Chapter 104 Helping You Fight for Power
Wu Yiqing chuckled. Even though she heard shocking words from Yan Xuanyu, she quickly regained her ability to think.
"The world, Your Majesty, what you want... is the whole world." The woman's calm voice sounded in the hall.
Yan Xuanyu suddenly felt the urge to burst out laughing. This laughter was not because Wu Yiqing had said what he was thinking, but because both Ashina Ziluo and the King of the Southern Kingdom subconsciously looked down on women. Ashina Ziluo thought that a woman who was just a village woman before he took her away was narrow-minded and only had love in her mind. The King of the Southern Kingdom believed that his daughter could be manipulated at will, even used as a tool to curry favor with the Emperor of the Great Zhou. As for whether she lived or died, he didn't care.
Yes, women are looked down upon in the general environment of this era.
But in Yan Xuanyu's eyes, the two people who can control others are the clowns on the stage.
Yan Xuanyu did not deny Wu Yiqing's words. He simply said, "If I put what I think into action, I will be your biggest enemy."
"Your Majesty, Qing is just a woman. How could you possibly take me seriously?" Wu Yiqing said, half in self-mockery and half as a statement of fact. "If you want to conquer the Southern Kingdom, the only ones standing in your way are my father and my brother."
"You are the noble Princess of the Southern Kingdom. Everything you enjoy is based on your status as a member of the Southern Kingdom's royal family. I don't believe it. I'm afraid you must be wishing to cut me into pieces, right?" Yan Xuanyu asked.
He was like a sharp critic who deliberately laid everything out, so superior.
But Wu Yiqing was not angry. She only said, "Your Majesty let me know about this matter, but because I am a woman, you don't care?"
The two looked at each other, and the atmosphere in the hall suddenly became tense. The next second, Yan Xuanyu laughed out loud.
"I was right."
Wu Yiqing also smiled. At this moment, she was thinking the same thing as Yan Xuanyu.
She was not wrong.
She had a good guess as to what the Emperor of the Great Zhou meant.
It would be more accurate to say that the two of them were each pointing out something that the other did not like rather than testing each other.
Wu Yiqing then lowered her eyes and said slowly, "Your Majesty is right. I am from the royal family of the Southern Kingdom, a princess of the Southern Kingdom. I should be devoted to everything about it, but..."
"Your Majesty wants the whole world." She looked up at Yan Xuanyu. "When I heard about this, my first thought was... maybe this is a good thing, at least the people don't have to suffer."
"If the Southern Kingdom also became part of the Great Zhou, could the people of the Southern Kingdom live like the people of the Great Zhou?"
"That's natural. With the world united, we are all citizens of the Great Zhou."
Yan Xuanyu didn't interrupt her immediately. Instead, he answered her and then asked, "Then, Princess, what do you think I should do to conquer the Southern Kingdom?"
Wu Yiqing looked at Yan Xuanyu steadily and said, "If Your Majesty wishes to use my offense as an excuse to send troops to the Southern Kingdom, that's fine."
Yan Xuanyu smiled.
Wu Yiqing looked at him with confusion, as if he didn't know why they were laughing when they were discussing such a serious matter between the two countries.
"Princess, it seems I trust you more than you do." Yan Xuanyu stopped laughing and said, "This is a very bad idea."
Wu Yiqing asked, "What's the best strategy? I'm all ears."
What Wu Yiqing said was indeed a good idea, because by sending troops in anger at the Southern Princess's offense, they had both a legitimate reason to be angry at the Southern royal family and a legitimate reason to send troops to the Southern Kingdom.
Thinking of the Southern Kingdom falling into war, Wu Yiqing's heart tightened for a moment, but she knew and understood clearly that there was no one in the royal family who could change the Southern Kingdom, and there would not be a new king who could see the suffering of the people!
Yan Xuanyu said: "You."
He only said this one word.
"Me?" Wu Yiqing murmured.
"I want you to fight for the royal power as a princess." Yan Xuanyu used a normal tone as if saying "The weather is so nice today", but said something that made Wu Yiqing tremble both physically and mentally!
Wu Yiqing immediately understood what Yan Xuanyu meant by "I trust you more than you do"!
Are you crazy?
This is crazy! Is the Emperor of Great Zhou joking with her?
This is a huge offense! Wu Yiqing calmed down and thought carefully. She was very familiar with the situation in the Southern Kingdom. Whether it was her father, the king of the Southern Kingdom, or the ministers in the dynasty, they would not take her, a princess with no real power, seriously!
It's not that Wu Yiqing hasn't made suggestions to her father, but all she got in return was her father's words "You really have a woman's perspective", thinking that she only sees the lowest common people.
But so what?! Isn't everything they enjoy the result of the day-and-night labor of these so-called lowly commoners? They are the superiors, so why can't they also let the common people live a better life?
But these words, even if she said them in the most obscure way, only made her father unhappy. He even ignored her request for a meeting for a long time.
It is difficult for a woman to fight for power, and it is even more difficult in the Southern Country under such a situation, and it is almost impossible to achieve.
Yan Xuanyu knew what she was thinking, "That's why I said, I'm here to help you."
Wu Yiqing looked at him: "Your Majesty, why?"
From any perspective, sending troops to the Southern Kingdom is simpler and more likely to succeed than supporting her, a Southern Kingdom princess.
Yan Xuanyu smiled and said, "What if I say that you and I are worried about the same thing?"
Something to worry about?
Wu Yiqing's initial concern about sending troops was that it would harm the people and innocent people, but Yan Xuanyu was the emperor of the Great Zhou.
"But Your Majesty is the monarch of the Great Zhou. The people of the Southern Kingdom mean a lot to you..." Wu Yiqing asked tentatively.
Yan Xuanyu said, "I know that the Great Zhou will definitely conquer the Southern Kingdom, so why not make them citizens of the Great Zhou in advance?"
Wu Yiqing: .....
Wu Yiqing opened his mouth.
She actually had a strange feeling of absurdity, but didn't know where to start.
Yan Xuanyu felt that Wu Yiqing, the Southern Princess, was just as his intuition indicated, a person worth making friends with.
So after he finished his "business," he leaned back in his chair and said lazily, "Now let me tell you about my plan."
In sharp contrast to Yan Xuanyu is Her Royal Highness the Princess of the Southern Kingdom, who has very good etiquette.
Wu Yiqing didn't know why Yan Xuanyu, who had been so majestic as an emperor before, had become like this now. He looked like the "Yu Xuan" she had been familiar with recently.
Yan Xuanyu said, "First, I will ask you to bring back some rare items from the Great Zhou."
Wu Yiqing listened attentively, and Yan Xuanyu had no doubt that if she had paper and pen, she would write down every detail.
"Glass, do you want it?" Yan Xuanyu took out a few glass beads at hand.
After the Great Zhou was able to produce glass, Yan Xuanyu asked the Imperial Household Department to make a bunch of glass beads. The people in the Imperial Household Department, who were very capable, learned it by themselves and made many new patterns, such as the one in Yan Xuanyu's hand, which was transparent on the outside but shaped like a lotus on the inside.
"Don't be so reserved. We're the only ones in the hall right now." Yan Xuanyu saw Wu Yiqing standing there hesitantly and waved to her. "Come over and take a look at these glass beads. What do you think? Are they popular among your Nanfang royal family?"
Wu Yiqing figured out what "sales channel" meant by Yan Xuanyu. When they were hiding their identities and getting along with each other, Wu Yiqing found that "Yu Xuan" often said some words that they didn't understand, but after he explained them, they would find that the word was so appropriate.
Wu Yiqing's eyes widened instantly after taking the two glass beads, "This..."
Such exquisite craftsmanship.
In fact, as long as the glass is successfully produced once, it can be mass-produced, but Yan Xuanyu does not intend to let the glass be widely used now. He wants to keep it to trick those royal nobles!
So at this moment he coughed twice in a pretentious manner and said, "This is a very precious item from my Great Zhou. Take it back to the Southern Kingdom and tell the Southern Kingdom's monarch that the Great Zhou is willing to trade with the Southern Kingdom using glass."
Yan Xuanyu knew that if he wanted Wu Yiqing to quickly gain a foothold in the royal family, he had to let her show the capital to gain a foothold among the nobles.
He thought about it and tried to find some way to attract the attention of the royal family and make others feel that Princess Wu Yiqing had a special status in the heart of the Emperor of the Great Zhou.
Wu Yiqing figured out the key to this in just a moment. She said, "Your Majesty, this plan is brilliant. However, I'm ashamed to say that within the Southern Kingdom... there is no one I can use."
Yan Xuanyu looked at her with surprise: "No? I think the envoy who came to the Great Zhou with you is the one who has always been by your side."
"Dangerous rock?" Wu Yiqing frowned.
Yan Xuanyu smiled secretly in his heart. He was sure that the Southern envoy named Wei Yan was definitely interested in Wu Yiqing, but judging from his appearance, Wu Yiqing was completely unaware of it.
Before he could open his mouth to expose her, Wu Yiqing said solemnly, "The Wei family was once cared for by my maternal grandparents. Even though my maternal grandparents are now in decline, the Wei family still expresses gratitude to my mother. Wei Yan has also treated me very well. Based on this relationship, it seems that he is indeed someone who can be used."
Yan Xuanyu: ...
Come on, he has become that love-brained guy, hasn't he?
"However, this matter also has risks. I need to think carefully about whether or not to let Wei Yan participate." Wu Yiqing said apologetically.
Yan Xuanyu sighed, "Don't worry, I have no interest in putting others in danger for my own plans."
"What I give you is just the capital to enable you to gain a foothold. As for whether you can gain a foothold in the Southern Royal Family...it depends on yourself," he said.
Wu Yiqing nodded, "Your Majesty, please rest assured."
From the beginning, she had been suppressing the excitement in her heart. No one knew how much she wanted to seize the opportunity. She didn't want to be the ridiculous person who only had compassion in her heart!
Yan Xuanyu hummed, then continued, "Once you have enough strength to fight, suppress the others, first seize control of the Southern Kingdom's government, and then... make the Southern Kingdom submit to the Great Zhou."
Wu Yiqing frowned, this...
Even if she had the strength to fight for it and hold power in her own hands against all odds, the situation in the Southern Kingdom would fall into turmoil, and countless people would jump out to oppose her. At this time, if she led the Southern Kingdom to completely submit to the Great Zhou, it would be a chaotic situation no matter what!
She poured out all her worries.
Yan Xuanyu nodded after hearing this and said, "You're right, but... do you remember the idiom 'killing the chicken to scare the monkey'?"
"Who is the chicken? Who is the monkey?" Wu Yiqing was confused.
Yan Xuanyu, like a teacher explaining something to a student, said calmly, "Have you forgotten about Rongdi?"
"The royal family and ministers of the Southern Kingdom will certainly be very excited, but what if I conquer the Rongdi people who refuse to submit to the Great Zhou?"
Wu Yiqing: "Your Majesty, didn't you just say that everyone under heaven will be a citizen of the Great Zhou?"
Yan Xuanyu smiled and said, "Revenge is necessary, and grievances are necessary. The Rongdi people's attack on Huangsha City in the past will not be let off so easily."
Wu Yiqing also had some understanding of the world situation. Upon hearing this, he said, "I remember the Rongdi tribe split into two. The part that attacked the Great Zhou was separated, and they split into the East and the West. Later, the Eastern tribe surrendered to the Turks, but the Western Rongdi has always been very obedient."
"How could such a good thing happen?" Yan Xuanyu said, "The Rongdi King tacitly approved our alliance with the Turks to attack the Great Zhou. Did he think that if he could get rid of those people, I wouldn't mind? How could such a good thing happen?"
Wu Yiqing noticed that Yan Xuanyu was not as relaxed as before. He exuded a kind of oppressive power that had accumulated for a long time. However, the next second, Yan Xuanyu returned to his usual appearance. It was so fast that it seemed like Wu Yiqing's illusion.
"You want to gain benefits without taking risks, and try to clear yourself of all blame. That's impossible," Yan Xuanyu said. "King Rongdi is also ambitious. I'm not that foolish."
Wu Yiqing said thoughtfully, "This is also part of His Majesty's plan. When the Southern Kingdom was at its most vocal in its attack on me, the Great Zhou conquered the Rongdi people to intimidate them. If the Southern Kingdom had not submitted to the Great Zhou, it would have been these royal nobles who would have been killed. Therefore, they no longer dare to complain about me. On the contrary, they are grateful to me."
"That's right." Yan Xuanyu said.
Sure enough, some people take advantage of things but cannot see them clearly in their entire lives, while others can see them clearly at a glance.
"We must give them benefits. Although the Southern Kingdom is already the territory of the Great Zhou, I plan to retain their vassal titles and then reduce them from generation to generation." Yan Xuanyu paused. Why did he mention the Enfeoffment Order now?
It’s too early to say that now, and there’s no need to tell Wu Yiqing too early.
Wu Yiqing was marveling at Yan Xuanyu's aura of controlling the world in his palm, and was concentrating on what Yan Xuanyu would say next when he heard Yan Xuanyu say, "I will accept you as my disciple. I see that you are very talented and a promising young man."
Wu Yiqing: .....
here we go again!
A familiar feeling...
Is this person really the emperor? Is this really not the Yu Xuan she knew pretending to be him?
Why does he sometimes talk like a lazy young man?
Wu Yiqing used to think that Yan Xuanyu was a scheming person who could conceal his identity to such an extent that even his tone of voice and behavior were like another person. Now it seems... sometimes he looks like Yan Xuanyu under the identity of "Yu Xuan"!
Wu Yiqing decided to keep this matter buried in his heart.
Continuing on, Wu Yiqing deliberately ignored Yan Xuanyu's unreliable words and continued, "At this point, the Southern Kingdom's royal family is no longer a threat. As for the Southern Kingdom's common people, I have been secretly accumulating reputation among the people since returning to the Southern Kingdom. What happens next... depends on Your Majesty."
Yan Xuanyu nodded and said, "That's right."
Yan Xuanyu was not naive enough to completely trust Wu Yiqing. He also had his own "calculations" involved.
When the King of the Southern Kingdom sent Wu Yiqing to the Great Zhou, he was personally cutting off Wu Yiqing's retreat in the Southern Kingdom and also cutting off her last bit of "hope" for her father.
Wu Yiqing came from the Southern Kingdom to the Great Zhou, and the contrast between the two sides had a huge impact on her. This was the second way to attack her mind.
In addition, Yan Xuanyu had previously interacted with her as Yu Xuan and was already familiar with her, which unconsciously left her with the impression of being "trustworthy", which was the third way to win her heart.
Yan Xuanyu's affirmation of Wu Yiqing conflicts with his father's years of denial of Wu Yiqing.
In short, Yan Xuanyu concluded that Wu Yiqing would definitely agree to this matter and would become a trustworthy person who could help him bring the Southern Kingdom under the control of the Great Zhou without any soldiers.
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