Under One Person: Starting from the Inheritance of Gods

Chapter 403 Let's set a small goal first: become the emperor!
"Still those four words: awaiting the changing times!"

"As for where and when that opportunity will come, I have no idea. It all depends on what that person decides!"

Fan Xian raised an eyebrow: "He'll be involved too?"

Chen Pingping said bluntly, "In fact, he is the one who started everything. By the way, before leaving Kyoto, don't forget to visit Zuixianju."

"There lies the last gift the Immortal of Poetry will give you!"

"What?" Fan Xian asked in confusion.

Chen Pingping said mysteriously, "You'll see when you get there. Anyway, it's not a bad thing!"

Fan Xian left with a heavy heart.

Just after Fan Xian left, Chen Pingping got up from his wheelchair, ran his hand over the armrest, and murmured to himself with a look of reminiscence in his eyes, "It's coming soon, that day is not far off!"

Nighttime at Zuixianju.

Contrary to Fan Xian's expectations, he thought Meng Fan's meeting with him would be more private, but the current lively scene left Fan Xian completely baffled.

Those who came were all prominent figures in the capital, including scholars, writers, and high-ranking officials.

"Oh, it's Master Fan!"

Xin Qiwu, the Minister of the Court of State Ceremonies, hurriedly stepped forward and pulled Fan Xian over to show his affection.

"What's going on?"

Xin Qiwu blinked: "Don't tease me. Isn't this poetry gathering of the Immortal of Poetry held to send off Lord Fan?"

"You really have a lot of face to offer. This is the 'Poet Immortal,' a person who is usually aloof and doesn't care about anyone. For him to personally see you off, you have quite the face!" Xin Qiwu gave a thumbs up.

"give me?"

Fan Xian was stunned for a moment.

He pushed through the crowd and finally spotted Meng Fan on the second floor.

"what happened?"

Fan Xian leaned closer and asked.

Meng Fan smiled and said, "To make you famous, you're about to leave the capital, so you should leave behind a legend before you go!"

"What do you mean?" Fan Xian raised an eyebrow.

"It's simple, I'll have you write a poem!"

"Li Bai could write a hundred poems after drinking a bucket of wine, and sleep in a tavern in Chang'an. The emperor summoned him, but he refused to board the boat, proclaiming himself a wine immortal," Meng Fan said calmly.

"You only wrote one poem before, 'Ascending to a Height,' which barely earned you some recognition. Today, I've invited so many guests, and the hall is filled with distinguished people. Your poetry is truly magnificent, like a dragon soaring and a phoenix rising. Scholar Meng, your mastery of poetry is unparalleled..."

"Pah, that's a complete misunderstanding. They just want to create a god or an immortal!"

Fan Xian's expression was strange, as if he vaguely guessed what Meng Fan was going to do: "Are you trying to make me emulate Li Bai?"

Meng Fan nodded: "Pushing you onto the altar is also to reduce obstacles for you in the future."

"After all, you are not legitimate right now. To gain legitimacy, you need to reveal your true identity to the world and also highlight your advantages."

"Besides you, Emperor Qing has four sons. The one who is actually ranked third is Crown Prince Li Chengqian, while you are slightly younger than the Crown Prince and should be ranked fourth according to the order of age."

"Exceptionally talented, exceptionally intelligent, fond of scholars and literature, skilled in cursive and clerical scripts, and possessing a vast collection of books—Will you play the script of Prince Wei, Li Tai?"

Upon hearing this, Fan Xian's expression grew even stranger, and he remarked, "Why do I have this feeling of returning to the Tang Dynasty?"

Meng Fan shook his head and said, "Actually, it's not wrong to compare Emperor Qing's sons to Li Shimin's princes. The eldest prince is comparable to Li Ke, and both were excluded from the list of heirs to the throne due to bloodline issues. The second prince should actually be Li Tai, and as for the third prince, guess who it is?"

"Could it be Li Zhi?"

"and many more!"

Fan Xian suddenly seemed to realize something as well, and immediately asked in return, "Don't tell me that Li Chengping ended up sitting on the throne?"

Meng Fan smiled meaningfully: "If I hadn't interfered, it would have been him, but now..."

"By the way, let me remind you, there are no truly naive or innocent people in the royal family!"

Upon hearing this, Fan Xian narrowed his eyes.

He wasn't very familiar with the Third Prince, but as the one who would eventually ascend the throne, it would be strange if he were a complete novice!

Then, Fan Xian couldn't help but sigh: "They're all so difficult to deal with!"

Meng Fan patted Fan Xian on the shoulder and said, "Don't think too much about it. Right now, you are actually the one with the most power in the court, but you just keep it hidden."

"Now, there's only one thing you need to do: go down, drink, and compose poetry!"

"Then, bearing the title of 'Poet Immortal,' go to the frontier to boost morale, kill enemies, and make meritorious contributions. During this time, you can also engage in a battle of wits with Princess Li Yunrui from afar. Who knows, Li Yunrui might betray Qing Kingdom and secretly collude with Northern Qi in order to kill you."

"At that time, after this victory, you will have Li Yunrui's weakness in your hands. When you return to the court, you will be full of youthful vigor and high spirits, riding high on success and with a bright future ahead. You will be accomplished in both civil and military affairs, and it would be best if you were even granted the title of Marquis of Champion. You will enjoy the highest honors and favors."

"Then the Second Prince and the Eldest Princess rebel, you lead troops to purge the court of corrupt officials, and then unexpectedly give Emperor Qing the Xuanwu Gate succession system, taking the opportunity to sweep away the disloyal ministers."

Finally, he donned the yellow robe and established his rule over the world!

Fan Xian looked exasperated. "Why does it feel like you've already planned everything for me?"

"So what do you think of this script design? Doesn't it sound like a male protagonist in a novel?" Meng Fan asked with a smile.

Fan Xian was silent for a moment, then suddenly laughed: "That sounds pretty cool, but the problem is, I'm not the protagonist, you are."

Meng Fan raised an eyebrow: "Oh?"

Fan Xian stared at him and slowly said, "From the moment you appeared in the capital, everything has been under your control. Whether it was the Second Prince's defeat, Chen Pingping's plan, or even Emperor Qing's arrangements, you seem to have seen through everything long ago."

"If I were to be compared to the male protagonist in a story, and you were the one who picks up the pen to write the book, you always give me the feeling that you seem to be detached from the world."

"And that thing you showed me before... uh, the Heaven and Earth Divine Scroll, right? It's not something that should exist in this world at all!"

"Now, can you tell me, the male protagonist in this story, your true identity?"

"I can't possibly be a character in a book and you're the author, can I?" Fan Xian said half-jokingly.

Meng Fan: "..."

Oh no, it seems like we've broken through the dimensional barrier!
Fan Xian is actually very smart, and he also has the wisdom of a modern person. He has always suspected that Meng Fan is not from this world at all.

At first, he thought Meng Fan came from the temple, otherwise he wouldn't know so many secrets and stories.

However, the few bits of information revealed by Meng Fan made Fan Xian doubt Meng Fan's origins again. True Qi could still be explained, and this world could be considered to be within the realm of technology.

However, the methods Meng Fan displayed, whether it was the Heaven and Earth Divine Talisman containing the essence of True Martial Dao or the instantaneous teleportation technique, had completely exceeded his comprehension.

Meng Fan gently swirled his wine glass, his gaze drifting into the distance: "Perhaps you can call me the Book Turner!"

Fan Xian: "?!!"

Meng Fan: "Haha, just kidding. You should know the saying that the three thousand worlds are as numerous as the sands of the Ganges, right?"

Fan Xian nodded in confusion.

Meng Fan stated frankly, "I come from outside this world, and this world is my target. Big fish eat little fish, and little fish eat shrimp. You can think of it as: hunting!"

Fan Xian's mind went blank for a moment, as if he couldn't quite process the sheer volume of information. After a long pause, he managed to speak with difficulty: "You mean, you want to devour the world I'm in right now?"

"Don't put it so harshly, it's about merging your world into my world, and then achieving common prosperity and strength."

"The world you are in now has no way out because of the temple's artificial intelligence, which is deliberately suppressing it."

"Whether in terms of technology or social culture, we will never reach the level of your previous life; we will only remain in this long ancient dynasty."

“Your mother wanted change, and your personality destined you to go down this path. The Qing Emperor’s imperial family may be the temporary root cause, but if the true root cause, the artificial intelligence in the temple, is not eliminated, even if you ascend the throne, you can only bring about a temporary liberation of thought.”

"It was destined to be a flash in the pan, just like... Wang Mang!"

"With your own strength alone, even with the help of Chen Pingping and others, you simply cannot break the deadlock."

Fan Xian guessed Meng Fan's meaning and, after a moment of silence, suddenly laughed and joked, "You've set your sights on this world, or to put it bluntly, you want to invade it. Should I say, 'Don't shoot, it's me!'"

Meng Fan understood Fan Xian's implied meaning and smiled calmly, "With my current strength, I could easily conquer them by force. However, because of your existence, I'm thinking of stopping for now."

"I?!"

"Is there anything special about me?" Fan Xian asked, puzzled.

Meng Fan withdrew his gaze and smiled slightly: "Every world has its own unique wonders, whether it's stories or people. I'll just consider myself an observer."

"While becoming stronger, we also appreciate these people and things, and are willing to give them a chance, and then take action at the end after they have accomplished their own brilliance."

"I'd say it's... a way of helping the other party succeed!"

“That’s how Yuan Tiangang is under my command.”

"Of course, sometimes I will intervene to try to make some imperfect endings more perfect and exciting, and to make the world a little more interesting."

"Interesting?" Fan Xian frowned.

Fan Xian chuckled, speechless: "So, I was just a game to you?"

“No,” Meng Fan shook his head, “you are my creation.”

Fan Xian narrowed his eyes: "A work?"

Meng Fan stood up, walked to the railing, looked down at the guests clinking glasses below, and said calmly, "Fan Xian, you have too many possibilities."

"You have the mindset of a modern person, and you also have a worldly identity. You can become a poet, a powerful minister, or even an emperor."

"And being emperor is just the first step I've set for you, or you could say the first small goal. Your future will be much broader, and what I want to see is just how far you can go."

Do you still remember that Heaven and Earth Divine Talisman?

"I'll consider this... the endpoint I've set for you for now!"

“Before attaining enlightenment, that person was the crown prince of Jing Le Kingdom. King Jing Le and Queen Shan Sheng conceived because of a dream of swallowing sunlight, which coincides with your identity.”

"So you made me practice the Nine Yang Divine Skill!"

Fan Xian remained silent for a long time before suddenly asking, "What if I don't want to follow your script?"

Meng Fan turned to look at him, his smile deepening: "Then I'll be even happier."

"why?"

"Because that means you're more interesting than I thought."

Fan Xian stared at him, then suddenly burst into laughter: "Fine! Since that's the case, then I'll play along with you to the very end!"

He grabbed the wine jug on the table, tilted his head back and took a big gulp, then strode downstairs.

"Everyone!" Fan Xian shouted, his voice drowning out the noisy crowd.

The guests stopped talking and looked at him.

Fan Xian raised the wine pot and said loudly, "I am deeply grateful to the immortal poet for hosting this banquet today! Since we are making friends through poetry, then I will make a fool of myself!"

Everyone cheered immediately.

Meng Fan stood on the second floor, quietly watching this scene, a slight smile playing on his lips.

"Have you not seen the Yellow River's waters come from the sky, rushing to the sea never to return—" Fan Xian's voice echoed within Zuixianju.

"I am born with talents that will be useful, and I will come back after all the money I have spent!"

His voice grew increasingly impassioned, as if he were about to unleash all the pent-up emotions he had accumulated during his time at the Kyoto government office.

"I'll sing you a song, please lend me your ear!"

The guests listened with rapt attention, some even clapping their hands in admiration.

Meng Fan clapped lightly and said in a low voice, "That's more like it."

He turned and walked into the shadows, his figure gradually disappearing into the darkness.

That night, Fan Xian composed 108 poems, each one a masterpiece. Inside Zuixianju, poems flowed like rain, and the aroma of wine filled the air.

The next day, the name of "Poet Immortal" Fan Xian spread throughout the capital.

While the whole city was buzzing with discussion, Fan Xian had already quietly left the capital and embarked on his journey to the frontier.

On the carriage, Fan Xian looked at the two calligraphy scrolls Meng Fan had given him and suddenly smiled.

"Jinlu Qu: A Heroic Farewell"

The desert winds are fierce!
Across the vast sky, eagles cry as the sun sets, and battle flags are as red as blood.

Ten thousand miles of yellow sand bury swords and spears; this journey is a resolute farewell for men. Let not the mournful sound of Yangguan Pass echo. Do not laugh at me, drunk in my golden goblet; await my return, my name will be inscribed in the Hall of Heroes.

Slay the enemy's head, offer it as a sacrifice to the bright moon. A man's life and death are but ordinary partings! Sweep across the Dragon Pool, a thousand troops vanquish, bones piled high like mountains.

I will personally draw my sword to bid you farewell, and bring you the three snows of Tianshan.

The arrows fell, and the wolf star flickered. I do not believe that there are no brave warriors in China; behold, today, the world resounds with your loyalty! Listen to the war drums, they cleave the clouds!

Partridge Sky - Sending Off to the Northern Frontier

A lone tumbleweed drifts across the vast sea, a journey of ten thousand miles; the thrice-repeated Yangguan Pass is unbearable to hear. Do not worry that snow-capped mountains obscure your view; let your frosty hooves break through the enemy camp.

The world's will is in our hands, the youths set out, their archery and horsemanship vying for supremacy on the autumn plains. If, in the future, we inscribe our names on the Yanran Mountain, we will remember the first cry from the Dragon Sands.

He rubbed his head, which ached from a hangover, and slumped onto the carriage, sighing, "Poet Immortal, what kind of Poet Immortal am I? He is the real lyric immortal!"

-----

at the same time.

Meng Fan also left Zuixianju with Si Lili and the others. He looked north and smiled:

"Fan Xian, since you don't want to follow the script I've laid out for you, then I might as well just go all out and have some fun!"

Si Lili respectfully asked from the side, "Where are we going?"

Meng Fan tapped Si Lili's delicate nose and said with a smile, "Let's go to another continent first!"

(End of this chapter)