I, Am a Living Yama, Empress Advises Me to Stay Calm-Chapter 221

Chapter 221

In the imperial court of Tang, beneath the ornate ceiling of the Dragon Throne Hall, Li Shimin sat in somber reflection.

Regret tinged his voice as he muttered, “Had I seen through that strategy back then, I would’ve ordered the lie about the treasure exposed at once.”

He exhaled sharply. “And now? The Turks have been completely turned into Great Zhou’s pastureland. In just a few short years, they’ll have an endless stream of cavalry.”

Around him, the gathered ministers wore bitter smiles. The scheme had been far too concealed. Yang Yi’s maneuver was one no one had managed to pierce, not even Tang’s seasoned officials.

Some of those who had unknowingly aided in Great Zhou’s groundwork might well have been citizens of Tang.

…

Far to the west, in the resplendent chambers of Weiyang Palace under the rule of Han, Liu Che stood frozen, clutching a freshly delivered intelligence report. His chiseled face, usually composed, now bore open shock.

“So this is what he was after all along…” His voice trembled with disbelief. “Such a grand scheme unfolded right before our eyes, and not one of us saw through it.”

Beside him, advisors Sang Hongyang, Zhufu Yan, and Zhang Tang sucked in a collective breath, eyes wide. Although they’d suspected something, none had imagined Yang Yi’s ambitions ran so deep.

He had used the world’s greed-driven men as if they were beasts of burden. Among all living ministers, only this poison-tongued strategist could have orchestrated such a thing.

…

In the eastern empire of Qin, within the solemn halls of Zhangtai Palace, Ying Zheng reviewed the same reports, his expression unreadable.

After a moment, his eyes narrowed faintly. “So, he really was laying the groundwork. With the Turkic lands as pasture, Great Zhou will never lack for meat or warhorses again.”

A pause, then the emperor added with a low murmur, “What a plan… deceiving the heavens while crossing the sea.”

He had held vague suspicions earlier, sensing some invisible hand behind Great Zhou’s recent policies.

Now, with their decrees aligning and the transformed Turkic plains laid bare, his doubts had turned to certainty. Yet there was no triumph in his gaze—only concern. This meant that Great Zhou’s strength had surged once more.

Across the hall, Li Si, Wang Wan, Feng Quji, and Meng Yi exchanged stunned looks. Even now, knowing the full extent of Yang Yi’s gambit, they felt a growing reverence for the man.

The strategy had been insidious and impeccably hidden. Not a single soldier had been dispatched, and yet Great Zhou had tilled an entire region into submission.

Half a month passed.

In Luoyang, at the heart of Great Zhou, the morning light streamed through the open doors of Qianyuan Hall. A sprawling world map covered the grand table before them. Wu Zhao leaned over it, eyes wide with wonder.

“This map is truly breathtaking,” she whispered. “The world… is far more vast than I imagined.”

Her silver, dragon-embroidered gown shimmered under the sunlight, hugging her graceful figure. As she bent forward, absorbed in the details of distant coasts and continents, the pale curve of her chest peeked over her collar, snow-white and flawless.

Yang Yi blinked. His thoughts, despite his composure, slipped briefly. Too white.

It took Wu Zhao a moment to collect herself. She straightened with a soft breath, then lifted her gaze to Yang Yi. Her dark eyes, clear and unwavering, locked onto his face.

“Are you showing me this map, Lord Yang, because you intend for Great Zhou to begin its maritime ventures?”

Yang Yi didn’t give a direct answer. He raised an eyebrow, made his way to a nearby chair, and sat down with an air of practiced ease.

“Over time,” he said, “the nations of this world will inevitably come into closer contact through various catalysts. We’ve already seen signs—look at the international students hosted by Tang. And now, Great Zhou, with its vast territory and rising power, stands at the forefront of the Central Plains.”

He folded his hands across his lap.

“It’s because we are strong that we must be the ones to take the first step outward.”

Wu Zhao hesitated. A flicker of concern crossed her alabaster features.

“Haven’t we already taken great strides in the past two years? If we now stretch toward the seas, we may lose grip on what we already hold.”

Yang Yi shook his head. “Your Majesty, that would be a grave misjudgment. Maritime expansion is the natural progression of any great power.

“Though our Central Plains nations are mighty, there are still foreign kingdoms with the strength to rival us. Isolation only leads to arrogance—and arrogance to stagnation.”

He leaned forward, his tone firm. “Interacting with other nations will not only display our might but enrich our culture. ‘Studying alone without companions leads to narrowness of mind.’

“I urge Your Majesty to immediately establish a maritime affairs department and treat it as a national priority. Just as the Han had their Silk Road to the West, we of Great Zhou could create our own—across the sea.”

Wu Zhao nodded slowly, the logic sinking in. “Then I’ll see to it that the matter is set in motion without delay.”

Yang Yi wasted no time. He retrieved a set of schematics from his sleeve—technical blueprints the system had granted him—and laid them before the empress.

“These are shipbuilding diagrams I acquired by chance. If passed on to the Ministry of Works, I believe they’ll prove fruitful.”

Wu Zhao blinked in surprise. She hadn’t expected him to come so prepared. He’d not only drawn the map of the world but brought the ships to traverse it. Every detail accounted for. The thoroughness left her momentarily speechless.

She glanced at him, a strange softness in her voice.

“I’m fortunate to have you. Before, I had to oversee every matter personally. Now, with you here… I almost feel as though I’ve grown dull, lazy even—as if you’ve taken the burden from my hands.”

Yang Yi reclined into his chair, a slow smile forming. “Since I draw the emperor’s salary, it’s only right I share in the emperor’s worries.”

Wu Zhao stared at him, lounging so comfortably it seemed he belonged there more than anyone else. On a sudden impulse, the words left her lips before she could think.

“Is that all?”

Silence fell over the hall.

She pressed her lips together, her heart inexplicably flustered. What did I just say?

Yet she was still the empress—the highest authority in the land. Even with the slip, her face remained calm, her gaze cold and imperious, as though those suggestive words had come from someone else entirely.

Yang Yi, momentarily surprised, raised a brow and smirked. “Isn’t Your Majesty still planning to find me a wife?”

He chuckled lightly. “Even for something as personal as marriage, I’ll devote myself entirely—so long as it’s for Your Majesty’s sake.”

Wu Zhao, hearing the jest, couldn’t help herself. Her cool, regal expression cracked into a soft laugh. It was as though a glacier had finally begun to melt. Her noble features lit up, and the air around her seemed warmer.

“A man like you, Lord Yang—are you truly afraid you won’t find a wife?”

Yang Yi nodded earnestly.

“The wife I seek cannot be won through power alone. Only Your Majesty can help me.”

Wu Zhao raised her eyebrows, not immediately grasping the meaning behind his words.

Her curiosity was piqued. “What kind of wife are you looking for? And why is it that only I can help you?”