Chapter 193 Girlfriend

"Greetings, Uncle!"

When Konoe Maeko saw Toyotomi Hidenaga, she immediately bowed. Although she was now the Emperor's consort, she was no match for the second-in-command of the Toyotomi family. Even if she became Empress in the future, she would still be of little importance. The Emperor's position in Japan was truly awkward.

"Hmm! Qianzi, be careful later, your godfather's health... is already frail."

As the strongest ascetic in the Toyotomi family, Toyotomi Hidenaga was able to keenly sense Toyotomi Hideyoshi's aging, and that even with various methods, he was merely prolonging his life.

"Uncle, rest assured, this shipment has been prepared for a long time and there will definitely be no problems."

Toyotomi Hidenaga glanced at the two trembling girls behind Konoe Maeko, nodded slightly, and walked away. In his eyes, it was an honor for the two ordinary girls to be able to contribute to Hideyoshi's body.

One night later, two girls with vacant eyes emerged from Hideyoshi's room, looking like walking corpses. Meanwhile, the wrinkles on Hideyoshi's face had smoothed out a bit, and his cloudy eyes had regained some of their luster.

"Your Highness, no matter what, the Emperor is the ruler of Fusang. You must serve him well and not neglect him."

"Hi! I've got it. Take good care of yourself, Godfather. I'll come again next month."

Watching Konoe Maeko walk away, Toyotomi Hideyoshi silently closed his eyes. He had many adopted daughters, some for personal desires, some for politics, and so many had sacrificed their youth and even their lives for the unification of the Yamato people. He could not fall when he was about to achieve his goal... absolutely not.

"Father, Father, people from Great Xia have arrived."

Toyotomi Hideyoshi was delighted to see his adopted son running towards him with a face full of joy. His family had very strict rules, and Toyotomi Hidetsugu would never be so reckless unless it was something very good.

"Who's back? Xingchun? Is there good news?"

"No, Father, he is a man of the Great Xia Dynasty, an official in the Ministry of Rites."

Hideyoshi Toyotomi's panting words made him lose his temper. The nobles of Daxia were greedy, but they were still loyal. If you cooperated with them, they would leave you with a scrap. But those scholars were not so. In Japan, you often see scholars who come to study and exchange ideas. It is common for them to take advantage of you and do nothing, and they will also look down on you as a bumpkin.

"I, Qin Su, have traveled through many hardships and across the ocean to reach Japan, specifically to relieve Lord Toyotomi's worries."

"Oh! I wonder what the 'worry' the envoy is referring to?"

"Hehe! Lord Toyotomi is currently facing both internal and external troubles. With your great talent and strategy, internal troubles are nothing to fear. What you should be afraid of are external troubles, right?"

"Um?"

Upon hearing Qin Su's inexplicable words, Toyotomi Hideyoshi's eyes lit up. He waved for everyone to retreat and then began a secret meeting with Qin Su. No one knows what they discussed, but that night, Toyotomi warriors began to gather, and the shadow of war loomed over the Edo region.

Hu Song was ecstatic. He felt that all the humiliation and grievances he had suffered were worth it. If possible, he even felt that he could suffer even more, just to make Lord Luo remember him more deeply.

The imperial examinations in the Great Xia Dynasty were very rigorous. During the prefectural examinations, the emperor would personally appoint the chief examiners, while the proctors would usually be the provincial governors or provincial inspectors, and sometimes even the governors would concurrently serve as proctors. The fact that the imperial court valued the imperial examinations so highly demonstrates the importance that the court placed on them.

Luo Wenquan, the Provincial Governor of Fujian, was this year's examiner. When he arrived in Dayuan as a candidate for the position of Inspector General, Qin Mo knew what kind of trouble these officials were up to. He arranged for someone to receive him while quickly writing a letter and sending it to Suxiang Tower. No matter what, he wanted to find Wang Yushi first to find out the details of the matter.

The provincial governor was a second-rank official, while Qin Mo was a prince of the highest rank. So, he was only symbolically entertained with a banquet and then left to his own devices. The entire province was his fiefdom. If pushed too far, he could disrespect you and kick you out, but you wouldn't do anything about it. The territory of nobles is inviolable; it is the cornerstone of imperial rule.

"Aiya, you're clearly unqualified as the head of the bodyguard. You don't even know what that Luo guy did. Is this high-ranking official's territory still ours?"

“Your Highness, Aya is a close attendant, not a spy. I only care about fighting, not surveillance.”

Qin Mo and Aiya started arguing because Qin Mo had sent Aiya to keep an eye on Luo Wenquan's movements, but... nothing happened. Qin Mo was a little dissatisfied, and the elf Aiya was even more dissatisfied.

"Alright, alright! I'll choose someone else to keep watch."

Qin Mo had no choice but to go to Uncle Lin. Three years ago, Uncle Lin had built a rudimentary intelligence network by relying on wealthy merchants who had traveled all over the country. He also had some "special talents" under his command, but their skills were no match for Aiya's. Yellow Realm cultivators were not common, and those who could endure loneliness to become spies were extremely rare.

"Your Highness, Lord Luo is outside requesting an audience."

Before Qin Mo could even start any espionage work, someone came in to announce that a man surnamed Luo had come to the door.

"Hehe, Lord Luo, have you enjoyed your sightseeing these past few days?"

"Oh! What an eye-opener! This is the first time I've ever seen such a well-maintained city, and also the first time I've seen so many people from other races. Your Highness has a heart that encompasses the world; I admire you... I admire you."

Luo Wenquan, in his forties, with a handsome sideburns and long beard, is dignified and speaks with sincerity and kindness, inspiring good fortune in others.

"Lord Luo, you can't say that. The cleanliness of Danshui City is everyone's achievement. Of course, I did use some methods, but to say that I have the heart to embrace the world is really an overstatement. I dare not accept such praise."

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