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

In the Tang imperial court, deep within the grand palace halls, the morning air was thick with tension as ministers gathered beneath the dragon throne. Changsun Wuji’s eyes lit up as he leaned forward and quickly spoke.
“Xuanling’s words make sense.” His voice carried urgency. “Yang Yi excels at using deceit and trickery. Perhaps this is all an elaborate bluff!”
Emperor Li Shimin paused, caught off guard by the thought. He sank into quiet contemplation. It did sound plausible—his trusted advisor had a point.
Just then, the heavy doors swung open. A palace guard rushed in, his breathing unsteady.
“Your Majesty, a messenger has arrived from the Emperor of Ming. He brings a letter for your personal review…”
Li Shimin frowned, his brows knitting. A letter from Zhu Yuanzhang?
He took it without delay, broke the seal, and scanned its contents. His expression shifted subtly as his eyebrows rose.
A few moments passed. Then he set the letter down slowly, eyes sweeping across the room.
“Zhu Yuanzhang has the same suspicions as all of you…” His voice was calm but laced with subtle gravity. “He believes Great Zhou lacks the capability to discover silver mines.
“Great Zhou claims these mines were discovered overseas. But Zhu Yuanzhang argues that surveying a single silver mine can take years—let alone dozens, and especially in a complex, unfamiliar foreign land.”
Li Shimin’s fingers tapped the armrest of the throne. “And they claim to have found more than thirty mines.”
He scoffed. “It’s absurd—unless Yang Yi is some kind of immortal who can use divine arts to locate buried silver. To discover that many large and mid-sized silver mines in such a short time is beyond belief,” he added. “It’s outright preposterous.”
The oppressive mood in the hall seemed to lift just slightly.
Changsun Wuji exhaled, a smile creeping across his face.
“I knew there was something strange about the sudden appearance of all these silver mines,” he said smoothly. “This must be one of Yang Yi’s tricks. Given his nature, it’s not hard to imagine him resorting to such underhanded schemes.”
He chuckled. “Still, one must admit—he has some skill. He’s using public opinion to drive down the price of silver…”
Around him, Du Ruhui, Gao Shilian, and several other ministers nodded with a mix of admiration and wariness. Despite their disdain, they couldn’t deny their respect for the strategist’s cunning. Even at a critical juncture, Yang Yi could still devise methods to strike back.
Li Shimin’s eyes sharpened with resolve.
“Zhu Yuanzhang proposes that our nations jointly apply pressure through the press.” His voice was low but commanding. “If Yang Yi intends to manipulate public sentiment to depress silver prices, then we’ll push back. Let’s demand proof. Force Great Zhou to produce evidence. That way, they’ll be the ones caught in the fire.”
His tone deepened. “If they can’t verify the existence of these mines, silver prices will rebound. Great Zhou’s paper currency will collapse into worthless scraps. And their so-called greatest newspaper, the
, will be disgraced for spreading lies.”
He nodded firmly. “A double strike with a single arrow.”
The ministers voiced their approval, heads dipping in agreement.
Changsun Wuji’s lips curled into a cold smile.
“If Ming is already taking action, then our Tang Dynasty must not fall behind,” he declared. “Now’s the time to let Yang Yi taste the bitterness of his own game.
“He thought these deceitful tactics would help Great Zhou weather the storm,” he sneered. “But we’ll make sure he dies by the very schemes he’s most proud of!”
Fang Xuanling, Du Ruhui, and Gao Shilian were visibly stirred. The idea of the world’s most infamous schemer meeting his downfall through his own favorite weapon—deception—was thrilling.
Li Shimin rubbed his chin, his voice calm but decisive.
“In that case, let’s move.”
…
Far away, in the Han Dynasty’s imperial capital, within the stately Weiyang Palace, the golden light of noon filtered through intricately carved windows. Emperor Liu Che wiped sweat from his brow as he read Zhu Yuanzhang’s letter.
A cold laugh slipped from his lips.
“Great Zhou almost had me fooled.”
He narrowed his eyes. “What an illusion—Yang Yi is truly dangerous.”
His voice dropped, low and chilling. “This time, I’ll make sure his plans backfire.”
He snapped his fingers. “Summon the
at once. I want them to spark a storm of public doubt. Question Great Zhou’s claim of discovering over thirty silver mines!”
Beside him, his ministers—Zhu Fuyan, Sang Hongyang, and Zhang Tang—stood tense. One after another, they swallowed hard. Sweat darkened their backs.
When the news of Great Zhou’s silver mines first reached them, they had been nearly paralyzed with fear. If Great Zhou truly had such mines, it would upend the economic balance, devastating Han interests.
Fortunately, it now seemed to be nothing more than Yang Yi’s elaborate ploy.
…
Meanwhile, in the Qin Dynasty’s majestic Zhangtai Palace, Emperor Ying Zheng sat with eyes half-closed, his tone unreadable.
“What do you all think? Is this news true?”
The room fell into uneasy silence as Li Si, Wang Wan, and Meng Yi exchanged looks. Their faces were marked with uncertainty.
Fusu stepped forward hesitantly.
“Father, I believe that silver mines can only be discovered under very specific conditions—timing, geography, and human effort all must align.”
He paused, then continued, “And over thirty mines? Such a claim is laughable—unless it came from the
, the most trusted and best-selling newspaper across the realms.
“But even so, the
is still controlled by Great Zhou,” Fusu added, his voice more cautious now. “It’s hard not to suspect this is just another trick from Yang Yi.”
Li Si nodded firmly.
“The Crown Prince speaks wisely. It seems Yang Yi has played his final card.”
He raised an eyebrow. “This scheme might buy Great Zhou some time, but if it’s exposed, their already fragile paper currency will completely collapse.”
Everyone in the chamber nodded in solemn agreement.
If even the Great Zhou Bao turned out to be a lie, the credibility of Great Zhou would plummet. The value of its banknotes depended entirely on trust—without it, they would become nothing more than worthless paper.
Ying Zheng frowned deeply. He didn’t believe there were truly that many silver mines. Was it, as Li Si claimed, that Yang Yi was finally revealing his true intentions? Or was there another secret hidden beneath the surface?
He remained silent for a moment.
“In any case, this no longer concerns our Qin Dynasty. If the silver mines are real, then the siege by the three nations will collapse at once.
“If they’re fake, Great Zhou’s banknotes will become wastepaper, and the monetary system Yang Yi so painstakingly built will collapse. And since we’re remaining neutral, no matter which side falls, it will benefit our Qin.”
Everyone nodded in agreement.
Li Si couldn’t help but add, “I still believe Yang Yi is more likely to fail. That man always prefers unorthodox methods. If you keep walking too close to the riverbank, how can your shoes stay dry?
“It would be best if he failed. A strategist that poisonous—if he keeps winning, wouldn’t that be terrifying?”
The others couldn’t help but nod again. Yang Yi had become a source of mounting pressure. It would be better if he suffered a defeat, shattering his image of invincibility. That way, should they ever cross swords with him in the future, the psychological burden might be lighter.
Ying Zheng’s brows furrowed further.
Even so…
For reasons he couldn’t explain, he had a lingering sense of unease.
Was this sinister minister really the type to drink poison knowingly, just for the gamble? From everything he remembered, this so-called “toxic prime minister” had always appeared calm, measured—everything always within his grasp.
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