This World Truly Should Be Abdicated to Liang!

After Zhu Youning left, the expression on Zhu Yougui's face turned gloomy, completely shedding the facade of brotherly affection he had worn moments before.

"This Zhu Youning is no simple character. Every time This Seat attempts to win him over, he manages to deflect it with such finesse."

"The Underworld Emperor need not worry. Has Prince An not already promised to speak for you in the imperial court?"

As this aged voice echoed, an old woman leaning on a peculiar cane emerged slowly from the depths of the dark hall.

She was none other than Meng Po of the Xuanming Cult!

Zhu Yougui did not even glance at Meng Po, merely squinting his eyes as he muttered, "That is the drawback of dealing with a clever man. If he were not so sharp, I might have believed his words. Unfortunately, he is far too clever, and thus, I cannot trust a single syllable!"

Meng Po bowed her head slightly and said, "The Underworld Emperor is wise."

Zhu Yougui then looked toward Meng Po and asked, "There is one more thing I find strange. Meng Po, did you not say that Zhu Youning's injuries would require at least two or three months to heal? Why has he recovered so rapidly?"

"Reporting to the Underworld Emperor, based on my observations that day, Prince An did indeed require a long period of rest. That he is now as vigorous as a dragon suggests that the Prince possesses some hidden method, or perhaps he has encountered some extraordinary stroke of fortune."

"A stroke of fortune? Heh..." Zhu Yougui let out a cold laugh. "It seems none of my younger brothers are easy to deal with! The fact that he could escape Li Cunxiao's pursuit unscathed is proof enough of his extraordinary nature."

At this point, a cold glint flashed in Zhu Yougui's eyes.

"I only hope he does not lean toward the Second Brother; it would be a pity to waste such talent."

After returning from the Xuanming Cult headquarters, Zhu Youning did not seek out Miaocheng Tian or Xuanjing Tian. Instead, he summoned Wang Shifan to give him instructions on what to do upon returning to Qingzhou.

Since Zhu Wen had already stated he would not grant Wang Shifan an official post, Zhu Youning could not offer him any title either, so his requirements for Wang Shifan were not particularly demanding.

What were these requirements?

To praise and promote the Great Liang Dynasty!

That was correct; Wang Shifan did not actually need to do much. As long as he remained alive and spoke well of the Liang State, he could ensure the hundred thousand surrendered Pinglu troops caused no trouble and that the people of the Pinglu prefectures lived their lives in peace.

Of course, if he could leverage his status as a great Confucian scholar to win over the hearts of the world's intellectuals, that would be even better.

Thus, after calling Wang Shifan over, Zhu Youning said, "Old General Wang, you have widely promoted Confucianism throughout Pinglu. In the prefectures of Zi, Qing, Qi, Hai, Deng, Lai, Yi, Mi, Pu, Xu, Yan, Yun, and Di, there must be many scholars who call you teacher, correct?"

Wang Shifan pondered for a moment, his expression solemn as he bowed. "My meager reputation does not carry that much weight, I'm afraid."

Zhu Youning cast a sidelong glance at him. "Old General Wang, there is no need for false modesty. It only wastes time; I am a man who values efficiency."

Wang Shifan had no choice but to nod.

Zhu Youning continued, "I have heard it said that the imperial court is the foundation of the world, the monarch is the foundation of the court, and the one who ascends the throne is the foundation of the monarch. If the foundation is crooked, how can one hope to straighten the world? Emperors Yizong, Xizong, and Zhaozong presided over the decline of the Tang, succeeding one another in incompetence. During the Ganfu era, there were great droughts and locust plagues, and the people rose in rebellion. This chaos was entirely due to the ineptitude of those three Tang rulers. It is truly time for the world to abdicate to the Liang."

Wang Shifan's brows furrowed, his expression turning grave.

Perhaps having learned of Zhu Youning's blunt and straightforward style, he now realized the gravity of the situation.

Sure enough, Wang Shifan murmured, "What the Prince says is true, but throughout history, fallen dynasties were not always ruled by foolish or tyrannical monarchs..."

Zhu Youning caught the subtext; Wang Shifan was trying to whitewash the reputation of Emperor Zhaozong.

It was true that Emperor Zhaozong was slightly better than Yizong and Xizong, not quite as absurdly incompetent, but what did that matter?

Zhu Youning immediately interrupted him without hesitation. "Old General Wang, you have fought battles your entire life, with more losses than victories. Do you know why? Because you refuse to adapt! You want to have your cake and eat it too! When you hunted down Cui Anqian, whom Emperor Zhaozong sent to replace you as the Pinglu Jiedushi, why were you not thinking of the Tang Emperor's virtues then? Why did you not show loyalty to the Tang and simply hand over your position?"

Wang Shifan's secret was laid bare, and his face flushed red.

He could not refute this; he was no loyal subject, merely one who had cultivated a good public image.

Zhu Youning, who had always found Wang Shifan rather slippery, scolded him further: "A man must recognize himself. If others don't know what kind of person you are, you must at least know it yourself. Take me, for example—I have never considered myself a good man."

Zhu Youning spoke quickly and bluntly, showing Wang Shifan no face at all.

"Furthermore, do you not know how much the people of the Tang suffered? Why did Huang Chao rebel, and why did he succeed? Do you not know the reason in your heart? You are no loyalist, yet you claim to be one, painting over the cracks of a crumbling world—what is the point? Just find people to write articles, describe the absurdities of Emperor Xizong playing cuju and gambling on the Three Rivers, help clear the name of Great Liang, disparage the Tang, and exalt the Liang. Can you do that?"

"The Prince is certainly direct." Despite his age, Wang Shifan was sweating profusely under Zhu Youning's gaze. He finally realized that Zhu Youning was not a man to be trifled with, and he hurriedly bowed. "This old man can do it! I can do it!"

Zhu Youning nodded. "Very well. Tell your disciples to write more articles. From the perspectives of integrity, morality, and righteousness, completely rehabilitate the Great Liang Dynasty! His Majesty's throne was obtained through abdication; it is a legitimate mandate! Additionally, after you return to Qingzhou, establish more academies and schools. Recruit widely. You don't need to teach them the deep intricacies of Confucianism; just teach them to read and write. Quantity over quality! As long as you do this well, I will protect the prosperity of your Wang family! Titles and rewards will be yours for the taking!"

Wang Shifan's face flushed, but he steeled his resolve and said firmly, "This old man will not fail the Prince's trust!"

"I am a man of my word." Zhu Youning waved his hand dismissively. "You may go."

Just as Zhu Youning was giving his orders to Wang Shifan, Miaocheng Tian and Xuanjing Tian also received a letter from Fengxiang.

The letter arrived via carrier pigeon—a bird specially trained by the Huan Yin Workshop for intelligence gathering.

"Sister, what is it? What are the Empress's orders?"

Miaocheng Tian scanned the contents of the letter, her expression turning grave. "The Empress orders us not to return to Fengxiang for now, but to remain by Zhu Youning's side and monitor his every move. If the Liang State makes any major maneuvers, we are to report to her immediately."

Xuanjing Tian frowned. "But if we do this, won't we be putting ourselves in grave danger?"

Miaocheng Tian sighed helplessly. "Silly girl, although we are the esteemed Nine Heavens Holy Concubines of the Huan Yin Workshop, in essence, we are no different from anyone else in the organization. We are all slaves to our circumstances. We must do whatever the Empress commands!"