Chapter 9: The Enigmatic Tao (Part 2)

  "Now that I'm old, my prestige has actually increased with age. After this war, it's likely to rise again. High Yuan is not young either. In order to leave a stable court for his son, how can he still tolerate an old minister like me who overshadows the emperor? He can't kill me openly, but secretly there are no interruptions. However, fortunately, I have many skilled people around me and didn't let him succeed. Yesterday was such a good opportunity, he won't give up now. Now that I'm in the Great Sui army camp, even if I die, it wouldn't be blamed on him." Yizhi Wende sighed.

  Xiao Shouren didn't know that there were so many twists and turns in the relationship between monarchs, and who among those who climbed to their position wasn't a person with countless scars on their chest?

  Xiao Shouren didn't say much after hearing Yizhi Wende's words, nor did he offer any comforting words. He simply picked up the wine jug on the table and poured himself a cup, then started drinking with Yizhi Wende, each of them lost in their own thoughts. Yizhi Wende was silently contemplating his future fate, while Xiao Shouren was thinking about this complex ancient world and what he should do next. They both just wanted to drown their sorrows in wine and get drunk, that's all.

  After seeing off Xiao Shouren, Yizhi Wende's mood improved a lot. He muttered to himself: "This kid has helped me out of a big trouble, it seems that I have escaped again this time. Gao Yuan, you have saved me once."

  If Xiao Shouren heard this, he would probably jump up, this old guy has obviously used himself again!

  Miracle City, the city lord's mansion is actually not a city lord's mansion. The furniture and decorations inside do not match the standards of a city lord's mansion, and its vast area cannot be compared to that of an ordinary city lord's residence. It's just a more pleasant way of saying it.

  This is actually the palace of Yang Guang in Shangjing, with only a plaque of the City Master's Mansion hung in front. The palace behind is self-contained, with carved dragon and phoenix vermilion railings everywhere, marble steps everywhere, tall pillars everywhere, and countless pavilions and artificial mountains behind. The layers of the dance hall are endless, and it is extremely luxurious.

  The sun had just set, and the temporary imperial study had only just managed to light up the large red candles. The candlelight flickered, and the lamp flames danced dimly.

  A shadow flashed, didn't see clearly how it came in, also didn't see clearly how it approached, only felt the wind suddenly got a bit stronger, but just for an instant, because the next moment this feeling disappeared, everything returned to normal.

  It was just that outside the eight-foot-wide window of Yang Guang's study, an extra figure appeared. This figure blended in with everything in the imperial study as if it had been there since the beginning of time, motionless, and even in the flickering candlelight, only the shadow followed the swaying, making everything seem so eerie.

  Yang Guang's head had never been raised, and he kept his head down to look at the folded paper on the imperial case, which was about the personnel arrangement of this expedition against Goguryeo.

  It remained like this in silence for a while, with no one speaking first, as if the shadow in front of Yang Guang was just a mere shadow.

  Until Yang Guang finished reading all the memorials, his furrowed eyebrows also relaxed, and he slightly raised his eyes to look at the shadow beside the coiled dragon pillar.

  "What's up? What did you see?" Yang Guang spoke up.

  "Ah, basically it's confirmed now. The information we got is correct. There are indeed big problems between Gao Yuan and Yizhi Wende. Yesterday, Gao Yuan really wanted to put Yizhi Wende to death. Their relationship must have already reached a boiling point." Na Yingzi replied slowly, calmly and composedly, without even giving Yang Guang the usual three kneels and "long live my lord", his tone was very flat.

  "Thanks for your hard work, since that's the case, we can't let Yizhi Wende die in our hands. This battle is unwinnable, but we definitely can't return empty-handed. We must bring something back to show those old guys, or else who knows how many people will gossip when we get back." Yang Guang nodded his head in agreement after hearing the shadow finish speaking.

  "Yizhi Wende, that old fox, is also very cunning. Seeing the soldier who delivered food was dead, he actually asked me for a large wolf dog to test the poison. This is what this old fellow can think of, I really don't know if it's clever or stupid. Can't you just use a silver needle?" Yang Guang muttered to himself.

  "In that case, shouldn't we send more people to guard tightly and prevent anyone from making trouble?" The shadow asked in a low voice, not caring what Yang Guang was saying, as if it had nothing to do with himself.

  "Uh, right. I reckon now that many eyes are already watching this place. Those people can't wait for something to go wrong. Since that's the case, we'll just have to disappoint them. Alright, bring over all three teams' shadows to keep an eye on Wen De, and double the manpower in the surrounding areas." Yang Guang nodded in agreement.

  It's not just Yang Guang's imperial study, but in this commercial city, how many eyes are staring at this? If Yizhi Wende dies, it will inevitably trigger a major upheaval. The Goguryeo disciples of Yizhi Wende will definitely not agree to Gao Yuan's retreat and will want to avenge him, determined to fight to the death, with no one emerging unscathed.

  Who would be most delighted by Wen De's death?

  Gao Yuan hopes that in this way, if Yizhen Wende dies in the Sui camp, he will not be implicated himself. He can take advantage of this opportunity to raise the flag of revenge for being prime minister and gradually gain military power. Deploying troops and dispatching generals, the word "dispatch" is worth questioning. It's better to say that it's not dispatching generals, but rather clearing out Yizhen Wende's confidants and installing his own, slowly grasping military power. Whoever controls the military has the bigger fist, so everyone will have to listen to him.

  It's likely that the Taishang Laojun is also pleased to see this situation, as he has always considered himself the number one teaching in the world, his own will being the will of heaven, which cannot be disobeyed, and everyone must listen, even the Son of Heaven.

  But since Yang Guang seized the throne, Taishang discovered that his previous vision was actually wrong. Yang Guang has now slowly grown up and has the power to confront Taishang's forces, no one dares to underestimate him. Taishang also found that today's Yang Guang is not the King of Jin of those years ago, and he is not as easy to use as before, like a child who has grown up and doesn't listen to orders anymore. Giving orders is not as smooth as it used to be either.

  So the Taishang Dao also hopes to stir up trouble, and with the death of Yizhi Wende, they will definitely start fighting. In recent years, the common people of the Great Sui have suffered enough, with the repair of the Grand Canal, and the increasing number of taxes and levies. This time's expedition against Goguryeo is also a waste of manpower and resources, and the people have long been complaining and grumbling. The voices of discontent are not limited to the imperial court, if they continue to fight now, regardless of whether they win or lose, it will definitely lead to another increase in the burden on the common people, which will inevitably trigger a peasant uprising and throw the world into chaos.

  Outside there are enemy troops, inside there are violent mobs causing chaos, internal worries and external troubles, the people's hearts are completely lost, the ruler of the world will definitely change hands.

  When the time comes, it will be possible to reward and punish on behalf of Heaven. With the power of Tai Shang Dao's light and darkness, it is enough to cultivate an emperor who listens to his own words. If the emperor listens to his own words, then isn't the world already under the control of Tai Shang Dao?

  Not just Gao Yuan and Tai Shang Dao, but what about other forces?

  So the water in here is getting murkier and murkier, Xiao Shouren is a goldfish in this murky water, maybe he will drown, or maybe his golden scales will turn into a dragon.

  Xiao Shouren was still unclear about the situation at this moment, but he only knew one thing, that is, things had become complicated, involving not only the power struggle between Gao Yuan and Yizhi Wende, but also the Taishang Dao, which seemed to be involved now. It's not simple, everything indicates that it's not simple. Being able to come and go freely in the strict army of Daxin and poison people, is this matter still simple?

  The world originally had no trouble, but the idle people troubled themselves. Xiao Shouren didn't think too much about it either. Even if this matter was really complicated, it seemed to have nothing to do with himself. He just caught Yizhi Wende, and he hadn't gotten deeply involved in it yet.

  So, after chatting with his brothers in the tent, Xiao Shouren went to bed and fell asleep. How many days had it been since he crossed over? Xiao Shouren was confused for a moment, and even he wasn't quite clear himself.

  Perhaps it was homesickness, perhaps it was the current settlement, during the day he thought of his hometown anxiously, Xiao Shouren actually had a dream, dreamed that he encountered a mudslide, dreamed that he struggled in it, dreamed that his whole body was covered in mud, dreamed that he was buried by the mudslide like that.

  He broke out in a cold sweat and Xiao Shouren woke up immediately. What Xiao Shouren dreamed of was the scene before his own death. Alas! It's estimated that returning to modern times is really difficult, as Li Taibai would say, it's harder than ascending to heaven.