bullyxtreme Chapter 18 She Will Unify Nine Provinces as a Woman! Zhao Qingxue's Ambition!
Chapter 18 She Will Unify Nine Provinces as a Woman! Zhao Qingxue's Ambition!
Zhao Qingxue did not turn around.
She knew who it was.
The first of the three pillars of Liyang was Prime Minister Zhang Julu.
Zhang Julu was about fifty years old, with a thin face, three long strands of beard hanging down to his chest, wearing a dark purple crane-patterned robe and a black gauze turban.
He had a refined appearance, but his eyes were as sharp as an eagle's. He seemed like a weak scholar, but in reality, his cultivation had reached the mid-stage of the Celestial Phenomenon realm.
What's even more terrifying is his strategy.
Five years ago, when Zhao Qingxue ascended the throne, there was a great deal of opposition in the court. It was Zhang Julu who, with his essay "On the Female Emperor," cited classical texts and refuted the opinions of the crowd, thus vindicating her.
He then devised a series of schemes to help her gradually regain control of the military.
It can be said that Zhang Julu made great contributions to Zhao Qingxue's success today.
"The Prime Minister has also arrived."
Zhao Qingxue finally spoke, her voice clear and cold like jade striking each other, carrying a natural air of authority.
She turned around, her gaze falling on Zhang Julu, then looking at the two people behind him.
On the left is a man eight feet tall, with broad shoulders and a powerful build, wearing a suit of black iron armor, with a giant sword as wide as a door hanging from his waist.
He was in his early forties, with a chiseled face, sharp eyebrows, and fierce eyes. He had a short beard on his chin, and his whole person was like a sharp blade drawn from its sheath, exuding a chilling aura.
General Gu Jiantang of Liyang.
At the peak of the Celestial Phenomenon Realm, he was the number one martial artist in Liyang Martial Arts. He once led three thousand iron cavalry to flatten the eighteen villages of the Southern Barbarians, killing so many countries in the Southern Continent that they dared not look north for ten years.
The person on the right was an elderly man with white hair and a youthful face.
He wore a faded blue Taoist robe, his beard and hair were all white, his face was rosy like a baby's, and he held a white jade whisk in his hand. He had an air of otherworldly grace and was as ethereal as a celestial being.
But those eyes flashed with a sharp light as they opened and closed, as if they could see right through people's hearts.
Sword God, Li Chunfeng.
Thirty years ago, he was already famous throughout the land. It is said that he had one foot in the realm of terrestrial immortals and was the closest to that realm to Liyang and even the entire Shenzhou.
These three people are the Three Pillars of Liyang.
In literature, there was Zhang Julu; in martial arts, there was Gu Jiantang; and in Taoism, there was Li Chunfeng.
With them around, Li Yang can firmly maintain his position as the overlord of the Eastern Continent.
"You three ministers must have important business to attend to so late at night."
Zhao Qingxue walked back to the sandalwood chessboard in the center of the stage and sat down, gesturing for the three of them to sit down as well.
The chessboard is made of thousand-year-old sandalwood, and the chess pieces are polished from warm and cold jade, with a smooth and warm feel to the touch.
At this moment, a game of chess has been set up on the board, with black and white pieces intertwined, and danger lurking everywhere.
Zhang Julu sat down opposite Zhao Qingxue, with Gu Jiantang and Li Chunfeng sitting on either side.
The palace maid silently served fragrant tea, then bowed and withdrew, not daring to linger for even a moment.
Only four people remained on the observatory.
"Your Majesty, the Qin Dynasty has made a move."
Zhang Julu took out a scroll of secret reports from his sleeve and presented it with both hands.
Zhao Qingxue didn't answer, but simply said, "Recite it."
"Yes." Zhang Julu unfolded the secret report.
"At Chenshi (7-9 AM) today, Emperor Qin Mu of the Great Qin Dynasty held court for the first time in half a month. Three matters were discussed: First, the Western Liang invaded the border, and Qin Mu ordered Xu Longxiang of the northern frontier to lead 50,000 troops to provide reinforcements; second, the Jiangnan region was suffering from floods, and Qin Mu allocated three million taels from the imperial treasury to repair the dikes; third…"
He paused, then looked up at Zhao Qingxue: "About my leaving Yang."
Zhao Qingxue picked up a black chess piece and toyed with it between her fingers: "Go on."
"After learning that His Majesty had purged the five princes, Qin Mu ordered Prime Minister Li Si to draft a letter of state and send it to Liyang. The letter of state congratulated His Majesty on purging the court and expressed Qin's willingness to establish a lasting friendship with Liyang."
A cold smile flashed in Zhang Julu's eyes: "The gift list is quite generous: 100,000 taels of gold, 100 pearls from the East China Sea, 1,000 bolts of silk from Jiangnan, and 10 Qin musicians."
Upon hearing this, Gu Jiantang raised a thick eyebrow: "Seeking peace? This Qin Mu knows how to be pragmatic."
Li Chunfeng gently stroked his whisk and shook his head slightly: "It may not be a request for peace."
Zhao Qingxue finally raised her eyes, a hint of amusement flashing in her deep purple phoenix eyes: "What insightful opinion do you have, Daoist Master?"
"According to the celestial observations, although the purple aura of the Great Qin Dynasty is hidden, the dragon vein has not weakened."
Li Chunfeng's voice was ethereal, as if it came from beyond the heavens, "When Qin Mu ascended the throne, he caused extraordinary phenomena in the heavens and earth, with purple qi coming from the east for three thousand miles and nine dragons circling around. Such omens are not something an ordinary ruler could produce."
Gu Jiantang disagreed: "But it's a fact that he's been indulging in wine and women and neglecting state affairs for the past six months. The unusual phenomena surrounding his ascension to the throne might be a coincidence, or it might be a deliberate charade."
"Why deliberately create strange phenomena only to tarnish your own reputation?" Li Chunfeng asked rhetorically.
Gu Jiantang was speechless.
Zhang Julu pondered for a moment and said, "Unless... he's hiding something."
Zhao Qingxue gently placed the black piece on the center point of the chessboard.
"Smack."
A soft sound, exceptionally clear in the silent night sky.
"My three ministers, do you think someone who can cause extraordinary celestial phenomena upon ascending the throne would be a hedonistic and incompetent ruler?"
Her voice was soft, yet it sent a chill down the spines of all three of them.
"Your Majesty means..." A glint flashed in Zhang Julu's eyes.
"He's putting on an act," Zhao Qingxue said calmly. "An act for the world, an act for those in the court with ulterior motives, and also an act for..."
She raised her eyes and looked westward: "Perform for me."
A night breeze blew by, lifting a few strands of her hair.
Under the moonlight, a half-smile appeared on that peerless face.
"If that's true, this boy's cunning is truly terrifying." Gu Jiantang's expression was grave. "Then why is he acting?"
"To lure the snake out of its hole."
Zhao Qingxue picked up the white piece and placed it next to the black piece.
"Think about it, if the Great Qin had a wise and powerful emperor, would Xu Longxiang, that illustrious general in the north, still dare to harbor any disloyal thoughts? Would those restless ministers in the court still dare to make a move?"
Zhang Julu suddenly realized: "So he had to feign incompetence to get those people to come out, and then..."
"Catch them all in one fell swoop," Zhao Qingxue replied, her tone calm but chilling.
She put down her chess piece and looked at the three of them: "Qin Mu has been playing this game for half a year. It's time for us to make our moves too."
Zhang Julu took out another roll of silk from his sleeve and unfolded it beside the chessboard.
It was a detailed map of the Nine Provinces, even more detailed than the one in the Golden Palace of the Qin Dynasty.
Mountains, rivers, cities, and passes were all marked, and even the number of troops stationed there and the names of the generals were recorded.
The intelligence network that Liyang has built up over a century is laid bare on this map.
"Your Majesty, please take a look."
Zhang Julu pointed his finger at the Imperial City of Qin.
"According to the intelligence reports, although Qin Mu has neglected state affairs for the past six months, the Qin Dynasty is functioning normally. The government is efficient and clear, taxes have been reduced, and corrupt officials have almost disappeared. This is something that Li Si could not have accomplished alone."
He paused, then said, "I suspect that Qin Mu has a secret faction."
"Have you found out yet?" Zhao Qingxue asked.
"We only found some clues," Zhang Julu shook his head.
"In the Qin Dynasty, there are several officials who seem unremarkable, but their political views are always incisive and their actions are shrewd, showing a maturity beyond their years. In the military, several young generals have emerged in recent years, who are brilliant in command, but their lineage cannot be traced."
Li Chunfeng suddenly spoke:
"A month ago, the old Taoist used his primordial spirit to leave his body and observe the fortune of the Great Qin Dynasty from afar. He saw several general stars shining brightly above the imperial city, three of which were the brightest, one in the east, one in the west, and one in the north. None of these three general stars were destined to be famous generals of this era."
"Not a renowned general of our time?" Gu Jiantang frowned. "What do you mean, Daoist?"
"What I mean is," a hint of doubt flashed in Li Chunfeng's eyes, "I've seen their destinies in astrological books, but they were all figures from hundreds of years ago. Logically speaking, they should have passed away long ago."
A brief silence fell over the observatory.
A night breeze carries the fragrance of lotus ponds from afar.
Zhao Qingxue suddenly smiled.
The laughter was clear and melodious, like pearls falling onto a jade plate.
"interesting."
She picked up her teacup, took a small sip, and said, "It seems that this Qin emperor is even more mysterious than we imagined."
"Your Majesty, no matter how well Qin Mu hides his true intentions, now that I, Li Yang, have unified military power and have a million-strong army at my disposal, it is the perfect time to expand our territory."
Gu Jiantang's eyes blazed with fighting spirit. "As long as His Majesty gives the order, this humble general is willing to personally lead an army of 300,000 across the river. Within three months, we will surely capture the seven towns in the eastern border of Great Qin!"
Zhao Qingxue did not respond immediately.
She stood up, walked to the edge of the observatory, and leaned on the railing to gaze into the distance.
From here, you can overlook the entire Apocalypse City.
Thousands of lights illuminate the night, and the Milky Way shines brightly.
Five years ago, she stood here, looking at the same night view, and made a vow:
"It's time for this land of Kyushu to change its color."
A woman becoming emperor is unprecedented in history.
She wanted to do something unprecedented in history, as a woman.
Unify the nine provinces and end this centuries-long period of chaos.
To take the first step, they had to annex the Qin Dynasty.
The Central Continent is rich and prosperous, which is the foundation of the Great Qin Dynasty and the key to the rise of Liyang.
"General Gu."
Zhao Qingxue turned around, the moonlight gilding her with a silver edge, and the nine phoenixes on her black robe with gold phoenix design seemed ready to burst out of her clothes and soar into the heavens at any moment.
"If we were to allow you to cross the river, how many soldiers would we need? How many days? How much food and supplies?"