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The light outside the main hall gradually dimmed.
Tong Hongchang and the others, having received Xiao Ming’s promise, did not stay long. After all, accompanying a ruler was like accompanying a tiger; a wrong word could bring misfortune.
So, after exchanging some innocuous pleasantries, they all departed. And even though Xiao Ming allowed them to do business in Qingzhou, they naturally sought out various connections.
Seeing these powerful families leave one by one, Xiao Ming felt refreshed. He had nothing more to say to a group of strangers. He had given all the necessary reminders, and the rest could be handled by the book.
Now, for him, the most important thing was still the great war of unification in the north. The defeat of the allied forces of the three princes was just the beginning; annihilating them one by one was the key.
And in his plan, Prince Yan was naturally the first one he needed to deal with. Why? Because he was the closest.
Now, the Fourth Prince had launched a rebellion with the Tian and Ji families, and Chu had already lost half its territory, but he was still uneasy about the Fourth Prince.
‘How can another sleep soundly beside one’s bed?’ Yan must be firmly in his grasp.
Thinking of this, he said to Qian Dafu, “Li San should have returned yesterday. Go find him now. I have something to tell him.”
Qian Dafu held his duster. He now looked like a professional eunuch, dressed in black attire with a tall, flat hat. He smiled and said, “Your Imperial Majesty, Li San must be with Liuli right now. To find Li San, you just need to find Liuli.”
“Liuli? Isn’t that Mother Concubine’s maid?” Xiao Ming asked.
“Indeed, Your Imperial Majesty. You might not know, but Li San has long had feelings for Miss Liuli,” Qian Dafu said with a smile.
Xiao Ming nodded. Li San was no longer young; he had reached marriageable age some time ago. He pondered for a moment and said, “Li San is the commander of the Secret Guard, and the Secret Guard is my eyes. Therefore, the loyalty of the Secret Guard is of utmost importance.”
“Your Imperial Majesty is absolutely right. Your Imperial Majesty has always stayed in Qingzhou, but the Great Yu Empire is vast. It’s impossible to know everything. Internal and external affairs are all conveyed to Your Imperial Majesty through the mouths of officials. If they deliberately deceive Your Imperial Majesty, Your Imperial Majesty would be unable to detect it,” Qian Dafu said.
“It is precisely for this reason that I established the Secret Guard, to prevent this from happening,” Xiao Ming said.
Qian Dafu seemed to understand. He said, “Your Imperial Majesty, rather than that, why not bestow a marriage upon Li San and Liuli? In this way, Li San will surely be grateful to Your Imperial Majesty and become even more loyal.”
“That’s what I thought too, but I’m afraid that’s not enough.” Xiao Ming said, “It would be more fitting if Imperial Mother recognized Liuli as her adopted daughter.”
“Adopted daughter! Your Imperial Majesty has truly prepared a generous gift for Li San this time!” Qian Dafu exclaimed.
“This is not just for Li San. Liuli in Chang’an, she risked her life to protect Mother Concubine, and Mother Concubine is also grateful to her. She once mentioned adopting Liuli as her daughter, and this time, I am simply going with the flow.”
“If that’s the case, it would be perfect!” Qian Dafu smiled. “I will go find Li San now.”
After waiting for a while in the main hall, Li San, dressed in a purple cotton robe, walked in. Seeing Xiao Ming, he bowed and said, “Secret Guard Commander Li San greets Your Imperial Majesty.”
“Dispense with the formalities!” Xiao Ming helped Li San up. He said, “When did you return?”
“Reporting to Your Imperial Majesty, I just returned last night.” Li San felt a little guilty. Qian Dafu’s smile when he found him was somewhat strange.
Based on his intuition from years of serving in the Secret Guard, he felt something was definitely about to happen.
“Is Liuli beautiful?”
“Beautiful.” Li San said instinctively, like a lovesick fool, then suddenly panicked. “Your Imperial Majesty, I deserve ten thousand deaths!”
Xiao Ming laughed heartily. He said, “What are you afraid of? I haven’t said anything to you. Besides, this is Qingzhou, and not Chang’an.”
Li San felt uneasy. Meeting a palace maid could be a small or large matter. To exaggerate, it was illicit communication, which could lead to dismissal from office and imprisonment.
Seeing Li San look terrified, Xiao Ming simply said, “You’re not young anymore, twenty-nine this year, aren’t you? This time, I’ll be the matchmaker and bestow Liuli upon you.”
Li San grew even more terrified. He fell to his knees before Xiao Ming with a “thump” and cried, “Your Imperial Majesty, this is all due to my indiscretion, it has no relation to Liuli at all. If Your Imperial Majesty wishes to kill, then kill only me.”
Qian Dafu had been trying to hold back his laughter. At this moment, he advised, “Li San, you’re usually so sharp, how come you can’t even tell the truth from a lie this time? His Imperial Majesty heard about you and Liuli, and feels for you. He specifically decreed a match made in heaven. Why are you crying?”
Li San at this moment stopped crying. He looked at Xiao Ming, then at Qian Dafu. Both looked at him with kind expressions.
It was then that he hesitated and said, “Is Your Imperial Majesty speaking the truth?”
“I am the Emperor, is this something to say casually? Of course, if you don’t like her, I’ll bestow Liuli upon someone else. Then, many people will surely fight for her.”
“Your Imperial Majesty, I like her. I liked her the first time I went to Chang’an.” Li San said hastily.
Xiao Ming nodded, “Since that’s the case, I will fulfill your wish. However, before your wedding, I have another matter I need you to handle.”
“Please enlighten me, Your Majesty.” Li San’s playful demeanor returned to seriousness.
“The Fourth Prince is quite ambitious. I don’t want to destroy Yan only to fulfill his ambitions. The north doesn’t need another vassal prince, does it?”
Li San understood. The intelligence from the Secret Guard was shared. He said, “This rebellion was originally the doing of the Tian family and the Ji family. The Fourth Prince is merely taking advantage of others’ power, but it’s a joke that he wants to take the opportunity to replace Prince Yan in governing Yan.”
“For me, I only need to appease the Tian family and the Ji family. He is redundant.” Xiao Ming said
“I understand. Before the Prince of Huainan takes Yingzhou, I will eliminate the Fourth Prince.” Li San said in a deep voice.
Xiao Ming nodded. When he first arrived in Qingzhou, he was met with an assassination attempt. The assassin was none other than the Fourth Prince. How could he entrust Yan to such a venomous individual? Rather than that, it was better to retaliate, lest he save a snake only to be bitten by it.
Although assassination might be considered an underhanded method, who among those at the pinnacle of power did not have blood on their hands?
A benevolent person cannot lead an army; a righteous person cannot engage in trade. To be an emperor and govern the Great Yu Empire well, one must be ruthless enough to control the world.
“Remember to leave no trace. It’s best if the Tian family and the Ji family do it themselves, to avoid any complications,” Xiao Ming reminded him.
Li San nodded. At this moment, he was full of energy. For him, perfectly handling this matter was his repayment to Xiao Ming. Of course, this matter was not Xiao Ming’s initial reason for seeking him, nor was it an exchange for Liuli.
After discussing this matter, Xiao Ming again asked Li San about Wei’s territory before dismissing him.