74: Chapter 74 Great Yan, Empress, Phoenix Spirit Pearl

Su Fan did not want to be Lao Ai, so he found Jiang Ji, had her dismiss all the maids, and said to her: "Queen Dowager, you cannot give birth to this child..."

When he said this, Su Fan truly did not expect that one day he would become such a person.

How much he had hoped to become a great strategist who could "devise strategies in a tent and decide the outcome of a battle a thousand miles away," yet now, he was about to become Lao Ai...

Jiang Ji reached out and touched her slightly protruding abdomen, her expression complex as she said: "But he is, after all, the child of you and me. I cannot bear to part with him..."

Su Fan was so angry he wanted to bang his head against a wall, sighing: "If you cannot bear to part with him, then just wait for us to be cursed by history for eternity! Not to mention historical records, even if Crown Prince Qi Xiaobai were to find out one day, he would be so angry he might go mad!"

"Is it that serious...?"

Fear flickered in Jiang Ji's eyes.

Su Fan let out an "Ai," and sighed: "What a tragedy!"

Afterward, he bid farewell to Jiang Ji.

As things stood, Jiang Ji seemed to have sobered up quite a bit.

After she aborted the fetus, she did not come to see Su Fan for nearly half a year...

...

Simulation, Year 8.

The second year of Crown Prince Qi Xiaobai's reign, June, Xunying Pavilion.

"Greetings, Young Master Xunying!"

Su Fan gazed at the top-tier Martial King Realm expert in the hall, immediately stood up from his seat, personally stepped forward to help the man up, and smiled: "I have long admired the name of the Penglai Swordsman, which is like thunder in my ears. You are a great hero of our Principality. Seeing you today, it is truly as the rumors say! Please, sit!"

The person who came to join Xunying Pavilion was none other than the man known as the Penglai Swordsman, Qiu Yuntian. He was a powerhouse at the Martial King Realm and one of the few top-tier experts in the entire Shanhai Principality.

Sixth Young Master Qi Tao had retired to the mountains and forests and no longer involved himself in court affairs. To be able to gain the help of a Martial King Realm expert today was truly not easy.

How could Su Fan not personally receive such talent?

Qiu Yuntian also cupped his hands toward Su Fan: "Young Master Xunying, with a Mortal body, you scheme and judge the world. With a Wisdom Eye to recognize talent, and wisdom comparable to a Saint, you are the true great hero of our Principality!"

Regarding this Mortal who possessed no True Qi Spiritual Root, although Qiu Yuntian was a Martial King Realm expert, he felt extreme admiration for this Young Master Xunying in his heart.

Who didn't know that the strategist behind Crown Prince Qi Xiaobai ascending to the throne was this Young Master Xunying?

Rumors in the streets said that Young Master Xunying had once suffered imprisonment, was later taken as a servant by Prince Yin, and thereafter, relying on his own intelligence, rendered many miraculous services for Prince Yin. After Prince Yin passed away, he racked his brains to protect Crown Prince Qi Xiaobai's life. Eventually, Crown Prince Qi Xiaobai endured humiliation and went through hardships to finally ascend to the throne.

It was no exaggeration to say that without Young Master Xunying, there would be no Crown Prince Qi Xiaobai of today.

"The capital of the Cangyue Empire has been captured by the Great Yan Empire. There is no longer a Cangyue Empire in this world. What is your opinion on this?"

Qiu Yuntian did not expect Young Master Xunying to ask this question directly. After a slight pause, he said: "Once the Great Yan Empire swallows the Cangyue Empire, its territory will meet the requirements to become an Empire. It is just that the Great Yan Empire does not seem to have an Empress who has broken through to the Emperor Realm yet..."

"Sit. This is White Dragon Mountain Black Spirit Tea. It refreshes the mind, benefits Qi, and nourishes True Qi."

Su Fan had his servants bring the top-tier White Dragon Mountain Black Spirit Tea for Qiu Yuntian, while he himself only drank ordinary tea. After all, that kind of spiritual tea was not something a Mortal like him could handle.

Qiu Yuntian sighed internally. It was rumored that this White Dragon Mountain Black Spirit Tea could only be harvested once every hundred years. He did not expect Young Master Xunying to go to such trouble, and his heart was filled with emotion.

"Your information is not accurate enough."

Su Fan, dressed in white, his sleeves fluttering, gently waved his folding fan and said dashingly: "The information brought back by my spies is that the Great Yan Empire's Empress, Empress Yan Yufei... has already broken through to the Emperor Realm..."

"What!? The Great Yan Empire's Empress has already broken through to the Emperor Realm!?"

Upon hearing this, Qiu Yuntian was greatly shocked.

He knew deeply what an Emperor Realm expert meant; it would completely change the balance of power between the various nations.

He could not help but worry about the future of the Principality. Was the Shanhai Principality about to be dragged into a doomed war?

"The Great Yan Empire is about to become the Great Yan Empire... then our Principality is in danger..."

Just as he finished speaking, Qiu Yuntian saw that Young Master Xunying's face was calm as water, as if he already had a countermeasure. This calmness made Qiu Yuntian feel a trace of relief.

He thought to himself, perhaps this Young Master Xunying truly had extraordinary qualities and could bring a bright future to the Principality...

Su Fan called for someone to bring a map. The map was spread out on the table, and he pointed to it: "It will take the Great Yan Empire one year to fully digest the territory of the Cangyue Empire, and then, after sharpening their weapons for a year, they will take action against our neighboring Jiuyou Principality..."

Hearing this, Qiu Yuntian took a sip of tea and could not help but ask: "May I ask, Young Master, why would they act against the Jiuyou Principality first? Instead of acting directly against our Shanhai Principality?"

Su Fan looked at Qiu Yuntian with a calm expression: "May I ask, Mr. Qiu, what does our Shanhai Principality have?"

Qiu Yuntian pointed to the East Sea area on the map and said: "There are Merfolk. Once the Great Yan Empire obtains our territory, they can obtain countless pearls."

"Correct."

Su Fan nodded, but then immediately pointed to the territory of the Jiuyou Principality: "Then what does the Jiuyou Principality have?"

Qiu Yuntian shook his head. He only operated in the East Sea area and had never been to the Jiuyou Principality, so he truly did not know what the Jiuyou Principality had that was worth the Great Yan Empire seizing.

Su Fan smiled faintly: "The Jiuyou Principality has phoenix spirit amber, and there are a large number of Spiritual Vein mines in its southwest. The Spiritual Vein mines contain a large amount of phoenix spirit amber... In order to seize the phoenix spirit amber, the Great Yan Empire will inevitably send troops to the Jiuyou Principality first, instead of attacking our Principality first."

"Why is this?"

Qiu Yuntian marveled at Young Master Xunying's intelligence-gathering capabilities, but he really did not understand why the Great Yan Empire would go to seize the phoenix spirit amber of the Jiuyou Principality first, rather than coming to fight for the East Sea pearls.

Su Fan took a sip of tea and said unhurriedly: "Has Mr. Qiu heard of Fengqi Pavilion?"

"Naturally, I know of this. Fengqi Pavilion is the largest power in the Great Yan Empire. Every Empress of the Great Yan Empire has come from Fengqi Pavilion, but... what does this have to do with phoenix spirit amber? And what does it have to do with the Jiuyou Principality?"

Qiu Yuntian was full of confusion.

Su Fan slowly stood up, waved his folding fan, and smiled: "Mr. Qiu only knows that there is a Fengqi Pavilion, but does not know that there is a Phoenix Vein hidden within Fengqi Pavilion. This Phoenix Vein needs phoenix spirit amber to nourish it. If the phoenix spirit amber is cut off, this Phoenix Vein will lose its efficacy. Why can the Great Yan Empire produce such an Emperor Realm powerhouse like Empress Yan Yufei? The Fengqi Pavilion's Gu-raising method is one reason, and the second is this Phoenix Vein."

"So that's how it is!"

After hearing Su Fan's explanation, Qiu Yuntian was even more filled with admiration.

He cupped his hands and saluted: "Young Master Xunying is truly insightful; to even know of such a secret matter."

Su Fan waved his hand, "This is merely a deduction made after collecting information from various sources."

Qiu Yuntian's gaze became firm, "Since the Young Master has such insight, I presume you already have a way to deal with this?"

Su Fan smiled lightly, but then sighed softly: "Speaking of countermeasures, it is not that there are none, but after all, we have to face the Emperor Realm. Even with many good strategies, I am afraid it will be hard to turn the tide..."

"But we must try!"

Qiu Yuntian clenched his fists, his face showing determination.

Su Fan nodded, "Yes, we must try..."

...

After sending Qiu Yuntian to his quarters.

Su Fan, dressed in white, stood at the high point of Xunying Pavilion, looking toward the direction of the Great Yan Empire, his eyes filled with deep longing, murmuring: "Yingzi, are you doing well..."

Just at this moment, two figures flew to his side in the sky, knelt down and said: "Greetings, Young Master Xunying!"

"What news have you brought back this time?"

"Reporting to the Young Master, Jing Ge has not yet completed the mission."

Su Fan waved his hand lightly, let out a breath, and said slowly: "Mm, I understand."

The other figure stood up and respectfully handed him a note with both hands: "Young Master, this is the reply from the Sixth Young Master."

Su Fan took it, glanced at it, and sure enough, it was the reply from Sixth Young Master Qi Tao.