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

“So, I believe that since all their hopes are pinned on Yue Fei, we should suppress this rising star of the Song Dynasty…”
The room fell silent.
Suppress?
Xu Jingzong furrowed his brows in confusion.
“Prime Minister Yang, Yue Fei now commands an army of two hundred thousand and is a master strategist. How do you propose we suppress his unstoppable momentum?”
The others nodded in agreement.
Zhang Jianzhi frowned.
“Unless Great Zhou reallocates troops from other regions and launches a swift, overwhelming strike against Yue Fei, we won’t be able to stop him. But as you just said, Yue Fei is a military genius.
“Though Heichi Changzhi is formidable, I fear he may not be a match for him. If this drags on, our Great Zhou may not be able to hold out.”
Everyone instinctively nodded, turning to Yang Yi with questioning looks.
Wu Zhao’s brows furrowed slightly, but she remained silent, simply watching Yang Yi.
Yang Yi met their gazes and smiled.
“I believe you’ve misunderstood me… When I said we should suppress him, I didn’t mean that Great Zhou should do it.”
The room stilled.
Not Great Zhou?
Xu Jingzong’s eyes widened.
“Prime Minister Yang, are you suggesting we seek reinforcements? The Tang Dynasty? The Ming Dynasty?”
Yang Yi’s smile deepened. “The Song Dynasty.”
They all exchanged bewildered glances, staring at Yang Yi as if they had misheard him.
Had he really just said that? The Song Dynasty should suppress Yue Fei?
Zhang Jianzhi frowned. “Prime Minister Yang, are you jesting? Yue Fei is the savior of the Song Dynasty, personally promoted by Emperor Zhao Ji to be their Great General.
“He is already gaining the upper hand on the northern battlefield, on the verge of reclaiming lost territories. Why would the Song Dynasty suppress him?”
The others nodded, looking at Yang Yi as though he had lost his mind.
Nonsense.
Yang Yi’s lips curved into a faint smile.
“And why wouldn’t they? If the Song emperor had the courage and foresight, would his dynasty be in such a dire state?”
The room fell into stunned silence.
Yang Yi’s gaze sharpened. “In just half a year, Yue Fei has risen from an ordinary officer to a general wielding immense power. But have you considered…”
He let his words hang in the air before continuing, “The higher his prestige, the more Emperor Zhao Ji will come to fear him. He employs Yue Fei only because he has no one else.”
Yue Fei’s prestige in the failing Song Dynasty had grown too great.
“Precisely because the court is filled with corrupt officials and incompetent sycophants, Yue Fei’s loyalty and talent stand out all the more. I’ve heard that the people now call his army the ‘Yue Family Army.’”
“His soldiers obey him more than they obey Zhao Ji. Do you think Zhao Ji doesn’t already fear him?”
“If I were to bribe those close to Zhao Ji, whispering poison into his ears, would he still tolerate a man of such great renown, a man who commands two hundred thousand troops outside his capital?
“The more capable Yue Fei is, the more he highlights Zhao Ji’s incompetence, doesn’t he?
“If he reclaims the north, his prestige will surpass Zhao Ji’s entirely. And if he wished, he could overthrow Zhao Ji and take the throne himself. Do you think Zhao Ji would allow such a threat to his imperial power?”
As Yang Yi finished, the hall plunged into silence.
Everyone stared at him in shock, a chill running down their spines.
They had failed to consider that Yue Fei’s achievements had already overshadowed the emperor.
Wu Zhao raised an eyebrow, a sudden realization dawning on her. They had been so focused on how to fight Yue Fei that they had overlooked the weaknesses of the Song Dynasty itself—a court ruled by a feckless emperor and corrupt ministers.
She finally spoke. “You plan to sow discord between them?”
All eyes turned to Yang Yi.
He chuckled. “I have three strategies.”
“First, I have heard that Yue Fei once advised Zhao Ji to execute the treacherous ministers—Cai Jing, Li Yan, Liang Shicheng, and the like. We can send agents to Song territory, offering these men vast riches in exchange for slandering Yue Fei before the emperor.
“Second, we create momentum for Yue Fei. A simple note, bearing the words ‘The Song Dynasty falls, Yue Fei reigns,’ slipped into a fish’s belly and ‘accidentally’ discovered by fishermen, will spark rumors of divine will.
“Third, we have Heichi Changzhi publicly express admiration for Yue Fei, even attempting to recruit him with generous terms. Yue Fei will refuse, of course, but that is irrelevant. All that matters is planting the seed of suspicion in Zhao Ji’s heart.
“And then, we let our agents whisper into Zhao Ji’s ears, convincing him that Song holds the advantage and should negotiate with us for the return of northern lands. If Zhao Ji sends an envoy, we will pretend he was sent by Yue Fei.”
“We will treat him with great hospitality at first, only to abruptly change our demeanor upon confirming that Zhao Ji sent him. We will cancel the feast, serve him plain food, and let resentment fester.”
“When that envoy returns, his report will be full of embellishments, adding fuel to Zhao Ji’s doubts. Three strategies, executed in unison—Zhao Ji’s paranoia will reach its peak.”
“And at the slightest misstep, he will strip Yue Fei of his military command. Once the Song Dynasty loses such a general, they will no longer pose a threat. We will have Zhao Ji himself snuff out the last hope of his dynasty.”
“The people, who have placed all their faith in Yue Fei, will watch their hope crumble by the emperor’s own hand. Their despair will turn to rage, their faith to betrayal. And when that happens, we won’t even need to lift a finger—Song will collapse under its own weight. Let the emperor of Song deliver his empire to ruin, without Great Zhou expending a single soldier.”
The room was deathly silent. Th stared at Yang Yi, their breath caught in their throats.
To have Zhao Ji himself remove the one man capable of saving his dynasty…
To let the people, at the height of their hope, see it shattered and be left with nothing but rage and despair…
And all without Great Zhou moving a single battalion.
One could already picture the desperation of the people when their last beacon of hope was extinguished.
Damn.
When it came to ruthless, insidious brilliance… the Living Yama was unmatched.