Chapter 1524: Steering Power

Chapter 1509: At the Helm

But if he doesn't provide enough benefits, they've pledged their loyalty and allegiance at great cost. This kind of contractual relationship, maintained by money, must not be taken lightly!

Once King Yao can no longer bear the consequences, that will be Qingyang's moment to act.

But now, He Xiao has come up with another plan that surprisingly allows King Yao to extend his existing advantage once again!

“The essence of the capital's expansion can be summarized in six words: ‘Collect money first, then expand.’ First, pre-sell the land to the people of Tianshui City, get the money, and then build the city. Logically, they would collect a portion and build a portion, repeating the cycle. However, given the character of King Yao and his officials, they probably wish they could collect everyone's spare money all at once.”

She explained it very clearly, and Yuan Xuan understood immediately. “Getting something for nothing?”

No wonder King Yao isn't complaining about an empty treasury anymore. If he dares to play this game, the treasury will fill up first.

“This plan seems feasible on the surface, which is why King Yao is full of confidence and has pushed his large group of loyal subordinates into it.” Qingyang chuckled softly, “Get promoted and get rich. Heh, King Yao didn't promote them, but he made them rich!”

No promotion? Getting rich works too.

As long as the project continues and they can extract profits, King Yao’s factional game can keep going.

Not only can it continue, but it can also flourish.

This 'pie'—no, this project—is big enough, and the profits are abundant enough that it can be shared among dozens of listed families, and there are even open slots for other officials to get on board.

The situation in the royal court will become completely one-sided.

In the end, almost all officials will side against her, Qingyang.

For her, this game is no longer fun.

Yuan Xuan looked at her worriedly. The palace master carries a heavy burden; if she fails to manage the Yao Kingdom, then...

Qingyang raised a finger: “He Xiao is extraordinarily talented. This person cannot be kept; he must be eliminated!”

She had already realized that He Xiao was giving King Yao powerful, aggressive remedies with endless hidden troubles, but in the short term, they truly made the entire Yao royal court vibrant and energetic!

“Truly, the younger generation is formidable.” Back in Lingxu City, she had only focused on Shuangye and underestimated He Xiao, which is why the trouble has persisted until now.

Now, she needed to set about correcting her past mistakes.

Who knows how many more tricks this young man might pull? For the sake of the future, he could not be allowed to live!

If her desire to kill He Lingchuan on the day Heyang was slain was fueled by anger, now it was born of urgency.

She had spent 160 or 170 years in officialdom, a duration equivalent to three lifetimes for others. How many heroes and talents had she witnessed in Beijia, a land teeming with gifted individuals?

But no one was like He Xiao; each of his moves was wildly imaginative and unpredictable. By the time he revealed his hand, others had already fallen into his traps without realizing it.

Even now, she still couldn't discern He Xiao's true intentions. Why did this person insist on opposing her?

If she couldn't grasp his motives, it would be difficult to predict his next move.

At this thought, Qingyang's heart stirred.

In fact, there was another person whose true intentions she had never understood either.

Yuan Xuan said in a low voice: “King Yao just dispatched a thousand-man guard detail to He Xiao. They're staying at Yongquan Villa and are with him every step of the way, day and night.”

Qingyang sipped her tea: “His display of power is truly considerable. Even when Xue Zongwu was alive, he was nowhere near as prominent as He Xiao is now.”

King Yao was guarding against her.

Xue Zongwu was dead, and King Yao had lost an arm, likely suspecting she was responsible. Now that he finally had He Xiao as a second arm, he spared no effort.

That thousand-man guard detail was a display for her, so it wasn't a good time to kill He Xiao.

Even the Master of Red Abode would likely find no opportunity.

“Has there been no intelligence about He Xiao from Lingxu City yet?”

When she encountered He Xiao in Yao Kingdom, she sent word to her old friends in Lingxu City, asking them to thoroughly investigate He Xiao's background.

This person's origins remained obscure.

Yuan Xuan replied: “No news yet.”

Qingyang then returned to the present: “The expansion of Tianshui City will last at least one or two years, and I can't wait that long.”

Actually, it was the gods who couldn't wait that long. Their dissatisfaction with Qingyang was almost overflowing the barrier between the two realms.

She raised a second finger, her voice filled with deep disappointment towards the Yao Kingdom, “The task I have can only be completed by a different method now.”

Because of He Xiao's interference, the hand she was playing was ruined.

But it didn't matter; she decided to approach the table in a new way.

“Please give your orders, Palace Master.”

With a few rumbling sounds, a thunderstorm suddenly arrived.

Qingyang gazed at the myriad threads of rain outside the window, and slowly asked, “Has Chongwu reached the northern border yet?”

“General Chongwu departed three days ago. His army will reach the northern border of Yao Kingdom in one or two more days at most,” Yuan Xuan reported precisely. “He brought over 1,300 elite soldiers, all of whom have been with him for many years.”

“No rush. Let him consolidate his military authority first,” Qingyang said, reaching out to catch a few raindrops. “Let King Yao and his ministers be pleased for a while longer.”

Yuan Xuan knew the palace master had made up her mind.

“You may leave. Close the door behind you.”

After Yuan Xuan left, Qingyang took out a statue and lit an incense stick.

Once the smoke condensed in mid-air, she looked up gravely and said, “Please convey a few more words to the Emperor, just say the plan has changed…”

Chapter 1509: At the Helm

The highly anticipated Yu Lake Villa finally saw its last lakeside residence auctioned off at Chibao.

Everyone had already found the prices of the previous residences exaggerated, until the final seven lakeside residences came up for auction.

The first one fetched a high price of 330,000!

When the auctioneer called out this figure, gasps could be heard throughout the audience.

The atmosphere in the hall grew even more fervent, as the subsequent prices were higher with each successive residence.

The last lakeside residence was sold for a secret bid of 670,000!

670,000! That's 670 million in currency!

Even luxury homes in the central district of Lingxu City couldn't reach that figure.

The audience's numb nerves were finally pricked, erupting in shouts of astonishment.

Fan Shuang lost her composure for a moment, gripping He Lingchuan's arm tightly, but she couldn't utter a single word.

Unbelievable. Truly unbelievable.

The Chibao auction concluded successfully here, and the officials and dignitaries present gathered around, congratulating He Lingchuan one after another.

Island Lord He had made a fortune.

He Lingchuan himself remained calm; the spectacle of the night was within his expectations.

As soon as he saw the new city expansion plan announced throughout the city, he knew the last few residences at Yu Lake Villa would sell out rapidly.

This was the officials' last chance to get on board.

Only by grasping these 'certificates of loyalty' would King Yao be willing to play the game of “get rich, get rich, get rich together” with them.

It was an open secret now; no one could fail to understand it.

So, how could the prices of these residences not be astronomical?

The exorbitant prices at Yu Lake Villa and the eastward expansion of Tianshui City—these two explosive pieces of news complemented each other and spread rapidly throughout the city.

Both were related to He Lingchuan, and whenever city residents discussed these two major events, they inevitably mentioned Island Lord He's name.

Especially in the leadership team for the major eastward expansion project of Tianshui City, apart from the high and mighty King Yao, Yu Rongzhi and He Lingchuan were implicitly in charge.

Fund approvals, material allocation, personnel entry and exit—every single item required Yu Rongzhi's signature to take effect. King Yao firmly held the decision-making power in his own hands; He Lingchuan could only 'advise'.

The problem was that He Lingchuan's 'advice' was too useful, too effective. Even if Yu Rongzhi didn't want to adopt it, after much consideration, He Lingchuan's method remained the optimal solution.

However, this main figure had been fully engrossed in the Yu Lake Villa project for the past few days, neglecting the eastward expansion of Tianshui City. Yu Rongzhi sent people to find him twice, but he always found excuses not to go, either claiming something was happening at Yu Lake Villa or that he himself had a headache or fever.

Even the mirror could tell: “Wow, are you playing hard to get to seize power?”

“Heh,” He Lingchuan said, lying under a tree, eating persimmons and enjoying the cool breeze. “If I don't seize the helm, how can I steer the ship of Yao Kingdom into the bottomless abyss?”

“Oh, that's wicked! I love it!” The mirror was a little excited. “How do you plan to do it?”

“Wait and see.” This wasn't something to talk about; it had to be done.

Two more days passed. With countless project matters needing attention, Yu Rongzhi couldn't sit still and personally went to Yongquan Villa.

He Lingchuan warmly received him, but didn't mention the project itself.

Yu Rongzhi had no choice but to get straight to the point, saying that the monarch was very concerned about the eastward expansion project and hoped Island Lord He could devote more energy to it.

He said this somewhat shamelessly. After all, He Xiao was merely an 'Advising Scholar,' with no official rank or power, purely helping out with this project.

He Lingchuan, however, sighed: “The eastward expansion is an enormous project. As it stands, I've overestimated my capabilities. Please convey to the monarch that it would be best to find someone more capable.”

Yu Rongzhi's scalp tingled when he heard this.

You came up with all the ideas and plans for the eastward expansion, and now that we've started work, you're abandoning it?

But he had been immersed in officialdom for decades; one look at He Xiao's expression told him he wasn't speaking truthfully. “How significant is the eastward expansion of Tianshui City? The monarch, with his discerning eye, chose Island Lord He to assist. Island Lord He, do not underestimate yourself! If you're facing any difficulties, please just say so.”

He had played this 'retreat to advance' trick before, hadn't he?

He Lingchuan had been waiting for that very line.

“The new city's eastward expansion is progressing too slowly.”

“Ah?” It was a bit slow, but hadn't work only just begun a few days ago? Yu Rongzhi was somewhat surprised. “What's the problem?”

“Four months!” He Lingchuan held up four fingers. “Within four months, the new city must be developed to a respectable state for the people of Tianshui City to be willing to buy houses and land, and for the redemption vouchers issued in the early stages to be delivered as one and a half times the amount on schedule! Now, the first seven days are over, and the main road hasn't even had its topsoil removed!”

“The progress is severely behind schedule! At this rate, there won't be enough time to sell off the residential plots. Once the four-month deadline arrives, we'll have no choice but to pay from the national treasury.” He Lingchuan asked him, “Does the national treasury have money?”

The national treasury was like a sponge; there was always something if you squeezed it. But how could Yu Rongzhi dare say that to the monarch?

Indeed, there wasn't enough time, but this was the efficiency of the Yao Kingdom. Both Yu Rongzhi and King Yao were anxious, otherwise, why would they come to He Lingchuan? “So, what is Island Lord He's opinion?”

“Efficiency needs to be improved. We can't continue like this, working inconsistently,” He Lingchuan said at length.

The more Yu Rongzhi listened, the more surprised he became, then he hesitated: “This…”

This would offend too many people.