Chapter 1445: Candidates

King Yao slowly drank half a cup of warm tea and set it down. "I hear the Inspector-General has been burning the midnight oil at Youhu Mountain Villa, still writing diligently even after midnight. Truly industrious," he commented.

For Qingyang to successfully impeach officials, she had to be precise and unerring, leaving no room for error or omission. Otherwise, she would face intense scrutiny from the multitude of officials at the Yao Imperial Court. Many of these detailed and intricate tasks could not be entirely handed over to subordinates; she had to personally review every single one.

How could the subtle complexities within the documents escape the discerning eyes of such a seasoned official?

Qingyang straightened her posture and bowed to the west. "It is my duty to act according to my position," she stated. "The Emperor has entrusted me with supervising all officials, so I must naturally exert myself to the fullest to eradicate the nation's parasites and restore clarity and integrity to national affairs and the people's welfare."

Her words were forceful, and King Yao almost forgot that she was the prime culprit in the Elixir of Immortality case from Lingxu City.

Almost.

Clarity? Integrity?

Ha. Both of us are cunning schemers. Why feign such righteousness here?

King Yao nodded slowly, then directly asked, "So, how many more officials does the Inspector-General intend to impeach?"

Qingyang considered carefully. "For civil officials, there are seven with ironclad evidence," she replied. "Military generals are fewer, just two. However, new evidence is constantly emerging, so the numbers might change."

She added, "I believe that once these nine individuals are prosecuted, the entire official climate of the Yao Kingdom will be completely revitalized!"

King Yao was old, but his patience was poor. He was not like the human officials in Lingxu City, who could engage in protracted power struggles with her until the very end.

After all, he was still a barbarian from the Shining Gold Plains, lacking a bit of finesse and refinement.

The numbers she reported secretly startled King Yao:

Not too many, but too few!

Up to this point, Qingyang had only caught minor figures in officialdom. As the saying goes, "pulling up a radish brings out the mud," and King Yao was not entirely oblivious to the machinations beneath him. If Qingyang continued her investigations at this pace, dozens, even hundreds, of officials would be implicated.

Yet she only named nine individuals, specifically implying that once these nine were arrested, the official landscape of the Yao Kingdom would undergo a complete transformation.

What did that signify?

These nine individuals were sufficiently influential, and they must be staunch royalists!

They were King Yao's unwavering pillars of support.

Qingyang's current methods had already made the entire Yao Royal Court apprehensive. If she were allowed to impeach these nine high-ranking officials, the resulting upheaval in official circles would be immense, King Yao's power base would be significantly weakened, and public sentiment would grow restless.

If he couldn't even protect his own senior officials, his subjects would have no choice but to defect to Qingyang.

King Yao absolutely could not allow this to happen.

Xue Zongwu's death truly came at the worst time. If he had still been there to block the source, none of these troublesome affairs would be occurring now. King Yao sighed inwardly, yet maintained a pleasant expression. "The Inspector-General's fairness and integrity are evident to all," he stated. "However, matters have their priorities. My birthday celebration is imminent, and it would be inappropriate for there to be too much instability."

If he were celebrating his birthday while Qingyang was arresting people, it would be utterly disrespectful.

With people in a state of alarm, who could genuinely offer him birthday felicitations?

Qingyang seemed moved. "Your Majesty is right," she said. "A grand birthday celebration should indeed be peaceful and serene, hmm..."

After a few moments of contemplation, she changed the subject. "By the way, I heard the Luodian Kingdom has also sent representatives to attend the ceremony?"

She deftly changed the subject, and King Yao was not surprised. Qingyang's visit today surely indicated she had a request.

A request for something she sought.

They had engaged in small talk and exchanged subtle barbs; now it was time for her true intentions to be revealed.

King Yao assented. "The Luodian monarch sent his brother, Qu Ruhai," he said. "Yesterday, he even went to Minister Xue's residence to offer condolences. He brought ample gifts, but he wore a red sash, which greatly angered the Xue family."

The Yao Kingdom also regards gold and red as auspicious colors, so for Qu Ruhai to wear a red sash there, it showed remarkable restraint that the Xue family didn't bar him from entering.

"The Luodian people remain so arrogant," Qingyang said, shaking her head. "Now that General Xue is gone, the Luodian people are even more reckless. As for the northern border of the Yao Kingdom, I wonder who will be able to take on the heavy responsibilities General Xue bore?"

King Yao's heart sank with a jolt. This was it.

So, this was what Qingyang was after!

Although Xue Zongwu had a notorious reputation during his lifetime, he had indeed succeeded in keeping enemies beyond the nation's borders by guarding the northern frontier for many years. The Yao Kingdom had not needed to worry much about the security of its northern line.

Now that Xue Zongwu was dead, who would fill the defensive void in the northern frontier?

As soon as he received news of Xue Zongwu's death, King Yao had already

been considering this very issue and had essentially settled on a list of candidates, preparing to issue an imperial decree.

And Qingyang just happened to call on him at this precise moment. What a coincidence, indeed.

King Yao was actually somewhat annoyed inwardly, realizing he should have issued the decree earlier and not given Qingyang such an opportune moment.

This old woman's intuition was far too keen.

Since matters had come to this, he could only reluctantly state, "The candidate has been chosen: Yuwen Yong!"

"Oh," Qingyang responded. "Someone from the Yuwen family."

"He's not among the two military generals you intend to impeach, is he?" King Yao jabbed, "Let's confirm that first, to avoid any awkwardness later."

"No," Qingyang replied with a smile, dismissing his jab entirely. "Among the many noble families in Tianshui City, the Yuwen family is quite well-behaved. Otherwise, Your Majesty would not have confidently entrusted them with exclusive businesses."

She then continued, "I do have a suggestion."

Here it came. King Yao cleared his throat. "Please speak, Inspector-General."

"Yuwen Yong is a good candidate, but he is ultimately young and doesn't possess the same prestige as Grand Marshal Xue. If he goes to the northern border, the Luodian people will not be convinced and will likely cause trouble for some time."

King Yao's eyes flickered. While Qingyang certainly had her own agenda, her words themselves were not incorrect.

When Xue Zongwu was alive, he and the Luodian people were old adversaries who knew each other thoroughly. Now that there was a new border general, given the temperament of the Luodian people, they might very well try to test the mettle of their new opponent right away.

"You don't know someone until you fight them," as the saying goes. Isn't the balance between great nations ultimately forged through conflict?

No matter how reluctant he was, King Yao could only utter, "So, what is the Inspector-General's opinion?"

Objectively speaking, the Inspector-General sent by Beijia indeed possessed the authority to supervise the appointment and dismissal of officials and generals. Qingyang's suggestion, therefore, was entirely reasonable, logical, and lawful.

Qingyang had been waiting for this line. She immediately smiled faintly. "A single tree cannot stand alone," she said. "It would be better to send another military general to guard the border, to support and assist Yuwen Yong!"

She also knew that if she were to suggest a different candidate, King Yao would certainly refuse.

How could he possibly allow Qingyang's chosen candidate to independently command the northern border? That would be placing the nation's security entirely in Qingyang's hands.

"Oh? Is the Inspector-General referring to...?"

Qingyang slowly enunciated four words: "General Chongwu."

"Chongwu? Impossible!" King Yao's graying eyebrows shot up. "He is a Bixia native. To have him lead troops to guard our northern border, I fear he would not command respect!"

"Impossible?" Qingyang smiled. "Does Your Majesty know where I am from?"

King Yao remained silent.

Given Qingyang's formidable reputation, King Yao had naturally investigated all available information about her and knew she was not from Beijia.

"I am a member of the She'er tribe," she said softly. "As a child, I was presented to the Lingxu Royal Palace to accompany the current Emperor, who was then the Crown Prince. Later, the Imperial Tutor of the Green Palace recognized my potential and accepted me as his final disciple. The She'er tribe resided north of Beijia, in perpetual bitter cold, and has since vanished without a trace."