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

Wu Zhao’s eyelids twitched. H
.
Li Shimin probably never imagined that Yang Yi’s plan against his son was simply because it cost nothing.
She rubbed her temples, her gaze on Yang Yi carrying a complicated weight.
“I knew you had no good intentions.
“Forget it. You don’t need to pay attention to these monuments,” she added with a sigh, pushing a stack of papers toward him. “Take a look at these.”
Yang Yi blinked, his curiosity piqued as he picked up the stack. The top layer contained newspapers from the Song Dynasty, with a few intelligence reports tucked underneath.
He began skimming the contents.
Before long, his expression shifted to one of mild amusement mingled with annoyance. These newspapers were nothing but smears against Great Zhou’s reputation.
Wu Zhao snorted, her brows knitting in indignation.
“Ever since our Great Zhou defeated and executed Gao Qiu and his army, Song Emperor Zhao Ji has been using their newspapers to slander us repeatedly.
“Although their circulation is far less than our
it’s still disgusting.”
Yang Yi’s lips quirked upward in faint amusement.
“It was their greed that led them into my trap. Besides, I gave them the glass. Can they blame others for being too smart when they were foolish? They brought their army here to demand money from Great Zhou—shameless behavior.”
Wu Zhao’s frustration bubbled over as she jabbed a finger at the pile.
“And now they’re smearing our nation all over the place. It’s utterly infuriating!”
Yang Yi seemed unbothered. To him, using public opinion as a weapon against enemy nations was par for the course.
However, Wu Zhao’s mounting anger was palpable. She suddenly pulled a specific newspaper from the pile, waving it in his direction.
“Look at this!” she fumed. “A dignified national publication, stooping to wild claims without evidence. Where’s their sense of dignity as a ‘great nation’?”
Yang Yi’s curiosity finally stirred. Taking the newspaper from her, his eyes skimmed the headlines.
Several large, bold titles stared back at him:
Yang Yi’s mouth twitched.
.
He continued flipping through the pages, his expression turning bemused. The content read like entertainment tabloids from the future, filled with outlandish accusations of scandal between him and the Empress.
Yang Yi found it more amusing than offensive. If anything, it was a testament to how desperate Zhao Ji had become.
Meanwhile, Wu Zhao’s face darkened, her chest heaving with indignation.
“It’s utterly humiliating!” she snapped. “They’ve even suggested I summon you to the palace at night and dismiss you only the following morning. They’re ruining my reputation!”
Yang Yi sighed inwardly, glancing at her.
Unlike him, Wu Zhao couldn’t take the slander lightly. To her, it wasn’t just personal—it was an affront to the dignity of her position and, by extension, Great Zhou itself.
In this era, the hierarchical relationship between monarch and minister was sacrosanct. The monarch was often regarded as a “parent” figure, with ministers likened to “children.” Such baseless rumors sought to disrupt that sacred order, tarnishing not only her but also the societal structure they represented.
Yang Yi nodded solemnly.
“It is indeed shameless and despicable,” he remarked. “Unable to defeat us, they resort to slandering Your Majesty. Truly excessive.”
Wu Zhao nodded vigorously.
“Exactly! And I’ve heard their newspaper sales have increased because of these fabricated stories. It’s outrageous!”
Her voice trembled with barely contained fury.
Yang Yi, meanwhile, couldn’t help a wry smile. Scandals involving prominent figures always sold well. He’d exploited this very tactic against others before, so it was no surprise it had come full circle.
Still, he maintained his composure.
“Yang Qing,” Wu Zhao asked, her tone sharp. “Do you have any way to deal with these hateful Song people?”
Yang Yi’s eyes glimmered with mischief as he contemplated.
“They’re tarnishing Your Majesty’s reputation,” he mused aloud, “so we’ll repay them in kind.”
Wu Zhao’s eyes lit up.
“You plan to smear Zhao Ji’s reputation?” she asked eagerly.
Yang Yi shook his head. “What reputation does Zhao Ji even have left? He’s already despised by his people.”
Wu Zhao blinked, momentarily puzzled, while Shangguan Wan’er, standing nearby, tilted her head in confusion.
Yang Yi’s smile deepened.
“If they dare tarnish Your Majesty’s image, I’ll ensure the Song Dynasty becomes the laughingstock of all nations—a pariah among kingdoms.”
Wu Zhao’s expression shifted from confusion to satisfaction.
“Good. That’s exactly how it should be,” she declared. “What’s your plan?”
Yang Yi gave a mysterious smile. “Your Majesty, just wait and see.”
With that, he turned to leave.
Wu Zhao’s mouth twitched.
.
After Yang Yi had gone, Shangguan Wan’er leaned closer to Wu Zhao, a teasing glint in her eyes.
“Your Majesty,” she began, “did you notice? Yang Yi seemed almost pleased when he saw the Song people’s slander about you and him.”
Wu Zhao’s face flushed as she shot Shangguan Wan’er a glare.
“Mind your own business,” she snapped.
Of course, she’d noticed Yang Yi’s expression. It was hard to miss—and even harder to ignore the heat rising to her cheeks.
Shangguan Wan’er giggled softly, sticking out her tongue. It seems the Empress had already realized it.