There were many people who could and would dare to kill Yang Guang. If someone else killed Yang Guang, they might even be hailed as a hero. However, Ning Daoqi absolutely could not do it. As the number one Grandmaster of the Central Plains, killing the emperor of the Central Plains would be a blatant betrayal. Not only would Song Que, the Heavenly Saber, come after him, but even the Daoist sects would not let him go.
The Central Plains were different from the Turks and Goguryeo. In the Turks and Goguryeo, a Grandmaster could even decide the succession of the throne. However, this approach would not work in the Central Plains. After all, there were too many experts in the Central Plains, and while they revered Grandmasters, they were far from deifying them like the Turks and Goguryeo did.
In the Central Plains, there were many forces capable of killing Ning Daoqi. Song Que alone could do it. The demonic sects, if Shi Zhixuan, Zhu Yuyan, Wan Wan, and other experts joined forces, could also find an opportunity to kill Ning Daoqi.
Additionally, both the Daoist and Buddhist sects could take action. Ning Daoqi did not possess Shi Zhixuan's ability to withstand group attacks. Even Shi Zhixuan, if truly surrounded, would not be able to escape.
In the original story, Li Yuan once had a chance to capture Shi Zhixuan. Unfortunately, he personally intervened, allowing Shi Zhixuan to exploit his status and escape easily, as others were hesitant to act against him.
"A wise man does not stand under a dangerous wall." While this saying might seem like an excuse for cowardice, sometimes it is also to allow subordinates to perform better without being overly cautious.
"Ning Daoqi doesn't dare to kill Your Majesty, which is even better. I believe Your Majesty would very much like to kill him, right?" Daniel's words made Yang Guang's expression turn cold. If there was one person Yang Guang hated the most, it was undoubtedly Ning Daoqi. Just thinking of Ning Daoqi reminded him of the time during the campaigns against Goguryeo when Fu Cailin assassinated him in the midst of his army, forcing him to flee in disgrace.
It was precisely because of Fu Cailin's assassination that the army's morale plummeted, leading to the failure of the three campaigns against Goguryeo. Similarly, Fu Cailin was deified by Goguryeo because of this.
However, even though Yang Guang was the emperor, he had no way to deal with Ning Daoqi.
"Do you have a way to deal with Ning Daoqi?" Yang Guang quickly regained his composure and asked directly.
"Indeed, I can completely ruin his reputation. Don't you think simply killing him would be too merciful?" Regardless of Ning Daoqi's personal intentions, based on his actions alone, Daniel would not let him go.
"Ruin his reputation? Just with you?" Yang Guang looked at Daniel with a mocking expression. Many people wanted to deal with Ning Daoqi, such as the demonic sects, who wished for his death. However, after all these years, Ning Daoqi remained the number one Grandmaster of the Central Plains.
"With me alone, it's impossible. But if Your Majesty is willing to cooperate, then it will be foolproof." Of course, this was Daniel being modest. But when facing Yang Guang, a little modesty was appropriate.
"Me? Cooperate?" Yang Guang looked at Daniel with confusion.
"Indeed. Your Majesty only needs to issue an edict denouncing Ning Daoqi. As for the crime, it would be treason. For example, the reason Your Majesty's three campaigns against Goguryeo failed was because Ning Daoqi colluded with Fu Cailin, leading to Your Majesty's defeat."
The meaning behind Daniel's words made Yang Guang's pupils contract. He then gave Daniel a deep look. Despite Yang Guang's intelligence and his willingness to plunge the world into chaos to reshuffle the power structure, refusing to bow to the aristocratic families, even he had never thought of such a method.
With Yang Guang's intelligence, he quickly understood the significance of this edict. Once issued, Ning Daoqi would be in serious trouble. Of course, it also meant that Yang Guang was doomed.
Ning Daoqi might not personally kill Yang Guang, but Ning Daoqi was not alone. He represented a faction, not just the Buddhist sects, but also many within the Daoist sects who followed him, as he was the number one Grandmaster of the Central Plains.
"Does Your Majesty dare to do it?" Daniel looked at the silent Yang Guang and spoke calmly.
"How interesting. Truly fascinating. I had never thought of such a method before." Yang Guang suddenly burst into laughter. Daniel's words had opened a new door for him.
Yang Guang was willing to drag down the aristocratic families with his own empire's collapse, so he certainly wouldn't mind thoroughly ruining Ning Daoqi. To put it bluntly, he was about to die and had nothing left to lose.
Even if few believed the edict, it would still be a stain on Ning Daoqi's reputation. If things went badly, it might even affect Ning Daoqi's cultivation. The Grandmaster realm was primarily about the mind. If the mind was troubled, it would create a flaw.
"Is Your Majesty satisfied with just this? Just a mere Ning Daoqi? Is that enough?" Daniel looked at Yang Guang with a half-smile.
"What do you mean?" Yang Guang asked.
"Your Majesty should remember what I said earlier. Does Your Majesty dare to play an even bigger game? For example, targeting Cihang Jingzhai and Jingnian Chanzong." Seeing Yang Guang fall silent at his words, Daniel continued, "To be honest, when I called them traitors, I wasn't just spouting nonsense."
Conspiracies always risk exposure. As the saying goes, "The net of heaven is vast, but it lets nothing through." Therefore, Daniel generally avoided using conspiracies and instead relied on open strategies, much like what he had done with the Navy in the world of One Piece.
Simply accusing Ning Daoqi, Cihang Jingzhai, and Jingnian Chanzong of colluding with foreign powers without evidence would not be believed by most, given their reputations in the martial world. After all, they had been carefully cultivating their images for years.
Unless one had a comprehensive view of the entire situation, like Daniel, it would be hard to believe that they harbored ulterior motives. Even the Twin Dragons, as capable as they were, had been manipulated in the original story.
Therefore, the best approach was to mix truth with lies, making it difficult for others to discern the truth.
"Your Majesty, did you know that Cihang Jingzhai began their 'Heaven's Chosen Emperor' plan twenty years ago? The chosen one is Li Shimin, the second son of the Li family. Even the name 'Li Shimin' was given by Ning Daoqi, meaning 'to save the world and its people.'
Twenty years ago, they had already chosen the new emperor. Does Your Majesty still believe that your campaigns against Goguryeo could have succeeded?" Daniel slowly revealed Cihang Jingzhai's "Heaven's Chosen Emperor" plan.
Strictly speaking, from this perspective, it was almost certain that Cihang Jingzhai had colluded with foreign powers. This was something they could never explain away."
"The Heaven's Chosen Emperor? So that's how it is. So that's how it is. What audacity."
Yang Guang, who had just regained his composure, suddenly slammed his fist onto the table in front of him. The powerful internal energy shattered the table into dozens of pieces, scattering them across the floor.
Even though Yang Guang's martial skills had declined over years of indulgence, he was still a Grandmaster. A mere table, even if it were made of bronze, could not withstand his punch.
For an emperor, the most intolerable thing was being manipulated by others. The saying "Kings and nobles are not born great" was widely believed in the Central Plains. In the original story, even Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling were displeased when they first heard about Cihang Jingzhai's "Heaven's Chosen Emperor" plan.
In fact, Daniel did not know that Yang Guang's anger had another reason: he had once been a candidate for Cihang Jingzhai's "Heaven's Chosen Emperor" plan.
Yang Guang had not been the crown prince initially and had needed external support to ascend the throne. The forces led by Cihang Jingzhai had approached him, as they sought to maximize their benefits. Naturally, they would not approach the crown prince, who was the natural heir to the throne. After all, offering help in times of need was far more valuable than offering help when it was not needed.
Unfortunately, Yang Guang had ultimately betrayed Cihang Jingzhai and turned to the demonic sects, specifically Shi Zhixuan.
In fact, even Emperor Wen of Sui, Yang Jian, had relied on Cihang Jingzhai to ascend the throne. The Buddhist sects were powerful at the time, and to promote their doctrines and build more temples, they often meddled in worldly affairs.
Unlike the Daoist sects, which mostly stayed within their temples and generally avoided political struggles.
However, what they did not expect was that after Yang Jian ascended the throne, he quickly reneged on his agreement with the Buddhist sects and began to restrict their expansion. In this situation, they turned their attention to Yang Guang.
Any emperor with ambition would naturally be wary of the Buddhist sects. Even if they cooperated, it was only a temporary measure. Once the throne was secured, they would no longer tolerate being controlled.
After all, the lesson of Emperor Wu of Liang was not far in the past.
Even in the era of "The Legend of the Condor Heroes," Cihang Jingzhai remained a target of suspicion. Even Jingnian Chanzong had moved away from Luoyang, likely because of the terror of Wu Zetian, Wan Wan's disciple, during the Tang Dynasty, forcing them to retreat.
It must be said that Wan Wan was incredibly capable. Even though she lost to Shi Feixuan, her disciple completely turned the tables. In fact, one of her disciples even became the leader of Jingnian Chanzong.
It truly exemplified the saying, "Three years and another three years."
"This is indeed a big play, but I like it." Yang Guang immediately understood Daniel's meaning. This was the best way to deal with Cihang Jingzhai. Even if the accusations of colluding with foreign powers were not widely believed, Cihang Jingzhai would still suffer significant losses.
Their most important chess piece, Li Shimin, would be exposed. In this situation, even without the demonic sects taking action, Li Shimin would face immense trouble within the Li family.
In the original story, although Cihang Jingzhai loudly proclaimed their "Heaven's Chosen Emperor" plan, they did not publicly announce the chosen candidate. This meant that they were ostensibly evaluating all potential candidates for the throne. Thus, during the selection in Luoyang, representatives from all major forces attended.
These people had no idea that they were merely being used as foils to highlight Li Shimin. It must be said that when Kou Zhong, Xu Ziling, and Ba Fenghan ate the Heirloom Seal, they did Li Shimin and Cihang Jingzhai a huge favor.
Otherwise, if Cihang Jingzhai had actually given the Heirloom Seal to Li Shimin, it would have been a disaster. Daniel even suspected that Cihang Jingzhai had intentionally allowed the Heirloom Seal to be stolen, but they had not expected it to be eaten by the Twin Dragons.
After all, at that time, Li Shimin was only the second son of the Li family. If he had obtained the Heirloom Seal, he would have become the target of everyone's envy.
"What do you want?" After making his decision, Yang Guang immediately asked. As an emperor, he did not believe that Daniel had come to tell him all this out of pure altruism.
"I want Luoyang." Daniel did not mince words and directly stated his goal.
For Daniel, obtaining an edict from Yang Guang to legitimately take control of Luoyang was crucial. Some things were entirely different when done with or without justification, especially in the Central Plains.
"Luoyang? That's not enough." Yang Guang looked at Daniel and suddenly revealed a mysterious smile.
At this moment, Yang Guang had already classified Daniel as one of the contenders for the throne. The reason Daniel had told him so much was simply to eliminate a powerful opponent early. After all, with the support of Cihang Jingzhai, Ning Daoqi, and other righteous sects, Li Shimin was a formidable force.
"How about adding the heads of Ning Daoqi, Fu Cailin, and Bi Xuan?" After a moment of silence, Daniel increased his offer. Originally, he only needed the heads of Ning Daoqi and Fu Cailin, as Yang Guang hated them the most. However, since they were the three great Grandmasters, Daniel decided to include Bi Xuan as a bonus.
"Deal." Yang Guang immediately nodded with a smile.
There was no need for any formal agreement between them, as it was unnecessary.
"Then, Your Majesty, let's discuss the details. If things are handled well, perhaps Your Majesty will have the chance to personally take revenge on Ning Daoqi."
"Agreed."
---
"Why has His Majesty suddenly decided to hold court? What's going on?" The next day, the court in Jiangdu was unusually crowded with officials. Since Yang Guang's three failed campaigns against Goguryeo, court sessions had become a mere formality, with real power concentrated in the hands of a few ministers like Yu Shiji and Pei Yun.
The sudden order to hold court left many in Jiangdu completely baffled, including Yuwen Huaji, who was already preparing to abandon Yangzhou and flee.
"From this day forward, Shen Fei is appointed as the Governor of Luoyang."
Yang Guang, who rarely attended court, wasted no time and immediately issued an edict appointing Daniel as the Governor of Luoyang. Whether Daniel could actually control Luoyang was of no concern to Yang Guang.
This edict naturally drew strong opposition from Yu Shiji and Pei Yun. However, Yuwen Huaji remained completely unmoved.
At this point, Yang Guang's edicts could not even leave Yangzhou. The position of Governor of Luoyang was, in Yuwen Huaji's eyes, nothing more than a joke.
Just as Yu Shiji, Pei Yun, and other ministers were about to urge Yang Guang to revoke the previous order, the next edict was issued, causing everyone present to forget about Daniel and instead look at Yang Guang as if he were a madman.
Compared to the content of the second edict, Daniel's appointment as Governor of Luoyang was insignificant.
"Your Majesty, please revoke this order." This time, it was Yuwen Huaji who led the opposition. The content of the edict was simply too shocking for these ministers.
"Minister Yuwen, do you dare to defy His Majesty's command?" Daniel suddenly appeared in front of Yuwen Huaji, his overwhelming killing intent causing Yuwen Huaji to tremble uncontrollably.
Yuwen Huaji was also a renowned Grandmaster, but under this killing intent, he felt as if he had been thrown naked into a frozen wasteland.
"This general obeys the command." Under such overwhelming pressure, Yuwen Huaji ultimately chose to comply. Carrying out Yang Guang's orders might not necessarily lead to death, as Yang Guang was the mastermind. However, if he refused, Yuwen Huaji knew he would not leave the palace alive today.
Seeing Yuwen Huaji yield, the other ministers quickly followed suit. None of the officials remaining in the court were loyal figures, so they naturally would not engage in any suicidal remonstrations with Yang Guang.
(End of Chapter)
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