The moment Zhu Wuyuan died, the Great Sheng Dynasty in the entire illusion fell into even greater chaos, and the entire kingdom was utterly corrupted.
Although Zhang Yu's Great Zhou was not much better, dealing with the Great Sheng, which had completely lost the support of the people and the army, was not a difficult task.
When Zhang Yu's figure re-condensed within the Formation, the entire square was so quiet that the sound of the wind whipping the banners could be heard.
"The Prime Minister actually lost? How is that possible?"
Some people can't believe it.
"His Your Highness actually won! He defeated the undefeated Zhu Wuyuan in the national war!"
Murong Bai was somewhat bewildered.
Zhu Wuyuan emerged from the illusion, his forehead still damp with cold sweat.
He stared intently at Zhang Yu, his voice filled with barely suppressed anger:
"What a vicious scheme! Using something so mind-destroying to drive the entire nation mad... Are you even human?"
After Sima Sheng realized what was happening, a chill ran down his spine.
He looked at Zhang Yu as if he were looking at a snake flicking its tongue, thinking to himself, "This kind of ruthless scheme, the person who came up with it must be more cunning than a deep pool."
Zhang Yu is probably no good either.
Murong Bai's brows furrowed deeply. He recalled the people in the illusion who had gone mad for the Vermilion Hairpin, and the scene of Zhu Wuyuan being hacked to death. His throat tightened.
"What kind of national war is this?"
This completely plunged Dasheng into an abyss of no return.
Murong Qiushui glared fiercely at Zhang Yu, nearly tearing her handkerchief to shreds. "How vicious, how despicable!"
Zhang Lingyun stood beside Zhang Yu, staring into his eyes for a full half minute, then suddenly said:
"If you're not one of mine, I'll draw my sword and kill you right now."
This scheme... is a treacherous weapon that will bring ruin to the country and its people, more ruthless than any sword or spear.
Zhang Yu shrugged indifferently, the red glow of the Vermilion Hairpin from the illusion still lingering on his fingertips. "Whether it's malicious or not, let's not worry about that now, I won anyway."
His tone was nonchalant, but everyone around him gasped in shock.
Zhu Wuyuan took a deep breath, then suddenly laughed, a laugh tinged with self-mockery, "A bet's a bet. You've won this round."
He accepted his defeat wholeheartedly, not because of military affairs or governance, but because of his misjudgment of Zhang Yu.
He thought Zhang Yu would compete with him in military strategy and governance.
Unexpectedly, the opponent flipped over the chessboard.
With the most primal and frenzied desires, he shattered his myth of invincibility.
But the next second, Zhu Wuyuan's face darkened.
He glanced around at the thoughtful people and saw someone stroking their chin, a greedy glint in their eyes.
Clearly, they understood Zhang Yu's scheme and even began to ponder "how to use this trick to make dirty money."
"Someone come here!"
Zhu Wuyuan suddenly raised his voice:
"Immediately issue an edict to notify all prefectures and counties of the Eastern Sheng Kingdom."
Anyone who dares to use the tactic of "Recruiting heads and developing downlines" to amass wealth, regardless of whether they are officials or civilians, will be treated as a traitor and executed without exception!
His voice was like ice, carrying an unquestionable authority:
With so many people watching today, it's hard to guarantee that no one will have ulterior motives.
If such a vicious scheme is not strictly prohibited, Eastern Sheng Kingdom will become a second Dasheng Kingdom from the illusion within six months.
Murong Bai immediately chimed in:
"The Prime Minister is right. Such a vicious scheme that destroys people's minds must never be imitated in the slightest, otherwise one would be a sinner against the Eastern Sheng Kingdom."
Murong Qiushui nodded in agreement, but her resentful gaze couldn't help but drift towards Zhang Yu.
Zhang Lingyun sighed and tugged at Zhang Yu's sleeve, "Don't use this trick again. I'm afraid you'll get yourself killed one day."
Zhang Yu was speechless at the reactions of those around him.
He only wanted to win the national war, but he didn't expect the "side effects" of this move to be so great.
But he also knew in his heart that Zhu Wuyuan's worries were not unfounded.
There is never a shortage of greedy people in this world.
His "Vermilion Hairpin Plan" is like a double-edged sword—if used well, it can break the deadlock; if used poorly, it can lead to utter destruction.
Surrounded by disdainful, wary, and even somewhat fearful gazes from the crowd, Zhang Yu remained completely oblivious, his expression unchanged.
He steeled himself and took a step forward, his tone flat to the point of being almost indifferent:
"I've passed the third level. Now, tell me the question for the next level."
Zhu Wuyuan gave him a deep look, his eyes filled with complex emotions, and finally said slowly, "It's getting late today. We'll talk about the other two trials tomorrow."
That's half true, and half a delaying tactic.
Zhang Yu broke through three levels in a row, which greatly exceeded his expectations, and at this moment he was a little flustered.
At this moment, he was genuinely hesitant to ask any questions.
If Zhang Yu solves another problem using some unbelievable method, things will get complicated.
So he simply went along with it and postponed the exam by one day.
Zhang Yu nodded indifferently. "Okay."
"In that case, Your Highness, please come with us back to the Imperial Palace to rest."
Seeing that it was getting late, Murong Bai led the way and left with Zhang Yu.
Sima Sheng stood there, his brows furrowed, his eyes darting back and forth between the two sides.
He hesitated for a long time, but finally gritted his teeth and followed Zhang Yu.
No way.
He was now labeled Royalist Faction; if he didn't follow Zhang Yu, he would probably be killed by the enraged Zhu Wuyuan.
"Let's go back to the manor."
Seeing this, Zhu Wuyuan said nothing more, but turned and got into the sedan chair.
The sedan curtain fell, and with a shout from the sedan bearers, they lifted the sedan chair and slowly drove away.
The main character left, but the crowd of onlookers did not disperse immediately.
Whispers spread like a tide across the square.
"This last bloodline of the Sheng Family seems... to be quite different from the rumors."
"They're different. They're far more ruthless than the previous members of the Sheng Family. They actually came up with such a vicious scheme that could bring disaster to the country and its people..."
"Tell me, is he a genius or a madman?"
Amidst the discussions, there was a mixture of fear, confusion, and a subtle sense of rejection.
Upon returning to the Prime Minister's residence, Zhu Wuyuan's first act was to visit the injured Wu Lingyue.
Wu Lingyue had already woken up, her face was still a little pale, and her forehead was wrapped in thick gauze.
The first thing she did when she opened her eyes was to look around warily. After confirming that Zhu Wuyuan was the only person in the room, she seemed to have a great weight lifted off her shoulders.
She struggled to get out of bed, her knees buckling as she was about to kneel down.
"Miss!"
Her voice was urgent, filled with suppressed self-reproach and fear, "I'm sorry... I ruined your important plans, I failed to defeat Zhang Yu, and your Trial took an uncontrollable turn."
As she spoke, her forehead slammed heavily against the ground with a dull thud.
Zhu Wuyuan reached out to stop her, but couldn't completely stop her, so he had no choice but to make her kneel down.
At that moment, the light around Zhu Wuyuan changed, and she transformed into a woman with a scholarly air.
She wore a light blue Confucian Robe with delicate bamboo leaf patterns embroidered on the cuffs, and a white jade pendant hung at her waist. She exuded an air of gentle breeze and bright moonlight as she walked.
She stood quietly by the bed, looking at Wu Lingyue, and gently shook her head, her tone tinged with helplessness and heaviness:
"The academy's Trial task for me is to eradicate the tyranny of the Eastern Sheng Kingdom and stop the Sheng Family from continuing to harm the common people."
Three years ago, the Sheng Family suffered a great calamity. I thought this Trial would be easy... but unexpectedly, Zhang Yu appeared out of nowhere. What a nuisance."
As she spoke, a barely perceptible hint of coldness flashed across her eyes.
Upon hearing this, Wu Lingyue immediately lowered her head, her face full of self-reproach. "It's all my fault for being incompetent. If I had been able to stop Zhang Yu in front of you, Miss wouldn't have had this trouble..."
Zhu Wuyuan raised his hand slightly, indicating that she didn't need to continue.
Her expression remained calm, but those who knew her well knew that her heart was far from calm.
Wu Lingyue bit her lip, hesitated for a long time, and then whispered:
"Miss, if all else fails... let's go ask the master for permission and have him send some people to help."
If you fail to complete the Trial mission, Miss, you will be unable to enter the Academy's 'Sea of Learning' to cleanse your Divine Soul, condense your Daoist heart, and become Literary Dao Immortal...
Zhu Wuyuan smiled faintly, but there was little warmth in his smile:
"No rush, it's not that time yet."
There are still two more challenges tomorrow, and I'm determined to make sure Zhang Yu can't get through them.
Her tone was calm, yet carried an undeniable certainty.
After a moment of silence, she suddenly spoke up, "I heard that my father recently went to the Eastern Domain of Yuhua Prefecture. What was the purpose of his trip?"
Wu Lingyue was taken aback for a moment, then quickly replied:
"Miss, I have heard that a Literary Dao Sacred Heart was born at the Wenhua Academy in Yuhua Prefecture and was obtained by a woman named Zhang Qingyue."
"The master's trip is presumably to guide Zhang Qingyue into the Jixia Academy."
"The Literary Dao Sacred Heart?"
Zhu Wuyuan frowned deeply; that was an essential item for becoming Literary Dao Immortal.
Conversely, Zhang Qingyue has obtained the Literary Dao Sacred Heart, and given the right conditions, she can quickly become Literary Dao Immortal.
"Zhang Qingyue possesses the Literary Dao Sacred Heart, Jixia Academy will certainly provide her with its full support."
It seems that before long, the academy will have another Literary Dao Immortal.