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“This Yang Yi, his methods are ruthless,” Zhu Yuanzhang muttered, narrowing his eyes as he tossed the memorial onto the table.

“But they suit our taste. Biao’er, you just lack a little ruthlessness. If you could learn even half of Yang Yi’s methods, I would be happy to hand over the empire to you.”

Zhu Biao smiled bitterly, falling silent. His father had mentioned Yang Yi’s name more times than he could count lately.

Qin Dynasty.

“Li Si, what do you think our chances would be if the Qin Dynasty faced the Zhou Dynasty and encountered a strategist like Yang Yi?” Ying Zheng’s eyes narrowed slightly, the question seemingly casual, but his tone was serious.

Li Si furrowed his brow, considering the question before he finally relaxed.

“Our Qin Dynasty has great generals like Wang Jian, Wang Ben, and Meng Tian, not to mention a million-strong army. Dealing with a mere Yang Yi would be a simple task.”

“Is that so?” Ying Zheng replied, his voice light.

“And what would you do if you faced such a vicious strategy?”

Li Si was instantly rendered speechless.

Ying Zheng tilted his head slightly, not waiting for an answer, as if he had expected none. He spoke slowly, his voice thoughtful.

“Those who achieve great things do not bother with trivialities. This person is undoubtedly one of the top strategists in the world. If I cannot use him, it will be a great pity. He alone is worth ten armies.”

Li Si’s heart trembled, as if a storm was raging inside him. He hadn’t expected His Majesty to hold Yang Yi in such high esteem.

Zhou Dynasty.

“Good news! Your Majesty, good news has arrived!”

Shangguan Wan’er rushed into the hall, breathless, clutching a letter from the front lines.

The ministers exchanged puzzled glances. Good news? Could it really be possible, so soon?

Wu Zhao, equally surprised, took the letter from Shangguan Wan’er’s hand and quickly opened it.

Her eyes scanned the page, her excitement growing as she read the words “Enemy city breached.”

“Heichi Changzhi used catapults to hurl plague-infected corpses into the enemy city. The enemy was forced to come out and fight and fell into Heichi Changzhi’s ambush. Our army then broke through the enemy’s defenses at Yucheng and captured their most important general, Niohuru Nianqi”

The hall fell into a stunned silence. Everyone gasped, their eyes turning to Yang Yi, who remained calm and composed, as if nothing had happened.

They had never expected his strategy to yield results so quickly. How many days had passed since the plan had been sent? And already, the city had been captured.

Li Yifu gritted his teeth in jealousy. How long had it been? And yet, Yang Yi had already gained another merit.

Shangguan Wan’er also glanced at Yang Yi, admiration flashing in her cold eyes, while Wu Zhao’s lips curved into a smile, her phoenix eyes brimming with joy.

This victory was more than a triumph—it was the Zhou Dynasty’s first major victory in an external war, capturing an enemy city and expanding their territory. Wu Zhao was thrilled.

Since her father’s founding of the Zhou Dynasty, never had they fought such a glorious battle. Her smile deepened as she addressed Yang Yi.

“Minister Yang, you have made a great contribution. In this war against the Qing, you deserve the highest merit!” Wu Zhao’s tone was laced with approval.

“Tell me, what do you desire? Just ask, and I will grant it!”

All eyes turned to Yang Yi, filled with envy. To be favored like this, to stand in the heart of the ruler—this was a rare privilege. The Emperor had just publicly offered him a reward.

The words of a monarch were not to be taken lightly. Even if Yang Yi were to ask for a princess’s hand in marriage at that moment, the Empress would likely not refuse.

The officials’ envy intensified, gnashing their teeth in frustration. Yang Yi had been in office for less than a year, yet he had ascended to such heights. What he had achieved in a single year, others might not accomplish in a lifetime.

Li Yifu felt an overwhelming sense of resentment gnawing at him like a venomous snake. Once the favored courtier in front of the Empress, he now felt his position slipping away.

Grinding his teeth, he spoke up,

“Your Majesty, I must commend Minister Yang for his brilliant strategy in defeating the enemy. However, the strategy was undeniably ruthless. It involved discarding the bodies of our fallen soldiers in enemy territory. As the saying goes, ‘May they rest in peace,’ yet their remains were desecrated for the sake of this cruel plan.”

Pausing for effect, he continued, “If we lavish rewards upon Minister Yang for this, won’t it encourage such practices? Wouldn’t our Zhou Dynasty be filled with ruthless individuals? I urge Your Majesty to reconsider.”

Li Yifu had learned his lesson this time. Aware that the Empress valued Yang Yi, he attacked from a different angle, highlighting the potential moral damage to the nation. He had to obstruct Yang Yi’s path, or risk being overshadowed.

The officials exchanged uneasy glances, uncertain of how to respond. While Li Yifu’s words were self-serving, they could not deny that he had a point.

The ruthless nature of Yang Yi’s strategy was indeed alarming, even to the people of Zhou.

Wu Zhao’s phoenix-like brows furrowed as she shot a displeased glance at Li Yifu. Just as she was about to speak, Yang Yi’s soft chuckle echoed through the hall.

“Minister Li’s words are reasonable.”

The room fell silent, disbelief rippling through the crowd. Had Yang Yi lost his mind? Was he really siding with Li Yifu?

Wu Zhao, too, was taken aback. Her brows knitted slightly as she scrutinized Yang Yi in silence, trying to grasp his intent. Li Yifu, meanwhile, was equally stunned. He hadn’t expected Yang Yi to agree with him so readily, leaving him momentarily at a loss.

This victory, it seemed, was not as straightforward as it had first appeared.