Chapter 7: The Stroke Creates a Vision

Fan Li never expected this, truly never did. The Emperor Jiajing of Ming had actually tried to incite him, the Chancellor of Chu, to rebel?

The "Proclamation of Encouragement" was filled with lavish promises: to swear brotherhood, refrain from attacking one another, join forces to destroy Han, and even split the world in half.

"If I were a proper villainous minister, I might very well have agreed," Fan Li muttered inwardly.

But Fan Li had no need to rebel.

He possessed the "Villainous Minister System," and the life-extending elixirs it rewarded surpassed all else.

Besides, holding the real power, why would he care for the empty title of emperor?

"Zhang Juzheng is brimming with cunning, and Emperor Jiajing is among the strongest rulers in Ming’s history."

"How did these two masters of intrigue suddenly turn their schemes on me?"

Fan Li, holding the jade slip, fell into contemplation, forgetting that Xiang Ning was still standing behind him.

Xiang Ning’s face was flushed red, struggling to restrain herself from bursting out in anger.

"How dare Emperor Jiajing! To incite my own minister to treason!"

"But why Fan Li of all people? He already holds sway over the court, just a step away from the throne. Would he really rebel? I’ve already yielded to him in everything, even called him ‘Father Chancellor.’ What more could he want?"

Her fury reached its peak, yet Xiang Ning also felt aggrieved to the point of tears.

Zhang Juzheng, too, watched Fan Li with eager anticipation.

According to Ming’s intelligence, the Fan clan wielded unrivaled power, with evident ambitions unbecoming a subject.

Especially last month: calling a stag a horse and forcing the young emperor to address him as ‘Father Chancellor’—these two incidents had shocked the entire realm.

"I once thought Dong Zhuo, Grand Preceptor of Han, was the greatest villain under heaven, but he might fall short of Fan Li by half."

"Both Chu and Han are ruled by weak monarchs and strong ministers—prime ground for chaos and internal strife."

"As long as both kingdoms fall to civil war, our Great Ming can seize the chance to unify the world. Following His Majesty, I will surely achieve everlasting glory!"

The more Zhang Juzheng thought, the more excited he became.

The plan of the "Proclamation of Encouragement" was his own, with the emperor’s full support.

Zhang Juzheng had resolved: once he succeeded in goading Fan Li to rebellion, he would immediately head to Han to similarly provoke Dong Zhuo into disorder.

"The Grand Secretaryship of Ming will be mine sooner or later!"

He fixed his gaze on the pensive Fan Li, a hint of contempt flickering in his eyes.

In his view, someone of Fan Li’s distinguished lineage was merely basking in ancestral favor, lacking true merit of his own.

"I may come from humble origins, but my future will surely outshine his!"

Just then, Fan Li looked up and met the first hint of menace in Zhang Juzheng’s eyes.

Zhang Juzheng was startled and quickly bowed his head.

"This brat is clearly up to no good," Fan Li thought, pretending not to notice, but silently making a note of it.

"Chancellor Fan, what is your response?" Zhang Juzheng asked in a low voice.

"Hmm... Emperor Jiajing’s calligraphy is quite elegant, and this ‘Proclamation of Encouragement’ is well-written. I’ll keep it as a memento," Fan Li replied lazily with a yawn.

After all, he was still mortal; a sleepless night had left him exhausted.

Zhang Juzheng was left dumbfounded.

What did he mean by ‘well-written’ and ‘keep as a memento’? Was he agreeing or refusing? He needed a clear answer—how else could he report back to His Majesty?

Among the Three Kingdoms, Ming was the mightiest, and Zhang Juzheng could not suppress his pride.

He declared, "Chancellor Fan, the ‘Proclamation of Encouragement’ was penned personally by His Majesty. If you accept it without a response, I fear His Majesty will be displeased. The consequences may be more than you can bear."

Rumor had it that Emperor Jiajing’s cultivation had reached the Grand Completion stage.

Once it was complete, he would face the Heavenly Tribulation!

Cultivation realms were divided into nine grades, but the Tribulation was beyond grade: one either ascended to immortality, or was reduced to ashes by the lightning.

With the emperors of Chu and Han having recently passed and their young successors on the throne, Emperor Jiajing now stood unchallenged atop the world.

The wrath of the mightiest sovereign was indeed not something Fan Li could endure.

"Is he forcing Fan Li to take a stand?"

Even Xiang Ning felt her heart race with anxiety, worried that Fan Li was in an impossible bind.

"A response? Of course! Courtesy demands reciprocity!"

But Fan Li showed no hint of distress.

The Hall of Enlightened Rule, where memorials were reviewed, was never short of brush, ink, and paper.

Fan Li casually spread a sheet of rice paper, dipped his brush, and wrote with vigorous energy.

"His late majesty’s enterprise was unfinished, yet he was cut off midway. The realm is now divided in three, weakened within, at a crisis of life and death. Yet loyal ministers are ceaseless at court, and devoted men risk their lives abroad, all in gratitude for the late emperor’s exceptional grace, seeking to repay it to Your Majesty..."

"I was but a commoner, plowing fields in the countryside, barely surviving in troubled times, seeking neither fame nor fortune. The late emperor did not disdain my humble origins, thrice visited me in my thatched cottage to consult on affairs of the age. Moved by his sincerity, I pledged to serve him..."

Fan Li adapted and transcribed passages from the "Memorial on Dispatching Troops."

"Strange, just writing a few lines, why do I suddenly feel invigorated, as if I’d just finished aerobic exercise? Could this be the benefit of restoring my spiritual roots?"

He mused, gently blowing the ink dry, then handed the "Memorial on Dispatching Troops" to Zhang Juzheng.

"Since His Majesty has presented me with a treasure of calligraphy, it is only right that I reciprocate. Please be sure to deliver this ‘Memorial on Dispatching Troops’ to your emperor."

Zhang Juzheng felt Fan Li was shamelessly dodging the issue!

He wanted a clear commitment to rebellion, but Fan Li merely glossed things over, hoping to muddle through.

Yet, as Zhang Juzheng unfurled the rice paper out of curiosity, intending to appraise the Chu Chancellor’s literary skill, he was instantly stunned by the force it contained!

In that moment—

A surge of magnificent literary energy burst from the paper, rushing out of the Hall of Enlightened Rule and piercing the heavens and earth!

"Vast and mighty, filling all creation—this is the Aura of Righteousness!"

Zhang Juzheng’s expression changed dramatically.

He cultivated the Confucian path, regarding brush and ink as sacred instruments, nurturing the aura of righteousness in his chest.

With rare talent hailed since youth as a "child prodigy," even from a humble background he had reached the first rank of the Nascent Soul realm.

But Zhang Juzheng’s own aura was but a trickling stream, circulating in minor cycles within, nowhere near the grandeur before him!

"To write with such force—could Fan Li be the reincarnation of a great Confucian sage?"

For a moment, Zhang Juzheng even felt tempted to betray Ming and kneel, begging to become Fan Li’s disciple.

It took all his strength to suppress the urge, and trembling all over, he dared not pursue the matter of Fan Li’s response any further.

"What’s wrong, Lord Zhang? Are you unwell? Shall I summon the imperial physician?"

Fan Li was bewildered.

Why did just glancing at his "Memorial on Dispatching Troops" leave Zhang Juzheng drenched in cold sweat?

Could it be that the young man had indulged himself too much and sapped his own health?

"Is your head hurting, Lord Zhang? Our Imperial Medical Academy has the renowned Hua Tuo, especially skilled in treating ailments of the mind. Would you care to try?"

Zhang Juzheng managed to compose himself, forcing a wry smile.

"To meet Chancellor Fan today is truly the fortune of three lifetimes... I must take my leave."

He carefully put away the "Memorial on Dispatching Troops" before finally departing the Hall of Enlightened Rule.

At this moment, Zhang Juzheng’s mind was in utter turmoil!

"The Embroidered Guards have failed—the Chu Chancellor Fan Li is no villain!"

"This ‘Memorial on Dispatching Troops’ is a model for all loyal ministers, worthy of the history books!"

"Fan Li’s aura connects heaven and earth—he must be the late Chu emperor’s entrusted minister!"

"Even the incident of calling a stag a horse must have deeper meaning—the young emperor’s calling him ‘Father Chancellor’ was entirely of his own free will!"

"I was careless! Our Ming’s plan to devour the world has surely been seen through by this man."

"Our efforts within Chu are at an end; the only hope is to focus on Han and try to incite Dong Zhuo to rebellion..."