Chapter 391 One Pit After Another
"Junior brother, please convey a message for me: if I become the Grand Tutor of Xiqi, I have a way to take Tongguan within three months." Shen Gongbao made this up without thinking.
Anyway, His Majesty said that he would let them pass, and then take back Tongguan from both sides, trapping Xiqi between Tongguan and Mengjin, like a turtle in a jar, which would maximize the chances of saving the lives of the people of Xiqi.
Your Majesty is truly benevolent and virtuous.
Three months was the time the king left for Grand Tutor Wen to subdue the surrounding tribes of Xiqi.
Jiang Ziya went to Ji Fa to introduce Shen Gongbao, praising him highly. According to Jiang Ziya, Shen Gongbao had no flaws.
Ji Fa was skeptical. Could there really be such a perfect person? Could it be that he was deliberately deceiving Jiang Ziya? He had used Boyi Kao's words to lure the Prime Minister, so it was inevitable that he would suspect that others would do the same.
But when Ji Fa heard Jiang Ziya say that Shen Gongbao had a way to conquer Tongguan, he immediately became restless. "How can we keep such a talented person waiting? Quickly invite him in!"
"Thank you, Your Majesty. I will return to my residence now and invite my senior brother to come." Jiang Ziya knew that half the battle was won; the other half depended on what impression his senior brother had of Ji Fa.
"Senior brother, King Wu requests your presence." Jiang Ziya's face was filled with pure joy.
Shen Gongbao put down the bamboo slips from the Yin Shang royal palace, looked at his foolish junior brother, and felt a pang of conscience. "Thank you, junior brother. Senior brother can go see King Wu himself."
If Shen Gongbao were to send his junior brother along, he might have some reservations about what to say, as it could damage his image in Jiang Ziya's eyes, making it harder for Jiang Ziya to deceive him.
"Very well. King Wu is respectful to scholars, humble, insightful, and benevolent. I believe my senior brother will find this trip worthwhile." Jiang Ziya tried to speak well of Ji Fa to strengthen his resolve to stay and help Xiqi overthrow King Zhou's tyranny.
"???" Shen Gongbao suspected that his king, who was far away in Chaoge, had run off to Xiqi to become a traitor.
"Why does my junior brother speak so highly of Ji Fa?" As far as Shen Gongbao knew, Ji Fa had no way of demonstrating his respect for scholars, humility, extraordinary insight, and unparalleled benevolence, and had reason to suspect that Jiang Ziya had been deceived.
After all, Shen Gongbao was in the middle of his deception, and he had Jiang Ziya's Achilles' heel, his weakness, completely under his control. He knew all too well how easily Jiang Ziya could be fooled.
“King Wu’s every word and action perfectly matches my ideal of a wise ruler.” Jiang Ziya knew he was being too idealistic, but meeting Ji Fa was a stroke of good fortune for him. Jiang Ziya firmly believed that only by following Ji Fa could he fully utilize all the knowledge he had acquired in his life.
Shen Gongbao understood that he had been overthinking things. He glanced at the bamboo slips and 'casually' flattened them, making sure Jiang Ziya would see them later.
"Thank you for your explanation, Junior Brother. I'll go see King Wu now." Shen Gongbao took a few steps with his hands behind his back, then, as if remembering something, slapped his forehead and turned back. "Junior Brother, look at me! I forgot to put the book back in its place..."
"It's not good to keep King Wu waiting. Senior brother, you go see King Wu first, and I'll take care of the books." Jiang Ziya couldn't wait to urge his senior brother to go see him.
"Thank you for your trouble, Junior Brother." Shen Gongbao withdrew his hand. It was just a formality; how could he possibly clean up? He had never done such things before.
After Shen Gongbao left, Jiang Ziya personally tidied up the books on the table.
The books in the study were all Jiang Ziya's beloved possessions. He couldn't bear to entrust them to others, for he would be heartbroken if they were damaged.
“This is…” Jiang Ziya was slightly stunned. He picked up the bamboo slip and read it word by word. Every line was shocking to Jiang Ziya.
Jiang Ziya had heard King Wu casually mention the remarks, views on the world, and philosophies on governance contained within the text.
………………
"King Wu, this humble Taoist greets you."
"No need for such formalities, Daoist Master." Ji Fa rose from his seat, walked to Shen Gongbao, and gently helped him up.
Shen Gongbao, who was only putting on an act, immediately straightened up and glanced at Ji Fa out of the corner of his eye. He looked at Ji Fa with a face that was ruthless and ungrateful, and he could not see any virtue in him. Sure enough, Jiang Ziya had been deceived.
"I wonder where your master is from?" Ji Fa asked.
“I do not speak falsehoods. I belong to the same sect as Jiang Shang, and we both come from the lineage of the Jie Sect leader.” Shen Gongbao brought Jiang Ziya into the conversation as well. Shen Gongbao was very skilled at sowing discord.
There are no major conflicts now, so we can only slowly accumulate discontent little by little, waiting for the right opportunity, which is better than nothing.
Ji Fa frowned. "Is the Prime Minister a member of the Jie Sect? I've never heard him mention it."
The group of immortal masters that the Prime Minister brought were all from the Chan Sect, while the Jie Sect was all on the King's side. Aren't they mortal enemies?
“Junior brother, your cultivation is incomplete and your path to immortality is hopeless. You should be ashamed to mention your sect.” Shen Gongbao spoke the truth without warning, unexpectedly exposing Jiang Ziya’s shortcomings.
All his actions were preparations for his senior brothers and sisters who were later blacklisted by their master to enter the tribulation; his background was no secret.
Ji Fa grew increasingly agitated. "I've heard that you have a way to break through Tong Pass. May I ask if you could tell me?"
"Breaking through Tongguan is not difficult. As long as we capture the Jiejiao disciples guarding Tongguan, Tongguan can be breached immediately," Shen Gongbao said calmly.
Ji Fa almost cursed. Did this immortal master really need to repeat himself? It was obvious.
"Daoist Master, I just don't know how to capture the Jie Sect disciples who are guarding Tongguan Pass?" Ji Fa suppressed his anger.
If it weren't for the fact that the immortal masters of the Chan Sect had repeatedly broken through the formation and been driven back each time, and had not raised the white flag of truce for many days, Ji Fa would not have had the patience.
“It’s very simple…” Shen Gongbao stood with his hands behind his back, while Ji Fa looked on with anticipation. Could it be that this Taoist priest really has a solution?
"Call for reinforcements!" Shen Gongbao shouted emphatically, but not a single useful word came out; instead, he set one trap after another.
Ji Fa almost threw the bamboo slips on his desk at Shen Gongbao's face. If there had been reinforcements to bring, the battle wouldn't have been at a stalemate.
The immortal master Guangchengzi, the leader of all the immortals of the Chan Sect, once said that he was the strongest second-generation disciple of the Chan Sect. He was still racking his brains for a way to break the formation and was unwilling to easily ask his master for help. Where could he possibly go to ask for reinforcements?
"Does the Daoist priest perhaps have the power to persuade the leader of the Chan Sect?" Ji Fa sneered.
“King Wu is joking,” Shen Gongbao said, shrinking back. “This is no way to seek death. The reinforcements I was referring to were the disciples of the Jie Sect.”
"The Jie Sect supports Emperor Xin; how could you possibly persuade him with just a few words, Daoist?" Ji Fa said listlessly.
“King Wu, you may not know this, but it is not that the Jie Sect supports the Yin Shang, but rather that the Jie Sect’s disciples serving in the Yin Shang support the Yin Shang. The Jie Sect has countless immortals coming to pay homage, and its talented people are as numerous as carp crossing a river. Yet, there are only a handful of them in the Yin Shang.” Shen Gongbao tried his best to dispel Ji Fa’s suspicions.
"Isn't the Daoist Master afraid of inciting internal strife within the Jie Sect? The Sect Leader will certainly not let it go easily if he finds out." Ji Fa's heart was filled with anticipation, and Shen Gongbao's words made sense.
"This humble Taoist priest wants to show the leader who is more capable." Shen Gongbao perfectly portrays a proud and arrogant person who is resentful of his teacher's favoritism and is determined to make his teacher look at him with new eyes.
This performance immediately resonated with Ji Fa, and also brought to mind a past that Ji Fa dared not recall.
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