As soon as the wicked man's carriage arrived outside the Epang Palace, a eunuch hurriedly greeted him: "Grand Commandant, His Majesty is waiting for you."

"Oh?" The wicked man raised an eyebrow and subconsciously said, "It seems His Majesty is also paying attention to this matter?"

"Yes," the eunuch lowered his voice, "His Majesty has already read the report from Nanhai Commandery."

The wicked man nodded and strode towards the imperial study. Just as he reached the door, he heard Ying Zheng's voice from inside: "Come in."

"Your Majesty, I pay my respects." The wicked man bowed.

"No need for formalities." Ying Zheng was flipping through a scroll of bamboo slips in his hand. "What's your opinion on the Baiyue situation?"

The wicked man, already prepared, replied, "Your Majesty, this matter is of utmost importance. I believe we must begin preparations as soon as possible."

"Oh?" Ying Zheng put down the bamboo slips. "Tell me about it."

"Your Majesty, please look," the wicked man said, unfurling a map. "The Baiyue have expanded rapidly in recent years, now occupying the entire coastline of the South China Sea. From Nanhai Commandery to Jiaozhou, all merchant ships must pass through their checkpoints."

"That old fox, Yi Yusong," Ying Zheng sneered. "Back then, he seized the opportunity to annex Nanyue, uniting the eastern and western territories to declare himself ruler. I truly underestimated him."

"That's not all," the wicked man continued. "According to the Black Ice Guard's reconnaissance, the Baiyue have recently been building warships on a massive scale. Last year alone, they conscripted tens of thousands of craftsmen. They're trying to control the entire South China Sea shipping lanes!"

A glint of light flashed in Ying Zheng's eyes: "What do you mean?"

The wicked man paced back and forth, saying, "While the Southern Yue submits to us and pays tribute, they are secretly growing stronger. They control the sea routes and monopolize trade. Isn't this a clear indication that they want to rival us?"

He added, "What's even more dangerous is that they control the sea routes to the south. There are countless treasures there—spices, pearls, tortoiseshell—everything imaginable. Now, anyone who wants these things has to go through their hands."

"Hmm." Ying Zheng pondered, "So you mean..."

"Your Majesty," the wicked man said solemnly, "I believe that the Baiyue must be eliminated! Otherwise, they will become a scourge sooner or later."

Explain your reasons.

"Firstly, the Southern Yue controls the sea routes and dictates trade. If we want to develop maritime trade routes, we cannot bypass them. This not only affects the national treasury but also allows them to thrive."

"Secondly, the Western Yue are constantly expanding upwards, having already occupied the South China Sea and Xiang Commandery, and now they are encroaching on Jiaozhou. They are gradually encroaching on the territory of our Great Qin! If we don't do something about it, they may become too powerful."

"Thirdly, Yi Yusong is secretly accumulating strength, building warships, and expanding his navy, clearly indicating his disloyalty. This thorn in our side must be eliminated as soon as possible!"

Ying Zheng listened silently until his wicked husband finished speaking before finally saying, "You've certainly thought things through thoroughly. However..."

He changed the subject: "It's only been three years since the unification of the six kingdoms; the people still need time to recover. If war breaks out again now, I'm afraid..."

"Your Majesty!" the wicked man quickly interrupted him, "That's exactly what I was about to say. You see, unifying the six kingdoms did indeed consume a great deal of manpower. But precisely because of this, we need resources even more!"

What do you mean?

"Think about it, the Southern Yue control the sea routes, so we have to buy everything from them. All that money ends up in the Baiyue treasury. If we let them continue to develop like this, they'll become a major threat sooner or later."

Then he added, "Besides, those spices and jewels are all valuable items. If we had them in our hands, the taxes alone would be a considerable sum. Wouldn't that be perfect for replenishing the national treasury?"

Ying Zheng seemed to be deep in thought: "Continue."

"Most importantly..." the wicked man smiled mysteriously, "I've heard there's a new sea route to the south that leads to a place called 'Fragrant Forest.' The sand there is fragrant, and the treasures are countless. If we could control this route, we'd be rolling in money!"

"Xianglin?" Ying Zheng's interest was piqued. "Does such a place really exist?"

"Absolutely true!" the wicked man assured him, patting his chest. "If you don't believe me, ask the Imperial Treasury Minister. Those spices recently sent as tribute from Nanyue were transported from there."

He walked to the map: "Your Majesty, as you can see, starting from Nanhai Commandery, heading south, passing through Jiaozhou, and continuing south..."

The wicked man drew a line on the map with his finger and continued, "There are countless islands along this route, and each island has rare treasures."

"It was through these means that Yi Yusong amassed a fortune, which gave him the confidence and ambition to compete with my Great Qin."

"Tell me, should our Great Qin just stand by and watch others take these benefits?"

Ying Zheng gazed at the map, lost in thought. After a long while, he finally spoke: "What you say makes sense. However, military action always needs a reason. It can't be done without a cause..."

"That's easy!" The wicked man was prepared. "Does Your Majesty remember what Little Fusu asked today?"

"oh?"

"When the Crown Prince inquired about the rare birds and animals of the south, I thought, why not take this opportunity to send an envoy? We could say we're selecting some exotic items for the Crown Prince. It would be a good chance to get a feel for things..."

Ying Zheng's eyes lit up: "You mean...?"

"Send someone to investigate the true strength of the Baiyue people, and while they're at it, check out that new sea route," the wicked man said in a low voice. "Once we have a clear picture, we'll find a pretext to make our move. If you ask me, Yi Yusong will slip up sooner or later. Then..."

As he spoke, he made a throat-slitting gesture.

"You've certainly planned everything thoroughly." Ying Zheng nodded slightly. "But this choice of person..."

"I've already made up my mind," the wicked man said. "Back then, didn't we organize a mission...? Perfect timing to send them out... heh."

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