Chapter 978

This made Ying Zheng deeply uncomfortable.

Fusu listened to the ministers' discussion, glanced at Ying Zheng's expression, and in an instant understood his thoughts.

His heart stirred, and he suddenly stepped forward from the ranks and said,

"Father Emperor, your son believes that in this matter, there is actually no need to be too hasty."

"Oh? Tell us what you think."

Since Fusu had successfully served as envoy to the Qinglong Society, Ying Zheng had taken an ever greater liking to him.

Seeing Fusu about to speak again now, he posed a tentative question.

"Among all the great powers under heaven, the Qinglong Society stands supreme. However, the Grand Longshou is presently far beyond the heavens, so the Qinglong Society is temporarily refraining from involving itself in the struggle for dominance.

Do the esteemed ministers agree?"

Fusu did not answer directly, but instead spoke publicly about the general trend of the world.

Indeed, ever since the Grand Longshou Ximen Wudi departed for the Sword Realm, the Qinglong Society had shown no further moves of expansion to this day.

It was as if, with Ximen Wudi's absence, the Qinglong Society had fallen into a slumber.

Yet the Qinglong Society could not be looked down upon.

In every major affair under heaven, the shadow of the Qinglong Society lurked behind the scenes.

Clearly, the Qinglong Society's temporary non-participation in the struggle for dominance did not mean it had relinquished its control over the general situation.

Having thought this through, Li Si stepped forward from the ranks and nodded in agreement.

He was the Prime Minister of Great Qin, in possession of the Black Ice Terrace intelligence; once he gave his approval, the others naturally had nothing to say.

"Since the Prime Minister concurs, Fusu shall continue."

Having gained the approval of Li Si, with whom he had never been on good terms, Fusu's courage immediately swelled, and he continued,

"Among the remaining powers, Great Qin, Great Yuan, Great Tang, Yunzhou, and Dongying should be regarded as the five leading parties. Do the esteemed ministers agree?"

"Great Qin, Great Yuan, and Great Tang need not be mentioned.

Why has the Grand Imperial Prince included Yunzhou and Dongying as well?"

Li Si, however, did not give his direct approval at this point, but instead raised a question.

Before Yunzhou's return, Great Qin, Great Yuan, and Great Tang had always been the top three dynasties under heaven.

Among them, Great Qin was the foremost!

All powers under heaven acknowledged this ranking.

After Yunzhou returned, Dongying emerged in turn.

Although Yunzhou boasted countless experts, and the Yunzhou Imperial Court had such enshrined experts as the Five Ancestors of the Nijian Sect and Xiongwu.

Dongying also had experts led by Tianhuang Lian Chengzhi, who kept appearing on the rankings and gaining exposure.

Yet Li Si had never felt that these two powers could contend with the top three dynasties such as Great Qin.

"Prime Minister, you likely believe that the experts of the Yunzhou Imperial Court and Dongying are insufficient for us to take seriously, do you not?"

Fusu looked at the disdain on Li Si's face and guessed his thoughts at once.

"Precisely."

Li Si declared in a clear voice,

"The Yunzhou Imperial Court may have a great reputation, but to this day, aside from the Grand General of Shanhai Pass, Shi Dingtian,

Xiong Ba's junior brother Xiongwu,

and the Five Ancestors of the Nijian Sect, no one else has made the rankings.

The highest among them is merely the Five Ancestors of the Nijian Sect, ranked twentieth on the Heavenly Dao Combat Power Ceiling Board.

In contrast, our Great Qin has Lord Wu'an at nineteenth, and Lord Shang at eighteenth.

Moreover, the National Preceptor Yin Zhong and the former Imperial Prince Zichu have yet to make the rankings.

With strength such as theirs, what right do they have to be named alongside Great Qin as a great power?

As for Dongying, there is even less need to say."

Li Si used the Heavenly Dao Combat Power Ceiling Board rankings as his basis, and his argument was reasonably well-grounded.

The assembled ministers, upon hearing this, were all elated and cheered for Li Si.

Ying Zheng could not help but nod as well, feeling a certain pride within that Great Qin's strength was so formidable.

"Had it been before I had not ascended the Qinglong Summit, I too would have shared the Prime Minister's view."

Fusu said with a bitter smile,

"I wonder if the Prime Minister and esteemed colleagues consider Mr. Wu Wudi, one of the Qinglong Society's guest retainers, to be an expert?"

What?

Who are you talking about?

The Qinglong Society's guest retainer Wu Wudi?

Does he count as an expert?

Grand Imperial Prince, are you joking?

If Wu Wudi does not count as an expert, how many experts remain under heaven?

The assembled ministers, upon hearing this, could not help but mutter inwardly.

After all, although Wu Wudi had never gone all-out in public,

one only need look at the battle with Tang Yuan, when the demonic monk Pudu Cihang slaughtered all around.

The moment the Qinglong Society made its move, the four guest retainers each put forth a technique in turn.

Each of the four unleashed but a single strike, and Pudu Cihang was captured.

That crushing display shocked the world beyond measure.

Although Wu Wudi's strength had not been fully displayed.

The world had seen him take action together with Di Shitian, Xiao Jingtian, and Xiao Aoshi.

And they already understood.

Wu Wudi was most likely a master of the same caliber as those three.

With that being the case, how could Wu Wudi not be considered a master?

He was probably a master among masters, a stronger one among the strong!

Although the ministers and Li Si did not say this aloud, their eyes and expressions had already betrayed their inner thoughts.

Hearing Fusu saw it and smiled, then said,

"Back then at the peak of the Azure Dragon, at the entrance of the Azure Dragon Shanzhuang.

I, along with Master Xiaomeng and the Dayuan's Chahatai and others, were blocked outside the gate, ignored for a long time.

I never expected that after an old man from Yunzhou appeared, we saw Mr. Wu Wudi suddenly show up in person and warmly receive this old gentleman."

"Wow…"

The Lanchi Palace erupted in an uproar.

Although Hearing Fusu had not yet finished speaking, everyone already understood.

To be received personally by Wu Wudi, and warmly received at that.

This old man from Yunzhou's identity was surely no simple matter.

Even a person like Wu Wudi was generally devoted to Wu Gong.

Those who could catch his eye either had sufficient Wu Gong cultivation, or sufficient talent.

Even if it were the Emperor of Great Qin, or the leader of the Tianxiahui Gang, they probably could not catch his eye.

Speaking thus, this old man was even more a powerhouse!

How could the Yunzhou imperial court be an easy lot?

"What is this old man's identity?"

Hearing Ying Zheng spoke to inquire.

In his heart he could not help but imagine, if this person were of no importance to the Yunzhou imperial court, and he spent a great price to recruit him over.

Would not the momentum of the Great Qin imperial court advance yet another step?

"Father Emperor, very regretfully…"

Hearing Fusu wore an embarrassed expression, replying,

"At the banquet, I never found the chance to make conversation with this old gentleman.

Later, after descending from the Azure Dragon peak, I even enlisted the Black Ice Platform and the Net to investigate.

All came up empty-handed."