Venerated Venomous Consort

On the whole, the war and discord during the rule of the imposter had ended, and everything had progressed toward the better. In three to five years, the mainland might be able to be restored to its former glory.

Of course, the catastrophic impact left by the fake Celestial Master Zuo was too significant and broke the original “three kingdoms” dynamic; now, the only Feixing Kingdom and the Zhaoyang Kingdom remained.

As known to all, triangles are the strongest and most stable among all shapes. The Feixing Kingdom and the Zhaoyang Kingdom waged war against each other for several years with cold malice. The two nations had annexed the Haoyue Kingdom and were now eyeing each other, wanting to devour the other. Although nothing much developed between the borders of the two countries, skirmishes still broke out from time to time.

If this continues, it would only be a matter of time before the two nations cross swords with each other. When that happens, the citizens of both kingdoms will face a harrowing calamity. Even when one side emerges victorious and the reunification of the mainland becomes complete, the masses would only enjoy the little benefit.

Life springs from sorrow and calamity; death comes from ease and pleasure[1]. Once the nation is without any competitor, it is only natural for it to deteriorate into decay and ruin. Therefore, the “three kingdoms” dynamic is the best method to preserve the stability of the mainland; with the presence of three kingdoms, they would be able to keep each other in check and maintain the power balance. It is because of this that Di Fuyi decided to rebuild the Haoyue Kingdom.

Of course, Haoyue Kingdom’s royal family had already been executed in the war before without a single child remaining. If Di Fuyi wanted to rebuild the Haoyue Kingdom, he had to support a new royal family. The four messengers’ mission was to identify a suitable successor among the kingdom’s royal descendants. This successor must be well connected, charismatic, prestigious, and capable of gaining popular support in a short time.

Mu Feng reported to Di Fuyi each of the descendants’ conditions with detailed and thorough analysis. Overall, there were only a few among the descendants of the royal family who were of any substance and even fewer who were fit to be king. Each of them had their flaws. Either their personality was unsuited for the position, or they lacked prestige and connections.

Di Fuyi listened to him in silence. It was only after a moment’s pause that he asked Mu Feng, “What about Qian Lingyu?”

Mu Feng startled; he finally remembered this person. After a quick pondering, his eyes brightened up. “This brat has indeed become quite composed in these eight years. The Qian family has always been a prestigious family that enjoyed popular support, possess a large circle of friends and wide connections with other reputable families in the nation. As Qian Lingyu is the rightful son of the first wife of the Qian family and is from Tianju Hall as well, he harbors the vital qualities of popularity, prestige, and prowess. However, he should have graduated long ago. He always treated Tianju Hall as his home and has neither the desire to return to his family nor the ambition for conquest and power…”

Di Fuyi remarked, “All that he’s missing is motivation.”

Mu Feng failed to understand what Di Fuyi was saying. “Please enlighten me on your previous comment.”

“Why would he want to stay at Tianju Hall instead of leaving?”

Mu Feng’s heart missed a beat. He took a glimpse at his master, not daring to reply.

“There’s no need to falter. Just spit the truth!”

Mu Feng responded, “He still hasn’t given up on Gu Xijiu yet. The only reason he’s staying there is to wait for her eventual return…”

Di Fuyi looked at Mu Feng with a shadow of a smile. “You seem to know him well.”

Mu Feng gave a chuckle or two. “That brat still doesn’t know that you’ve already entered into an engagement with her, or else he would have given up a long time ago…” Mu Feng then pondered for a while before continuing, “Should I state explicitly to him that Gu Xijiu already belongs to you so that he may give up on her?”

Di Fuyi shook his head. “I have already left Gu Xijiu. From today onward, she and I have no relation whatsoever. Whoever she marries in the future is none of my concern.