Ji Zhibai hurriedly said, "Rest assured, Teacher. I have already been proceeding with the utmost caution. The Eagle-Soaring Army, all the commercial firms in Ning'an County, the Transport Office, the Mi Prefecture government, and more are fully cooperating. There is no need to wait until August—by June at the latest, Ning'an County will absolutely be thrown into a great upheaval! If the chaos is serious enough, many aspects may even be rated Ding grade, making him completely lose his qualifications to become Zhuangyuan! However... there is one decree that needs to pass through the Ministry of Revenue. When the time comes, I may need to rely on you."
"Go ahead without worry," Liu Shan said.
"Thank you, Teacher! But I alone will not be enough. The two Palace Examination Metropolitan Graduates the Lei Family and Zong Family have poured their full efforts into cultivating should not be much worse than Fang Yun, should they?"
"In poetry and prose, they naturally fall far short of Fang Yun. But they were born into households where bells chimed and cauldrons overflowed, and they have the full support of either the Lei Family or the Zong Family. Even Yan Yukong might be willing to bow in defeat before them. Fang Yun is a genius, but he is not gifted in everything. Within twenty years, he is nothing to fear."
"Teacher is right. But... what if he lives long enough to become a Great Scholar, or even... attain Saint Enfeoffment? Then..."
"You worry too much. By the time he attains Saint Enfeoffment, Saint Zong will surely have become a Second Saint! When that time comes, it still will not be up to him!" Liu Shan said.
Ji Zhibai said bitterly, "You are right. I had intended to proceed gradually and leave him a shred of