Given the Xiang Family's power, Xu Yi knew he couldn't take them on head-to-head. But he could borrow their momentum to suppress them. Since becoming an immortal official, Xu Yi hadn't been idle. He was the sort of person who devoted himself completely to whatever work he took on. Having become an immortal official, he had naturally studied the currents among the higher-ups. He had keenly identified his advantage over the Xiang Family.
That advantage wasn't anything else but his background. What was his background? He had risen through the proper channel of the grand examination. The Xiang Family was an old-established lineage, a direct beneficiary of the recommendation system. But the currents among the Heavenly Court's upper ranks were clearly shifting, and immortal officials who had risen through the proper channel of the grand examination were increasingly being entrusted with important posts. That was the signal.
But the officialdom was vast, and immortal officials were as numerous as grains of sand in the Ganges. Hidden among them, he was hard to notice. Borrowing the momentum was no easy matter for Xu Yi. Still, if the greater tide wouldn't lend itself to him, he would borrow it by force. Taking on the Xiang Family single-handedly, he led his troops straight to the gates of their mountain stronghold.
Was capturing Xiang Yingxin the goal? Naturally not. The goal was to fan the matter into a blazing controversy and draw spectators from every direction. Then, at the right moment, he would deliver a stirring speech and unleash his most powerful verbal barrage. With the convenience of his reputation as a renowned scholar, one "Song of Righteousness" would be enough to borrow the greater tide, whether it wished to lend itself or not.
Xiang Tianwen had seen right through this. That was why