“A prodigy for the ages. Among all strategists from ancient times to the present, Yang Yi could easily rank among the top three.
“For the Zhou Dynasty to have such a renowned minister is truly enviable.”
Zhu Biao swallowed hard. “Father, didn’t you say that we should take advantage of the situation? Well, there’s still a small part of the Qing territory that hasn’t been taken over by the Zhou Dynasty. Should we…?”
Zhu Yuanzhang glared at him.
“Do you think Yang Yi would let those territories fall into someone else’s hands? Besides, with the emperor dead, the remaining officials and generals might declare themselves kings.
“If someone tries to take their cities, they’ll fight to the death! Sending troops now would provoke Yang Yi, the living king of hell, and we’d have to face these Qing loyalists. It’s not worth it—absolutely not worth it.
“This Yang Yi is ruthless and will use any trick. We should stay away from him and avoid provoking him if possible. By the way, Biao’er, since they have the method to cure smallpox, let’s send someone to negotiate with them and see if we can get the cure…”
Zhu Biao nodded quickly.
“Incredible, simply incredible,” Li Shimin was stunned.
“To use smallpox to destroy the Qing Dynasty—Yang Yi’s strategy is ruthless.”
Changsun Wuji and the others nodded with lingering fear, their faces filled with shock. If they were to face Yang Yi, they wouldn’t stand a chance. Smallpox was simply a devastating weapon. This man dared to use it. Truly a living king of hell!
Li Shimin rubbed the intelligence report in front of him, his expression full of awe.
“And this bounty order—what a brilliant plan. With this bounty order, the Qing Royal Family is finished.”
Everyone nodded in agreement. One hundred ounces of gold for each. Even they were tempted, let alone the common people.
Li Shimin suddenly let out a long sigh. Changsun Wuji quickly asked, “Your Majesty, what’s wrong?”
Everyone looked at Li Shimin. A complex expression flashed in his eyes.
“Earlier, I thought Yang Yi would die at the hands of Qianlong, and I felt it was a pity. Such a prodigy—it would be a waste for him to die. But now that he’s survived, I feel a sense of fear. I almost wish he had died at Qianlong’s hands.
“This Yang Yi is worth ten of my Xuanjia armies.”
Everyone gasped, looking at Li Shimin in shock. The Xuanjia Army was Li Shimin’s elite force, one of the finest cavalry in the world. And now, their emperor was saying that Yang Yi was worth ten Xuanjia armies?
The hall fell silent, everyone deeply shaken.
After a while, Li Shimin turned to Changsun Wuji.
“Fu Ji, send someone to the Zhou Dynasty to negotiate with Yang Yi. I want the method to cure smallpox.”
“Yes,” Changsun Wuji replied quickly.
Li Si and the others were stunned, their scalps tingling. The Qing Dynasty had been defeated?
When they thought of their earlier idea of taking a share, they felt a wave of relief—they were fortunate not to have acted, or else they might have been killed by smallpox.
Ying Zheng’s face remained calm, but his heart was in turmoil. Although he had seemed confident before, he hadn’t truly believed Yang Yi could handle Qianlong’s army.
But Yang Yi’s performance was unexpected. He used smallpox, something no one could have anticipated, to single-handedly destroy the Qing Dynasty.
“With his own strength, he conquered cities and destroyed a nation. An incomparable statesman.”
Ying Zheng paused, then continued, “Send someone to the Zhou Dynasty… Negotiate with Yang Yi about the smallpox cure. If we can establish diplomatic relations with Qin and Zhou, that would be even better.”
Li Si and the others exchanged glances, then replied in unison, “Yes, Your Majesty.”
Half a month later, in Great Zhou…
“Minister Yang, envoys from the Tang, Han, Qin, and Ming dynasties have all arrived. They all wish to see you and obtain the method to prevent smallpox,” Wu Zhao’s cold voice echoed in the hall.
Yang Yi raised an eyebrow. He hadn’t expected so many countries to send envoys. But the smallpox cure was indeed revolutionary.
After a moment’s thought, he replied, “Your Majesty, perhaps we should arrange a meeting tomorrow…”
Wu Zhao looked thoughtful. “Do you intend to reveal the method to prevent smallpox?”
Yang Yi smiled. “During the battle against the Qing, many people were already inoculated with cowpox. Additionally, many of our Great Zhou citizens have been inoculated as well.
“This method can’t be kept secret, even if we wanted to. So we might as well tell them openly. Besides, these emperors probably didn’t come only to prevent smallpox…”
Wu Zhao’s expression turned curious.
“What do you mean by that?”
Yang Yi spread his hands. “With the intelligence capabilities of these major countries, discovering our method of cowpox inoculation wouldn’t be hard.”
Wu Zhao nodded. “You’re right, it wouldn’t be difficult.”
“Then they are here for…”
“Of course, they’re looking for an excuse to establish diplomatic relations with us. Our Great Zhou is no longer the small country it once was. Defeating the Qing Dynasty has already proven our status.
“By establishing diplomatic relations, they’re essentially acknowledging our current strength and our qualification to stand beside them. When you are strong, you attract allies.”
Wu Zhao nodded thoughtfully, her eyes softening.
“Indeed… Our Great Zhou has grown beyond its former limits. And it’s all thanks to you. We’re fortunate to have you, Yang Yi.”
She looked at him, her voice softening, perhaps without even realizing it.
“In such a vast Great Zhou, I cannot support it alone. If not for you, I wouldn’t have been able to hold on…”
Yang Yi, touched by her tone, couldn’t help but say,
“Then, Your Majesty, perhaps you should stay with me forever…”