The playboy county magistrate

"Serving him meticulously every day, performing for him and playing the zither. Human hearts are made of flesh and blood; little by little, water can wear away stone. Even an emperor with a heart as firm as a rock will develop some favoritism."

"Then, in casual conversation, we can gently mention the hardships of the Western Regions. There's no need to deliberately seek them; their kindness will come naturally."

The gentlest knife leaves no trace. The way of maneuvering in the Western Regions has always been to simmer slowly and gradually, subtly influencing and transforming others.

As night deepened and the moon rose high in the sky, its gentle light bathed the glazed tiles, casting a soft glow.

Yukina stood by the door, holding her breath and keeping watch.

The slightest disturbance can be immediately alerted, allowing for the concealment of any traces.

Chiyo sat alone under the lamp, her daytime mask of meekness and humility gone, her narrow eyes cold as ice. Gone was the trace of feminine gentleness; only the ruthlessness and sophistication of a politician remained.

She held a small, folded strip of plain white paper between her fingers. The ink was pale, and the handwriting was delicate and messy, all in a secret script unique to Japan. Even if an outsider were to glimpse it, they would be completely unable to decipher it.

"The situation is settled after the daytime banquet."

Chiyo's voice was extremely low and deep, almost blending into the night.

"The emperor and his ministers of the Great Yong Dynasty are united, and there is no solution on the surface. However, all three parties have weaknesses, which are not to be feared, but can be taken advantage of."

Yukina tilted her head slightly, her eyes fixed on the outside, yet she still managed to respond in a low voice.

"Sister, should we send a message to the post station immediately?"

Chiyo's gaze narrowed slightly as she looked out the window at the deep night, her words cold and detached.

"Send the message immediately. Tell our superiors that there is no need to be impatient for quick results or urge any parties. Just stabilize the external situation."

"Keep a close eye on the movements of the Dayong coastal defenses, find a way to infiltrate them, and secretly record the types of weapons, troop rotations, and checkpoint deployments."

"Tacitly allowing the northern deserts and the western regions to continue testing the court's bottom line, using their agitation to continuously exhaust Li Xuanzhi and the crown prince's energy and wear down the court's patience."

"Our people will not fight or compete, but will remain hidden in the shadows. They will observe the struggles on all sides and wait for the Dayong to develop a rift before they can penetrate deeper. In the Dayong, there is an idiom called 'taking advantage of a weakness'."

"We don't enter the game; we only observe. We wait until the game becomes chaotic before making our move. This is what it means to have a clear plan in mind."

These few words perfectly capture the perilous situation in Japan.

All the other countries were preoccupied with immediate gains and losses, while only Japan stepped out of the game and, as an observer, used others to weaken the power and political situation of Dayong.

They remain hidden in the shadows, silently accumulating strength and observing the enemy's true intentions. They await the opportune moment to strike suddenly and fatally.

Yukina nodded in response and took out a specially made hollow bamboo whistle from her sleeve. The whistle was slender and dark in color. It was silent when blown, only vibrating a dense frequency, and was a secret communication device exclusive to Japan.

Specifically designed for communication between secret agents within the palace, it can evade the eyes and ears of palace staff and escape conventional eavesdropping.

She moved to the veranda, her back to the building. Her figure was hidden in the shadows of the bamboo, and she lightly touched the tip of her whistle to her lips, giving it a very subtle whistle.

No sound was heard, only a very subtle, dense airflow dissipated into the night, penetrating the layers of palace walls and drifting precisely towards the four directions of the post stations outside the palace.

Cheng left no trace, without a sound or warning.

Ordinary palace servants patrolling at night would simply mistake it for the evening breeze rustling the bamboo leaves. No one would notice that a secret message, powerful enough to influence the entire situation, was already spreading from the depths of the palace.

Yukina returned to the house and whispered:

"The message has been sent out, and the post station should receive it immediately."

Chiyo nodded slightly, raised her hand and placed the secret paper at the edge of the candle flame, quietly watching the flames rise from the paper.

The ink characters were completely reduced to ashes by the smoke and fire, leaving not a trace of writing or any mark.

Little did the two know that within the deep palace, there are no absolute secrets.

Under the ever-burning lights of the Imperial Study, the chief eunuch, holding the latest secret report from the night patrol, bowed and whispered his reply:

"Your Majesty, the two women from Japan remained silent after nightfall, then used a silent whistle to transmit messages, doing so entirely in secret and eliminating all traces. Not a single word was leaked, and not a single piece of evidence was left behind."

The emperor lightly twirled the memorial between his fingers, his gaze calm and deep, showing no surprise whatsoever. He simply spoke:

"I had already anticipated that the Japanese are masters of deception and cunning. They probably never imagined that the bone whistle used to transmit secret messages was sent by someone I had planted in Japan."

"By imperial decree, order the secret guards to keep a close watch on those two from Japan, and not to alert them."

"If they want to lie low, I will lie low with them. If they want to send messages, I will let them send messages."

"Observe their actions, examine their plans, and understand their intentions. Wait until they have made all their moves and their schemes are complete, then seize the opportunity to wipe them out completely."

That disgusting little country of Bala will be wiped out sooner or later!

Rather than guarding too closely and forcing the other side to hide and remain undetected, it's better to let them run rampant, allowing all their conspiracies to surface. By thoroughly understanding the entire schemes of Japan and other nations, we can ultimately wipe them out in one fell swoop, eliminating any future threats.

Meanwhile, the study in the Li residence was also brightly lit.

Li Xuanzhi sat quietly before his desk, which contained no complicated documents, only a thin sheet of paper analyzing the personalities of the four beauties and a simple map filled with the situations of various countries.

He held his brush, his ink flowing freely and powerfully. Every word was precise, clearly annotating the sentiments, tactics, shortcomings, and schemes of all parties involved after today's banquet.

Pei Qingyuan carried in a cup of warm tea and walked in quietly. Seeing him hunched over his desk late at night, his expression somber, she couldn't help but softly offer him words of comfort:

"The banquet is over, and the night is deep. You should rest for a while."

Li Xuanzhi raised his eyes, put down his pen, and answered softly.

"The game of chess among nations continues, and the undercurrents never cease; I dare not relax for a moment."

……

Half past midnight, an imperial edict abruptly shattered the tranquility of the deep palace.

The emperor summoned a beautiful woman from the Western Regions to play the zither and attend to him that night.

When the imperial decree spread throughout the palace, the eyes of the six women from the Western Regions lit up, and their hidden schemes instantly came to life.

During the daytime banquet, her dance outshone everyone else, leaving them with no chance to get close. Now, the emperor's private summons late at night presents a golden opportunity.

Qiluo sat gracefully by the window, carefully wiping the strings of her zither. Upon hearing this, her fingertips paused slightly, and a faint smile appeared on her lips.

She had long anticipated that her graceful dance and musical talent would eventually catch the emperor's eye and win his favor.

"Sister, tonight's opportunity is rare, you must seize it."

The Uyghur woman beside him whispered instructions, her eyes full of expectation.

Qiluo slowly rose and adjusted her simple, flowing gauze dress. She had shed the vibrant and colorful dance costume of the daytime and changed into a light and elegant palace gown. She wore no heavy powder, only a touch of lip color.

Shedding its flamboyant and vibrant colors, it exudes a gentle and intellectual charm.

"I know," Qiluo said softly and gently. "Tonight, we will not discuss trade, nor ask for favors. We will only play the zither, keep the night company, and ease the emperor's weariness."

Qi Luo carried a flowing cloud-patterned zither and walked slowly through the night with the eunuch.

The palace path was deep and secluded, the lanterns swaying, casting a gentle and graceful glow on her slender figure. Her steps were light and graceful, without a trace of haste or restlessness.

Upon arriving at the Hall of Mental Cultivation, a eunuch quietly announced their arrival, granting them permission to enter.

The Hall of Mental Cultivation was brightly lit, and the air was filled with the fragrance of incense.