Chapter 1185

"Lord Gao, please change your request to something else. I can grant you any other request, but this one, I cannot."

Gao Yang looked surprised, clearly not expecting Wu Zhao's attitude to be so firm. He couldn't help but ask, "Your Majesty, why is that?"

"If I accompany the army on the expedition, I will surely make the Xiongnu tremble with fear, and our army's morale will be greatly bolstered!"

Wu Zhao's noble face was filled with seriousness.

She spoke to Gao Yang, "Minister Gao, I naturally know this. With you taking the lead, I can certainly be more at ease, but compared to this, I am more worried about one thing."

"What thing?"

Wu Zhao's pretty face tightened, and she said with full seriousness, "I am worried that you will fall into the hands of the Xiongnu Chanyu. For me, that would be too great a loss."

Gao Yang was stunned upon hearing this. He felt a bit gratified, not expecting that he was so important in Wu Zhao's heart.

But the next second.

Wu Zhao continued, "I can choose not to use Minister Gao's strategies, and I can support Minister Gao for a lifetime; it wouldn't cost much silver. But if you fall into the hands of the Xiongnu, I would suffer a great disaster."

"I cannot treat the national destiny of Da Qian as a joke, nor can I treat the tens of millions of Da Qian's commoners as a joke!"

"I may not use Minister Gao, but he must never be snatched away by others."

Furthermore, there was one more thing Wu Zhao did not say: ever since she had Gao Yang, whenever she encountered a decision that weighed on her conscience, she only had to think of Gao Yang, and her conscience would no longer be uneasy.

Gao Yang: "..."

These words were heart-wrenching.

Shangguan Wan'er almost laughed out loud.

But she also felt that Wu Zhao was right. Gao Yang's strategic position was simply too important. If he were to fall into the hands of the Xiongnu, Da Qian would truly be in danger!

Gao Yang took a deep breath and struggled, "Your Majesty, I have always been tight-lipped and unyielding even in death. Even if I fall into the hands of the Xiongnu, I would never be used by such barbarians!"

"On this point, Your Majesty can rest assured!"

As soon as these words were spoken.

The vast Imperial Study suddenly fell silent.

Wu Zhao stared straight at Gao Yang.

Shangguan Wan'er also stared at Gao Yang.

Neither of them spoke, but they both stared at Gao Yang.

These two clearly skeptical gazes made Gao Yang's old face unable to hold up, "Your Majesty, it is one thing for others not to believe me, but do you not believe me either?"

Wu Zhao, upon hearing this, said very bluntly, "Minister Gao, tell the truth: when you just said those words, did you laugh yourself?"

"I won't even talk about torture. Just look at the Xiongnu controlling the Western Regions. I have heard that there are many beauties with exotic customs in the Western Regions. If the Xiongnu Chanyu took ten beauties from the Western Regions to seduce you, using all sorts of methods, Minister Gao, could you hold out?"

Gao Yang's old face flushed red, not expecting Wu Zhao to be so direct, knowing exactly where his weakness lay.

"Your Majesty, I have always viewed beauty as a flood or a wild beast. Let alone ten beauties from the Western Regions, even if twenty or a hundred were sitting on my lap, posing and flirting with me, I would not be moved in the slightest."

"Nothing else, only loyalty!"

Gao Yang said loudly, his face full of righteousness.

Such shameless words made Shangguan Wan'er look away. Sometimes, she really wanted to learn Gao Yang's thick-skinned nature.

"Lord Gao, suppress yourself before you speak. It is fortunate that there is no one else around, otherwise I would have to punish you for the crime of lèse-majesté!"

Wu Zhao stared at the area three inches below Gao Yang's lower abdomen, unable to bear looking at it.

Just speaking about it and imagining that scene was already unbearable, let alone when the temptation actually arrived—wouldn't he swear loyalty to the Xiongnu to the death?

Would that even require all sorts of torture?

Gao Yang, upon hearing this, hurriedly pulled in his stomach and began to suppress his urge.

This is damn embarrassing.

It was truly because the beauties with Western Region customs were too vivid in his mind, so for a moment, he couldn't control himself.

"Minister Gao, give me a proper reason."

Wu Zhao interrupted, her noble phoenix eyes locked on Gao Yang's face.

She didn't believe a single word of these things.

"Your Majesty, my grandfather is elderly, and I am somewhat worried that he might not maintain his integrity in his later years. That is why I want to accompany the army on the expedition. I am not aiming to be a vanguard commander, just following by my grandfather's side to pick up some military merit. How could anything go wrong?"

"I ask for Your Majesty's approval!"

Gao Yang pulled in his stomach and formally saluted Wu Zhao.

Wu Zhao stared at Gao Yang, feeling somewhat hesitant.

What Gao Yang said also had some truth to it. Although Da Qian now had stirrups and horseshoes, as well as the Enemy-Breaking Bow, its combat power was extremely strong.

But the bravery of the Xiongnu was known to all in Da Qian.

This was a fear carved into their bones from long periods of returning in defeat.

This first battle also put great pressure on Wu Zhao. The entire Da Qian was watching, and once defeated, it would have a huge impact on military morale.

With Gao Yang following along, she could be much more at ease.

Furthermore, Gao Yang was cautious and his foresight regarding danger far exceeded others, so she could also be a little more at ease.

Wu Zhao was thinking and weighing the options, and Gao Yang did not urge her.

On the contrary, he was extremely interested in this kind of expedition.

Da Qian was founded on martial power, and military merit was Da Qian's hard currency, highly respected. If he could pick up some military merit, it would also be of great benefit to himself.

After pondering for a moment.

Wu Zhao made a decision, "Since that is the case, I will confer upon Minister Gao the title of Piao Yao Captain to accompany the army on the expedition, and additionally grant you the power of supervision and the power of discretion!"

"You may select eight hundred men from the major military camps in Changancheng to be your personal troops, under your unified command. On this trip, prioritize safety above all else!"

Wu Zhao's expression was serious.

Gao Yang had nothing to do now. Although he had entered the Ministry of Revenue as the Minister of Revenue, as far as she knew, all matters, big and small, were carried by Gao Feng alone, and Gao Yang hadn't even gone there many times.

Additionally, the plan regarding Zhao Gao had already been laid out, and Gao Yang was not needed for the time being. Sending troops in the spring would not delay anything.

With Gao Yang in Changancheng, besides going to the Royal No. 1 Club for massages, he seemed to have nothing else to do. Rather than that, it would be better to let Gao Yang accompany the army on the expedition. If he could pick up some military merit, he could better serve as a minister!