With just a few words, Fan Li managed to defuse the opponent's attempt to sow discord. Crown Prince Wanli maintained his smile, but his eyes turned colder.
In truth, he was testing the waters. His initial objective was to gauge the strength of his competitors. Now, he had a clearer understanding.
Sage Ruler Jin De, whom he had been most worried about, possessed Great Vehicle Realm cultivation but was simple-minded. Zhuge Liang, Guo Jia, and Zhou Yu, as rumored, were all brilliant strategists with unwavering determination.
Only Fan Li... seemed even more cunning than the rumors suggested.
"Teacher," Crown Prince Wanli said softly.
From behind him, a middle-aged man dressed in Confucian robes stepped forward. Though he wasn't wearing the official attire of the Great Ming, his long beard and moustache were easily recognizable – it was Zhang Juzheng.
"What is it, Your Highness?" Zhang Juzheng bowed slightly. He had been the Crown Prince's tutor, responsible for guiding Wanli in the cultivation of Confucianism, hence their teacher-student relationship.
"Teacher, do you think it's possible for me to win over Fan Li?" Crown Prince Wanli inquired.
Zhang Juzheng's eyes widened in surprise! The Great Ming, on the surface, remained the strongest nation in the world, but its court was filled with Yan Song's faction, corrupt and stagnant.
When Crown Prince Wanli ascended the throne, it would inevitably lead to a change in personnel, with Yan Song's faction being purged. At that time, countless official positions would be vacated, waiting to be filled by newcomers.
Especially within the Grand Secretariat, and most importantly, the position of Grand Secretary!
Zhang Juzheng lamented inwardly. 'Why did the Crown Prince develop an admiration for Fan Li upon their first meeting?'
]Remember during the Three Emperors Summit, His Majesty also attempted to recruit Fan Li, promising him a position within the Grand Secretariat.
I have diligently served the Great Ming for decades, finally climbing into the Grand Secretariat, only to be at the bottom, serving tea and water to Yan Song and Teacher Xu every day.
What makes Fan Li so special that he has gained the favor of two generations of Great Ming emperors?'
It wasn't that Zhang Juzheng was narrow-minded, but after decades of hardship in the Great Ming's officialdom, the official rank and status he had finally earned were readily available to Fan Li?
How could he not feel depressed and aggrieved?
"Teacher, why are you silent? Could it be that you doubt my ability to subdue Fan Li?" Crown Prince Wanli chuckled. "Don't forget, Teacher, before I left the capital, both the Grand Secretary and the Assistant Grand Secretary wrote me letters of allegiance."
Yan Song and Xu Jie had indeed submitted letters of allegiance, handwritten by themselves.
However, Zhang Juzheng shook his head helplessly. The Crown Prince before him was indeed a born Emperor with exceptional talent, but he had one major flaw: arrogance!
With the Jiajing Emperor's cultivation level, he would undoubtedly break through to the Tribulation Crossing Realm within a hundred years. Once he did, regardless of success or failure, the Great Ming's throne would be passed on to Crown Prince Wanli.
The two Grand Secretaries secretly writing him letters of allegiance was merely a basic maneuver. Yet, Wanli interpreted it as his own charisma, his confidence inflated.
"Whoever the Crown Prince wishes to recruit, it should not be a problem." Zhang Juzheng, not fond of flattery, offered a small compliment before changing his tone.
"But please do not forget, Your Highness, the 'Farewell to Arms Memorial' that I read to you, written by Fan Li..."
Hearing the words 'Farewell to Arms Memorial,' Crown Prince Wanli fell silent.
Someone who could write such a heartfelt and courageous piece clearly possessed unwavering loyalty. How could they be expected to betray their master and join the enemy?
Crown Prince Wanli finally put away his confident smile. He looked towards Fan Li in the distance and said with regret, "It's a pity that he cannot be used by me. This Mount Yunmeng before us shall be his final resting place."
Zhang Juzheng gasped! The Emperor's heart was truly cold and ruthless. He had just considered recruiting Fan Li, and now he already harbored murderous intent?
"Yes," Zhang Juzheng could only lament, but he would never dissuade the Crown Prince.
Even he believed that Fan Li's death was for the best. Otherwise, once the Great Ming unified the world, if Fan Li were to be given a position of power, wouldn't it create another rival for him?
***
Boom~~~~~!!!
Suddenly, Mount Yunmeng let out a loud rumble, the earth trembled, startling countless birds and beasts.
Originally, Mount Yunmeng was shrouded in mist. Now, people could see that the silky white mist was actually a barrier.
At the southern foot of the mountain where the crowd had gathered, the mist dispersed slightly, revealing a winding mountain path.
From the depths of the mountain, singing could be heard. Moments later, an old scholar appeared, singing as he approached.
"The heavens and earth shift and change, fire is about to die, the great building will collapse, one pillar cannot hold."
"In ancient times, there were virtuous men who sought to serve wise rulers, yet wise rulers who sought virtuous men knew not of me~~~~~~~~~~~~~~!"
Everyone who heard the song had their own thoughts.
Zhuge Liang chuckled, "What a song of seeking a wise ruler, filled with the ambition to turn the tide, quite commendable."
Guo Jia also laughed, " Lofty aspirations require genuine talent and ability."
Zhou Yu agreed, "Composing a song is easy, but supporting the nation is difficult. This person may have great ambitions, but he may not have truly experienced the hardship of being the sole pillar. Anyway, I'm not in the mood for singing."
After the three finished speaking, they looked at each other, feeling a sense of camaraderie.
Fan Li recognized the approaching figure, and his expression gradually turned strange. "It's actually this guy?"
"Look, Teacher!" Crown Prince Wanli excitedly pointed at the old scholar. "Could he be Guiguzi, descending the mountain to pledge his allegiance now that he knows I have personally come to Mount Yunmeng?"
The corners of Zhang Juzheng's mouth twitched. How could that be possible?
Who was Guiguzi?
Back then, the first Guiguzi rejected the recruitment offers of the founding emperors of Chu, Han, and Ming, breaking through his cultivation realm and ascending to the immortal realm. This spoke volumes about his character.
The Guigu lineage had always been passed down through a single successor. Even if this generation's Guiguzi was not as capable, he wouldn't resort to singing self-promotion, as if desperate for attention.
"Your Highness, I sense a strong desire for official positions in his singing," Zhang Juzheng reminded him in a low voice. "Would Guiguzi be someone who covets fame, fortune, and official ranks?"
"So, he's not Guiguzi?" Crown Prince Wanli came to his senses, feeling like he had been played by the singing scholar. His expression instantly turned sour.
The person approaching was indeed not Guiguzi. He was Cheng Yichuan.
Master Yichuan had returned to Mount Yunmeng in a sorry state. Although he had met his teacher, Guiguzi, he had been ordered to guard the mountain gate and open it for the emissaries from various nations once they gathered.
"I finally managed to become a Great Confucian, and my teacher only wants me to be a gatekeeper? Mount Yunmeng is not a place to stay for long. I'll compose a song to let the emissaries witness my talent."
Master Yichuan's thoughts were quite optimistic. He expected these various forces to extend olive branches to him once he stepped out of the mist barrier. However, dreams were beautiful, reality was cruel.
Master Yichuan was surprised to find that the song he had painstakingly composed, with rhyming verses and a catchy melody, seemed to be unappreciated?
The emissaries from Wei, Han, and Wu only glanced at him briefly before looking away.
On the Great Ming's side, a massive procession of thousands of people was led by a young man in bright yellow attire, clearly of the Zhu family's lineage, yet he glared at him with a look of resentment?!
"Strange… I have traveled and studied for many years, but I have never been to the Great Ming, nor have I offended any of its nobles. This person, whether a prince or a king, seems to have some misunderstanding towards me?
Forget it, forget it. If the Great Ming doesn't want me, I'll simply serve another power... Eh???" Master Yichuan finally noticed a familiar figure.
Fan Li, Duke Jin of the Great Chu, was looking at him with an expression as if appreciating a monkey show.