YWTGU -Chapter 36 The Northern Yan Emperor’s Top-Level Understanding

Night had fallen.

Li An dragged his exhausted body back to the Scholar’s Mansion, and the moment he entered, he collapsed onto the bed.

Everything that had happened today had far exceeded his expectations.

He really didn’t understand!

How were these ancient people’s brains wired? How could everyone’s imagination be so ridiculously overactive?

He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and silently thought:

“System, open the panel.”

In the next second, a semi-transparent light screen unfolded before his eyes.

【National Fortune System】

【Current Alignment: Northern Yan Spy】

【Current Country: Great Qi】

【Great Qi National Fortune Value: 136,479】

【Remaining Time This Cycle: 3 days】

【Fortune Change This Cycle: +85,900】

【Expected Reward: 859 taels of gold】

Li An stared at the string of numbers, completely dumbfounded.

Eighty-five thousand nine hundred points.

After all his hard work, he was back to square one in an instant!

And the first cycle was about to end!

According to the system rules, his alignment this cycle was “Northern Yan Spy,” meaning he was supposed to sabotage Great Qi’s national fortune to earn rewards.

But now…

The national fortune had risen by over 85,000 points.

That meant that although he could earn a few hundred taels of gold, he would also face punitive tasks from the system.

“What a freaking rollercoaster! I worked so hard to bring down the national fortune—it was worth millions of taels of gold! And now it’s just a few hundred…”

Li An muttered to himself, his voice full of helplessness.

At this point, what else could he do but lie down and accept defeat?

With the national fortune soaring like this, there was no way he could catch up!

He recalled all the actions he had taken over the past month…

He insulted the emperor, and ended up being appointed top scholar.

He sold offices and titles, and instead filled the national treasury.

He held an expo hoping to squander resources, and the first day’s revenue exceeded ten million.

Every time, he thought he had it under control.

Every time, the outcome slapped him hard in the face.

“Forget it…”

Li An closed his eyes.

“Whatever happens, happens. I’m done caring.”

Outside the door, Hongmei quietly sighed as she listened to the sounds from inside.

She didn’t know how to comfort Li An.

Because… this was truly absurd.

She had been by Li An’s side the entire time, and even she felt confused. After all, for every decision Li An had made, Hongmei could attest—he really intended to sabotage Great Qi’s national fortune!

Yet the result…

…

Meanwhile, at the guest pavilion.

Murong Xue was reporting to an elderly man about the grand scenes she had witnessed at the expo today.

“Father!”

Her voice was laced with worry.

“It’s far too dangerous for Your Majesty to come to Great Qi in person!”

“Even I didn’t know—you disguised yourself as an old groom among the attendants. Truly brilliant!”

The elderly man wore coarse cloth clothing and hunched over, looking like an ordinary groom.

But he was, in fact, the Emperor of Northern Yan.

“Xue’er, you don’t need to worry.”

The Northern Yan Emperor waved his hand. His voice was hoarse yet carried authority.

“I even went to Li An’s mansion today to deliver a secret imperial order. I wonder if that boy’s intelligence can deduce it was me.”

Murong Xue was extremely surprised. Her father had actually gone to see Li An—it was far beyond her expectations.

But she quickly furrowed her brows and said: “Father, seeing Great Qi’s prosperity today really worries me.”

She paused, her tone becoming grave: “However, I have my own plan. That Li An is indeed a talent—I am willing to marry him as a concubine.”

“Either we win him over to serve Northern Yan, or we find an opportunity to eliminate him completely, removing this threat.”

The Northern Yan Emperor laughed heartily.

“Xue’er, you don’t need to worry about Li An!”

He walked to the table and poured a cup of tea.

“But still, you are to marry Li An.”

Murong Xue was taken aback. Her father’s words seemed utterly unrelated and left her confused.

“I was actually considering whether I should tell you earlier…”

The Northern Yan Emperor took a sip of tea, speaking slowly: “Li An is actually our Northern Yan spy, undercover in Great Qi.”

“What?!”

Murong Xue jumped to her feet in shock.

“Li An is one of our people?!”

“Yes.”

The Northern Yan Emperor nodded.

“But I was afraid it would influence your judgment of him later, so I hadn’t told you.”

“Now that the expo has been such a success, you must have formed a general judgment of Li An, so I can openly tell you this.”

Murong Xue sat back down, her mind in chaos.

“But… but Father, if Li An is on our side, why is he helping Great Qi so much?”

“The first day’s revenue of the expo already exceeded ten million taels. This is a huge boon for Great Qi!”

The Northern Yan Emperor listened, then sneered.

“Is he really helping Great Qi?”

“Not necessarily.”

He put down his teacup, a faint smile on his lips: “What I observed was the people of Great Qi falling into frenzied buying and celebration.”

“Many even profited heavily through reselling goods.”

“In doing so, they lose interest in hard labor, farming, and production.”

Murong Xue suddenly understood: “Father means…”

“Li An is using apparent prosperity to undermine Great Qi from within!”

The Northern Yan Emperor slapped the table in excitement: “The people of Great Qi were supposed to be farming, weaving, and working. But now? They all flock to the expo to buy, sell, and resell goods!”

“Today, I even saw farmers abandoning their plows to work as porters at the expo!”

“On the surface, Great Qi earned over ten million taels. But in reality? The people’s savings are gone, farmland is abandoned, workshops idle!”

“When the expo ends, Great Qi will find—its treasury is full, but grain stores are empty, cloth is gone, and the people are impoverished!”

“More importantly, through this short-term frenzy, the people have experienced the allure of money. Who will willingly return to productive work? At that point, Great Qi will collapse without a single blow!”

Murong Xue was stunned.

“Father… this… this is just too—”

“Too ruthless?”

The Northern Yan Emperor sneered.

“This is what true open strategy looks like! Without moving a single soldier, you can make Great Qi collapse from within!”

“Li An is truly the greatest contributor of Northern Yan!”

Murong Xue fell silent.

She recalled seeing Li An at the expo today…

The man standing on the platform, looking utterly disillusioned.

The man shouting to the crowd, “Stop buying!”

The man on the verge of collapse.

It turned out… he had been acting all along.

Every expression, every word, was meticulously designed.

Murong Xue was completely shocked.

After a long moment, she hesitantly asked: “Then… should I still marry Li An?”

“That wager was private between him and me. I could have gone back on it, though that would harm reputation and the state.”

“Marry him!”

The Northern Yan Emperor said without hesitation.

“As you said, Li An is a talent. We need to win him over further.”

“Moreover, by marrying him, you elevate his status and authority in Great Qi. If even a Northern Yan princess is so impressed and gives a grand dowry, the greater his influence in the court, the more Northern Yan benefits.”

After hearing this, Murong Xue felt both anticipation and unease.

“Of course.”

The Northern Yan Emperor shifted his tone: “I also came today to ask if you truly are willing to marry Li An?”

Murong Xue’s face blushed.

“Li An is so talented and capable; your daughter is naturally willing.”

She bit her lip.

“Tomorrow… I don’t know in what manner I should express this.”

“No matter.”

The Northern Yan Emperor waved his hand.

“You don’t need to appear; I have my own arrangements.”

After hearing this, Murong Xue nodded firmly.

“I understand.”

“Go and rest.”

The Northern Yan Emperor waved again.

“Tomorrow, there’s still a grand show to watch.”

Murong Xue bowed and withdrew.

The room was left with only the Northern Yan Emperor.

He stood by the window, gazing at the night outside, but a satisfied, expectant smile appeared on his lips.

“Li An… Li An, I have high hopes for you!”

“The fate of Great Qi rests on you! Don’t disappoint me.”

…

At the Imperial Uncle’s Mansion.

Liu Wanqing excitedly recounted Li An’s arrangements and achievements to her father, Liu De.

“Father! On the first day of the expo, revenue exceeded ten million taels!”

Her eyes sparkled with admiration for her beloved.

“Lord Li’s arrangements seemed unreliable at first, but in the end, they produced such extraordinary results!”

“Discount sales, waiving booth fees, banning forced sales…”

“Who would have thought that such decisions would make the expo a huge success and profitable?”

Liu De sat in his chair, listening to his daughter’s report, feeling a surge of warmth.

He hadn’t expected that Li An’s seemingly reckless decisions would end up being so effective.

This Li An… was truly unfathomable.

But immediately, a sense of urgency rose sharply in his mind.

“Wanqing.”

Liu De stood up and looked at his daughter seriously.

“You must act quickly!”

“Huh?”

Liu Wanqing was momentarily stunned.

“Father, what do you mean?”

“Li An has become a hot commodity!”

Liu De lowered his voice.

“Even the Northern Yan princess probably wishes she could strip herself bare and throw herself at Li An’s bed!”

“You absolutely cannot let her beat you to it!”

Liu Wanqing’s face flushed red.

“Father! What… what are you saying!”

“I’m speaking the truth!”

Liu De said earnestly.

“Wanqing, you must understand: Li An is highly sought after now. Not only is the Northern Yan princess eyeing him, but perhaps even someone in the palace…”

He stopped mid-sentence.

“Forget it, you don’t need to know all that.”

“In short, you must act fast and not let anyone get ahead of you!”

Liu Wanqing bit her lip and nodded firmly.

“I understand! I will do my best!”

Seeing his daughter so spirited, Liu De could only give a bitter smile.

He had originally intended to use his daughter to get close to Li An and deploy a beauty trap.

But now…

His daughter truly loved Li An.

And Li An was an unfathomable figure.

This game was becoming increasingly complicated.

“Go rest.”

Liu De waved his hand.

“I think the expo will most likely continue tomorrow. You need to stay sharp.”

“Yes, Father.”

Liu Wanqing saluted and withdrew.

The room was left with Liu De alone.

He sat back in his chair, musing to himself:

“Li An… Li An, would you like to be my good son-in-law?”

…

In the imperial palace, at the Imperial Study.

Zhao Ling’er stood by the window, holding a memorial report in her hands.

“First-day revenue for the expo: twelve million taels…”

She spoke to herself, a smile rising unconsciously at the corners of her lips.

“Li An, you really haven’t disappointed me.”

“Ruoxi!”

Zhao Ling’er turned to Empress Sun Ruoxi.

“Look at these reports!”

“Ticket revenue: five hundred thousand taels!”

“Product sales: over three million taels!”

“Land appreciation gains: two million taels!”

“Naming rights revenue: over one million taels!”

“And various miscellaneous incomes…”

The more Zhao Ling’er spoke, the more excited she became.

“Li An’s move is nothing short of genius!”

“The World Expo not only filled the national treasury but also enhanced Great Qi’s prestige!”

“With him around, how could Great Qi fail to prosper?”

Sun Ruoxi watched Zhao Ling’er’s excitement, feeling deeply moved.

She recalled that night at the Cining Palace…

And couldn’t help but touch her belly.

“Your Majesty,”

Sun Ruoxi said softly, “I have something to say about Li An.”

“Speak.”

“Li An is exceptionally talented, with unparalleled strategy. But…”

Sun Ruoxi paused.

“It seems that from the very beginning… he never intended for the expo to succeed.”

Zhao Ling’er was stunned. “How did you figure that out?”

“Today, I quietly left the palace and observed from the shadows. I saw Li An on the stage, looking utterly disheartened.”

“He even shouted to the crowd, ‘Stop buying!’”

Sun Ruoxi’s voice carried a hint of doubt as she continued: “Judging by all of Li An’s previous arrangements for the expo, this does not look like the behavior of someone who wants it to succeed.”

After listening, Zhao Ling’er was silent for a moment.

Then, as if she suddenly understood something, she smiled: “Ruoxi, you still don’t fully understand Li An.”

“Your Majesty means…”

“The more Li An seems unwilling for the expo to succeed, the more it shows he’s acting in Great Qi’s best interests.”

Zhao Ling’er said earnestly.

“He fears that if the expo is too successful, it would provoke jealousy and hostility from neighboring countries.”

“So he deliberately acts reluctant, to deceive those with ulterior motives.”

“Moreover, I think he is also using this behavior to confuse the spies from other nations hidden in our capital. Making them unable to judge whether the success achieved by Li An’s efforts is intentional or coincidental…”

Sun Ruoxi listened, suddenly enlightened.

“I see… I understand now.”

“Li An is truly meticulous and thoughtful.”

Zhao Ling’er nodded, feeling even prouder for having personally chosen Li An as the top scholar.

“I am truly fortunate to have a minister like Li An.”

“Li An is truly my lucky star!”

Then she went to her desk and drafted an imperial edict.

“Seemingly chaotic, yet each step is full of meaning.”

“This expo has greatly enhanced Great Qi’s prestige!”

“Tomorrow, I will personally visit the expo.”

“And, incidentally, give Li An a surprise.”

Sun Ruoxi looked at Zhao Ling’er, sighing inwardly.

The Emperor’s trust in Li An… was truly immense.

Whether this trust would bring fortune or disaster remained to be seen.