Mythical Qin: I, Gao Yao, will never be a eunuch!

Chapter 1193 Schemes, Planning, and Fan Xian's Role!

Gaoyao efficiently integrated most of the grain merchants nationwide, establishing a unified purchasing and sales system. Grain prices stabilized or even declined, much to the delight of the people and the praise of the court. On the surface, everything seemed to be moving in a positive direction.

Only a few people, including Wang Wenyuan, knew that Gao Yao's power was rapidly expanding. Through the Supervisory Department, he not only controlled the flow of grain but also possessed crucial information such as the location of granaries, the quantity of grain stored, and transportation routes in various regions. This information was necessary for management in peacetime, but in wartime, it would be a strategic resource.

What troubled Wang Wenyuan even more was that Gao Yao had begun constructing new granaries in various places under the guise of optimizing grain storage. The locations of these granaries were quite ingenious, mostly near major transportation routes, yet outside the main surveillance range of the imperial court. If it were truly just for the convenience of grain storage, as Gao Yao claimed, that would be one thing, but Wang Wenyuan always felt that there was a deeper meaning behind it.

He reported these concerns to Emperor Qing, who simply said, "Let him build. The more he builds, the more granaries the court will have when it reclaims them in the future."

Despite this, Wang Wenyuan remained uneasy. He sent his trusted confidants to secretly investigate the newly built granaries, only to find that the accounts were clear, the construction was compliant, and there was no evidence to hold them accountable. Gao Yao was meticulous in his work, leaving no room for error.

Meanwhile, Fan Xian's covert investigation also made progress.

Following the clues provided by Gao Yao, he found an old palace maid who had served Ye Qingmei years ago. The maid was now nearly sixty and lived as a nun in a secluded nunnery. Fan Xian disguised himself as a worshipper and, after much effort, managed to extract some information from her.

“Miss Ye… she’s a good person.” The old palace maid’s eyes were cloudy, and she kept fiddling with her prayer beads as she spoke. “She treats us servants very well. She never beats or scolds us, and she even teaches us to read… It’s a pity that she’s too good, so good that some people are afraid of her.”

"Afraid?" Fan Xian asked softly, "Who would be afraid of a good person?"

The old palace maid glanced around and lowered her voice: "The people in the palace are most afraid of being different. Miss Ye is too different. She talks about equality for all, and that the people are the foundation of the country... These are things that the people in the palace don't like to hear."

"Then how did she...?"

"Don't ask." The old palace maid suddenly became agitated. "It's all in the past. Don't ask anymore. Asking too much will get you killed."

Fan Xian didn't press further, leaving some silver before departing. But from the old palace maid's reaction, he could sense that his mother's death was no accident, but rather had touched upon the interests of certain people, leading to his demise.

Who would be tempted to kill because of an idea like "equality for all"? Ordinary officials wouldn't; at most, they'd think Ye Qingmei was naive. Only those who take privileges for granted—like royalty and nobility—would feel threatened.

Fan Xian recalled the way Emperor Qing looked at him, a scrutinizing gaze tinged with calculation; he recalled Chen Pingping's nurturing of him, an attitude that was both intimate and distant. They were all looking through him at the shadow of another person—the shadow of Ye Qingmei.

Perhaps, from the very beginning, he was a pawn. A pawn used to balance the power of various factions, or to achieve a certain goal.

This realization chilled Fan Xian, but it also strengthened his resolve. If he couldn't even trust those closest to him, then he could only trust himself and rely on his own strength to uncover the truth.

To do this, he needs allies, resources, and—power.

The olive branch extended by Gao Yao might just be what he needed. Although he knew Gao Yao was also using him, at least this use was clearly priced, much more honest than the scheming hidden behind a mask of warmth.

Late at night, Fan Xian arrived at the Gao residence again. This time, he did not conceal his presence but directly presented his visiting card.

Gao Yao seemed to have anticipated his arrival, as two cups of tea were prepared in his study, steaming gently.

"Have you figured it out?" Gao Yao asked with a smile.

Fan Xian sat down and looked directly into Gao Yao's eyes: "I can continue to cooperate with you, but the conditions will change."

"Oh? Please go ahead."

"I want all the remaining clues you have about what happened back then," Fan Xian said, enunciating each word clearly. "In exchange, I will help you deal with those who want to harm you—including Emperor Qing."

Gao Yao's smile gradually faded. He scrutinized Fan Xian, as if truly getting to know the young man for the first time. After a long while, he finally spoke slowly: "Fan Xian, do you know what you're saying?"

"Of course I understand, and I've roughly guessed your purpose. However, our purposes don't conflict. I simply want to find out what happened back then and avenge Ye Qingmei. I don't want to worry about anything else."

"What if you might die because of this?"

At this moment, Gao Yao suddenly brought up a possibility. Upon hearing this, Fan Xian was slightly taken aback, then smiled.

"Then I'll die. Anyway, I've been prepared for this since the day I started the investigation!"

The candlelight flickered in the dimly lit room, casting shifting shadows on their faces. Gao Yao's words, like a pebble thrown into still water, stirred ripples in Fan Xian's heart. He slowly sat back in his chair, his fingers unconsciously tracing the rim of his teacup, the coolness of the celadon seeping through his fingertips.

"Fan Xian, you may have overestimated your own capabilities." Gao Yao's voice was not loud, but each word was clear and echoed in the small space.

Fan Xian raised his eyelids, a barely perceptible sharpness flashing in his eyes: "What do you mean by that?"

He could hear the subtle assessment and weighing of options in Gao Yao's words, which made him feel an indescribable unease. From Danzhou to the capital, from an illegitimate child to a rising star in the court, his journey had been far from smooth, but no one had ever questioned his role so bluntly.

Gao Yao simply waved his hand, a smile on his face that Fan Xian could never fully decipher. That smile contained both a certain tacit understanding between time travelers and a cold calculation far beyond this era.

“Don’t misunderstand, I’m just telling the truth.” Gao Yao leaned forward, the candlelight focusing into two sharp points in his pupils. “You should be very clear about the premise of cooperation, which is that both parties must have common goals, common interests, and—trustworthy capital.”

He paused, his gaze landing squarely on Fan Xian's face: "But if I may be frank, Fan Xian, you don't seem to have enough confidence yet, do you?"

Fan Xian remained silent. The teacup spun slowly in his hand, the tea rippling slightly, reflecting his slightly furrowed brow. He had to admit that Gao Yao's words had struck a chord deep within him, a place he had long been unwilling to delve into.

Gao Yao was not in a hurry. He leisurely poured himself another cup of tea, his movements unhurried, as if he were just talking about today's weather.

“Wu Zhu,” he uttered softly, noticing Fan Xian’s fingers tighten slightly, “this should now be your biggest trump card. Someone who can almost be considered a Grandmaster is indeed formidable. But the problem is—”