Chapter 100 - 89: The Crown Prince Also Has Work to Do!

Chapter 100: Chapter 89: The Crown Prince Also Has Work to Do!

He could tell that the Crown Prince intended to use the tactic of humbling himself to recruit a scholar into his camp. However, this little fatty’s skills were still far behind his father’s.

"The Master once said that a smooth and broad path is not paved in a single day. I believe that in the future, Brother Quan Fu will definitely see my sincerity," the Crown Prince said. His eyes were extremely clear, and his voice carried deep sincerity. He knew that a great talent like Zeng Anmin had surely seen through his intentions long ago. There was nothing to hide, so he might as well be open and generous about it.

"Alright, alright. Let’s hurry back to our seats and study," Zeng Anmin replied. He wouldn’t go so far as to push him away, wearing a slight smile. Although this little fatty was born into the royal family, from what he had seen so far, his character wasn’t bad. He might as well make a friend first.

"Okay." Hearing Zeng Anmin showing clear signs of relenting, the Crown Prince felt a surge of joy, and even more motivation welled up inside him.

"After you, Brother Quan Fu." The Crown Prince extended his hand, his attitude impeccable. At the same time, a sense of smugness rose in his heart.

He thought, "In ancient times, the Grand Ancestor put on shoes for Celestial Master Xu. Today, I, Wang Yuanzhen, make way for Zeng Liangjiang. As expected, I truly have the bearing of the Grand Ancestor!"

"Brother Quan Fu."

After the two returned to their seats, they saw that Qin Wanyue had already opened her book. Evidently, she had been studying hard for quite some time. Sensing the movement beside her, she looked up. Her gaze was as tender as water, its deep, ocean-like clarity brimming with what looked exactly like affection.

Every time he met Qin Wanyue’s eyes, an illusion would surface in Zeng Anmin’s mind. "Could this woman... like me? Ugh, forget it. It’s better not to believe in the three great illusions of life."

"Ms. Qin, do you come this early every day?" Zeng Anmin asked curiously, picking up *The Book of Yi* from the desk and opening it to the first page.

"Since we haven’t purchased a residence in the capital yet, I am temporarily staying at the Imperial College with my father. Because it’s close, I arrive a bit earlier." Qin Wanyue’s voice was always this methodical and composed. Unlike Sai Chuxue, she liked to look into Zeng Anmin’s eyes when she spoke. She was open and natural, never making one feel awkward.

"Oh." Zeng Anmin nodded slowly. Then, as if remembering something, he asked politely, "Among the Six Arts of the Gentleman, I’ve currently decided to focus on Archery. Do you have any good advice, Ms. Qin?"

Although he had the assistance of the *Falling Jade Disc* given by Bai Ziqing, it was, in reality, a Martial Skill. Meanwhile, the "Archery" in the Confucian Dao leaned closer to the Dao itself. The two were actually on par with each other.

"The Six Arts of the Gentleman are actually the Attack Skills of our Confucian school." Hearing Zeng Anmin’s question, the smile on Qin Wanyue’s face deepened. Like peach blossoms in the spring breeze, the young woman’s fragrance plucked at the young master’s heartstrings.

For some unknown reason, Qin Wanyue really enjoyed—or rather, really liked—this feeling of answering Zeng Anmin’s questions. It was just like how a boy, when chatting with a girl he liked, would always rack his brains to find all sorts of topics.

"That day in the Observation Department, when my father subdued the Fish Demon, his Confucian Daoist Dharma Aspect transformed into the character ’Suppress’. It suppressed the Fish Demon into ashes. This ’Suppress’ character represents ’Calligraphy’ among the Six Arts of the Gentleman in our Confucian Dao..."

Qin Wanyue’s voice always had a way of unconsciously drawing people into the rhythm of her words. Zeng Anmin listened thoughtfully. Regarding these Six Arts of the Gentleman, his old man had told him to first confirm which one he liked, and then put in the effort to study it deeply. Moreover, not long after he stepped into the Sixth Grade Gentleman Realm, his old man was promoted, and they had been traveling ever since. He simply hadn’t had the time to come into contact with it.

Only Zeng Anmin himself knew. Because he had the cheat-like "Martial Artist’s Heart," he was absolutely and undeniably certain that he wanted to enter the Dao through "Archery."

There weren’t many students in the Imperial College classroom right now, and Qin Wanyue and Zeng Anmin weren’t displaying any intimate behavior. It was just a normal exchange between classmates.

But the Little Fatty Crown Prince sitting behind them attributed this scene to mutual affection. While talking to Ms. Qin, Brother Quan Fu’s arm was definitely misbehaving! Seemingly unintentionally, he would brush against her arm from time to time. And Ms. Qin, as if completely unaware, just continued talking. Although both of their expressions remained normal, how could the Little Fatty Crown Prince fail to see the fishy business going on between them?

Not long after, a Master arrived to teach. Zeng Anmin and Qin Wanyue’s conversation came to an end.

The Master was named Zhang Qi, currently a Master of Great Success in the Dao of "Music" among the Six Arts of the Gentleman. Although he wasn’t teaching Rites and Music today, the Master’s lecture was extremely vivid.

Zeng Anmin listened, utterly mesmerized... like hell he was. He would listen for three minutes and let his mind wander for half the class. His bad habit of spacing out during class was truly hard to change.

"Tomorrow morning, bring your Ten-stringed Zithers. I shall lecture you on the Dao of ’Music’ among the Six Arts of the Gentleman," the Master said. After finishing the lecture, he slowly stood up and gave the students a notice.

"Farewell, Master."

After the students watched the Master leave, they started getting ready to go eat lunch. Zeng Anmin, however, took this opportunity to make a trip to the Imperial College’s Library. The Imperial College’s Library was known as the second best in the world. The first was the Library Pavilion in the Imperial Palace.

"Brother Quan Fu, why did you come to the Library?" The Crown Prince looked at Zeng Anmin with a face full of curiosity. He had followed right behind him without even going to eat.

"To look up some information," Zeng Anmin replied, frowning as he looked at the bookshelves in front of him. This bookshelf contained the Holy Dynasty’s War History compiled by the Imperial College Doctors. Every battle, big or small, from the time the Grand Ancestor raised his army up until the year before last, was recorded here.

"War History?" The Crown Prince blinked, then looked at Zeng Anmin innocently and said, "If you want to check the War History... it would actually be better to just ask me."

"Oh?" Zeng Anmin looked up at the Little Fatty Crown Prince’s round face, crossing his arms as he sized him up. "You’re an expert in War History?"

"Hehe." The Crown Prince’s face revealed a look of extreme confidence. "From the time the Grand Ancestor raised his army, up until the Yin Wu Demon Eradication before I was seven years old—when the Saint Jiang Two Countries joined forces to strike the Demon Race—I know it all by heart."

"Oh?" Zeng Anmin raised an eyebrow. "Then tell me about the Grand Ancestor raising his army."

The Crown Prince chuckled softly. He slowly stood up, walked to the window, and looked out at the students outside. His voice drifted out slowly:

"In the fourth year of Zhenqi in the previous dynasty, Emperor Ai of Han was in power. He committed many atrocities, leading to chaos in the world and plunging the people into destitution.

"On the fourth day of the first month in the fourth year of Zhenqi, the Grand Ancestor’s family fell into ruin, and he suffered humiliation at the hands of a cruel official. With soaring ambition surging in his heart, he angrily beheaded the official, proclaiming the beginning of a chaotic era.

"On the fifth day of the first month that same year, the Grand Ancestor and his childhood playmate Bai Liyun rallied the local townsfolk and attacked Ning County.

"The very next day, Ning County could no longer hold out and was occupied by the Grand Ancestor.

"..."

The Little Fatty Crown Prince spoke methodically and eloquently. He remembered even the exact dates from the history books without a single error. It gave off the illusion of standing face-to-face with a heavyweight historian.

"Stop!" Zeng Anmin had zero interest in the history of the Grand Ancestor raising his army. He now believed in the Crown Prince’s profound knowledge of the War History.

The Crown Prince turned around slowly, a smile on his face. At this moment, the only thing missing in his hand was a teaching pointer.

"Tell me about the Yin Wu Demon Eradication." Zeng Anmin pulled up a chair for the Crown Prince and helped him sit down. He then sat opposite him, looking at the Crown Prince seriously.

This subtle gesture moved the Crown Prince so much that he almost wanted to cry. "The spirit of the Grand Ancestor in heaven has manifested! Learning from the Grand Ancestor was indeed the right choice! Sincerity truly is the ultimate weapon in interpersonal relationships!!"

The Little Fatty Crown Prince suppressed the agitation in his heart and took a deep breath. Only then did the flush on his face fade slightly. "The cause of the Yin Wu Demon Eradication was back in the fifth year of Jianhong, when the current Demon King of Ten Thousand Demon Mountain, Bi Xuan, united the various tribes of the Demon Race to..."

"Skip that part for now. Just tell me the location, the great general dispatched by our Holy Dynasty, and..." Zeng Anmin looked at the Crown Prince seriously. "...Count Zhongyuan."

"Count Zhongyuan?" The Crown Prince frowned slightly. Clearly, he did not have a good impression of Count Zhongyuan. "At that time, our Great Saint Dynasty dispatched a total of over seventy thousand troops. The leading general was the current Imperial City Director, Ji Qing. Prince Qi, King Jiang, and Count Zhongyuan were all under Ji Qing’s command."

"Wait..." Zeng Anmin abruptly raised his head, staring straight at the Crown Prince. "Prince Qi, King Jiang... the two of them were also in that Yin Wu Demon Eradication battle back then?"

The Crown Prince nodded blankly and looked at Zeng Anmin. "Yes, why?"

"It’s nothing. Go on." Zeng Anmin furrowed his brow slightly, his old man’s face subconsciously surfacing in his mind. A possibility arose in his heart...