemed easy to answer, yet it held hidden complexities.

The court of Great Qian was corrupt, with severe factional strife, moreover, warlords carved up the realm below heaven, and aristocratic clans stood everywhere.

To deal with these villains and create a peaceful era for the common people, one must let villains be ground down by other villains!

She, Wu Zhao, did not lack talents proficient in the classics and righteousness, but she needed a villain.

Gao Yang pondered for a few seconds, then looked at Wu Zhao and said, "This commoner would say: 'Remember my face; the next time we meet, I will show no mercy.'"

Once these words were spoken.

Wu Zhao's face showed disappointment, her interest waning.

The son of an enemy, who had personally witnessed his entire family wiped out—if one does not pull up the weeds by the roots, will they wait ten years, twenty years, for him to return and seek revenge?

To sacrifice the safety of an entire family for the sake of righteousness and a misplaced mercy was, in Wu Zhao's eyes, utterly foolish!

She was just about to wave her hand.

But immediately after, Gao Yang's voice rang out once more.

"After saying this, I will turn and leave, then suddenly whirl around and let out a loud laugh."

"Haha, young man, we meet again."

At these words.

All the civil and military officials turned in unison to look in Gao Yang's direction, the corners of their mouths twitching slightly.