Chapter 1502: You Cannot Subdue Him

Sang Han looked at Ye Guan, but said nothing.

Hearing Ye Guan's words, Ji Wuchen's eyes lit up with interest. He smiled and said, "Young Master Ye, please continue."

Ye Guan nodded and asked, "May I ask the honored governors here... is His Majesty a wise ruler or a foolish one?"

Everyone's expressions changed.

Damn! How bold are you?

Meanwhile, Ji Wuchen's smile deepened.

One of the governors solemnly said, "His Highness is naturally a wise ruler, perhaps the most brilliant ruler in a million years."

Ye Guan nodded. "Up until now, we've all been discussing one thing, the fight for the heir position between His Highness and the Crown Prince, but everyone seems to have overlooked one fact: there can only be a home if there's a nation.

"If the empire no more, what use is there in becoming the emperor?"

The brows of many governors furrowed at that.

Ye Guan continued, "So far, we've all been focused on our own interests, and not on the interests of the empire. However, what is the Ninth Prince's goal? It's the entire empire. Personally, I believe His Highness must not oppose the Crown Prince right now.

"On the contrary, he should yield, put the bigger picture first, and take the initiative to head to the front lines on the Empyrean Star Battlefield to fight for the empire."

A governor coldly said, "And just let the Crown Prince profit from that sacrifice?"

Ye Guan said nothing. Those who understood what he was trying to say had already understood him. As for those who couldn't, it wasn't something easily explained.

Ji Wuchen's smile grew brighter. Huai Ce looked at Ye Guan, a hint of surprise in his eyes.

As for You Lian, she kept her gaze fixed on Ye Guan, seemingly lost in thought.

The governor sensed something was off. He hesitated, saying, "We humbly ask Young Master Ye to enlighten us further."

Ye Guan didn't reply. Instead, he looked at Ji Wuchen. Ji Wuchen smiled and said, "All governors, you may retire for the night. Tomorrow morning, follow me into the imperial palace to meet the emperor."

The governors glanced at Ye Guan. Then, they stood up and left one by one.

But Sang Han remained.

Ji Wuchen looked at Ye Guan with a smile. "Brother Ye, come forward and sit. Sit beside Lady You."

Ye Guan didn't refuse and took a seat beside You Lian.

Ji Wuchen asked, "Brother Ye, are you worried about outsiders?"

Ye Guan nodded.

Ji Wuchen nodded in return. "Caution is good. You may now speak freely. Everyone here is completely trustworthy."

Ye Guan said seriously, "Your Highness, I believe that His Majesty summoning all the governors to the capital is in fact a test, for both you and the Crown Prince. From His Majesty's perspective, if his sons still choose infighting at a time like this, then they are unfit to become the heir.

"Not only should you not fight the Crown Prince, but you must also yield. More than that, you should volunteer to lead troops to the Empyrean Star Battlefield to support the war efforts there!"

"A test?" Ji Wuchen narrowed his eyes.

Ye Guan nodded. "His Majesty is wise and all-seeing. He's observed every move made by you and the Crown Prince. In his heart, there's a scale. Whoever chooses infighting at this moment will be heavily weighed down...

"There's a popular proverb that says, 'Those who cannot plan for the long term are unfit to manage the short term; those who cannot consider the whole picture are unfit to manage even one domain.'"

Ye Guan paused for a moment before adding, "Right now, we must not focus on gains and losses in the moment. We must think about the big picture.

"As for losses, if Your Highness sacrifices all your forces for the empire, but you end up obtaining His Majesty's approval and support in exchange, then you'll instantly be able to wield even greater power."

"What a great proverb...

Hahaha!

" Huai Ce suddenly laughed. "Young Master Ye is truly remarkable. While everyone else is thinking of short-term benefits, only you are thinking of the empire and His Highness's future. Impressive!"

Ye Guan replied, "You flatter me, elder."

Ji Wuchen's smile became even more radiant. "But what if I ultimately fail to win my father's favor?"

Ye Guan replied, "Then it's a gamble, and one we have no choice but to take. I can say for certain that if Your Highness chooses to rebel and starts fighting with the Crown Prince, it will lead to your utter ruin.

"If the Crown Prince submits a memorial asking to lead troops to the Empyrean Star Battlefield, then Your Highness will be finished; you won't even have your own burial grounds."

Ji Wuchen's brows furrowed tightly.

Ye Guan added, "To put it bluntly, Your Highness was brought into this by the emperor as a balancing force. Even more bluntly, you were brought in to serve as a whetstone for the Crown Prince..."

Huai Ce's smile disappeared.

Sang Han stared hard at Ye Guan, her hands clenching without realizing it. Only now did she realize that she had greatly underestimated the young man before her. She hadn't expected Ye Guan to remain so calm and confident even in front of the Ninth Prince.

𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

Who is he, really?

At that moment, curiosity bloomed in her heart, and she felt uneasy at the same time. She remembered Ye Guan's words not too long ago. He was sent here by his family to learn things.

To dare send someone to this place for experience... Could his family be even more powerful than the empire?

Sang Han dared not think about it any further and simply stared at Ye Guan.

Ji Wuchen suddenly laughed. "Brother Ye, you are the first to speak the truth to me. Continue."

Ye Guan said, "If Your Highness wants to turn the tides, then there's only one way—earn His Majesty's support. If not, no matter how many personal forces you build up, it'll be useless.

"After all, fratricide and patricide aren't things Your Highness could or should do."

"Then what do you recommend?"

"As I said earlier, go all out to help His Majesty win this war. Do not focus on personal gains."

Ji Wuchen turned. "Master Huai, Lady You, what do you two think?"

Master Huai said solemnly, "Young Master Ye has spoken wisely. Right now, for His Majesty, there is only one truly important matter: winning this war. Anyone who causes internal chaos at this time will completely lose His Majesty's favor."

You Lian suddenly asked, "And if the Crown Prince does the same as Young Master Ye suggests, then what?"

Ji Wuchen looked at Ye Guan.

Ye Guan smiled and said, "Forgive my bluntness, but there's no such thing as a guaranteed win. If the Crown Prince also sees this and acts accordingly, then all we can do is try our best. And if we still lose, then it simply means that we were outmatched."

"

Hahaha!

" Ji Wuchen laughed heartily. "Brother Ye, well said! If we give our all and still lose, then it's a skill issue on our end. I, Ji Wuchen, can handle both victory and defeat. From now on, let's go head-to-head with my big brother."

You Lian glanced at Ye Guan but said nothing.

After the meeting, Ye Guan and Sang Han walked through a quiet garden.

Sang Han asked, "You really only want to start an academy?"

Ye Guan nodded. "

Mmhm.

"

Sang Han said, "You don't look like a teacher."

"Then what do I look like?"

"You give off the vibe of a rich second-generation heir."

Ye Guan rubbed his temples.

Sang Han said, "I've told the Ninth Prince about your search for the owner of the Great Daoist Brush Master. He'll help... What kind of person is he?"

"A very powerful person."

"How powerful?"

Ye Guan smiled but said nothing. He knew that Sang Han had already started looking for the Great Daoist Brush Master.

Seeing his silence, Sang Han didn't press further. She changed the topic, saying, "Tomorrow, His Highness will bring you into the imperial palace... Do you think he has a chance to win?"

Ye Guan asked in return, "What do you think?"

Sang Han fell silent.

Ye Guan said, "Whether he has a chance depends on how foolish his opponent is, but so far, his opponent doesn't seem foolish. Hence, if His Highness has no hidden cards left, his chances may not be that great."

Sang Han asked, "Do you think he has some hidden cards up his sleeves?"

Ye Guan turned to look at her and smiled. "Governor, you're asking quite a few questions today."

Sang Han replied, "If he wins, he'll help you start your academy. With an emperor backing you, your academy could become the biggest in the empire."

Ye Guan smiled. "That's true."

Sang Han said nothing more.

A while later, Ye Guan returned to his room to cultivate. He had to integrate the Void Spacetime with his Sword Dao, or he wouldn't feel safe.

***

Ji Wuchen and You Lian were strolling through another garden.

Ji Wuchen smiled. "Brother Ye is quite impressive."

You Lian said nothing.

Ji Wuchen said, "Speak freely."

You Lian replied, "You cannot subdue him."

"Why do you say that?"

You Lian looked ahead, her gaze calm. "He cultivates the Dao of Order."