Chapter 1787

Yang Lingqi said: "In my view, the Kingdom of Tianxiang currently already possesses the strength to rival Dakang."

Qiqi gave him a cold glance; she was clearly dissatisfied with his remark, yet deep down she could not help but admit that what Yang Lingqi said was indeed true.

Yang Lingqi lowered his head but did not stop speaking: "Looking through history, whenever the barbarians flourish, the Central Plains weaken; when the Central Plains fall into disunity, the barbarians are all the more likely to take advantage. The reason Shajia chooses to cease hostilities and rest at such a time is fundamentally that they wish to wait until the powers of the Central Plains are locked in fierce conflict before invading—truly, 'when the snipe and the clam grapple, the fisherman profits.'"

Qiqi said: "According to your view, we should first ally with the various states of the Central Plains and sweep away external enemies?"

Yang Lingqi said: "To repel external threats, one must first secure the interior."

Qiqi chuckled: "Yang Lingqi, if I were not aware of your background, I would surely think you were an envoy sent by Hu Xiaotian."

Yang Lingqi gave an embarrassed smile: "Your Highness, this humble official's loyalty is known to Heaven."

Qiqi's gaze swept over the newly hung portrait of Hu Xiaotian as she said: "It's easy to paint a tiger's skin but hard to paint its bones; knowing a person's face does not mean knowing their heart—I have heard such words before."

Yang Lingqi prepared to kneel and continue his declaration, but Qiqi reached out to stop him: "I am not targeting you, nor doubting you; over these two years, your labors on my behalf have been evident." She turned and walked to the window: "Have you clarified Hong Beimo's expenditures?"

Yang Lingqi said: "Clearly, I have investigated what he purchased, how many laborers he conscripted, where those laborers came from, whether they have returned—basically, I have had people look into all of that."

Qiqi said: "Is there anything particularly strange about it?"

Yang Lingqi said: "As for finances and supplies, since I do not know their specific use, I cannot say for sure, but I certainly cannot rule out the possibility of him lining his own pockets."

Qiqi said: "Linings of one's own pockets are actually a minor matter."

Yang Lingqi said: "If the strangest aspect is the number of deaths during the mausoleum's construction, according to my preliminary statistics, since he took charge of the mausoleum's construction, the dead and missing exceed 300,000—even more than the soldiers Dakang has lost in war these years."

Qiqi whispered: "Three hundred thousand?"

Yang Lingqi nodded: "This number might be even higher; the mausoleum has been under construction intermittently for over thirty years, and about ten thousand laborers dying each year would not attract much notice." He paused and added: "What is even stranger is that the corpses of these people have all vanished; aside from a few who were claimed, it is said they were all buried on site or incinerated."

Qiqi furrowed her brows slightly; this was something she had not known before. After hearing Yang Lingqi's report, she sat in the Study, lost in thought for a long while, her gaze falling on Hu Xiaotian's portrait, a faint smile touching her lips, yet tinged with an imperceptible sorrow.

Outside the door, Quan De'an's familiar voice sounded again: "Your Highness, Mr. Hong has come to visit you."

These past two days, Qiqi had not attended court, outwardly claiming indisposition, which is why there was talk of Hong Beimo coming to visit; she lifted her eyes: "Is he coming alone, or together with Ren Tianqing?"

Quan De'an said: "Himself!"

Qiqi said: "Let him wait in the front hall; I will go there shortly."

Quan De'an said: "It has already been arranged that way." He believed no one understood the young master's temperament better than he did; although Hong Beimo was Qiqi's most steadfast supporter in the court, she had never allowed him to enter the inner precincts of Zilan Palace, clearly distinguishing priorities and fully aware of her mutually exploitative relationship with Hong Beimo.

Quan De'an naturally saw Qiqi's process of painting Hu Xiaotian's portrait; since Hu Xiaotian's arrival, Qiqi had clearly become uneasy, and only Hu Xiaotian could have reduced her to this state. Yet Quan De'an did not understand why Qiqi had to remain in Zilan Palace these two days—was she still waiting for Hu Xiaotian's arrival? That brat Hu Xiaotian is almost certainly within the palace; if she wishes to see him, why hasn't she sent someone to deliver a message?

Qiqi had her own calculations; although she knew Hu Xiaotian was hiding in the Si'yuan Bureau, she still did not rush to meet him—not out of caution toward Hu Xiaotian, but because of the skull Hong Beimo had sent. Her actions that night not only aroused Ren Tianqing's suspicion, but would also make Hong Beimo suspicious. Qiqi had originally intended to return the skull to Ren Tianqing intact after extracting the information hidden inside, but she had not anticipated that she would have no reaction to that skull at all. Moreover, there is an undisclosed reason: after the reconstruction of the Long Ling Shengjing mechanism, the other key to activate it lies in Hong Beimo's hands; to enter, one must first obtain that key from him.

Upon seeing Qiqi, Hong Beimo maintained his humble and respectful demeanor, noticing Quan De'an in attendance, holding a leather satchel that naturally contained the skull sent by Ren Tianqing.

Qiqi waved her hand; Quan De'an withdrew, and Hong Beimo first inquired after her health, although he believed she was most likely feigning illness.

On this matter, Qiqi was very candid: "My health poses no hindrance; I simply wish to have some quiet."

"Glad to hear you're well, Your Highness!" Hong Beimo's gaze turned to the skull.

Qiqi said: "Take this skull back with you; there's nothing inside."

Hong Beimo said: "Could it be…?"

Qiqi said: "There is no Heaven-Scanning Treasure Mirror you seek."

Hong Beimo felt disappointed by her words.

Qiqi said: "You should have seen the murals of Long Ling Shengjing; the two skulls of those beheaded were left in the palace, we obtained one, and the other is likely now in Hu Buwei's hands." She fixed her gaze on Hong Beimo's eyes: "You personally promised me that you would retrieve that skull from Hu Buwei's grasp, yet after all this time there has been no progress whatsoever."

Hong Beimo sighed: "It is all my fault; this humble official underestimated Hu Buwei's strength."

Qiqi said: "Just what is Ren Tianqing's background?"

Hong Beimo said: "This humble official does not know……"

Qiqi gave a cold chuckle, opened the leather satchel, and took out the skull; Hong Beimo gazed at it, secretly thinking it did not look like a fake—could Qiqi be deliberately deceiving him? Unexpectedly, Qiqi hurled the skull to the ground and shouted angrily: "What grudge do I have against you that you would join forces with him to harm me?"

Hong Beimo was startled by Qiqi's shout, watching the skull roll to his feet with a clatter; he hastily bowed and said: "This humble official does not know why Your Highness would say such a thing."

Qiqi said: "As soon as I put on the skull, I felt a wave of dizziness, as if an invisible force were trying to suck dry the contents of my mind—Hong Beimo! Are you truly ignorant or feigning ignorance?"

Hong Beimo was half convinced, half doubtful; yet Qiqi spoke with such righteous conviction that it did not seem like baseless accusation. In fact, he also lacked a clear understanding of Ren Tianqing's background, and it was possible that Ren Tianqing, seeking to obtain this secret, had deliberately set a trap.

Hong Beimo said: "This humble official truly does not know; if Ren Tianqing dared to do such a thing, this humble official would certainly not go easy on him."

Qiqi then sighed: "It appears you truly are unaware; perhaps Ren Tianqing also knows nothing about this matter. For now, let us not make it public—investigate his background."

Hong Beimo said: "Yes!"

Qiqi also said: "Take this skull with you as well."

Hong Beimo covertly observed her expression, secretly thinking: "Could this girl be deliberately testing me? If the skull is truly as strange as she claims, then taking it away would only make her suspect me of colluding with Ren Tianqing." He then said: "Your Highness, in my opinion, it would be best for you to keep this skull yourself."

Qiqi said: "I am not shirking responsibility, but I am genuinely worried now—what if someone sets their sights on the other skull?"

Hong Beimo's heart jolted—could Ren Tianqing truly be casting a brick to attract jade? Qiqi knows that the more scheming a person is, the heavier their suspicions, and he sighed: "Perhaps it would be better to return that skull to its original place."

Hong Beimo said: "That would be best."

Qiqi said: "I recall that you still have a key to open the secret realm, do you not?"

Hong Beimo nodded, having reworked the mechanism for entering Long Ling Shengjing, which requires two keys to be activated simultaneously—one with him, the other with Qiqi; her remark clearly meant she wanted to take the key from him.

Qiqi said: "Mr. Hong, if you don't mind the trouble, would you accompany me in entering there tonight?"

Hong Beimo said: "Your Highness, this humble official still has pressing matters; I fear I cannot tonight." At this point he fully understood Qiqi's intention, took the key from his waist and respectfully handed it over.

Qiqi said offhand: "Just leave it there; our conversation must absolutely not be told to a third party."

"Yes!"

Qiqi handed him the prepared booklet: "These are my recent notes; see if they are of any use."

Hong Beimo received the booklet as if it were a treasure, accepting it respectfully and putting it away.

As Qiqi rose to leave, Hong Beimo suddenly recalled another purpose for his visit: "Your Highness, please wait—supplies for the mausoleum are running short, and the funds you promised have still not been allocated by the Ministry of Revenue."

Qiqi said: "Let's discuss it in a few days; lately everywhere is demanding money and grain—do you really think I am hiding here to enjoy leisure? I am avoiding those officials; whenever I attend court, I hear them nagging about these matters, truly vexing."

Hong Beimo, hearing her words to this extent, could only temporarily abandon his pursuit of funds; this girl's scheming grows deeper by the day, and trying to control her is no easy feat.

Two updates delivered (to be continued...)