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

A few days later.
Ming Dynasty.
“Jie Li Khan has been captured...” Zhu Yuanzhang’s beard trembled slightly, his expression complex. “He was once a mighty ruler, yet to think he would meet such an end.
“Look at this—” He tapped the newspaper in his hand. “A great ruler reduced to being the so-called ‘King of Dance in Luoyang’?
“Who could have imagined that the situation would flip so drastically in just a few months?”
Zhu Biao swallowed hard, his breath catching in his throat.
“The Turks were once a dominant force on the steppe. How did they fall so fast?”
Zhu Yuanzhang stroked his beard and shook his head.
“Who can say? The battlefield is too far from us, and even the Jinyiwei struggle to gather information. But for the Turks to be defeated so swiftly, there’s no doubt that Poison Master had a hand in it.
“I just wonder what strategy he used to make Jie Li Khan fall without a chance to fight back.”
Zhu Biao shuddered. The unknown was always terrifying, but the schemes of a master poisoner like Yang Yi were even more unsettling.
What exactly had happened in the Turkic lands to bring Jie Li Khan to such utter ruin?
“King of Dance in Luoyang?” Liu Che chuckled as he skimmed the newspaper. “Once a ruler of nations, now reduced to this… How lamentable.”
He set the paper aside and exhaled sharply.
“But this is an era where the strong rise and the weak are cast aside.”
His fingers tightened around the paper. “I will not be defeated by anyone.”
…
“The Turkic Khanate, once a formidable force, has collapsed in an instant…”
Ying Zheng stood with his hands clasped behind his back, his face calm, though a flicker of astonishment passed through his eyes.
“The so-called greatest poison master of Great Zhou? He is clearly the greatest poison master of all under heaven.”
Li Si and Wang Wan exchanged glances. Jealousy flickered in their hearts, but they couldn’t deny Yang Yi’s brilliance.
No one knew exactly what had transpired in the Turkic lands, nor why Jie Li Khan had been crushed so utterly. Yet they all understood—this could not have happened without that poison master’s involvement.
Yang Yi’s threat level in their minds grew once again.
…
“Now that Jie Li Khan has fallen, the Turkic Khanate will likely fracture,” the Empress mused, her sharp gaze scanning the gathered ministers. “The grasslands are vast. As the tribes clash for dominance, new leaders will eventually emerge. Now is the perfect time for Great Zhou to seize the advantage.
“But governing the grasslands is not the same as ruling the Central Plains. Integrating them into our empire will not be easy.” She leaned forward slightly. “What are your thoughts?”
The hall fell into contemplative silence.
Great Zhou was no longer the fledgling state it once was. It had expanded its territories significantly.
The Song Dynasty, another Central Plains state, was easier to absorb. Even the Qing, though originally a steppe people, had rooted themselves in the heartlands. Over half their population consisted of Han subjects, with the remaining Jurchens gradually assimilating.
Their customs had already begun merging with those of the Zhou people.
Thus, ruling over the Qing was a matter of governance rather than conquest. A gradual policy of appeasement had allowed their people to integrate peacefully into Great Zhou.
But the Turks were different.
From the lowest commoner to the highest noble, they were pure Turkic blood. Fully assimilating them and ruling their lands as part of Great Zhou would be a far greater challenge.
After a moment, Xu Jingzong broke the silence.
“The Turks’ economy is collapsing. We could extend trade opportunities—purchase their sheepskins at low prices, ease their economic burden. If we do this, their people will naturally feel indebted to Great Zhou.
“The Turkic Khanate is a tribal confederation. Now that Jie Li Khan is defeated, infighting is inevitable. We could position ourselves as their suzerain, issuing an imperial decree legitimizing the new Khan’s rule. This would solidify our influence over the steppe.
“And further,” he continued, “we could reduce their taxes, giving them a brief respite before…”
He launched into an elaborate plan—outlining every measure a victorious nation could impose upon the defeated. Lower taxation, controlled economic relief, diplomatic influence—these were strategies Great Zhou had previously used to subdue the Qing.
The ministers nodded. It was a logical approach. The Turks were already broken. If they could not be pacified, further unrest was inevitable.
Wu Zhao frowned. She knew everything Xu Jingzong had proposed. But it wasn’t what she was looking for.
The Turks were not like the Qing. Would the same policies even work?
Her gaze shifted toward Yang Yi.
Yang Yi smiled and cupped his hands. “Your Majesty, I have a plan that will make the Turkic people submit to Great Zhou—quickly.”
The room fell silent. Xu Jingzong and Wei Yuanzhong stared at him, bewildered. A quick solution? Was such a thing even possible?
Wu Zhao’s eyes brightened, but then hesitation crept into her expression. “No inhumane methods.”
Yang Yi chuckled. “Of course not.”
Wu Zhao’s eyelid twitched. She hesitated for a moment. “Then let’s hear it, Yang Qing.”
Yang Yi grinned, revealing gleaming white teeth.
“The plan is quite simple. The Turks have never been deeply influenced by our Central Plains culture. Or rather, only minimally so.”
“Their customs, their way of life, their attire—it is all completely different from ours.”
The ministers nodded.
Wu Zhao’s sharp gaze remained fixed on Yang Yi.
Yang Yi continued, his tone calm yet deliberate. “A people’s thoughts are shaped by their environment—their survival, customs, and cultural traditions all play a role in defining their identity.”
“For centuries, the Turks have worshiped their steppe gods. Their nomadic lifestyle, their laws, their traditions—these things bind them together, even in defeat. Simply conquering them will not make them ours.”
“If Great Zhou truly wishes to absorb the Turks—to make them our people—there is only one solution.” His eyes gleamed. “We must change their customs. Alter their environment. Their traditions must be rewritten, beginning with the smallest details of their daily lives.
“The Turks, for example, wear their hair in elaborate braids—five long plaits that dangle down their backs, secured by metal clasps with five circular holes. This ‘Suo Tou’ hairstyle is a symbol of their identity.
“We must make them abandon these symbols. Strip away what marks them as Turkic and guide them toward adopting the customs of Great Zhou.”