YWTGU -Chapter 40 Your Majesty, I Wish to Borrow the Defense Map to Examine the Feng Shui

To hell with auspicious signs!

This is a literal wine-and-meat extravaganza!!!

Li An stood atop the rockery in the Imperial Garden, staring at the “wine-and-meat forest” before him, completely dumbfounded.

Five hundred thousand taels of silver… just gone down the drain.

No, worse than down the drain.

He had spent half a million taels, and yet the national fortune didn’t fall—it actually rose.

This deal… was a total loss.

Ding!

【First Cycle Settlement Countdown: 44 hours 17 minutes】

【Current National Fortune: 147,479】

【Warning: National Fortune continues to soar! Host’s gains continue to shrink!】

Li An stared at the system panel, utterly despondent.

One hundred forty-seven thousand plus points of national fortune…

And less than two days left…

How the hell is he supposed to bring it down?

He took a deep breath, forcing himself to stay calm.

No, he couldn’t give up.

There was still one final move.

One ultimate strike.

He turned and descended the rockery, striding toward the palace gates.

“Sir, where are you going?”

Wang Hai ran up to catch up.

“Into the palace.”

Li An didn’t even glance back.

“I am going to see His Majesty.”

…

Imperial Study.

Zhao Ling’er was reviewing memorials, and when she heard Li An requesting an audience, her eyes immediately brightened.

“Xuan!”

Li An entered the Imperial Study and bowed.

“Your servant, Li An, pays respects to Your Majesty.”

“You may rise, minister.”

Zhao Ling’er put down her cinnabar brush and smiled:

“How is the Wine-and-Meat Forest coming along?”

“Your Majesty, it has already taken initial shape.”

Li An replied respectfully.

“However, Your Majesty, there is one matter I do not understand, and I hope for your guidance.”

“Oh? What matter?”

“While constructing the International Cultural Garden, I discovered that the feng shui of the Imperial Garden seems to have some issues.”

Li An spoke with utmost seriousness, spinning a complete lie.

“I am concerned that if the feng shui is poor, it might affect Your Majesty’s health.”

Zhao Ling’er was momentarily stunned.

Feng shui?

What could be wrong with the feng shui of the Imperial Garden?

“Minister, what do you mean?”

“I have observed the terrain of the Imperial Garden. Although it appears flat, it actually conceals hidden complexities.”

Li An began his smooth talk.

“I fear that if someone deliberately sabotages it, or attacks from outside, it may be unfavorable to Your Majesty.”

Hearing this, Zhao Ling’er’s heart was stirred.

Li An was concerned for her safety?

“You mean…”

“I wish to borrow the maps of the capital and the Nine Gates’ defenses.”

Li An said straightforwardly.

“I wish to review the capital’s defensive deployments to better plan the layout of the Imperial Garden and ensure Your Majesty’s safety.”

Hearing this, Zhao Ling’er was even more moved.

Li An truly was a loyal minister!

On the surface, he was building a Wine-and-Meat Forest, but in reality, he was secretly inspecting the capital’s defensive weaknesses!

“You are truly meticulous, minister!”

Zhao Ling’er rose and walked up to Li An.

“I knew that you would never disappoint me.”

She turned toward the bookshelf, retrieved a scroll from a hidden compartment, and handed it to Li An.

“These are the maps of the capital and its Nine Gates’ defenses, top secret of the court. The safety of the capital depends on them!”

“Take care of them.”

Li An took the scroll, maintaining a calm exterior, but his heart leapt with joy.

He had succeeded!

It was that easy!

It seemed the young emperor’s various suspicions had indeed reached a level of trust in him.

“I shall not fail Your Majesty’s trust!”

He bowed respectfully and turned to leave.

Zhao Ling’er watched Li An’s retreating figure, feeling gratified.

This was the top scholar she had personally singled out!

Look at all his contributions to Great Qi so far!

Li An… truly a pillar of the state.

…

Scholar’s Residence.

Back at his residence, Li An immediately spread out the defense maps on the table.

Hongmei stood aside, glancing at the maps, her eyes flashing with surprise.

“This… is the capital’s defense map?”

“Yes.”

Li An picked up a brush and dipped it in red ink.

“I need to make some annotations.”

He began copying the defense map onto another sheet, marking points and circles based on the original defenses.

“No troops here.”
“Wall is low here.”
“Attack possible here.”
“Defense weak here.”

With each mark, Li An’s mood brightened further.

This was the lifeline of the capital!

From the border defenses all the way to the city, everything was clearly noted.

Once this map reached Northern Yan, the moment their army approached the capital, Great Qi’s national fortune would plummet!

Hongmei stared at Li An’s annotations, utterly astonished.

These locations… were indeed the weak points of the capital’s defenses.

How could an ordinary person possibly obtain them?

Could it be that Li An had “stolen” them from the palace?

And now, he was clearly planning to pass this vital information on.

Li An intended to…

“Sir, what are you planning to do?”

“Do?”

Li An looked up, smiling:

“Of course, to give it to Northern Yan!”

Hongmei’s heart seemed to say, just as I thought, but her mouth expressed shock:

“You… really intend to hand this map over to Northern Yan?”

“Otherwise?”

Li An said matter-of-factly.

“What am I going to do with it? Am I really stupid enough to use it for feng shui?”

He tossed the brush and looked at his “masterpiece” with satisfaction.

“Hand it to Northern Yan, showing them exactly how to break in! Once their army approaches, Great Qi’s national fortune will fall! They might even be wiped out…”

Hongmei was shocked and thrilled at the same time.

She knew Li An had always cared for Northern Yan.

All the unintended side effects from recent events couldn’t really be blamed on him.

But she hadn’t expected him to do it this way.

He actually obtained such a defense map—the value to Northern Yan was immense.

For Li An, the top scholar of Great Qi…

This was no longer merely weakening the country.

This was… treason.

“Sir, are you sure about this?”

“Of course.”

Li An rolled his eyes at her.

“Do I really have any other choice now? Besides, I became a spy precisely to bring Great Qi to ruin.”

He glanced at the system panel.

【First Cycle Settlement Countdown: 42 hours 03 minutes】

Time was running out.

He had to act swiftly.

“Go, deliver this map to Murong Xue.”

Li An rolled up the map and handed it to Hongmei.

“Tell her this map is vital—send it to Northern Yan immediately!”

Hongmei took the map, gazing at Li An deeply.

“I understand.”

She turned and left.

Li An sat down, letting out a long breath.

Now, it should drop, right?

Once Northern Yan’s army approached, Great Qi’s people would panic.

The national fortune would fall!

He closed his eyes, imagining the scene when the system settled.

Just thinking about it made him feel ecstatic.

…

Reception Hall.

Murong Xue was reading in her room when she heard a knock.

“Come in.”

Hongmei pushed the door and handed the map to Murong Xue.

“Your Highness, this was sent by Lord Li.”

Murong Xue unfolded the map and instantly lost her composure, her face changing drastically.

“This… is the capital’s defense map?”

“Yes.”

Hongmei nodded.

“Lord Li said this map is crucial—please send it back to Northern Yan immediately.”

Murong Xue’s heartbeat quickened as she examined the red marks on the map.

These annotations…

Were all the weak points of the capital’s defenses!

Li An intended to…

She looked sharply at Hongmei.

“What else did Lord Li say?”

“Nothing.”

Hongmei shook her head.

“He only said to send it back to Northern Yan as soon as possible.”

Murong Xue took a deep breath, suppressing her excitement.

She understood now.

Li An was executing the second step of the “Extermination Plan”!

Step one: create an economic bubble with the Expo, draining Great Qi citizens’ wealth.

Step two: deliver the capital’s defense map, provoking Northern Yan’s army to advance!

Once Northern Yan’s army approached, Great Qi citizens would panic.

The economic bubble would collapse instantly!

A combination of financial and military destruction!

Li An truly was a genius, a top-tier strategic mastermind!

“I understand.”

Murong Xue stood, maintaining a calm facade, though her heart raced uncontrollably.

“Go back and tell Lord Li that I will handle this promptly.”

Hongmei bowed and left.

Murong Xue, holding the map, could no longer contain her excitement.

She quickly moved to another room and knocked on the door.

Inside, an old man in a plain groom’s outfit was sipping tea.

It was none other than the Northern Yan Emperor… Murong Ba.

“Father.”

Murong Xue hurried over and handed the map to Murong Ba.

“The Lone Wolf sent this.”

Murong Ba took the map and unfolded it; his calm expression instantly gave way to astonishment.

“The capital’s defense map?”

“Yes.”

Murong Xue said excitedly:

“And it marks all the weak points from the border to the capital!”

Murong Ba studied the annotations, his heart surging.

These points… were indeed the lifeline of Great Qi’s capital.

If Northern Yan’s army attacked here…

“Father, the Lone Wolf is executing the second step of the Extermination Plan!”

Murong Xue said with great excitement.

“He first used the Expo to create an economic bubble, and now he’s delivered the defense map to provoke our army!”

“Once our army approaches, Great Qi citizens will panic, and the economic bubble will collapse instantly!”

“This is a combination of financial and military strike! Eliminating Great Qi might be achieved in one fell swoop.”

Murong Ba listened to his daughter’s analysis, yet didn’t immediately respond.

After a moment of silence, he spoke slowly:

“Xue’er, do you think the Lone Wolf sent this map expecting me to actually order our army to attack Great Qi?”

Murong Xue was stunned.

“You mean, Father…”

“What would happen if I did attack?”

Murong Ba put down the map, furrowing his brows, his gaze serious as he looked at Murong Xue.

“Great Qi does indeed have defensive weaknesses. The Lone Wolf is formidable, obtaining this map would reduce our casualties, but Great Qi still has hundreds of thousands of troops.”

“Once war begins, the entire nation will mobilize against us.”

“War would consume massive manpower and resources of Northern Yan.”

“Even if victorious, it would be a Pyrrhic victory.”

Hearing this, Murong Xue was moved. She had been too excited to consider these factors earlier.

“You mean…”

“The Lone Wolf sent this map not to make me actually attack.”

Murong Ba’s eyes reflected deep thought, then he nodded knowingly:

“But to create the threat of war.”

He stood, pacing with his hands behind his back:

“Think about it—if I only create the threat of war without attacking, what happens?”

Murong Xue thought for a moment, initially confused, but her eyes brightened as understanding dawned.

“Citizens panic… withdraw deposits from banks…”
“Merchants flee… economy collapses…”
“Prices skyrocket… people suffer…”
“Internal disorder… the court struggles…”

She looked up sharply at her father.

“This is the essence of the Lone Wolf’s Extermination Plan! To win without fighting!”

“Exactly.”

Murong Ba nodded, satisfied.

“The Lone Wolf is indeed a genius strategist.”

“He doesn’t want war, he wants the shadow of war.”

“To make Great Qi collapse from within, without Northern Yan spending a single soldier.”

“When Great Qi is in complete chaos, I march south, and the fruit is ripe for picking.”

“Maximum gain at minimal cost!”

Murong Xue was further shaken by these words.

Li An’s scheme… was incredibly profound!

“Father, your wisdom is unmatched!”

“This is all the Lone Wolf’s masterful foresight!”

Murong Ba looked at the map in his hand, eyes full of admiration for Li An.

“Send orders to the border, mobilize troops visibly, make sure Great Qi’s spies see everything!”

“But… we only make a show, no real attack! The act must be convincing!”

“Let Great Qi’s citizens live under the fear of war, let their economic bubble collapse in panic!”

“When Great Qi is destitute and chaos reigns…”

He paused, eyes flashing with killing intent.

“Then I march south and unify the realm!”

Murong Xue saluted, exhilarated.

“Father, your wisdom is unmatched!”

“Go ahead.”

Murong Ba waved his hand.

“Tell Lone Wolf, I understand his intentions.”

“The hearts of Great Qi’s people… let them collapse under fear on their own!”

“When Great Qi falls into chaos, my intervention will appear as heaven’s will, perfectly timed and inevitable!”

“Hahaha! Lone Wolf’s plan… truly the greatest yang strategy of all time!”

Murong Xue left the room. After hearing her father’s explanation, her heart was filled with admiration for Li An.

Li An… oh Li An…

You truly are the man I, Murong Xue, have chosen!

You are simply incredible.

…

At the Scholar Prime’s residence.

Li An was drinking tea, waiting for Hongmei to return.

“Master.”

Hongmei pushed the door open.

“The maps have been delivered.”

“What did Murong Xue say?”

“She said she would handle it as soon as possible.”

“Good.”

Li An set down his teacup and exhaled deeply.

“This should finally work.”

He glanced at the system panel.

【Countdown to first cycle settlement: 40 hours 51 minutes】

Less than two days remained.

As soon as the Northern Yan army moved, Great Qi’s national fortune would fall!

He closed his eyes, imagining a glorious future.

Northern Yan besieges the city!

Great Qi falls!

And he would…

Rake in mountains of gold!

Return to the modern world as the richest man.

Just thinking about it made him giddy.

Hongmei looked at Li An’s triumphant expression, feeling a mixture of emotions.

Could Master really succeed this time?

She didn’t know.

But she did know one thing: Li An had truly gone all in this time.

Even obtaining such a top-secret Great Qi military map.

“Master, can we really succeed this time?”

“Worry about what?”

Li An opened his eyes and smiled.

“As long as the Northern Yan Emperor follows my lead, he will launch the attack immediately.”

“The moment they strike, Great Qi’s national fortune will drop! The people will panic! The fall of the nation will be a matter of minutes…”

“As for Great Qi…”

He shrugged.

“What business of mine is it?”

Hongmei’s worry deepened.

“Master, aren’t you afraid… the Great Qi Emperor will discover that you leaked the defense map?”

“Discover?”

Li An sneered.

“I am officially authorized to inspect the defense maps.”

“The information won’t leak in the short term! By the time the Great Qi Emperor realizes someone leaked the maps, Northern Yan’s army will already have entered. At that point, what difference would it make?”

Hearing this, Hongmei’s admiration for Li An grew even stronger.

This time, Master… had calculated everyone into his plan.

Including His Majesty.

Including Northern Yan.

Even… including herself.

“Master, are you really that confident?”

“Of course.”

Li An stood up, stretching lazily.

“I’ve invested heavily this time.”

“If this doesn’t work…”

He paused, then sighed.

“Then I’ll accept my fate. It would mean Great Qi’s demise is not meant to be…”

…

The next afternoon.

In the capital.

“Did you hear? Northern Yan is mobilizing troops at the border!”

“What? Really?”

“Absolutely! My cousin is stationed there and saw it with his own eyes!”

“So… are we going to war?”

“Who knows…”

In the teahouses, the citizens whispered anxiously.

With carrier pigeons and beacon towers, news from the border could reach the capital in half a day.

The news of Northern Yan’s mobilization spread like wind throughout the city.

At first, people didn’t believe it.

But as more reports came in, panic spread among the people.

“I need to rush to the bank and withdraw my money!”

“Right, me too!”

“I heard grain prices are rising; I have to stock up!”

Soon, just as Li An and the Northern Yan Emperor had predicted, the capital descended into chaos.

Long lines formed outside banks.

Crowds packed in front of grain shops.

Prices soared.

Ding!

【Detected Northern Yan troop mobilization at the border!】

【Great Qi citizens panic; economic confidence falls!】

【Great Qi national fortune -5,000】

【Current national fortune: 142,479】

Li An watched the system alert and rejoiced inwardly.

It dropped!

Finally, it dropped!

Although only by five thousand points, this was a good start!

If it continued like this, the national fortune would plummet!

He excitedly paced back and forth in the room.

“It worked! It really worked!”

Hongmei stood beside him, seeing his exhilaration, and couldn’t help but feel happy too.

Master… this time you really might succeed!

…

Meanwhile.

Imperial Study.

“Your Majesty! Something bad has happened! Urgent news from the border!”

A eunuch rushed in, holding a military report.

“Northern Yan is mobilizing troops at the border! It looks like they’re about to attack!”

Zhao Ling’er’s face changed.

“What? Northern Yan is mobilizing?”

“Yes, Your Majesty!”

The eunuch knelt, trembling.

“News from the border: Northern Yan has gathered 200,000 troops, assembling at the frontier!”

Zhao Ling’er suddenly stood, startled.

Northern Yan… why the sudden mobilization?

Could it be because of the exposition?

Or… did they sense an opportunity?

She suddenly realized something and her expression darkened.

Li An borrowed the defense maps a few days ago…

Could it be…

No, impossible.

Li An is a loyal minister of Great Qi.

He would never betray me.

It must be a coincidence.

It must have nothing to do with Li An.

Zhao Ling’er took a deep breath and forced herself to stay calm.

“Issue the decree: summon the ministers for a council!”

“Yes!”

The eunuch hurriedly withdrew.

Zhao Ling’er returned to the dragon throne, staring at the military report, her thoughts in turmoil.

Li An…

Could this possibly be related to him borrowing the defense maps?

…

At the Scholar Prime’s residence.

Li An sat cross-legged, drinking tea, in high spirits.

Ding!

【Countdown to first cycle settlement: 12 hours 37 minutes】

【Current national fortune: 142,479】

【Notice: National fortune continues to decline; host gains continue to rise!】

Li An smiled as he read the system prompt.

Half a day left.

Just a little more decline, and the mission would be complete.

He sipped his tea with satisfaction.

This time… it would finally succeed.

Just then, hurried footsteps sounded outside the door.

“Master Li! Master Li!”

A young eunuch ran in, flustered.

“The Emperor summons you to the palace council!”

Li An paused.

Palace council? At this moment?

His heart skipped a beat as he set down his teacup.

“Understood, I’ll go at once.”

The young eunuch bowed and left.

Li An stood, adjusting his clothes.

It seemed… the Emperor already knew about Northern Yan’s troop mobilization.

No matter.

After all, I was officially authorized to borrow the defense maps.

Besides, I’ve worked so diligently, helping Great Qi’s national fortune rise so much!

I am a loyal minister of Great Qi! Who could possibly doubt me, Li An?

He took a deep breath and strode out of the residence.

…

At the court.

All ministers gathered.

Zhao Ling’er sat on the dragon throne, her expression grave.

“My ministers, Northern Yan is mobilizing troops at the border. Their intentions are unclear.”

“What are your suggestions?”

Prime Minister Wang Fu stepped forward, bowing.

“Your Majesty, I believe Northern Yan must have some scheme.”

“We should immediately dispatch troops to guard the borders strictly.”

“Also, send envoys to discern Northern Yan’s intentions.”

Other ministers nodded in agreement.

“The Prime Minister speaks wisely!”

“Your Majesty, we cannot sit idly by!”

Zhao Ling’er listened to the ministers but her mind was on Li An.

Li An…

Do you even know about this?

At that moment, a messenger announced outside the door.

“Your Majesty, Master Li has arrived.”

“Admit him.”

Li An entered the Imperial Study, bowing.

“I, Li An, pay respects to Your Majesty.”

Zhao Ling’er looked at him, a flicker of hope in her eyes.

“My minister, Northern Yan is mobilizing troops at the border. What is your view?”

Li An’s heart tightened.

Here it comes.

The Emperor is testing me.

He inhaled deeply, speaking with calm confidence:

“Your Majesty, I believe… this is a good thing.”

“A good thing?”

A murmur ran through the hall.

How could Northern Yan mobilizing troops be good?

Has Li An gone mad?

Zhao Ling’er was stunned.

“What do you mean by this?”

“Your Majesty, a few days ago I borrowed the defense maps precisely to check for vulnerabilities in the capital’s defenses.”

Li An spoke calmly.

“Now that Northern Yan is mobilizing, it is the perfect test to see if our defenses are sufficient.”

“If Northern Yan truly dares to attack, I am willing to lead troops in defense of the capital!”

Hearing this, Zhao Ling’er relaxed.

Indeed.

Li An is loyal.

He borrowed the defense maps to check for gaps.

Even as a civil scholar, he is willing to lead soldiers into battle. What better definition of loyalty?

Hearing Li An’s bold words, Zhao Ling’er felt a twinge of guilt; she should never have doubted him, even a fraction.

“Good!”

Zhao Ling’er stood.

“My minister is truly loyal!”

“I knew you would not disappoint me!”

Li An bowed respectfully.

“I will not fail Your Majesty’s trust!”

But inwardly, he was laughing wildly.

Your Majesty, your Majesty.

You really believe I am loyal?

I’ve actually handed the defense maps over to Northern Yan!

No matter.

You have no proof.

Besides, you trust me so completely now!

I will watch Great Qi’s national fortune collapse!

I will see Great Qi fall!

How else would I return to the modern world with millions of gold?

Hahaha!

Ding!

【Host successfully deceives all!】

【Trust of Great Qi Emperor and ministers in host increases!】

【Panic caused by Northern Yan troop mobilization continues to escalate!】

【Great Qi national fortune -3,000】

【Current national fortune: 139,479】

Li An grinned at the system prompt, more triumphant than ever.

It dropped!

Dropped again!

Now he only needed to wait for Northern Yan to attack; Great Qi would be defeated, the nation destroyed!

Then the mission would be completely accomplished!

He suppressed his excitement, standing respectfully.

Outwardly, he was the unparalleled loyal minister of Great Qi.

In reality, he was a high-level Northern Yan undercover agent.

This feeling of being two-faced…

Was absolutely exhilarating!