Sheng Fu

Chapter 1072 A Man Cannot Be Without Strategy

Demon realm.

Deep within the royal palace, in the Daoist temple, the Queen of the Demon Realm sat cross-legged, focusing her energy and cultivating silently.

The weak fluctuations of Netherworld True Essence covered the entire palace.

Outside the dojo, only Qingyu remained to guard it.

The entire dojo was extremely quiet; you could hear a pin drop, like the Dead Sea that had been silent for many years.

Suddenly, the space behind the Demon Queen distorted slightly, and Yuwen Jun arrived silently, spreading out his power of nothingness to form a small field.

Upon seeing Yuwen Jun's arrival, the Demon Queen instinctively reached out to serve tea and water, but Yuwen Jun waved his hand slightly and said, "Have you noticed anything unusual these past few days?"

Upon hearing this, Guangli replied with an embarrassed expression, "I am already so weak, and the restrictions are only in the vicinity of my dojo. The rest of the palace is still freely accessible to members of the Tianhu clan."

"As for matters of state, large and small, they have all been handed over to Zun Hong to handle."

"I've been waiting patiently, but the target hasn't appeared."

Upon hearing this, Yuwen Jun pondered for a moment and said, "All of this is too ordinary, so that spy will not easily show himself. In addition, you only have Qingyu protecting you. That spy is probably thinking whether Qingyu is a bait or just a decoration."

Upon hearing this, Guangli also muttered to herself, "Could it be that the spy is not from the Tianhu clan, but someone else?"

Yuwen Jun shook his head slightly and said, "No, the fact that the God Emperor can cultivate the Heavenly Nether Python is enough to prove that the God Emperor wants to cultivate a spy who can cultivate the Netherworld True Essence."

Upon further reflection, Guangli also agreed.

"Perhaps it's because most of the powerful beings in the Demon Realm are now near the capital, that spy was extremely wary and dared not make a move against me easily."

"However, if we transfer experts away from the capital, it will only make that spy more vigilant. This matter needs a very legitimate reason."

If this continues unchecked, the Demon Queen will likely feign illness for a long time.

In the long run, even the queen might not be able to remain calm.

Yuwen Jun thought for a moment and said, "Indeed, a legitimate reason is needed."

"I already have a plan in mind."

The Demon Queen's eyes lit up, and she asked impatiently, "How so?"

Yuwen Jun pondered and said, "There is only one way to get all the experts in the capital to come out: either the human race sends an envoy to order the nobles of the demon realm to go to the Black Mountain area to welcome them."

"Either the Spirit Clan sent an envoy to have the nobles of the Demon Realm go to the outskirts of Black Mountain to greet them."

"When an envoy visits, it must be with great fanfare."

"Now, the Demon Realm has recovered half of its territory. The remaining broken lands and rivers can be used as garrison grounds for either the human race or the spirit race. This would make the alliance between the human race, the demon race, and the spirit race even more solid."

Upon hearing this, Guangli's heart skipped a beat.

Allowing foreign troops to garrison within one's own territory is truly a humiliating act.

Moreover, Guangli was unable to quell public opinion within the Demon Realm.

Guangli said resolutely, "There is no need to station troops. Could we find a legitimate reason from the perspective of economic and trade matters? If I remember correctly, there are still many minerals in the ravaged land."

Upon hearing this, Yuwen Jun subconsciously asked, "Do you have any crystals?"

Guangli nodded and said, "Yes."

Yuwen Jun smiled and said, "Alright, I already have an idea."

"We can send the Human King Ping and the Spirit Clan Gu Cheng together to the ruined mountains and rivers of the Demon Realm to collect minerals, and at the same time, give the Demon Realm a generous reward."

"Although the Demon Realm has recovered half of its territory, it is still poor and weak. If we can give the Demon Realm a generous reward, we can silence the gossips about it."

"This move is a major plan that benefits the country and its people."

"After all, the remaining ravaged lands also occupy half of the Demon Realm."

"The Demon Realm has suffered several major wars, resulting in widespread devastation and a sharp decline in population. At this moment, it is only natural and reasonable for them to pull this stunt."

After careful consideration, Guangli said, "That's excellent."

"Although we signed an alliance with the human race and the spirit race before, the internal affairs of the demon realm were in turmoil at that time, and many matters were in disarray and could not be fully implemented."

"Why is it that your strategies are always superior to mine?"

Yuwen Jun smiled calmly and said, "It's not that my strategies are superior to yours, but that the risks I face are less than yours. You are too concerned and have too many thoughts, which inevitably leads to the predicament of having good plans but no decisive action."

The Queen of the Demon Realm smiled without saying a word, taking it as someone deliberately trying to comfort her.

Yuwen Jun slowly said, "For this matter, I must first have Gu Cheng of the Spirit Clan come to the capital of the Human Clan to meet His Majesty the Human Emperor, and then have His Majesty the Human Emperor send Prince Ping to complete this matter together."

"Let's spread the word first."

"Afterwards, I will have Prince Ping and Gu Cheng personally write a memorial and send it to the capital by messenger. Then you, dragging your exhausted body, will personally review it with your vermilion brush."

"In this way, a complete set of rules can be formed."

"However, you must be careful in the next few days. I'm afraid that the spy might launch a surprise attack on you when no one expects it. The spy may also be armed with divine weapons bestowed by the God Emperor himself, and may also have a certain amount of primordial true essence hidden in his body."

The Queen of the Demon Realm nodded emphatically.

Yuwen Jun stood up, stretched, and said, "In that case, I'll take my leave first."

Guangli glanced at Yuwen Jun, smiled and nodded. In fact, she hoped that Yuwen Jun could stay and spend more time with her, but at this moment, she could only watch Yuwen Jun leave.

Although she was a queen, she was still a woman after all.

Even a woman should not let a man see her vulnerability at this time.

……

The next day, in the morning.

In the capital, a light drizzle fell today, and the distant mountains were shrouded in dark clouds, suggesting a downpour was imminent.

In the palace of the king.

After arriving at this mansion, Yuwen Jun enjoyed a brief period of comfort and happiness.

Dancers sway gracefully, and the aroma of wine fills the air.

Yuwen Jun had intended to visit the Prime Minister, but considering that the Prime Minister was busy with official duties and had many things on his mind, he couldn't bear to disturb Qiu Qing's peace of mind.

Even knowing that Qiu Qing wanted to sacrifice herself to ensure the implementation of the new policies, Yuwen Jun was still thinking about how to prevent Qiu Qing from dying and thus ensure the policies were implemented. At that moment, a familiar figure appeared at the gate of the King's Mansion.

The middle-aged man was dressed in a python robe and jade belt. His facial features were soft. Compared with previous years, he had lost some of his handsomeness and gained more of his composure and steadiness.

King Ping has arrived.

The person who opened the door to greet him was Qu Li. Even though the two had been master and servant for a long time, Qu Li was never lacking in manners and still bowed to King Ping very seriously.

When King Ping saw Qu Li's appearance, he smiled inexplicably and said, "Thank you for leading the way."

Qu Li did not understand his meaning at first, but calmly replied, "This is my duty."

When Yuwen Jun was still studying at Bailu Academy, Prince Ping was Qu Li's master, and he is still Qu Li's master now. However, Qu Li now has two masters, one in the open and one in the shadows.

Back then, if Yuwen Jun wanted to see Prince Ping, she had to inform him in advance.

Now, whether Prince Ping can see Yuwen Jun depends entirely on whether Yuwen Jun needs him.

The shift in stance also made King Ping realize that many, many things could happen in less than ten years.

The rise of a talented individual always catches people off guard and is extremely sudden.

Shortly afterward, King Ping entered the inner hall.

Amidst the revelry and the fragrance of ripe fruits, Yuwen Jun leaned back in his chair, two beautiful maids massaging his shoulders behind him. He seemed to be enjoying the peaceful and prosperous world all by himself, which looked rather irritating.

Unfortunately, Prince Ping was no match for Yuwen Jun.

Upon seeing Prince Ping's arrival, Yuwen Jun did not rise to greet him, but simply waved his hand and said, "Please take a seat."

King Ping smiled helplessly and sat down next to Yuwen Jun. A maidservant quickly served him tea.

Then, at Qu Li's prompting, the dancers in the inner hall slowly left, leaving only Yuwen Jun and Prince Ping in the entire inner hall.

"Was it that when we first met, you looked down on me and disdained to bow to me? But at that time, you were not yet successful, so you had no choice but to bow to me against your will?" After everyone left, Prince Ping asked Yuwen Jun with a smile the question he most wanted to ask.

Upon hearing this, Yuwen Jun glanced at Prince Ping without taking it to heart and calmly replied, "You do lack some talent and strategy, but you have never made a mistake. When I first met you, I was still a boy."

“If a young man observes proper etiquette and is not timid in front of important figures, he has already lived up to the spirit of youth.”

Upon hearing this response, King Ping could only sigh inwardly. In previous years, he could still look up to Yuwen Jun, but now, he probably no longer even had the right to look up to him.

However, King Ping was not hurt. At this time, having the opportunity to work with Yuwen Jun meant that he would have the chance to leave his own page in the history books.

"What brings you here today?" King Ping asked bluntly.

The reason for being direct was that Prince Ping knew that Yuwen Jun had always been a person who liked to get straight to the point.

Yuwen Jun picked up his teacup, pretending to clink glasses with Prince Ping, and then slowly said, "The Demon Realm has recovered half of its territory. I plan to have the human and spirit races join forces to explore the remaining half of the Demon Realm, explore for minerals, and develop trade. You will represent the human race, and Gu Cheng will represent the spirit race."

"And since you have been in charge of trade between humans and spirits, this is the most suitable job for you."

"Gu Cheng is a powerful expert of the Wuji level and the second sect master of the Yixi Sect. He carries considerable weight."

"I will meet with you in advance, and then I will write to His Majesty the Emperor to ask him to approve this matter."

"The Demon Realm has indeed signed an alliance with the Human Race and the Spirit Race and started exchanges, but so far, these are all small-scale agreements. A major event is needed to strengthen the alliance of the three races."

"I wonder what you think?"

King Ping put down his teacup and pondered, "The trade with the Spirit Clan alone has already kept me busy with government affairs. Now I also have to find time to go to the Demon Realm. I'm afraid I won't be able to handle it all."

"However, I can recommend someone to you regarding this matter."

Yuwen Jun was taken aback, not expecting the Prince of Ping to respond in this way.

On second thought, the trade between humans and spirits has become increasingly mature and has many forms. It is understandable that Prince Ping, who is not particularly talented, is too busy to handle everything at once.

"Who is the person you recommended?" Yuwen Jun asked with a curious expression.

Prince Ping's eyes gradually hardened, and he said with confidence, "Princess Qianling is a descendant of the royal family, and she is becoming more and more composed, with a strong desire to make great achievements."

"Her going to the Demon Realm will only make the people of the Demon Realm feel more valued."

Upon hearing that it was Qianling, Yuwen Jun immediately chuckled and said, "But she is still young and not very experienced in handling government affairs. In addition, the devastated state of the Demon Realm may not be able to support Princess Qianling's exquisite lifestyle."

King Ping, however, said with a confident expression, "That is not true. A person who is determined to make a name for himself can endure any hardship."

Yuwen Jun rolled his eyes, but upon closer reflection, Qianling was indeed qualified to do these things.

"Shall I go to the palace now and explain this to His Majesty?" Prince Ping asked tentatively in a low voice.

Yuwen Jun reached out his hand, and a memorial flew over from the desk not far away.

"I'll also deliver this memorial to His Majesty. I won't go to the palace. Once you've discussed it, you can have Qianling come directly to me," Yuwen Jun said.

Upon seeing this, King Ping frowned slightly, feeling that Yuwen Jun's actions were somewhat arrogant.

Leaving aside his arrogance in other places, his continued arrogance even under the Emperor's nose inevitably made Prince Ping harbor some resentment towards Yuwen Jun.

However, Prince Ping did not express his dissatisfaction directly. Instead, he accepted the memorial with both hands and said in a slightly sarcastic tone, "So this time I came to the capital to indulge my feelings."

Yuwen Jun raised an eyebrow slightly, naturally understanding the implied meaning in Prince Ping's words.

"You've always been the one to pay the salaries of everyone in this King's Palace, but I rarely come here to relax. I can't just let them collect their salaries for nothing while I enjoy a life of leisure. If that were the case, wouldn't all your hard work have been in vain?"

King Ping was speechless for a moment, so he could only get up, bow, and leave.

Watching Prince Ping's departing figure, Yuwen Jun felt little emotion. He was Prince Ping then, and he is still Prince Ping now. However, deep down, Yuwen Jun still admired this Prince Ping.

This person makes no mistakes, is quite sensible, and is also very composed.

In fact, many things don't require exceptionally talented individuals to do; what's needed are down-to-earth people like King Ping to complete the tedious and routine tasks.

Inside the Imperial Study in the palace.

Li Hongshan has been away from the palace for quite some time now, and many people feel uneasy about the absence of the Grand Preceptor. Prince Ping is no exception.

"This is a memorial from Yuwen Jun. He wishes for me to join forces with Gu Cheng of the Ling Clan to mine resources and engage in trade in the damaged half of the Demon Realm. I am currently too busy to do so, so I have declined and have recommended Prince Qianling instead." Prince Ping bowed deeply and presented the memorial with both hands.

The moment the Emperor took the memorial, he saw a hint of ferocity flash across Prince Ping's brows. Amused, he asked with a smile, "Did Yuwen Jun give you a hard time? Or was he putting on airs?"

Upon hearing this, Prince Ping immediately knelt down and replied in a strong and resounding voice, "Your Majesty, Yuwen Jun is arrogant and even refuses to enter the palace to meet the Emperor. He continues to sing and dance incessantly in the Prince's residence. This behavior has offended the Emperor's majesty."

The Human Emperor chuckled and said, "Let him be. The Spirit Race and the Human Race cannot do without him in many matters. However, the fact that he invited you to the Human King's Palace is a sign that he thinks highly of you. You should remember this favor."

Upon hearing this, King Ping's eyes were filled with confusion, and after a moment, he belatedly sighed...