Chapter 1333: Endless Patience Brings No Good Outcome

Chapter 1319: Constant Concession Yields No Good Result

Qingyang had been overseeing the state here for over half a year. Even ministers who previously knew nothing about her now knew everything they should.

This individual was not only the former Chief Grand Tutor of Beijia but also the childhood sweetheart who grew up with the Demon Emperor! To a certain extent, her words and actions could indeed represent the Demon Emperor's will.

A minister immediately suggested, "The Situ Alliance forces have invaded Bixia territory. The war is not going well, and progress is slow. At this point, helping Bixia from the side would do no harm."

King Yao grunted in acknowledgment and then redirected the conversation back to the original state affairs. Since he didn't want to discuss it, the ministers stopped mentioning Qingyang.

After the court assembly concluded, the ministers withdrew, and only Minister You was asked to stay.

Once everyone else had left, Minister You spoke frankly, "Your Majesty, we must not send troops directly!"

"Superintendent Qingyang believes that Situ Yu's resolve for revenge is strong, and he possesses military talent, which has become evident after the fall of Gaopu. Bixia's current advantage won't last long; they will eventually be defeated by the allied forces. If we intervene then, it will be difficult to reverse the decline, making the situation even more unfavorable." King Yao asked him, "Superintendent Qingyang, after all, has nearly two hundred years of experience. I heard she also came from a background of warfare in her early years and has a shrewd perspective. You Rongzhi, what is your opinion?"

You Rongzhi pondered for a moment before saying, "Our army intervening directly would bring more harm than good. It would be better to provide assistance from the side."

Everyone knew that the State of Yao supported Bixia, but this veil of pretense should not be casually lifted.

"What if Bixia loses?"

"If we don't intervene, and Bixia loses, what concern is that of the State of Yao? These surrounding small states are inherently transient, rising and falling quickly. If we intervene and Bixia still loses, it will be our nation that suffers humiliation!" You Rongzhi stated frankly, "To ensure Bixia's victory, the State of Yao would be dragged into a quagmire, sinking deeper and deeper."

"Over 160 years ago, our nation dispatched too many troops abroad, which led to a siege by nine factions. If it weren't for Luodian and the Ying tribe switching sides in the Battle of Lutai Mountain, and then the appearance of Luoshengjia, which diverted much of the pressure and animosity, it's hard to say whether our dynasty would have lasted until today. The lessons from over a hundred years ago are still relevant, and now the surrounding small states are even less friendly towards us. Your Majesty must not be careless!" At this point, You Rongzhi sneered, "Beijia sent a superintendent here precisely to drag us into the mud, not allowing us to remain aloof. No matter how shrewd Superintendent Qingyang's vision, she still serves her Demon Emperor!"

King Yao nodded, giving a long "Hmm."

How could he not know what his trusted minister was saying?

You Rongzhi lowered his voice, "Your servant has just received a piece of intelligence."

"Speak."

"A few days ago, the Bixia people sent eight cartloads of gifts to the secluded Lakeside Pavilion. The Bixia envoy also entered and only emerged after an hour." This is the State of Yao; they couldn't get close to Qingyang, but they could monitor her residence.

"Oh, so they sent gifts to Qingyang." King Yao was well aware that Superintendent Qingyang had been temporarily residing at the secluded Lakeside Pavilion during this period. "They are all clever people; they know who has influence and can get things done."

At this crucial moment, why would Bixia heavily bribe Superintendent Qingyang? Isn't it because they hope the State of Yao will increase aid, or even better, directly intervene?

Recalling Superintendent Qingyang's subtle coercion just now, King Yao sneered, "Taking people's money and doing their bidding—this Qingyang is quite trustworthy. Heh, using my reputation and the safety of the State of Yao to uphold her credibility!"

He let out a long breath: "Once, Qin'er wrote to me from Lingxu City, saying that Beijia's dispatched envoys showed no politeness to the rulers of the small states under their dominion, even publicly scolding them. Thirteen years ago, the ruler of the State of You, unable to bear the insults, and believing the two nations were far apart, publicly executed a special envoy. As a result, Beijia dispatched troops five hundred *li* to annihilate You, and even escorted the King of You back to their country, confining him in a cowshed for three years until he died of despair."

"Qin'er" was his eldest legitimate son, who was killed in Lingxu City.

Compared to that, Qingyang was quite polite to King Yao. You Rongzhi, unaware of his implied meaning, found it difficult to respond.

"The world is unpredictable. Qin'er is gone, yet Qingyang, the culprit, is here overseeing my state." King Yao chuckled twice. "Beijia is still Beijia, always so malicious."

Sending the eldest son to Lingxu City was both a tradition of the State of Yao and a requirement of Beijia. King Yao truly never expected to receive the tragic news of his eldest son's death!

His eldest legitimate son, unlike his other sons, was groomed as an heir. How much effort had he poured into him?

The true culprit behind the immortality elixir was precisely Qingyang, who had once held absolute power in Lingxu City!

His eldest son was merely listed on the public roster of the immortality elixir case. Heaven knows how long that list truly was, how many names of powerful families and nobles it contained! What was disclosed to the public were merely a few dozen scapegoats.

His eldest son was one of the sacrifices decided upon by Qingyang and the Demon Emperor!

Now, Qingyang is still living well and can even come trouble him, the victim, while his son died mysteriously in Lingxu City!

Where is the justice?

He then asked You Rongzhi, "Qingyang has only been here for half a year, and some court officials are already flattering her, correct?"

You Rongzhi hesitated, "Well..."

"Don't try to hide it for them. I know some people are trying to buy the immortality elixir from Qingyang. You must have heard about this, right?"

You Rongzhi immediately said, "Yes, there are a few."

"To be able to live out their golden years in the State of Yao, and they're still not content; they want to live for dozens more years!" As he spoke, King Yao forgot that he himself had taken the immortality elixir sent back by his eldest son. "Is Qingyang still doing this business? Have they managed to buy any?"

"Well, I've heard some have managed to buy it. As for the exact quantity, your servant is not aware."

King Yao's mind stirred. "As soon as Qingyang arrived, she began to purge the surrounding monsters. Could this be related to her refining the immortality elixir?"

After Beijia's immortality elixir case was exposed, he also learned that one of the raw materials for its refinement was the plasma beads extracted from monster vital blood.

"This old woman was condemned in Beijia for the immortality elixir, yet she's come here to resume her old trade!"

You Rongzhi organized his thoughts before slowly saying, "Beijia prides itself on its divine might, daring no one to provoke it, and the fate of the State of You was indeed miserable. However, Your Majesty—"

He emphasized each word: "We are not the State of You, and Qingyang is no ordinary special envoy."

King Yao's eyes flickered slightly.

"The State of You is only five hundred *li* from Beijia, with a small population and a weak state. We are over a hundred thousand *li* away from Beijia, with the vast states of Mou, Ya, and countless smaller nations in between! It's not so easy for Beijia to send troops to bypass Mou. If it could easily destroy our nation, it would have effortlessly swallowed the Flashing Gold Plain long ago. Why bother with such diplomatic charades with us?" You Rongzhi analyzed.

Distance is the biggest issue.

"On the Flashing Gold Plain, we are the undisputed strong nation!" You Rongzhi continued, "As for Qingyang, she is merely a convicted old woman, relying on the Demon Emperor's protection to preserve her life. She was stationed in the State of Yao, ostensibly as a superintendent, but in reality, it's exile. Even if we offend her, would Beijia truly mobilize its forces for her?"

"I heard that after her downfall, her rival, Shuangye, became Beijia's First Grand Tutor. Ha, this old woman, disgraced and traveling across vast oceans, is becoming increasingly arrogant here!" King Yao pressed his hand on the table.

In truth, which of You Rongzhi's points was he not already aware of?

You Rongzhi also perceived that the monarch's patience was nearing its limit, which was why he dared to offer such advice.

It had been almost a year since Qingyang arrived in the State of Yao, and she was growing increasingly assertive.

Yet, King Yao was the ruler of the powerful nation on the Flashing Gold Plain!

A powerful dragon does not suppress a local snake; constant concession yields no good result. The State of Yao must make Qingyang understand her boundaries and limits!

King Yao pondered for a moment, then suddenly remembered something: "By the way, it was mentioned in the court assembly just now that the Yangshan Merchant Guild wants to establish relations with our country?"

You Rongzhi immediately said, "Fan Shuang went to negotiate. The owner of the Yangshan Merchant Guild is He Xiao, an old friend of his from Lingxu City, who was also involved in the immortality elixir case."

"Yes, the immortality elixir case!" King Yao immediately ordered, "Find Fan Shuang and bring him to me!"

Fan Shuang was about to leave the city, but he was summoned to the palace by an oral decree from King Yao.

As he hurried in, his back was drenched with sweat, but he couldn't hide his joyful expression. He had finally waited for the opportunity to enter the palace and meet the monarch! Previously, after successfully facilitating the connection with Yangshan, he had only reported to Minister You and had not yet seen His Majesty's face.

When King Yao saw Fan Shuang, he first granted him a seat, then began to inquire about He Xiao's role in the immortality elixir case.

With his eldest son having died in Lingxu City, King Yao had naturally sent people to investigate the full details of the immortality elixir case. But how would he have paid attention to such a minor figure as He Xiao mixed in among them before?

Therefore, he commanded, "Tell me in detail, don't miss a single thing."

"Yes." Fan Shuang composed himself and recounted He Xiao's involvement in the immortality elixir case in detail. He spoke effortlessly because He Xiao was also a prominent figure in Lingxu City back then, his prestige rivaling Fushan Yue.

"Oh, he was once a special envoy of the State of Chiyan? And the immortality elixir case was initiated by him?"

"He was assassinated twice in Lingxu City, and one time it was even the Lingxu Crown Prince himself?"

After Fan Shuang finally finished recounting, King Yao clapped his hands. "Interesting, interesting! Although he didn't personally investigate the latter half of the immortality elixir case, the fact that he went to Lingxu City and left alive means this person is not simple. Indeed, not simple at all!"

He knew better than anyone that the depths of power were utterly dark. For a mere commoner to safely escape this bottomless abyss, he must possess remarkable abilities.

"It's likely that He Xiao had other noble benefactors assisting him."

You Rongzhi, standing by, said, "The people of Lingxu City believe that He Xiao's first assassination attempt was related to Qing Palace. Fan Shuang, is that correct?"

"Ah, yes... yes!" Fan Shuang was not foolish. King Yao's sudden summons to the palace to inquire about the immortality elixir case was ninety percent likely related to Superintendent Qingyang. Even though he wasn't present at the court, he had heard about the conflict between the royal court and the superintendent.

Fan Shuang's heart also skipped a few beats. The more His Majesty valued He Xiao, the more advantageous it would be for him.

"Qingyang's downfall began with He Xiao's involvement. It seems they have a connection." King Yao finally displayed his first smile since the court assembly. "Fan Shuang, I have a task for you: go visit He Xiao again."

Fan Shuang was overjoyed. "Your servant will obey His Majesty's command!"

Jucheng, Yangshan Merchant Guild.

He Lingchuan picked up the intelligence report from Feng County, glanced at it, and couldn't help but laugh and cry.

"'Nine Underworld... Emperor'? This title is far too unpleasant. Who came up with it? Drag them out and execute them."