Inside a main hall of Xianyang Palace.
"Your Majesty, something terrible has happened!" A secret agent from the Black Ice Guard rushed in. "An assassin has been discovered among the Queen Consort of Goryeo's entourage!"
Ying Zheng and his wicked husband's eyes lit up simultaneously. This was exactly the news they had been waiting for.
"Tell me in detail," the wicked husband said coldly.
"Reporting to the Grand Commandant," the spies reported, "last night, the patrolling soldiers discovered several Goryeo followers lurking suspiciously outside the side hall. A search revealed daggers and poison on them..."
"Oh?" A cold glint flashed in Ying Zheng's eyes. "These Goryeo people, how dare they!"
The wicked man sneered from the side. This "evidence," of course, was something he had arranged to frame. How could a mere few attendants possibly have infiltrated the palace to carry out an assassination?
"Your Majesty," he said in a deep voice, "in my opinion, this matter is not so simple."
Tell me about it.
"Since these assassins are infiltrated into the delegation, they must be acting on the orders of the King of Goryeo," the wicked man said solemnly. "On the surface, they've come for a marriage alliance, but in reality, they want to..."
Ying Zheng immediately understood: "You mean, they want..."
"Indeed!" the wicked husband declared decisively. "Goryeo outwardly submits, but secretly harbors treacherous intentions. Sending their queen for a marriage alliance is likely a ploy to infiltrate His Majesty's inner circle. If they succeed..."
He didn't finish his sentence, but the meaning was clear. This was practically plotting a rebellion!
"Outrageous!" Ying Zheng slammed his fist on the table and stood up. "These Goryeo barbarians dare to be so audacious! Issue my decree to immediately seize all Goryeo delegations!"
"Wait!" the wicked man interrupted, "Your Majesty, please wait. If this matter is not handled properly, it may alert the enemy."
"Oh? What's your brilliant idea?"
The wicked man revealed a sinister smile: "In my opinion, we should turn the tables on them. Execute these assassins first, sending a warning to Goryeo. Then..."
He whispered a few words in Ying Zheng's ear.
Ying Zheng's eyes lit up: "Good! Let's do it your way. These barbarians need to be taught a lesson!"
Soon, the news spread throughout the palace.
The so-called "assassins" were taken to the drill ground and executed in front of the entire Goryeo delegation. Kim's face turned ashen; she couldn't believe such a thing had happened.
"Your Highness," the wicked husband said coldly, "this is the consequence of dealing with assassins. However, considering your recent arrival, I will spare the rest of the delegation for now. But..."
His gaze was sharp as lightning: "If there's a next time, don't blame the Great Qin for being ruthless!"
Jin quickly kowtowed, saying, "Thank you for your mercy, Grand Commandant! We will certainly be careful in our words and actions..."
"Rise," the wicked man waved his hand. "His Majesty has said that this matter is settled for now. However, just in case, from today onwards, no one in the delegation is allowed to move around freely."
After saying that, he turned and left, leaving the trembling Koreans behind.
"Pass down the order," he said to Zhang Erhe, "keep a close watch on these Koreans. Report any unusual activity immediately!"
Zhang Erhe accepted the order and left. He certainly knew the Grand Commandant's intention—this was to fabricate charges against Goryeo in preparation for a future campaign!
Sure enough, another incident occurred a few days later.
"Reporting to the Grand Commandant!" a soldier rushed in. "A large number of documents were found in the Goryeo delegation's luggage. They all concern our Great Qin's military deployments..."
A cold smile crept across the villain's lips. These "documents" were, of course, also planted by his men. But this time, the weight was far greater, enough to sentence Goryeo to death!
"Let me see it."
The soldier presented the document. It detailed the Qin Dynasty's military deployment, including confidential information on border defenses, troop strength, and city defenses. If this were to reach Goryeo, the consequences would be unimaginable.
"Very well!" the wicked man sneered. "These Koreans are here to spy on the army. Guards, present these documents to His Majesty!"
Soon, the news reached the Imperial Study.
After reading the document, Ying Zheng was furious: "Outrageous! Do these Goguryeo barbarians really think our Great Qin is easy to bully?"
The wicked man seized the opportunity to speak: "Your Majesty, this matter must not be let off lightly. Perhaps..."
"explain!"
"I suggest we first release this evidence to the public, letting the world know about Goryeo's conspiracy. Then..." His eyes flickered, "we can then have a legitimate reason to attack this rebellious nation!"
Ying Zheng's eyes lit up: "Excellent! I've been waiting for you to say that. Issue an edict to summon all civil and military officials to discuss the matter of attacking Goguryeo!"
The next day, the morning court session began.
The wicked man presented so-called "evidence" in front of all the officials. Those documents and murder weapons all proved that Goryeo harbored treacherous intentions.
"Look, gentlemen," he said in a booming voice, "this is the true face of Goryeo! On the surface, they submit and pay tribute, but in secret they are scheming and plotting against us. If this scourge is not eliminated, it will surely become a great threat in the future!"
After reviewing the evidence, all the officials were outraged.
"Your Majesty, please issue a decree to attack Goguryeo!"
"Such a rebellious nation must be severely punished!"
Seeing the chorus of condemnation in the court, Ying Zheng finally made his decision: "Issue my decree: to launch a campaign against Goguryeo, effective immediately!"
He turned to the wicked man: "This campaign, you will command the army. Make sure these barbarians understand the consequences of betraying our Great Qin!"
The wicked man bowed and accepted the order: "Your Majesty, I will certainly live up to your expectations! However..."
He then changed the subject: "Since we are going to wage war, we must eradicate this threat completely, just as we did with the Japanese. I suggest that this time we should not only conquer Goryeo, but also..."
"I understand." Ying Zheng nodded. "Since they dared to betray us, they must pay the price. Go forth; I await your good news!"
The wicked man walked out of the palace, a cold smile playing on his lips.
These fabricated pieces of evidence are merely a pretext. The real purpose is to make Goryeo, like the Japanese, disappear from this land forever!
"Pass down the order," he said to Zhang Erhe, "Mobilize 300,000 troops, advancing by land and water. This Grand Commandant will show these Goryeo people what true fear is!"
As night deepened, the city of Xianyang was brightly lit.
The wicked man stood in the Grand Commandant's mansion, gazing north. That was the direction of Goryeo, where their entire clan would soon face annihilation!
Meanwhile, the Goryeo delegation was still locked in a side hall, unaware of the approaching danger. By the time they realized what was happening, it was too late!
This is the ironclad rule of an empire—anyone who betrays it will pay a heavy price!
Just then, the Black Ice Platform sent in new intelligence.
"Grand Commandant, we've discovered another batch of secret letters at the residence of the Goryeo envoy." The spy presented several letters. "These are all intended to be sent back to their country..."
The wicked man unfolded the letter, read it, and then sneered repeatedly. Of course, these were also forgeries he had arranged, but the contents were even more astonishing—the letter contained detailed top-secret information about the Qin Dynasty's military equipment, provisions, and troop strength.
"Pass down the order," he said to Zhang Erhe, "send these letters to all the military camps. Let the soldiers see what these Goryeo people are really up to!"
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