Chapter 523: Setting Off

"?"

Qi Jiguang had anticipated many kinds of answers, but Li Miao's words clearly exceeded his understanding. Thus, he was stunned for a moment, then closed his eyes, carefully recalling in his heart what he had just heard.

Go to Japan... kill the Emperor, burn the shrines, destroy Kyoto?

Alone!?

The absurdity of this statement was no less than the heavens turning upside down and the sun and moon reversing. Japan was not some small Western Region country that could be conquered by a few hundred cavalry. Having dealt with Japanese pirates year-round, he knew better than anyone that this was a major power—though not unified, its territory was nearly one-seventh that of Great Ming!

One person, going to crusade against a nation?

Thinking of how Wu Mingxiao had mentioned that Li Miao had a humorous nature and loved to joke, he suspected for a moment that Li Miao was teasing him. But the next moment, several voices behind him overturned his guess.

"Commander, you're not going home again?"

Wang Hai's face was bitter.

"Before we came, the old Commander and His Majesty gave instructions for us to bring you back, and even made me sign a military pledge... If you leave like this, His Majesty might just cut off my head."

Xiao Si, however, did not follow his line of thought. Her mouth pouted, her eyes widened, and tears welled up from the corners of her eyes as she lifted her sleeve to wipe them, looking miserable.

"You're certainly carefree, just focused on playing outside, not caring about me guarding our empty house. No one witnessed our wedding, and when I'm wronged by my in-laws, there's no one to back me up. Those who don't know would think I'm an orphan, suffering gossip for no reason..."

Li Miao waved his hand.

"Enough, enough, enough. Have you been watching too many plays?"

"You've had Hai under a love-gu poison since he was eighteen. If you really wanted to finish him, it would just be a matter of rubbing your hands together. Do you still need me to back you up? We've been together for so many years, you should save this act for Hai."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Si wiped her face with her sleeve, put her hands on her hips, and her expression changed.

"I don't care! Who knows how many years it will be if you run off this time. Maybe you'll settle down in Japan just to avoid the trouble. Who knows when we'll see you next! You are not allowed to leave!"

Beside her, Gao Anyu also joined in the clamor.

"Right! Not allowed to leave!"

An Ziyang smiled and fanned himself, Mei Qinghe remained silent with eyes closed, and Cao Hanyan rubbed the back of his head and chuckled; none of them spoke.

They paid no heed to the dumbfounded Qi Jiguang beside them.

No... are you all focusing on the wrong thing!

Destroying a nation! Assassinating a monarch!

Could you lords be a bit more serious? We are discussing official business. Why is everyone using the tone of parents who are unreliable and going out to visit neighbors, not coming home for dinner tonight? Did I kill until I was dizzy, or are you lords not awake yet?

Or is it that the Embroidered Uniform Guard kills people outside during the day, and at night, once the doors are closed, they practice crosstalk and comedic banter in the yamen? You wouldn't be planning to incite your own superior to go to his death and then seize power, would you?

The atmosphere inside the shed was as relaxed as a picnic, making it difficult for Qi Jiguang to take what Li Miao had just said seriously.

But the next moment, Li Miao suddenly withdrew his smile.

"Enough, my mind is made up."

"Let's stop the joking here—Embroidered Uniform Guard, take orders!"

Clatter—

The sound of armor hitting the ground rang out in unison. The moment Li Miao's voice fell, the few who had been laughing and chatting just a moment ago knelt on one knee, cupped their fists, and lowered their heads.

"Yes—!"

Qi Jiguang, standing to the side, reacted abruptly, hurriedly kneeling on one knee, cupping his hands, and lowering his head, only to hear Li Miao's calm voice from above.

"I shouldn't be away for too long this time. There are a few things you must do well before I return. As for who does them, what methods are used, and how many people die, you decide for yourselves."

"First, send word to the Moni Sect in the Western Regions, permitting them to enter the Central Plains, but any person of weight who comes must be planted with a poison-gu. The Ming Sect is always dying but never dead; the root lies in no one occupying the positions they vacate. Rather than weeding them out wave by wave, it is better to hold them in our own hands."

"The poison-gu must be planted firmly. Once Ji Tianrui dies, the Moni Sect will be our treasury for governing the world."

"Second, in two years, the Jianghu should have recovered some vitality, and there are many more Heaven-Man Realm experts. Four years have passed since the Imperial Mausoleum affair; if that River-Ascending Father-in-law is still alive, he should be starting to make moves."

"Collect all suspicious clues and signs, and send people to verify them one by one. When I return to Shuntian Prefecture, I want to know where to go and who to kill."

"Third, you have killed many people ahead of me on this journey. Although your hearts were in the right place, it has exposed how many rats have surfaced in the Jianghu now that there are no rules for these two years."

"Kill them off generally, and have Shaolin and Wudang cooperate."

The crowd responded in unison.

"Yes!"