Li Chi’s words made Gui Yuanshu and the others burst out laughing… the several shrewd minds exchanged glances, all smiling.

For if the Jialou Kingdom’s emperor, Le Ye Ku Xin, was truly scheming this way, there would be absolutely no harm to the Great Ning whatsoever.

On one side, the Western Regions nations wanted to weaken the Jialou Kingdom; on the other, the Jialou Kingdom wanted to eliminate their own nation’s hero.

Look at that — isn’t it a perfect convergence of interests?

And if their plans succeeded, the Jialou Kingdom would lose a hero, but for the Jialou Kingdom’s king Le Ye Ku Xin, eliminating a hidden threat was a gain — even if that hidden threat was his own younger brother.

For the Western Regions nations, as long as Mu Yan and Mu Di died, not only would they count it as great vengeance finally settled, they would also feel they could sleep soundly going forward.

What would the Great Ning lose?

If one truly had to say what the Great Ning might lose, it would perhaps only be that Li Chi, upon going to the Qing Garden, would pretend to be startled by the assassins.

This scheme of the Western Regions people would also hand Li Chi a justification for sending troops — and a justification was precisely what the Great Ning currently lacked.

Xu Ji bowed toward Li Chi and said: “Your Majesty, this minister believes that although these Western Regions people are nothing to fear, there must certainly be the shadow of the Heiwu people behind all this. Therefore it would be better if Your Majesty did not go to the Qing Garden — the Western Regions people are no cause for concern, but the Heiwu people cannot be left unguarded.”

Gui Yuanshu also bowed: “What Xu Daren said is also what this minister wished to say to Your Majesty.”

Li Chi smiled: “You both know me well enough… for something this entertaining, if it all falls apart simply because I don’t go to the Qing Garden, I would find that genuinely regrettable.”

Li Chi paced back and forth within the Eastern Warm Chamber as he spoke: “The Western Regions people wracked their brains to come up with this scheme. If I don’t go, their whole plan falls apart…”

He turned to look back at Xu Ji and the others: “Come to think of it, getting Western Regions people to devise any sort of clever scheme is no easy feat. This much courtesy, I should still show them.”

Gui Yuanshu said: “If Your Majesty absolutely must go to the Qing Garden, additional guards should be mobilized in advance and every precaution taken.”

Li Chi said: “If I take every precaution, the Western Regions people won’t even find an opening — that won’t do, either.”

Xu Ji bowed: “But Your Majesty’s safety is paramount. As for the campaign against the Western Regions, having a proper justification is naturally best, but without one, the Great Ning is hardly incapable of fighting…”

This remark gave Li Chi a good laugh.

And yet it was the truth. Given the Great Ning’s current national strength, given the Great Ning’s formidable armies — if they truly wanted to strike the Western Regions, what justification did they really need?

Still, having a justification was always better than not having one. After all, the Great Ning was the most principled nation in the realm.

If you have not provoked me, and I march over and bully you anyway — that looks rather too overbearing on our part.

Even if you merely come over and pull up a few stalks of grass from my yard, that still counts as grounds.

Of course, if the Western Regions people truly failed to cooperate and no one came to pull up those stalks of grass — the Great Ning could always pull some up themselves and toss them back over…

Li Chi strolled about, smiling as he said: “If the Jialou Kingdom had a prince who excels in battle and is also of one mind with the Jialou Kingdom’s king, that would be a threat of no small significance to the Great Ning.”

Xu Ji agreed wholeheartedly on this point.

While it was true that the Western Regions people could absolutely never pose a threat to the Great Ning the way the Heiwu people could, if the Jialou Kingdom truly managed to unite the Western Regions, that was still not a welcome development for the Great Ning.

For the Western Regions to perpetually pose no threat, the ideal situation was for the Western Regions to remain a loose scatter of sand at all times.

“The Qing Garden — I am still going.”

Li Chi smiled: “The parts that need to cooperate with the Western Regions people still need cooperating with — otherwise, if all their intentions are deflated, we would be the ones without a righteous basis for this war… though I have no intention of cooperating so smoothly that they go away satisfied.”

Having said that, Li Chi looked toward Gui Yuanshu: “Aside from the Jialou Kingdom, have any of the other Western Regions nations made contact with you?”

Gui Yuanshu said: “They… for the time being, probably have little desire to see this minister.”

Li Chi could not help but let out a snort of laughter.

“That was something, I have to say.”

Li Chi looked at Gui Yuanshu: “It would have been one thing if it were only the Deputy Minister who struck someone, but even the Minister himself charged straight in and started fighting. The least you could have done was have one play the kind-faced one and the other the stern-faced one — instead, the two of you went and played the stern-faced one together.”

Gui Yuanshu bowed: “It was truly not this minister’s fault. Those Western Regions people were simply far too brazen…”

Li Chi waved a hand: “You are not suitable to go and have another chat with them. Xu Ji… you go.”

Xu Ji bowed: “This minister receives the command. This minister will first summon them together for a collective meeting.”

Li Chi gave a satisfied nod: “That is exactly right. However… just don’t include the Jialou Kingdom’s people in that same meeting.”

Xu Ji naturally understood Li Chi’s meaning. If one wanted the Western Regions nations to be disunited, one had to manufacture friction among them. Summoning all the Western Regions envoys together while conspicuously excluding the Jialou Kingdom — wouldn’t that friction arise on its own?

“Tomorrow, then.”

After saying this, Li Chi looked again toward Gui Yuanshu: “Find a moment to go and tell Mu Yan and Mu Di that I intend to visit the Qing Garden in two days. One must at least give people the time they need to prepare the assassination attempt against me — and let Mu Yan and Mu Di himself think of some way to manage things too. Give him two days as well. A Grand General renowned for his battlefield victories — if he cannot even think of a way to save himself, I will have lost all respect for him.”

Gui Yuanshu and Xu Ji bowed together: “This minister receives the command.”

The next day.

Manlai Yaman, staying at the official guesthouse, was seated at the window reading. The books he had purchased the day before gave him extraordinary satisfaction.

His admiration for Central Plains culture bordered on obsession.

Just as he was absorbed in his reading, a servant came from outside and bowed toward him: “National Advisor, someone has just delivered a letter.”

Manlai Yaman looked up and saw the servant holding an envelope in hand. He reached out and accepted it.

“How was it delivered?”

Manlai Yaman asked in passing.

The servant replied: “As per the National Advisor’s instructions, our people retrieved the sealed letter from that teahouse. The person who sent the National Advisor the sealed letter had placed it in advance at the agreed-upon location in the teahouse.”

Manlai Yaman waved his hand, and the servant immediately bowed and withdrew.

He opened the letter and read it, and his eyes lit up with satisfaction.

“Go and invite His Royal Highness, Ao Lou, and the Heiwu people here.”

Manlai Yaman gave the instruction, and the servant standing at the doorway immediately received the order and left.

Shortly afterward, the one referred to as the most foolish prince of the Western Regions — Dong Qianyuan — arrived together with Ao Lou. After waiting a little longer, the Heiwu man Gan Luo also arrived.

“This is a sealed letter that was just sent from the Qing Garden.”

Manlai Yaman passed the letter to Gan Luo: “My student risked great danger to get it out. It says reliable intelligence has confirmed that the Ning Emperor will go to the Qing Garden the day after tomorrow to meet Mu Yan and Mu Di.”

After reading the letter, Gan Luo asked: “Are the people the National Advisor has arranged on the Jialou Kingdom’s side reliable?”

Manlai Yaman gave a nod: “Of course they are reliable.”

Gan Luo asked: “Is there any opportunity to slip my people in?”

Manlai Yaman pondered for a moment and shook his head: “Most likely there is no opportunity at this point. The Jialou people are all lodged inside the Qing Garden, with the Ning Kingdom’s imperial guards keeping watch outside.”

Gan Luo thought for a moment before asking: “Then how can my people be arranged?”

Manlai Yaman smiled: “I have already thought that through on your behalf.”

He rose, closed the window, and then continued: “If the Ning Emperor is attacked in the Qing Garden, the Qing Garden will descend into chaos, and the Ning Kingdom’s imperial guards will surround the Qing Garden so tightly that not even water could pass through.”

Gan Luo nodded: “That is certain.”

Manlai Yaman said: “But every eye will be on the Qing Garden — when the real opportunity does not lie within the Qing Garden at all.”

Gan Luo watched him without rushing to speak, simply waiting for the old man to lay out the plan.

He understood clearly what kind of wisdom a man of such advanced years, who had maintained his position of foremost standing beneath a single ruler within the Jialou Kingdom, truly possessed.

Manlai Yaman said: “The moment something happens at the Qing Garden, a massive deployment of imperial guards — and even the Tingwei’s office — will all converge on the Qing Garden.”

“The Ning Emperor will leave the Qing Garden and return to the Weiyang Palace. Although the Qing Garden and the Weiyang Palace are not far apart, the road in between is the best opportunity for your people to assassinate the Ning Emperor.”

A light sparked in Gan Luo’s eyes.

Who would think, after a great assassination attempt on the Ning Emperor had already occurred in the Qing Garden, that there would be a second attempt on the road back to the palace?

Manlai Yaman said: “The assassins can be split into two groups. One group waits just outside the Qing Garden’s gates — the moment the Ning Emperor exits, they seize the opportunity to act.”

“If no opportunity presents itself then, they wait until the Ning Emperor’s imperial procession has traveled halfway and strike on the road.”

Manlai Yaman picked up a sheet of paper from the table and handed it to Gan Luo: “These past few days, I walked many places in Chang’an City — ostensibly buying books, but in truth observing the terrain.”

“This map has already marked the most suitable locations for an ambush. Take it back and study it, then make your arrangements.”

Gan Luo took the map and examined it carefully. He found that the old man’s judgment was indeed razor-sharp.

“Very well.”

Gan Luo rose: “I’ll go and make these arrangements. However, National Advisor, you should still try to find a way to get a few of your people into the Qing Garden — that would be best.”

Manlai Yaman nodded: “I will look for a way. But as you know, the chances are slim.”

Gan Luo gave a murmur of acknowledgment, rolled up the map: “I’ll head back first, then. The rest of you can discuss among yourselves.”

After Gan Luo left, Dong Qianyuan edged forward and lowered his voice to ask Manlai Yaman: “Uncle, the Heiwu people want to kill the Ning Emperor, and we get not a single benefit from it…”

Even Ao Lou couldn’t help but look at Dong Qianyuan again at those words.

That this foolish prince had actually been able to think of this was truly no easy feat — after all, the foolish prince’s head was normally full of mush.

He had barely finished thinking that when he heard Dong Qianyuan continue: “So Uncle should have asked him for something in return before handing over the map just now.”

Manlai Yaman burst into laughter: “Your Highness has thought it through thoroughly — I was careless… though the map is already in his hands now, so there is nothing to be done.”

Dong Qianyuan said: “I’ll go after him now and ask him for it!”

Ao Lou saw he was genuinely about to go chase after Gan Luo, and quickly grabbed hold of him: “Your Highness, don’t rush — the National Advisor must already have arrangements in place. Listen to the National Advisor finish first.”

Dong Qianyuan: “If I don’t go after him now, he’ll have gotten too far away. What if he refuses to honor the agreement once he’s back?”

Manlai Yaman said with a laugh: “There will certainly be benefits…”

He lowered his voice: “Ao Lou, you are to handle this matter. I had my student steal a few items from the Jialou Kingdom delegation. Find a way to make the Heiwu people carry them on their persons — once they are caught, it will serve as proof that these assassins were also arranged by the Jialou Kingdom.”

Ao Lou’s eyes lit up: “The National Advisor’s foresight is truly thorough.”

Dong Qianyuan: “But what about the benefits?”

Manlai Yaman smiled: “The benefits are not now — they come later.”

He rose, and with a calm and measured tone said: “The Jialou Kingdom will certainly look for a way to prove, after Mu Yan and Mu Di’s death, that he was framed. The Ning Emperor cannot be assassinated — even if the Heiwu people have fighters of the highest caliber, there is no chance of success in Chang’an City.”

“We arrange things so the Ning Emperor finds the proof he needs. The Jialou Kingdom’s people want to frame us — it won’t be that easy.”

“The moment something happens, I will immediately seek an audience with the Ning Emperor to beg forgiveness and offer to assist the Great Ning in sending troops to attack the Jialou Kingdom…”

Manlai Yaman let out a long breath: “Le Ye Ku Xin wants to use someone else’s blade to kill his younger brother… and he aims to kill two birds with one stone, using the Ning Kingdom’s army to eliminate us as well.”

“He has calculated a far too pleasant outcome for himself. I must let him know that the most pleasant of wishes rarely come true.”

—