Presenting a Plan to the King, Bewildering Hearts and Confounding Minds

"This person should be Zhang Qin."

As soon as he finished speaking, the man arrived. Looking at the refined young man in front of him, Qiu Yan guessed his identity.

Qiu Yan first learned about Zhang Qin from the rebel army. The reason why Liang Kingdom planted the Principle Rice was because Zhang Qin persuaded the King of the Liang Kingdom. Just now, outside the palace, he heard from the eunuch Li that this person still holds an important position as the Director of the Imperial Household Department among the Nine Ministers, in charge of the country's diplomacy.

"This Zhang Qin is not a citizen of the Liang Kingdom, yet he has gained the trust of the Liang ruler. First, he implemented the Rice Policy, and then he obtained an official position. As a foreigner, he controls Liang Kingdom's foreign policy. To achieve this is no small feat. Now, the Rice Policy has triggered a domestic uprising. Strictly speaking, this person bears undeniable responsibility, yet not only has he escaped unscathed, but he remains in power, and even his disrespectful behavior goes unpunished. His methods are truly extraordinary. Furthermore..."

With a flicker of his eyes, Qiu Yan looked at Zhang Qin's face and noticed the other man's ambiguous smile, catching a glimpse of something inexplicable. In particular, the other man's eyes gleamed with a sharp light, giving him a sense of danger.

"This person..."

As Qiu Yan was pondering this, the King of the Liang Kingdom, having heard Zhang Qin's words, came to his senses and asked in confusion, "What? Does the Grand Minister of Agriculture perhaps have a different opinion on the rebellious commoners?" His face suddenly darkened.

At the same time, Qiu Yan clearly sensed that the cold aura around him was expanding and becoming increasingly dense, and that a faint will was permeating the entire hall, influencing the thoughts and inclinations of the King of the Liang Kingdom.

Suddenly, Qiu Yan understood. He glanced at Zhang Qin, then looked away and bowed to the King of the Liang Kingdom, saying, "Your Majesty is wise. Although my negotiations with Wang Sheng this time were not Great Cheng, I did have a long conversation with an old farmer and gained some insights. I have a method to quell the unrest, but it still needs time to be developed. I hope Your Majesty will grant my request."

After he finished speaking, he immediately focused his mind and sensed that the mental energy filling the hall had fluctuated, and another mental energy had been born out of thin air!

Immediately, the two forces clashed. The force that had previously occupied the hall gained the upper hand and tried to obliterate the newcomer. However, the latter was resilient, like a blade of grass in the wind, its roots unmoved, subtly influencing the Liang Kingdom's thinking.

On the other side, Liang Kingdom frowned first, then shook his head and said, "You learned the solution from an old farmer? Old farmers are commoners, uneducated and unskilled. What could they possibly know? My dear minister, you've probably been misled by words."

"Your Majesty, although that old farmer was illiterate, he knew a wandering scholar. Although the scholar was not as talented as Lord Zhang, he was still quite knowledgeable and shared some of his observations. Therefore, what I heard from the old man was merely a retelling of what he had seen and heard." As Qiu Yan spoke, he glanced at Zhang Qin, his words revealing his admiration.

Sure enough, upon hearing this, the King of the Liang Kingdom became interested. "A wandering scholar? Have you invited him?"

"We couldn't invite him; he's already traveled to another country." Qiu Yan shook his head.

"That's a bit of a pity," King Liang Kingdom said with a look of regret.

At this moment, Zhang Qin spoke up and asked, "Since the Grand Minister of Agriculture knows the solution, why not just tell His Majesty? After all, with traitors within our ranks, leaving it unresolved will inevitably cause many unforeseen changes. Resolving it as soon as possible is the best course of action."

His words caused the dominant mindset to shift again, surging on an abstract level and disrupting the mind of the Liang Kingdom's ruler.

"Yes! Yes! My dear minister, please tell me quickly." The King of the Liang Kingdom immediately showed his impatience.

A glint of light flashed in Qiu Yan's eyes. Without looking at Zhang Qin, he said, "Your Majesty, this method is quite common, but what that person said was so mysterious that I dare not believe it easily. Why don't you give me two days to verify it? Only then can I be sure of no harm. Just talking about it won't be of much use."

"Hmm?" Liang Kingdom frowned, seemingly dissatisfied.

Qiu Yan then laughed and said, "If this method succeeds, not only will the Liang Kingdom disaster be resolved, but several northern kingdoms will also benefit from it. At that time, Your Majesty's reputation will naturally spread, no less than that of the Duke of Qi."

In this era, the feudal lords were nominally vassals of the emperor. Although they referred to themselves as "I, the sovereign" or "the widow" within their own countries, they would still be careful when talking about other countries, referring to themselves as "Duke" rather than "King".

Although their contact time was short, Qiu Yan observed that the King of the Liang Kingdom was somewhat ambitious and disliked trouble, which was why he was so eager to suppress him. Qiu Yan then used this as a remedy, releasing a bait.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Qin frowned and was about to speak, but the King of the Liang Kingdom was faster than him—

"Is it really that effective? It has even eliminated the military troubles of several northern countries? A few days ago, my cousin sent someone over to talk about the domestic turmoil. If it can truly be as you say, quelling so many troubles, it would be a great deed!"

As he spoke, Qiu Yan sensed that the two opposing forces within the hall were stirring again, with the weaker force growing stronger!

"Just as I suspected!" He immediately confirmed his guess.

Seeing the joy on the face of the King of the Liang Kingdom, a cold glint flashed in Zhang Qin's eyes, but he said nothing. He knew that pouring cold water on the situation at this moment would not only fail to persuade the King of the Liang Kingdom, but would also displease him and damage the hard-won relationship between the ruler and his subject.

"In that case, let's wait two more days. If you have any requests, you may send someone to tell me directly." King Liang Kingdom said, already getting restless.

"Thank you for your permission, Your Majesty. I will return immediately to begin the work." With that, Qiu Yan indicated his intention to take his leave, and the king did not stop him, sending two eunuchs to accompany him.

After Qiu Yan left, the King of the Liang Kingdom got up and paced back and forth for a while before calming down.

"Do you think what the Grand Minister of Agriculture said is true or false?" He asked this to Eunuch Li and Zhang Qin.

"This..." Eunuch Li glanced at Zhang Qin, shook his head and said, "This servant is not very familiar with these matters, but the Grand Minister of Agriculture comes from the Aristocratic Clan, and his loyalty to the King is beyond question."

The King of the Liang Kingdom felt somewhat relieved upon hearing this, nodded, and then turned his gaze to Zhang Qin.

Seeing this, Zhang Qin remained calm and cupped his hands, saying, "Your Majesty, regardless of what the Grand Minister of Agriculture says, the court must still be prepared. Two days may seem short, but who knows what changes the rebels might make? I suggest Your Majesty mobilize the three armies to form an encirclement. Firstly, this will deter the rebels; secondly, if the Grand Minister of Agriculture's plan fails, it won't delay military operations, and the rebellion can be quelled immediately! And then there's the massacre of the common people!"

"My dear minister, you are indeed a man of great talent! These are excellent words!" The King of the Liang Kingdom nodded, summoned two generals, and gave them his orders.

Then Zhang Qin added, "Furthermore, Your Majesty must not neglect the safety of the Grand Minister of Agriculture's residence. You should send elite troops to guard it closely and prevent any possibility of leaks! In addition, this will also urge the Grand Minister of Agriculture to act as soon as possible, and all matters during this period will be under Your Majesty's control."

As they spoke, a powerful force within the hall grew stronger, constantly influencing the thoughts of the King of the Liang Kingdom. However, despite this, the other force remained unmoved, seemingly unaffected since Qiu Yan's departure.

"Yes! Yes!" Liang Kingdom nodded repeatedly, appearing completely obedient, which made the eunuch Li beside him grit his teeth inwardly.

"Zhang Qin has a perfect grasp of the King's thoughts. These few words seem like he's offering advice, but they're actually pushing him further, trying to force the Grand Minister of Agriculture into a corner. He's all smiles hiding daggers! If that plan to quell the situation fails, the King will immediately fly into a rage! No, I have to go and warn him. If we let Zhang Qin continue down this path, there will be no way out for me!"

Eunuch Li was secretly making plans, but he didn't notice the cold gaze that Zhang Qin inadvertently cast at him.

Led by his attendants, Qiu Yan returned to his residence by carriage.

"Brother, I've heard about what happened in the palace. This move was extremely unwise; it's like making a solemn pledge. If it fails, losing your position is inevitable!"

Inside the carriage, the young servant shook his head and sighed, "Besides, what solution does the old farmer have? If it gets discovered, it could even lead to our deaths!"

He wasn't exaggerating. You see, the Liang Kingdom didn't have any laws or regulations. Anyone who committed a crime was convicted according to ancient rites and punished by the king. When the king was in a good mood, villains who committed arson, murder, and looting might only receive a light punishment. But when the king was in a bad mood, even petty thieves who stole chickens or dogs might lose their lives.

Qiu Yan's earlier words had given the King of the Liang Kingdom a reason to want his name to spread to several countries. However, if he failed to do so, the disappointment might lead to him being sentenced to death by the enraged king!

Hearing the boy's words, Qiu Yan shook his head and said, "Even if we investigate, it's fine. The old man did indeed offer a solution, but his words weren't detailed enough. Once we arrive at my residence, we'll discuss it further."

The boy simply shook his head, but he was also curious and wanted to know what method Qiu Yan was talking about.

However, upon returning to the manor, Qiu Yan merely instructed him to find some gardeners and craftsmen to transplant some plants from outside, and finally to invite farmers to transplant a few clumps of Principle Rice. Apart from that, he did nothing else.

"You mean, the Grand Minister of Agriculture only transplanted some plants and didn't do anything else?"

Later that evening, after hearing the report from his informant, Liang Kingdom looked displeased, feeling as if he had been fooled.

"Your Majesty, perhaps we should wait a little longer. Maybe the Grand Minister of Agriculture hasn't even made a move yet," Zhang Qin advised, seemingly with good intentions, but this only added fuel to the fire for the King of the Liang Kingdom.

"Why aren't you making a move? When are you planning to? Are these trivial matters more important than my orders?"

This anger, which had been suppressed for two days, finally erupted completely.

"Grand Minister of Agriculture! The King summons you to an audience immediately!"

Upon hearing the order from the palace, Qiu Yan nodded, then instructed his servants to load several large carts onto a carriage. He then went straight into the palace, only to be greeted by the gloomy face of the King of the Liang Kingdom.

This time, Zhang Qin was no longer alone in the main hall; the Three Dukes and Nine Ministers were present, along with many other officials.

As soon as Qiu Yan entered the hall, the ministers immediately began to whisper among themselves.

At the same time, Qiu Yan sensed the murderous intent emanating from the King of the Liang Kingdom, as well as the intense malice that filled the hall!