Chapter 1363: Conspiring Against An Emperor

“So, you agree to the plan?” Feng Qingyou asked.

“Sure. What reason do I have to disagree?” Ye Qing nodded. “The question now is, how do we trick Emperor Jing Run into agreeing to the trade without drawing his suspicion?”

Feng Qingyou also nodded in agreement. “If I’m not mistaken, Emperor Jing Run’s men are probably keeping a close eye on you. In this case, inaction is better than action, so all you need to do is to lay down your cards on the table. I’ll handle the rest.”

“Really? Won’t Emperor Jing Run suspect something?”

Ye Qing said worriedly. “You said it yourself that Emperor Jing Run is cunning, paranoid, and adept at intrigue. Can we really get back the hostages by dealing with him frankly?”

“He will suspect that something is amiss, yes. That is why we need to act quickly. Tomorrow morning, you will contact Fang Zhiyong and tell him to carry a message to Emperor Jing Run. Tell him that you figured out that his objective is the Earthly Sovereign Bell, and that you are willing to give it up in exchange for the hostages.”

“Of course, you cannot let them know that you’ve figured out the real reason they want the Earthly Sovereign Bell. Just tell them your earlier guess: that the reason they wish to claim the Earthly Sovereign Bell is to secure their disappearing Will of the Empire.”

“It is unwise to guess what is happening inside an emperor’s mind. If Emperor Jing Run realizes that you’ve seen through his true objective, then he may become paranoid and suspicious, and the plan may backfire on us instead. Sometimes, showing weakness to the enemy is the best course of action.”

“Mm. Makes sense.” Ye Qing asked, “But why the hurry? We have a week, don’t we?”

“It’s to create the illusion that you don’t have the time to make any sort of arrangement or concoct a scheme. We want to trick Emperor Jing Run into thinking that you are at your wit’s end, and your only bargaining chip is the Earthly Sovereign Bell.”

Feng Qingyou explained, “Emperor Jing Run is paranoid and cunning, but he is also prideful and self-conceited. He would not treat you as a serious opponent. That is why he will agree to your demand.”

“What if he tries to pull his own schemes? For example, what if he tries to drag out the exchange, attack us when the exchange is happening, or do something to the hostages?” Ye Qing voiced his worries.

Ye Qing was worried for the hostages’ safety and the success of the plan. If even one part of the plan went south, then the entire plan could go up in flames just like that.

“It’s very unlikely. Emperor Jing Run wants to repair the Heavens’ Eye as soon as possible. I believe he would try to minimize the issues that may arise from this exchange instead of the opposite.”

Feng Qingyou mused thoughtfully. She possessed a charismatic voice that automatically convinced people of the correctness of her deductions without trying. “That said, your worries are well-founded. Just in case Emperor Jing Run tries something, you should demand that they come to a decision immediately. Say that you want to exchange the Earthly Sovereign Bell for the hostages immediately and give them a two-hour time limit. That will give them no time to scheme, think, or prepare.”

“Two hours?” Ye Qing thought for a moment. A Sage would be able to make it over from the imperial capital all the way to this location in two hours. If they were using a secret art or a Strange Artifact, then they could arrive even faster. So, two hours was a reasonable ask.

Ye Qing met Feng Qingyou’s eyes again and asked concernedly, “This leaves you with only half a day to leak the news to Clear Sky Palace, Earthly Sovereign Hall, and Human Sovereign Mountain though. Are you sure you can do it?”

Clear Sky Palace, Earthly Sovereign Hall, and Human Sovereign Mountain were all located in mysterious locations. Everyone knew their name, but only a handful actually knew where their headquarters were.

He wasn’t worried that Feng Qingyou couldn’t find their headquarters. She wouldn’t bring up this plan at all if she wasn’t confident. However, could she really leak the news to the three sects and convince them of its authenticity in just half a day’s time?

“All you need to do is to follow the plan. I will handle the rest. I promise you that everything will go smoothly,” Feng Qingyou promised him.

“Very well. Sorry to trouble you, Qingyou?” Ye Qing saluted her.

“There is no need for such pleasantries between us, no?” Feng Qingyou said smilingly.

After that, the duo discussed the details of the plan until Feng Qingyou said, “If you have no other questions, then I’m going to prepare now. I’ll meet up with you after I’ve made all the arrangements.”

Ye Qing wasn’t expecting this. “You’re coming too?”

“What, am I not welcome?” Feng Qingyou’s eyebrows arched a little as her lips curled into a cute yet attractive smile.

“You’re always welcome, but... this is going to be quite the dangerous endeavor,” Ye Qing replied seriously.

Once Emperor Jing Run, Clear Sky Palace, Earthly Sovereign Hall, or Human Sovereign Mountain discovered that they had been tricked, they were going to come after him like mad hounds. The second part of the plan where they retook the Earthly Sovereign Bell was rife with dangers as well. One misstep, and that could mean the end of his life.

Feng Qingyou had already helped him so much. That was why he did not want to drag her into this mess if at all possible, much less put her in danger.

Emotionally, he desired her company as a matter of course. But rationally, he did not want her to risk her life with him.

“Don’t worry. I wouldn’t say this if I’m not one hundred percent certain that I can protect myself.”

Feng Qingyou’s smile was warm and gentle, confident and collected, bright and all-encompassing like the sun. “Besides, it’s not everyday that such a fun matter arises. How can I not get involved in it?”

“Fine. I’ll wait for you.” Ye Qing stopped trying to change her mind. It was because he finally realized that Feng Qingyou was plotting something. Again.

What could he do? He could only accompany her until the very end.

“Mm. I’m going to prepare now. Be ever careful, Joyless.”

“You too.”

Feng Qingyou’s image disappeared just like that. The water mirror conjured from the Inch Water also crumbled and returned to the Horizon Bottle.

The conversation was short, but a good amount of Inch Water was consumed. Ye Qing reckoned that he could only use it another two or three times before it was gone completely.

After putting away Horizon Inch, Ye Qing sent Papersmith a message and removed the restrictions. Then, he left the house and began loitering in Luo Shui.

It’s time to relax!

......

“What is Ye Qing doing?”

The imperial capital, Grand Mentor Residence, Transcendence Hall. Tranquility yields transcendence, and transcendence yields endless horizons. That was how the name “Transcendence Hall” came to be.

The Transcendence Hall was Fang Zhiyong’s study. A believer of the golden mean, Fang Zhiyong acted modestly and moderately, and carried himself elegantly and courteously. His calligraphy resembled him as well: elegant and stylish, mellow and without edge.

The words “Transcendence Hall” were written in a completely different style, however. The characters were nimble and sharp like a flowing dragon, regal and proud like a monarch. They also boasted an unparalleled level of intensity and aura.

It was very different from Fang Zhiyong’s style because Fang Zhiyong wasn’t the one who wrote it. Emperor Jing Run was the calligrapher who wrote the piece and gave it to Fang Zhiyong during his eightieth birthday to show his deep respect and regard for the Grand Mentor.

For this reason, Fang Zhiyong cherished the sign board deeply. Everyday, he cleaned it diligently to prevent any dust or damage from touching the sign board. Yes, him. He did not trust anyone else but himself to perform the job properly, and he never failed to clean it no matter how busy he was, or how terrible the weather was.

Fang Muyun once asked Fang Zhiyong why he wiped down the signboard everyday. Fang Zhiyong replied smilingly saying that the emperor treated him like the one and only Grand Mentor in the realm, so it is only right that he returned the favor. The words were a favor to him by his one and only emperor, so how could he treat it with anything less than the highest respect, honor, value, and diligence?

When Emperor Jing Run heard this, he declared that the Grand Mentor’s presence to him was like a central pillar to the empire. He declared that it was his utmost fortune to have him.

Since then, Emperor Jing Run valued Fang Zhiyong more and became increasingly predisposed toward the Fang Clan.