I, Am a Living Yama; Empress Advises Me to Stay Calm

Zhang Jianzhi stood frozen, disbelief etched on his face.
The thought sent a chill down his spine, from his tailbone to the crown of his head.
The pieces began to fit together in his mind. No wonder Yang Yi had seemed so uncharacteristically conciliatory, emphasizing peace and diplomacy. It had all been a ploy—a scheme within a scheme.
Zhang Jianzhi’s face twitched uncontrollably. He suddenly realized the grim reality of his situation. His life had never been a consideration in Yang Yi’s plans.
His legs trembled beneath him. If he died here, it would be an utterly unjust end.
…
Outside, chaos erupted as Gao Qiu shouted orders.
“Retreat! Cover my escape!”
The sounds of battle drew closer. The cacophony of soldiers screaming, weapons clashing, and horses neighing painted a grim picture.
Gao Kan, consumed by fury, turned to Zhang Jianzhi.
“I’ll kill this bastard first!”
Zhang Jianzhi stumbled backward, his guards moving swiftly to shield him.
Gao Qiu glared at Gao Kan, veins bulging in his temples.
“If we don’t leave now, it will be too late!”
Gritting his teeth, Gao Kan reluctantly abandoned his revenge. Gao Qiu and his men bolted from the tent, the sound of their hurried steps merging with the growing battle cries outside.
…
“Charge!”
A thunderous roar accompanied the sight of a black-armored cavalry unit bearing down on the fleeing Song forces like an unstoppable tide.
Gao Qiu’s heart plummeted. Panic gripped him as he desperately tried to mount his horse, but his trembling hands betrayed his terror. Gao Kan and Zhu Dong, once notorious for their cruelty, were paralyzed with fear, their faces pale as death.
These men, accustomed to wielding power in safety, were utterly unprepared for the ferocity of war.
“Run!” Gao Qiu bellowed, his voice cracking.
Under the protection of his guards, he fled blindly, but his luxurious lifestyle had left him soft. His body refused to cooperate as his pursuers closed in, their cries of “For the Zhou Dynasty!” and “Capture Gao Qiu alive!” echoing mercilessly.
It was over.
..
“Report!”
A soldier burst into the hall, his voice brimming with excitement.
“Your Majesty, our army has defeated the Song forces and captured their commander, Gao Qiu!”
The council chamber fell into stunned silence.
Xu Jingzong, Wei Yuanzhong, and the other officials stared in disbelief.
“The enemy commander was captured?”
Wu Zhao’s brows rose slightly, her usually composed demeanor shaken. Her lips parted faintly as astonishment flickered in her eyes.
Xu Jingzong finally found his voice.
“How… how did this happen? Wasn’t this supposed to be a negotiation?”
The soldier saluted sharply and explained, “Minister Zhang Jianzhi entered the enemy camp to negotiate, but under the Prime Minister’s orders, our forces had already taken a five-day detour to encircle the enemy’s rear.
‘We launched a surprise attack, splitting into two groups to strike from both flanks. Thirty thousand Zhou soldiers overwhelmed their one hundred thousand-strong army. The enemy commander attempted to flee but was apprehended.”
The chamber erupted into murmurs of disbelief.
“So much for negotiations,” Xu Jingzong muttered, his tone a mix of awe and unease.
Wei Yuanzhong, however, caught onto a glaring detail.
“Wait! If we launched a surprise attack… what happened to Zhang Jianzhi?”
The soldier hesitated, scratching his head.
“Uh… I don’t know. The Prime Minister didn’t mention him.”
A heavy silence descended upon the hall.
…
The officials exchanged uneasy glances, the realization dawning on them all at once.
Zhang Jianzhi had been used as bait—an expendable pawn in Yang Yi’s grand strategy.
Xu Jingzong’s lips twitched. He finally understood why Yang Yi had proposed such an unorthodox plan.
Wei Yuanzhong’s scalp tingled as he muttered under his breath,
“The Living Yama… He truly lives up to his name.”
The officials nodded silently. They had momentarily allowed themselves to believe that Yang Yi had changed, that he had softened.
How wrong they had been.
Wu Zhao pressed her fingers to her temple, her expression complicated. Her mind raced, grappling with the implications of Yang Yi’s actions.
Her gaze shifted toward the horizon, where the battlefield lay. For all his ruthlessness, Yang Yi’s cunning had secured the capture of the enemy commander and turned the tide of war.
The “Living Yama” had shown his true colors once again.