Mythical Qin: I, Gao Yao, will never be a eunuch!

Chapter 1220 The Secrets of the Northern Qi Royal Family, Li Yunrui is Shocked!

Gao Yao smiled slightly and shook his head: "It wasn't me. It was one of my men, named Ran Min. He didn't like Hong Sixiang, so he took care of him."

"Dispose of him casually?" Li Yunrui raised an eyebrow, her tone tinged with disbelief. "Hong Sixiang is the number one person below the Grandmaster level. Your subordinates could 'dispose of' him 'casually'?"

Gao Yao picked up his teacup, took a small sip, and said calmly, "Hong Sixiang is indeed not weak, but unfortunately, he is old and physically disabled. Ran Min, on the other hand, is in his prime and highly talented. With this disparity in strength, the outcome is naturally clear. If Your Highness does not believe me, you can take it as boasting."

Li Yunrui remained silent. She gazed at Gao Yao's calm, expressionless face, her mind churning. Just how much strength did this man still possess? How many men like Ran Min did he command?

"Emperor Qing is furious." Li Yunrui changed the subject and tentatively said, "According to news from the palace, the atmosphere outside the Imperial Study these past few days has been so oppressive that it's hard to breathe. Eunuch Yao has had several on-duty officials beaten to death, and the Crown Prince's palace is also closed to the public. This time, my brother the Emperor is truly determined to kill."

Upon hearing this, Gao Yao's smile remained unchanged, but a hint of amusement appeared in his eyes: "Is Your Highness worried?"

Li Yunrui did not deny it, and said frankly, "I command an army of 500,000 and occupy three prefectures in Jiangnan. It seems impregnable, but I know in my heart that this is just an appearance. The hearts of the soldiers are not with them, and the generals each have their own thoughts. Once the court sends a capable general, it will only take one or two defeats for this army of 500,000 to collapse. After all, they are loyal to the Qing Kingdom and Emperor Qing, not to me. What I can give them is only temporary benefits. Once I lose power, it is inevitable that they will surrender at the first sign of trouble."

She paused, her gaze fixed on Gao Yao, a mixture of scrutiny and expectation in her eyes: "So I want to know, sir, what exactly can you offer me? How can I believe that following you will lead me to that point?"

After listening, Gao Yao gently put down his teacup and met Li Yunrui's gaze. His eyes were calm and deep, like an ancient well pool, unfathomable.

After a moment, he spoke slowly, his voice low but each word clear and distinct in Li Yunrui's ears: "Your Highness need not worry too much about Emperor Qing. It's just barking and howling. Your Highness doesn't really believe that, at this point, Emperor Qing can still control everything as before, does he?"

Li Yunrui's heart skipped a beat, and he blurted out, "You mean?"

Gao Yao's smile deepened, revealing a meaningful undertone: "Your Highness was not involved in Ye Qingmei's affair back then? Or is it that Your Highness was unaware of it?"

Upon hearing this, Li Yunrui's expression subtly changed. Ye Qingmei's death was one of her deepest secrets. The matter was far-reaching and impactful, enough to cost countless lives. She was certainly involved, or rather, she watched coldly from the sidelines, even secretly fueling the flames. Because she was jealous of Ye Qingmei, jealous that she had won the Emperor's heart, jealous of her dazzling life. She wanted Ye Qingmei dead, wanted to prove herself stronger than Ye Qingmei.

But she never expected that Gao Yao would bring up this long-buried past at this time.

"This Empress..." Li Yunrui opened her mouth, wanting to explain, but didn't know where to begin.

Gao Yao didn't press further, but continued, "Since Your Highness knows about this, you should understand that there are more than just one or two people in this world who want Emperor Qing dead. He has been in that position for too long, offended too many people, and owes too many blood debts. Does he think that just because he is a Grandmaster, he can rest easy? But in this world, what can kill a Grandmaster is never just force."

He paused, his tone softening, now carrying a hint of persuasion: "Your Highness, what you need to do now is not to think about how furious Emperor Qing will be, but how to stabilize Jiangnan Province and win over more people's support. Jiangnan is prosperous and full of talented people. As long as Your Highness can win over the hearts of the people and get them to follow you sincerely, then the 500,000-strong army will no longer be just a figurehead, but a real force. At that time, even if Emperor Qing has extraordinary abilities, he will have to think twice before he marches south."

Li Yunrui was deeply shaken. Gao Yao's words struck a chord with her. Her greatest weakness was her unstable foundation and lack of popular support. And Gao Yao meant to help her solve this problem?

She took a deep breath, calming her turbulent emotions, and looked at Gao Yao with a complicated gaze, asking the question that had been lingering in her mind: "Do you... really want to push me out to be emperor? Or do you want to sit on that throne yourself?"

This was her biggest question. She always believed that Gao Yao's tireless help must have some ulterior motive. The most likely explanation was that he himself desired the Qing Kingdom and was using her as a stepping stone. After all, what man wouldn't want to sit on the dragon throne?

However, Gao Yao's answer completely stunned her.

"Otherwise what?" Gao Yao smiled slightly, his eyes clear and frank. "Why should I choose you?"

Li Yunrui was stunned. She looked at Gao Yao's calm face, trying to find a flaw, a hint of hypocrisy, but she couldn't. His gaze was too frank, so frank that the wall that had been blocking her heart for so long seemed to crack.

But she still couldn't believe it. Could there really be such a fool in the world? Giving up the throne that was within her grasp, instead choosing to support a woman to ascend to the throne?

“But…but I am a woman!” she blurted out, her voice trembling with barely concealed excitement. “Since ancient times, there has never been a woman who has been emperor! Even if I were to sit on that throne, would the people of the world submit to me? Would those courtiers submit to me? They spout so much benevolence and morality, and their minds are filled with the idea of ​​male superiority and female inferiority. How could they accept a woman riding on their heads?”

Gao Yao listened without any surprise, and instead chuckled softly. His laughter carried a hint of mockery and pity.

“Your Highness,” he spoke slowly, his voice not loud, yet it seemed to carry immense power, “this world is not ruled by just one woman like you.”

Li Yunrui's pupils contracted slightly, and a thought flashed through his mind: "You mean... the Empress Dowager of Northern Qi?"

"Empress Dowager?" Gao Yao shook his head. "The Empress Dowager's regency is ultimately just a figurehead exercise of imperial power. The real emperor is Zhan Doudou. But everyone knows that Zhan Doudou is a man. With the emperor in power, no matter how powerful the Empress Dowager is, she cannot gain the support of everyone in Northern Qi. Her power is ultimately empty, parasitic, and can be taken back at any time."

Li Yunrui frowned, not understanding why Gao Yao suddenly brought up Northern Qi. She thought for a moment, then carefully said, "The situation in Northern Qi is different from mine. Although Zhan Doudou is a young ruler, he is still a man, the legitimate heir..."

Before she could finish speaking, Gao Yao interrupted her.

"Is that so?" Gao Yao's smile became meaningful, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Who told you that Zhan Doudou is a man?"