Chapter 62 Tarot Reading: Xiaoxi Uses Love Tarot to Get a Cheat Code...
In the end of that long dream, Ying Xi returned from unease to peace.
His tense body gradually relaxed, his breathing became even and fine, he shed a sweat, and he rested peacefully for a morning.
Upon waking, only hatred remained clear. Ying Xi recalled that after Emperor Yuan Tai passed away and he inherited the throne, he wanted to capture the leader of the secret guards, but the shadow had already disappeared into the martial world.
"Your Majesty, please drink your medicine." Yu Jing handed over the bowl of medicine. Ying Xi drank it.
Yu Jing advised, "This time it is the rebels from Jiangnan who are seeking peace with the court. Your Majesty need not worry too much. Let them prolong the time and feel the pressure of the Great Qin, making them even more fearful."
Yu Jing meant well, and Ying Xi knew it.
He wanted to rest some more, but Ying Xi didn't like looking sickly.
He rationally said to Yu Jing, "Li Yilong wants to delay for a year. If we prolong his time by a few days, we will fulfill his wish without any cost."
Yu Jing quickly bowed and said, "Your Majesty is wise."
Ying Xi ordered the announcement: "Summon all officials to the main hall for a meeting."
This meeting, which brought together civil and military officials of the third rank and above, was a true core member meeting.
Two maps were contributed from the secret repository.
The first one is a map of the mountains and rivers of the world.
This map, measuring several tens of feet in length and width, depicts the distribution of cities, mountains, and rivers throughout the Qin Dynasty with detailed brushstrokes.
The other map shows the distribution of various counties in Yangzhou, which were controlled by the rebels.
The dragon throne is located in the center of the main hall.
The massive landscape painting, several meters long, was unfurled and laid flat on the floor of the main hall of Weiyang Palace. The assembled officials then stood on either side of the painting.
Yu Jing announced: "His Majesty has arrived!"
The chief steward led the way, with the head guard standing imposingly beside him, holding a sword.
The ministers bowed down, shouting, "Long live the Emperor!"
"Rise."
Ying Xi took her seat.
Sweetie whispered, "Your Majesty, you have such a great view!"
Like the courtiers of the land, they now prostrate themselves at his feet. Looking at the map of the entire territory from the center of the palace, one feels a sense of grandeur and magnificence from the bottom of one's heart.
Ying Xi nodded lightly: "Mm."
The two rows of court officials below were divided into civil officials on one side and military officials on the other.
Since last night, news of the peace plea has spread throughout Chang'an.
The matter has been delayed until this afternoon, and a decision must be made in court. Most people have already prepared their answers in their minds.
A prominent civil official stepped forward and said, “Your Majesty, I believe that the rebels in Jiangnan have been intimidated by Your Majesty’s power and have taken the initiative to sue for peace. This is a good opportunity to subdue them without fighting.”
"As for what Jiangnan said about maintaining a military and political structure for a year, Jiangnan's army consists of only a few hundred thousand rebel soldiers, and they are all scattered in various prefectures."
“A year later, even if Li Yilong still harbors rebellious intentions, the people of the south also yearn for peace. Li Yilong, who has become the governor of Yangzhou, is no longer legitimate and has long lost the appeal of a ruler. I believe we can agree to his request for peace.”
"I also think it's acceptable."
"I second that proposal."
"..."
The voices of agreement surged, gradually gaining momentum.
Su Xueyi asked, "If it's less than a year, and Li Ze only wants to delay for these few dozen days, but the other side deliberately sets conditions for a year in order to confuse the public and make the court plan according to a year, what should we do then?"
Su Xueyi asked the question, and the audience fell silent for a few moments.
Then, intermittently, court officials replied: "Then we must prepare for both possibilities, being able to negotiate peace, and also able to start war at any time."
Su Xueyi's eyebrows curved slightly.
The Prime Minister bowed to the Emperor, his brows furrowed with a refined and elegant air. Ying Xi secretly found the way he was asking for praise in public amusing.
Fifty-one Xu Fangxin gift boxes are quite effective.
But there's really no need to praise him. His easily arrogant personality will only cause more trouble if you praise him; it's better to just ignore him.
"—Xie Qing, tell me how we should fight."
Both those who were named and those who were ignored responded simultaneously.
Su Xueyi was momentarily dejected, but then that sense of defeat transformed into an even stronger joy in his eyes.
Su Xueyi actually said, "Your Majesty, I deserve to die ten thousand deaths. I should have expected this situation long ago, but I only brought it up now, causing Your Majesty to worry."
Su Xueyi bowed deeply.
"Xu Fangxin's gift box is great," Ying Xi thought. The emperor slightly raised the corners of his mouth, gaining a deeper understanding of the romance system.
Xie Qianli, dressed in armor today, stood alongside military officers from the Imperial Guard and the Dragon Martial Army. Upon hearing Su Xueyi's apology, his brows and eyes, hidden beneath his helmet, furrowed slightly. If anyone were to observe closely, he would appear to be looking down on someone who was being overly solicitous.
Ying Xi noticed that reaction.
However, he didn't think about it in a way that bothered him.
After a long, dreamy night, upon seeing this man again today, Ying Xi inexplicably adjusted her posture while sitting on the dragon throne, her breathing becoming gentle.
"Xie Qing?"
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Xie Qianli stepped forward, turned to the side and pointed to the map of mountains and rivers. His silhouette was crisp and clear: "I believe we should divide our forces into two routes. One route will go down the river from Jingzhou, and the other route will go through Yuzhou and Xuzhou and head straight for Yangzhou."
"If we can win a quick battle and catch the enemy off guard, the two armies can meet at the enemy's new capital, and the battle can be ended in as little as two months."
"I would rather go to war than negotiate peace."
Compared to waiting a year, Qin could afford to fight for two months.
Ying Xi nodded slightly.
"Any candidates are suitable for commanding both fronts?"
Xie Qianli said, "Xie Meng, the naval commander of Jingzhou, is originally from Chang'an. He once served in the Imperial Guard and has always been brave."
He elaborated: "During one of the enemy's crossing battles, Xie Meng led several soldiers, with weapons strapped to their waists, and bare-chested, into the water."
"The river water was icy cold, but none of the dozens of soldiers who were on the advance were swept away by the current, and they even took control of the bridge."
"Later, Xie Meng joined the navy because he was good at swimming and naval warfare, and became a senior general in the Jingzhou navy."
Someone chimed in, "His surname is Xie, and he's originally from Chang'an. Isn't he from your Xie family?"
"Is it not enough for Lord Xie to command the Dragon Martial Army? Does he also want to get his hands on the Great Qin Navy?"
The imperial court has never lacked in mutual attacks, and of course, someone was suddenly swayed by the tide. The topic shifted from how to fight the rebels to whether Xie Qianli wanted to take the opportunity to seize more military power.
Ying Xi hates being interrupted when discussing important matters.
Let's get back to the topic.
Ying Xi asked, "What is the relationship between Xie Meng and Xie Qing?"
Xie Qianli answered frankly, "He is my cousin."
As expected, the words caused a minor uproar in the court.
People speculated about the Duke of England's intentions and whether the Emperor would be furious.
Two different thoughts flashed through Yingxi's mind.
One person said that it would be dangerous to give Xie family members command of the army again.
The other path is the complete opposite.
Because Xie Qianli was honest with him, and because of Xie Meng's relationship with the Xie family, he believed that Xie Meng would not collude with the Jiangnan Army.
At least this battle is usable...
Yingxi often had conflicting thoughts about Xie Qianli, feeling that he was sincere but fearing that he was pretending.
He was overjoyed by the other party's expression of loyalty and felt reassured when the other party proactively recommended Xie's connections to him.
But there was also the fear that they would eventually be unable to control this beast.
The emperor's relaxed posture gradually tensed up.
Ying Xi sized up Xie Qianli and temporarily defended him, saying, "I do not avoid relatives when recommending people for positions. I appoint people based on their merits. You need not think too much about it."
The ministers fell silent.
Xie Qianli nodded slightly.
The moment Xie Qianli nodded, Ying Xi recalled her dream. In the dream, the boy had just grown tall and slender, and his leap from the magnolia tree was full of dynamism.
The boy has now grown into a strong and heroic man.
"Oh! We've discovered an affair! His Majesty is looking at that big wolfhound!"
The debate between those in the audience about whether to fight or make peace continued unabated.
Sweet Tong's clear and crisp voice is very distinctive.
They shared a viewpoint, and Ying Xi's gaze remained fixed on Xie Qianli, which aroused Tian Tong's strong excitement.
In order to achieve her goal, Tian Tong, in line with Ying Xi's style, asked, "Does Your Majesty think that dating him is the most cost-effective option?"
Ying Xi retorted, "Can love be measured by value?"
"Eh!" Tian Tong was taken aback, then felt ashamed.
The romance system immediately responded to Ying Xi's statement.
System reward: Charm Points +500
Regardless of her true thoughts, Ying Xi remained eloquent and used the opportunity to fight for her own interests.
Therefore, the system was deceived and lost 500 charm points for nothing.
Ying Xi curled her lips into a smile, having fooled the stupid system, she then fooled the system assistant.
He made no mention of the fact that he had indeed been sizing up Koma earlier, and said in a low voice, "I need to make a decision about whether to fight or make peace, and I need to use a tool."
Obtained: Limited Love Tarot Reading x1.
Use it now!
***
It turns out that Tarot cards are made up of many different patterns.
The tarot cards float, and a text prompt appears on the interface:
"Please describe the relationship problem you wish to consult about, and draw three cards after you finish speaking."
A semi-transparent golden screen stood between Ying Xi and his ministers.
Sweet Tong was puzzled: "This is used for divination regarding love and confusion. Your Majesty, what does this have to do with state affairs?"
Ying Xi didn't answer, but asked, "Is it accurate?"
Sweetie patted her chest and proudly declared, "Of course! We're the strongest love system, guaranteed to be accurate and effective!"
Ying Xi nodded. This love system cannot be judged by common sense; it possesses supernatural abilities, and he must make good use of it.
Therefore, Ying Xi explained to the card: "There is a commoner girl in Chang'an who admires the scenery of Jiangnan. If the North and South make peace, she wants to marry the future governor of Yangzhou immediately. Will she be happy after marriage?"
No one could have imagined that the emperor would connect love divination with the political situation. Tian Tong was stunned.
The Major Arcana cards were accepted without hesitation, and Ying Xi cut the cards in mid-air right in front of her.
Ying Xi drew a card.
The card was flipped over, revealing a young man carrying a bundle with a comical expression.
The young man looked like a non-Han Chinese, as if he had secretly escaped from home. His bright blue eyes were still looking behind him, as if he was afraid of being caught by someone, unaware that he was about to step into an abyss.
The fool
Even though Ying Xi couldn't understand Western characters, she could still sense the obvious danger from the image!
Ying Xi felt a tightness in her back.
Long eyelashes trembled slightly, and deep gray eyes shimmered.
System notification: "Please draw another card."
After cutting the cards, Yingxi made her choice carefully.
The second card slowly flips over.
Ying Xi froze, his right hand resting on the dragon throne, the dragon head on the armrest slowly tightening.
The fool
—Still that young man who was about to step into the abyss!
He could already sense that, despite the vast distances between them, Li Yilong might have been deceiving the Qin Dynasty.
If both draws signify that the woman from Chang'an is unfortunate to marry the governor of Yangzhou.
Then it is highly likely that the North and South will inevitably go to war!
"Please draw the third card," the system said.
In fact, Ying Xi had long harbored thoughts of going to war.
However, Ying Xi, like other court officials, also harbored a glimmer of hope, since unification by force was risky and extremely expensive.
But even if there was the slightest possibility of being deceived, he couldn't let himself take such a chance.
It had nothing to do with believing in divination; it was that Ying Xi suddenly understood.
If the North and South were to be unified, making any decision would inevitably involve taking risks.
He would rather risk war and use force to reclaim lost territory.
Ying Xi pursed her lips imperceptibly.
The third card had just been picked up, but there was no need to draw it.
Ying Xi opened the system interface.
Before him, the courtiers continued to argue about the different advantages of war versus peace.
The emperor cleared his throat: "Ahem."
At the same time, all the officials fell silent and once again bowed respectfully to the emperor, saying, "Your Majesty."
Ying Xi said, "Issue an edict to Li Yilong: I accept the peace talks, but I do not accept the traitor's one-year agreement. Order him to open the city gates and surrender immediately. I will spare his life, and he may be granted a title and official position in my court."
His voice was calm and authoritative, its echo reverberating throughout the hall.
The murderous intent emanating from his calm demeanor was chilling.
The ministers, who had just been arguing, immediately became solemn.
Ying Xi said arrogantly:
“If Li Yilong does not surrender, his mighty army will march south and shatter all the jade and stone. I will personally lead my army to trample through the new capital and take his head.”
—Your Majesty, Your Majesty is going to personally lead the expedition!?
The officials were all caught off guard and stunned by the emperor's decision.
In a corner of the dating system, the third tarot card slowly floated down, its face up:
That fool!
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