Chapter 530: Master Gao is up to something!

Chapter 530: Master Gao is up to something!

"Prime Minister, I know I have made a big mistake. Please forgive me! It was the King of Qin who summoned me to meet him and entrusted me with this matter. I had no intention of obeying him at the time. I was really in a dilemma! Fortunately, I thought of Lord Xiao He and reported the matter to him in detail."

"After listening to this, Lord Xiao He thought deeply about it, and then solemnly told me to do as the King of Qin ordered. I thought Lord Xiao He must have a deep meaning in saying this, so... so I boldly agreed to it."

At this moment, Xue Ye's heart was like fifteen buckets of water being drawn - up and down, extremely uneasy. Just now, Gao Yao was smiling and looked pleasant, but in the blink of an eye, his expression suddenly changed, and he looked so gloomy that it seemed like water could drip out.

"Forget it, get up! Hurry back to the city!" Gao Yao hesitated for a moment, and finally asked Xue Ye to stand up and continue on the road back to the city. After all, since even Xiao He had instructed Xue Ye to act according to the King of Qin's instructions, there must be some reason or deep meaning behind it. With Gao Yao's insight and strategy, he naturally would not pursue or care too much at this moment.

Gao Yao also keenly noticed something interesting from Xue Ye's words. Logically speaking, if Xue Ye wanted to report this matter, whether he reported it to the wise and brave Han Xin or the resourceful Cao Shen, it would be reasonable and logical.

Unexpectedly, he finally chose to report the matter to Xiao He. Just these few simple words made the meticulous Gao Yao immediately understand a key piece of information: it turned out that this seemingly ordinary Xue Ye actually had someone he wanted to rely on secretly.

Gao Yao could not say that he completely agreed with this, but he was definitely not opposed to it either. After all, he was very clear in his mind and knew that the phenomenon of the so-called "community of interests" was difficult to eradicate in a feudal society with strict hierarchy, and even in modern society, such situations were still common.

People often come together for various interests, or because of their high trust and recognition of someone, they go to him without hesitation. This is an eternal and unchanging feature of human beings as social animals. Therefore, even Gao Yao is helpless in the face of such a situation.

This situation is just like the large-scale and complex companies in later generations. Each company is divided into many different departments, and it is inevitable that there will be open and covert struggles and intrigues between these departments. It is common for employees to occasionally discuss the pros and cons of their boss in private. There are always some colleagues who have good relationships, some colleagues who have bad relationships, and some competitors.

This does not mean that these employees are incapable or not working hard enough. It is just that they instinctively want to stick together to gain more benefits for themselves. There is no right or wrong in this.

As Gao Yao slowly approached the towering city, a lively scene appeared outside the city gate. Many officials from the southern border had been waiting for a long time. They stood in a uniform manner on both sides of the city gate with solemn and dignified expressions.

The one in the center of this group of officials was undoubtedly Gongzi Gao. His gorgeous clothes showed his extraordinary temperament. When Gao Yao saw the increasing number of people, including many ordinary people who came to watch, he couldn't help but smile.

Just before he arrived in front of Gongzi Gao, Gao Yao, who was originally riding majestically on horseback, knew that he had to dismount and walk to show respect. After all, in front of so many people, some basic etiquette and superficial skills were still indispensable. So, he turned over and dismounted neatly, and walked steadily forward.

"Meet the Prime Minister!" As Gao Yao's feet touched the ground, the officials waiting there immediately shouted in unison, their voices loud and uniform, as if they had practiced countless times. Then, they all bowed and saluted Gao Yao.

After everyone finished their greetings, Gongzi Gao quickly took a few steps forward and came in front of Gao Yao.

Seeing this, Gao Yao had no choice but to clasp his hands together, bow slightly and say: "Your Highness, Gao Yao, pays respect to the King of Qin!"

At the same time, he clasped his fists and saluted Gongzi Gao. Although he no longer needed to salute anyone with his current status, he still needed Gongzi Gao, so some basic etiquette was necessary.

Seeing Gao Yao so respectful and humble, Gongzi Gao was very satisfied. He quickly reached out and helped Gao Yao up, saying with a smile: "Prime Minister, you have worked hard and made great contributions. Please come with me in the carriage and enter the city!"

Gongzi Gao walked towards Gao Yao with a smile on his face, and his enthusiasm seemed to ignite the air around him. When he came to Gao Yao's side, he stretched out his hands without hesitation and personally invited Gao Yao to ride in the same carriage with him.

It should be noted that during this period, there were very strict regulations on the use of carriages! The so-called "the emperor drove six, the princes drove five, the ministers drove four, the officials drove three, the scholars drove two, and the common people drove one", and the number of carriages that each level of person could ride was clearly limited.

If anyone dared to violate these rules and sit in a higher-level carriage, it would be considered an act of treason and usurpation; but if one sat in less, it would be regarded as lowering one's status and being ignorant of etiquette.

In ancient cities, due to their limited geographical scope, the streets in the city were naturally not as wide as modern roads. As a result, two carriages often met on the street. Whenever this happened, people only needed to look at the number of horses on the other carriage to instantly judge the other party's status and decide who should take the initiative to give way.

But at this moment, Gongzi Gao's actions really surprised Gao Yao. Should I say that he was flattered? Not really, after all, everything Gongzi Gao has now is almost all thanks to Gao Yao. But Gongzi Gao's actions today seemed a little wrong no matter how I looked at it!

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Although he was very confused, on the surface, Gao Yao still accepted Gongzi Gao's advice. This was in the southern border, and Gao Yao didn't think the other party could make any waves. He was really curious. He suggested that Xue Ye go out of the city three miles to meet him, and he led all the officials to come out to meet him in person. Now he even invited him to ride in the same carriage. Now he just wanted to see what Gongzi Gao was holding back.