"Master, ever since you revealed the true identity of Crown Prince Xue Qinghe to me, I've been working on our subsequent plans. We need a legitimate status to get involved in the affairs of the Heaven Dou Empire."
"We can use Xue Qinghe's own plan against him. Just when his scheme is about to succeed, we'll sabotage it—but don't kill him. Let him remain in the palace. He can still serve our purposes, such as helping us wipe out the entire Heaven Dou royal family before we turn our focus to the Spirit Hall!" Xun Yu's voice was icy cold.
Nan Feihuang felt a chill down his spine. Xun Yu's plan—it mirrored Qian Renxue's original method from the canon. When her coup failed, she slaughtered almost all of the Heaven Dou royal family. If not for Xue Beng being with Tang San and Xue Ke at Yue Xuan, the Heaven Dou bloodline would have been eradicated.
"You want to use someone else's blade to kill, then have me, as the Prince Consort of the Heaven Dou Empire, command it?" Nan Feihuang realized what Xun Yu had in mind for the future.
"Exactly, Master. The current world stands divided between the Heaven Dou and Star Luo Empires, with the Spirit Hall looming above them both. If Star Luo can be described as brutal, then Heaven Dou is undeniably corrupt. Emperor Xue Ye, while a competent ruler, is too lenient, bordering on foolish. Crown Prince Xue Qinghe, though wise, is actually an imposter from the Spirit Hall. Prince Xue Xing is infamous for his lechery, and as for Prince Xue Beng, even though his debauchery is an act, his bad reputation is well-established throughout the land."
"With such people, how can they be worthy of ruling such a vast empire?"
"Once the Heaven Dou royal family is wiped out with the help of the Spirit Hall, only Princess Xue Ke's bloodline should be spared. Whether she wants the throne or not, she'll have no choice but to take it. As her husband, you will naturally govern the empire in her name, just like my former master did—ruling in the emperor's stead. From there, you can employ the strategy of distant alliances and nearby conquests, uniting the four great kingdoms as quickly as possible. Only then can we contend with the Spirit Hall and the Star Luo Empire for supremacy!"
"The Heaven Dou Empire is practically being handed to you on a silver platter, Master. It's like the wind giving wings to a great banner, or a sword sliding into its sheath. How could you not seize this opportunity? And as for Princess Xue Ke, how could you not marry her?"
Nan Feihuang chuckled, "Heh, as they say, listening to you is like savoring fine wine. Every word you speak hits home. I will firmly remember this strategy you've laid out for me today and carry it through to the end. From now on, I'll be counting on your guidance, sir."
"To have my strategy recognized by you is my honor, Master," Xun Yu said, bowing deeply. "However, Master, if I may make a small request... could you practice saying my name correctly? It's cursed how people keep mispronouncing it."
"Uh... I'll try my best! How about I just call you 'Wen Ruo' for now?" Nan Feihuang suggested awkwardly.
In fact, Xun Yu did have a courtesy name: Wen Ruo. Although this world of Douluo didn't follow such customs, it didn't stop Nan Feihuang from using it to dodge the curse of mispronouncing Xun Yu's name.
"That works, Master. One more thing, though—it's about your safety. You possess the body of a demonic god, one that thrives in battle. Locking yourself away in seclusion isn't suitable for you. You're destined to shine brightly across the continent, your brilliance inevitably drawing the jealousy of others. There will be those who will want to crush you before you can fully grow. That's why I suggest you approach Qian Renxue—play the role of her devoted admirer. Princess Xue Ke is the perfect entry point; rumor has it that she's Xue Qinghe's biggest fan."
"You want me to use her to shield myself from the Spirit Hall and other assassination attempts?" Nan Feihuang understood instantly.
Xun Yu nodded, "Precisely, Master. According to our plan, once the Queen attains the rank of Titled Douluo, her protection will be more than enough to fend off minor threats. Your real enemies will be the Spirit Hall and the three great sects. The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan is less of a concern since Yu Yuanzhen is a righteous man, and under his leadership, they've reduced their involvement in such matters. Plus, they don't meddle in politics, so they're not much of a threat."
"As for the Clear Sky Clan, they've already gone into hiding. That leaves the Spirit Hall and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan as your main concerns."
"The tricky part is Qian Renxue's dual identities. On the surface, Xue Qinghe is the Crown Prince of Heaven Dou and Ning Fengzhi's disciple. By building a good relationship with this identity, Ning Fengzhi won't have any reason to turn against you. After all, you two have no conflicting interests, and you're both supporting the same person. The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan won't go out of their way to offend someone for no gain."
"As for Qian Renxue's hidden identity, Master, you need to follow Xue Ke's example. Show her that your admiration is for her, not for her position as Crown Prince. Whether she's Xue Qinghe or not, your respect for her should remain the same. This way, she'll likely try to brainwash you into becoming her loyal follower. Given your young age, now is the perfect time for her to attempt such a thing. The Spirit Hall has long had its eyes on the Gulei Kingdom. Winning you over would be like gaining the kingdom itself. Once that happens, Qian Renxue will no longer allow the Spirit Hall to harm you."
"By the time she realizes something's off, you'll have grown strong enough that even she won't be able to touch you."
Nan Feihuang's expression was complicated. "Wow, Wen Ruo, you're truly something else. You're basically asking me to manipulate and PUA Qian Renxue until, when she's no longer useful, I can just toss her aside with a 'This woman's outlived her purpose!' Right?"
This method was underhanded, to say the least. But then again, advisors always had dirty minds. Still, he agreed. After all, he wasn't exactly a good person either.
Who would've guessed that in this small, quiet night, inside a room with two children—both seemingly six years old—a plan was being formed that would one day stir an unimaginable storm across the Douluo Continent.
A few days later, Nan Tianchen returned.
Events had largely unfolded as Xun Yu had predicted.
He had gone to the Heaven Dou Empire under the pretext of meeting Emperor Xue Ye to discuss next year's grain supply. In recent years, the Gulei Kingdom, under his governance, had seen a steady rise in food production thanks to favorable weather.
Given that the population and army of the Gulei Kingdom weren't vast, much of the surplus grain would have gone to waste.
So, he proposed to Emperor Xue Ye that aside from the tribute, he'd be willing to supply an additional forty percent of their grain next year. Ten percent would be a free gift, and the remaining thirty percent would be sold to Heaven Dou at half the market price.
Of course, Emperor Xue Ye happily agreed, welcoming Nan Tianchen with open arms and even hosting him in the Heaven Dou Palace for several days.
During his stay, Nan Tianchen visited the various influential factions around the capital, including the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan.
Just as Xun Yu had said, he praised Ning Rongrong's cuteness in front of Ning Fengzhi and subtly hinted at a potential union between their families—though he stopped short of saying it outright.
Ning Fengzhi, being no fool, quickly caught on and politely declined, leaving Nan Tianchen rather embarrassed.
Nan Tianchen had been somewhat confident going in, knowing full well the potential of his wife's bloodline. He couldn't understand why Ning Fengzhi would reject the idea of a marriage alliance with a future Titled Douluo. Did Ning Fengzhi think his clan already had too many Titled Douluo? But the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan only had two.
Plus, Ning Fengzhi had no shortage of heirs. Marrying off a daughter to a kingdom could only bring more benefits.
Clearly, Nan Tianchen had underestimated Ning Fengzhi's fatherly protectiveness.
Where Nan Tianchen prioritized sons over daughters, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, from top to bottom, was the opposite—daughters were treasured far more.
Defeated, Nan Tianchen left, thankful that he had tested the waters with Ning Fengzhi first instead of boldly proposing marriage.
Had Emperor Xue Ye caught wind of it, he might have reconsidered allowing the marriage between Xue Ke and Nan Feihuang.
When it came to Xue Ye, however, Nan Tianchen didn't use such roundabout tactics. Instead, he presented generous gifts and made a direct marriage proposal.
He had been somewhat confident that Ning Fengzhi would agree, but when it came to Xue Ye, he was practically certain of success.
After all, the Heaven Dou Empire was in desperate need of Titled Douluo.
Sure enough, when Xue Ye learned that Nan Feihuang's innate soul power was already at the peak of level eight, and that he had inherited his mother's top-tier Tool Spirit, he was delighted.
With such talent and status, and with the future support of Lan Xue, a soon-to-be Titled Douluo, Nan Feihuang was more than qualified to be a match for Princess Xue Ke.
If Xue Ke could become the Queen of the Gulei Kingdom in the future, it would bring significant benefits to the Heaven Dou Empire as well.
With such clear advantages, how could Xue Ye refuse? He accepted the betrothal gifts on the spot and agreed to the marriage.
However, since both children were still very young, only five or six years old, it was decided that they would remain engaged until they graduated from the academy. The wedding would take place after the All-Continent Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament.
All in all, Nan Tianchen was quite satisfied with his trip to the Heaven Dou Empire.
Nan Feihuang couldn't help but wonder if Xun Yu had placed a tracker on his father. Everything Nan Tianchen had done was exactly as Xun Yu had predicted.
The strategists of the Three Kingdoms era were truly remarkable.
If Xun Yu was already this impressive, what must figures like Zhuge Liang, Sima Yi, Zhou Yu, Guo Jia, and Pang Tong have been like?
And advising wasn't even Xun Yu's strongest skill. His real talents lay in internal affairs and logistics.
Of the three people Nan Feihuang had brought with him, while Dian Wei was the strongest and Lü Lingqi the most beautiful, Xun Yu was undoubtedly the most valuable.
Following Xun Yu's instructions, Nan Feihuang showed no signs of dissatisfaction with his engagement to Xue Ke and simply thanked his father for arranging it.
Given Xue Ke's position, she was certainly a useful asset for Nan Feihuang's future plans. In fact, his next scheme could make good use of her.
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