Chapter 137:
[Great Song].
“Your Majesty, it seems that various countries are becoming increasingly hostile toward our Great Song,” an official reported solemnly.
“While the court’s negotiations with other nations remain manageable, the livelihoods of ordinary citizens have taken a sharp hit. Particularly in Great Ming, where rchants are boycotting our goods. Many of our traders are on the brink of bankruptcy.
“Nurous businesses have inexplicably shut down. It seems people would rather trade with other countries than with our Song rchants.”
Zhao Ji’s eyebrows twitched, his face a mixture of shock and disbelief.
“What is going on?”
The wealth of Great Song relied heavily on its trade. How could such boycotts have taken root?
Cai Jing hesitated briefly before speaking cautiously.
“In my humble opinion, it likely stems from certain recent incidents that have shocked the surrounding nations.”
Zhao Ji frowned deeply. “Notorious incidents? Explain.”
He had been so preoccupied with his painting that dostic and international affairs had beco distant concerns.
Cai Jing stroked his beard, recounting the “If you didn’t knock him down, why did you help him?” scandal and the “Terminally ill couple’s donation scam” in painstaking detail, sparing no nuance.
Zhao Ji sat stunned, his expression darkening with every word. The sheer absurdity of it all made his temples throb.
“These incidents are undeniably disgraceful, but surely they don’t warrant such universal condemnation?”
Cai Jing’s tone turned grave. “Your Majesty, these events were publicized by the Great Zhou Bao. Their accounts have already spread far and wide. Without their embellishnts, the situation wouldn’t have escalated to this point.”
Hearing this, Zhao Ji’s fury erupted. “So, it’s the Zhou Dynasty stirring trouble! Those Zhou people want to roast our Great Song on a spit!”
Though still sowhat confused, Zhao Ji was no fool. He quickly pieced together the malicious intent behind the Zhou’s actions.
In this era, news traveled slowly. Without the Zhou’s deliberate incitent, a nationwide boycott would have been impossible.
Cai Jing stroked his beard again, his voice low and deliberate.
“Your Majesty, both scandals involved Song people and took place in Luoyang. There’s sothing suspicious about this. I had our people investigate the individuals involved—the couple and the old swindler.
“It turns out they are indeed Song citizens, but they vanished without a trace shortly after the incidents. I suspect they were bribed by the Zhou Dynasty to fra our Great Song.”
Zhao Ji’s eyes lit with sudden realization.
Of course.
The coincidences were too glaring. Every incident targeted Song citizens in Luoyang, only to be reported with zeal by the Great Zhou Bao.
This was a calculated trap.
The veins on Zhao Ji’s forehead bulged as his anger reached its peak.
“The Zhou people are despicable.”
“Wait.” A sharp thought struck Zhao Ji. His tone turned icy. “Could this be Yang Yi’s doing?
“It must be him. Who else could devise such an insidious plan? This man is retaliating against us for accusing him of scandalous behavior with the Empress!”
Smack!
Zhao Ji slamd his hand on the table, his face flushed with rage.
“This Yang Yi has insulted our Great Song ti and again—killing our people, cheating us out of money, and now making us the target of global ridicule! Does he think I’ll stand for this?
“I will make him pay! I will send troops—I want him dead!”
…
[Great Tang].
In the majestic Taiji Palace, Changsun Wuji hurried into the hall, his expression urgent.
“Your Majesty, Your Majesty,” he called, clutching a newspaper in his hand. “The Song people’s scandal has erupted into chaos.”
Li Shimin looked up, puzzled. “The Song people?”
Taking the newspaper, he scanned its contents—and froze. His exclamation filled the hall.
“Donation fraud?”
The ministers, including Fang Xuanling, exchanged bewildered looks.
Changsun Wuji recounted the entire debacle, from the initial scandals to the damning reports in the Great Zhou Bao.
His voice carried a sense of unease as he concluded,
“Your Majesty, these incidents are no coincidence. They seem orchestrated.”
The hall fell silent as everyone processed the implication.
Fang Xuanling’s voice broke the silence. “Minister Wuji, are you suggesting Yang Yi is behind this?”
Changsun Wuji’s eyes glinted with shrewd calculation.
“It’s highly likely. Yang Yi is renowned for his cunning and vengeful nature. He wouldn’t let the Song people’s slander pass without retaliation.
“These incidents, engineered to expose the Song people’s corruption, are classic Yang Yi—malicious yet devastatingly effective. By exploiting goodwill to extort money and twisting kindness into a tool for deceit, he’s ensured that the Song people’s reputation is utterly ruined.”
The ministers shuddered, nodding in grim agreent.
Li Shimin exhaled slowly, his eyes narrowing.
“It does seem like his handiwork. No—I’m certain it’s him. This kind of ruthless strategy not only retaliates against the Song but strikes at their very identity.
“The Song people defad him and the Empress, and now he has orchestrated their public disgrace. His plan is simple, yet its impact is devastating. From now on, the Song people will struggle to lift their heads in international circles.
“This is vengeance of the highest order—swift, calculated, and utterly unrelenting.”
The hall remained silent as Li Shimin’s words sank in.
They had initially mocked Yang Yi for falling victim to his own sches, but they never anticipated his retaliation to be so swift and ruthless
The chilling precision of his actions left them shaken. This man was no ordinary strategist.
For years to co, the Song people would remain outcasts in the region—a testant to the venomous brilliance of Yang Yi’s sches.
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