webnovelvip Chapter 284 I want to bring the command of the Liyang army under the control of the Great Qin!
Chapter 284 I want to bring the command of the Liyang army under the control of the Great Qin!
Zhang Julu fell silent.
He turned his head and looked at Zhao Qingxue.
Zhao Qingxue stood behind Qin Mu, watching him.
Those deep purple phoenix eyes were now filled with heartache.
When Zhang Julu met that gaze, a deep sense of sorrow welled up in his heart.
He turned back and looked at Qin Mu.
"Whatever Your Majesty desires, Li Yang will provide."
Qin Mu looked at him and smiled.
"if--"
"Does the Emperor desire the entirety of Liyang?"
The moment the words fell.
Zhang Julu's pupils suddenly contracted.
Gu Jiantang suddenly raised his head, a hint of barely suppressed anger flashing in his tiger-like eyes.
The two fell silent.
The air inside the hall seemed to freeze.
The candlelight continued to flicker, but the crackling sound seemed to be inaudible.
The moonlight still streamed in through the window, but it couldn't penetrate the oppressive, deathly silence that filled the hall.
Zhang Julu stood still, motionless.
His fingers slowly tightened inside his sleeve.
Gu Jiantang's hand was already on the hilt of the sword.
That action was almost instinctive.
His gaze passed over the long sandalwood table and landed on Qin Mu's face.
Those tiger-like eyes were filled with barely suppressed rage.
There was also a sense of despair and helplessness.
The entire area is away from Yang.
That was the foundation laid by Liyang three hundred years ago.
That was the empire that Emperor Taizu conquered with his sword, one sword at a time.
That is the land that countless soldiers protected with their blood and lives.
That is--
The meaning of their lives.
But now, this man just casually uttered those words.
It was as if they were talking about something completely ordinary.
It was as if what he wanted was always a matter of course.
Zhang Julu raised his head and met Qin Mu's gaze.
"Your Majesty is joking," he said.
Qin Mu raised an eyebrow and looked at him.
Zhang Julu continued:
"Empress Liyang is about to become His Majesty's Empress."
"Li Yang, naturally, also belongs to His Majesty."
He paused, then spoke slowly and deliberately:
"Why does Your Majesty need any more?"
Qin Mu smiled.
"You certainly know how to talk."
He paused, his gaze deep and unfathomable:
"However, Liyang has been established for three hundred years, with deep roots, rich foundation, and popular support, so it is indeed difficult to shake its position in a short period of time."
Zhang Julu remained silent.
She just watched him quietly.
Qin Mu leaned back in his chair, his posture becoming even more languid.
The moonlight shone on his face, illuminating his handsome features in a half-light, half-shadow.
"Therefore," he continued, his voice soft but each word clear, "I have decided—"
He paused, then spoke slowly and deliberately:
"I won't consider leaving Yang for the time being."
Zhang Julu's pupils contracted slightly.
Gu Jiantang's hand on the sword hilt loosened slightly.
The two exchanged a glance, both seeing a fleeting glint in each other's eyes.
Qin Mu's smile deepened as he looked at them.
"I intend to consolidate the position first, and then proceed slowly," he said, his tone as casual as if he were chatting about everyday matters.
"Finally, gradually acquire them."
The moment the words fell.
Inside the hall, a deathly silence fell once again.
Zhang Julu was stunned.
Gu Jiantang was also stunned.
They looked at Qin Mu, at his smiling, composed face.
My heart was churning with endless turmoil.
He said it.
Qin Mu thus revealed all his plans, all his thoughts, and all his objectives.
She spoke about it without reservation, her voice bright and clear.
In front of them.
In front of two important ministers of Li Yang.
In front of Empress Li Yang.
And just like that, it was said so casually.
What does this mean?
This means that he has absolute confidence in his own abilities.
This means he wasn't worried at all that they would rebel.
This means he doesn't care what preparations they make.
because--
In the face of absolute power, all schemes are a joke.
Zhang Julu's hand trembled slightly.
He has lived most of his life and met countless people.
There are cunning and scheming masters, brilliant young talents, and generals with strategic brilliance.
I've never seen anyone like this before.
Such a person, such confidence.
Overconfident to the point of arrogance.
His arrogance left him speechless.
Zhang Julu was silent for a moment, then slowly said:
"Your Majesty is wise."
Four simple words, yet they carry immense weight.
Qin Mu looked at him and nodded.
"However," Zhang Julu continued, his gaze falling on Qin Mu's face, "the dowry should still be provided."
He paused, then spoke slowly and deliberately:
"The Empress of Liyang cannot lose face when she gets married."
Qin Mu looked at him, his admiration deepening.
"Okay," he said.
"Then let's do it the way you've discussed."
Zhang Julu was slightly taken aback.
"Your subject obeys the decree," he said.
Qin Mu smiled gently as he looked at him.
He did not continue the topic.
He simply leaned back in his chair, his gaze returning to the unfolded map.
"Next," he began, his voice low, "it's time to discuss how to deal with the surrounding countries."
Zhang Julu was slightly taken aback.
He walked to the long table and his gaze fell on the map.
The map marks several forces surrounding Liyang.
Western Liang, Northern Mang, Nanzhao, and the islands of the East China Sea.
and also--
The northern border of the Qin Dynasty.
Zhang Julu looked at the map and slowly spoke:
"Li Yang will naturally stand with the Great Qin through thick and thin."
Qin Mu looked at him and nodded.
"That's not enough," he said.
Zhang Julu frowned slightly.
Qin Mu looked at him and said, word by word:
"I want to bring the command of Li Yang's army under the control of Great Qin."
"Only in this way can it be done—"
He paused, his gaze deep and unfathomable:
"As easily as using one's own arm."
The moment the words fell.
Gu Jiantang suddenly raised his head!
Those tiger eyes suddenly widened to a bulge!
He stared intently at Qin Mu, at that smiling, composed face.
His face was filled with disbelief and shock!
"How can this be allowed?!"
"The army that leaves the sun—"
He spoke slowly and deliberately, each word seeming to be squeezed out from between his teeth:
"How can we hand it over to an outsider?!"
His chest heaved violently, and his tiger-like eyes were filled with barely suppressed rage.
Qin Mu smiled gently as he looked at him.
That smile was gentle, as gentle as a spring breeze.
But there was no warmth in those deep eyes.
"General Gu," he said, his voice soft but each word clear.
"The Li Yang Dynasty and the Great Qin are nominally allies."
He paused, then spoke slowly and deliberately:
"But fundamentally, we must still prioritize the Qin Dynasty."
He looked at Gu Jiantang, his gaze deep and unfathomable.
"Why can't it work?"
Gu Jiantang was stunned.
He looked at Qin Mu, at that still smiling, composed face.
Looking into those deep, all-seeing eyes.
He opened his mouth, as if to say something.
But he couldn't utter a single word.
Because what Qin Mu said was true.
Empress Liyang married him and became the Empress of Qin.
From that moment on, the Li Yang Dynasty and the Great Qin Dynasty were linked by a common lineage, sharing both glory and disgrace.
But behind this "sharing of honor and disgrace" there is bound to be a distinction between primary and secondary roles.
The Qin Dynasty is strong, while the Yang Dynasty is weak.
He is the master, and they are the subjects.
This is an indisputable fact.
Gu Jiantang's hand slowly slid off the hilt of the sword.
He stood still, motionless.
He looked down at his blood-stained hands.
Looking at the congealed wound on the tiger's mouth.
Those hands that had wielded a sword for thirty years now seemed so powerless.
So insignificant.
That's ridiculous.
He didn't say anything more.
He simply stood there quietly, like a silent statue.
Seeing his expression, Qin Mu didn't say anything more.
He simply turned his gaze back to the map.
His finger lightly traced across the map.
It swept across Xiliang, across Beimang, across Nanzhao, and across the islands of the East China Sea.
Finally, they landed in a place marked "Northern Frontier".
"As for the northern border," he began, his voice low, "it's a matter for our Great Qin."
He raised his head and looked at Zhang Julu and Gu Jiantang:
"There is no need for you to do anything."
He paused, then spoke slowly and deliberately:
"You only need to guard against other countries."
Zhang Julu nodded.
"I understand," he said.
He was about to continue speaking when he suddenly remembered something.
His brow furrowed slightly.
A complex emotion flashed in those cloudy old eyes.
"Your Majesty," he said, his voice hoarse.
Qin Mu looked at him.
Zhang Julu took a deep breath and slowly said:
"There is an envoy from the northern border, within the territory of my Liyang Dynasty."
Qin Mu raised an eyebrow slightly.
"messenger?"
Zhang Julu nodded.
"Yes," he said. "I ordered his secret arrest a few days ago."
"I thought I could get some information about the situation in the North from her."
"I never expected this—"
He paused, his gaze falling on Qin Mu's face:
"We haven't had a chance to interrogate them yet."
A glint of interest flashed in Qin Mu's eyes.
"Who is it?" he asked.
Zhang Julu looked at him and spoke slowly and deliberately:
"It was a woman."
"Named,"
He paused:
"Liu Hongyan".
Liu Hongyan.
The moment those three words were uttered, Qin Mu's eyes lit up slightly.