The three-headed stone statue, with Emperor Gaozu still in the central position, spoke slowly.

"You... are... not... a... king."

Sage Ruler Jin De scoffed. "So what?"

"Retreat... or... die."

The statue held a stone sword. Fan Li noticed its resemblance to his own Emperor Sword.

One side of the blade was engraved with the sun, moon, and stars, while the other depicted mountains, rivers, and vegetation. The hilt on one side bore inscriptions of agricultural and animal husbandry techniques, while the other side contained strategies for unifying the land.

"You are merely a puppet manifested by a formation. Do you truly believe yourself to be a Son of Heaven, a human emperor?" Jin De mocked.

As she spoke, a book as thick as a gold brick slowly materialized before her – it was her natal Confucian spiritual treasure, the "Book of Feminine Virtues"!

"Virtue!"

"Speech!"

"Appearance!"

"Skill!"

With each word Jin De uttered, a golden light emanated from her body, and her aura intensified. After reciting the four virtues of womanhood, she entered her peak state.

The "Book of Feminine Virtues" contained extensive writings on each of the four virtues. The fact that Jin De could achieve the effect of reciting the entire book by simply uttering a single word demonstrated her exceptional cultivation level.

"Duke Jin, Sage Ruler Jin De's feminine virtue mantra is similar to mine," Yan Yuan whispered.

Fan Li nodded in understanding.

After the Three Emperors Summit, Yan Yuan, along with seventy-two other disciples of Lu Chunqiu, had joined forces with Fan Yuehua outside Peng City to confront their enemies. At that time, Yan Yuan had used the Confucian "Words Manifest Reality" ability to enhance his combat power, similar to what Jin De was doing now.

However, Yan Yuan had recited the profound wisdom of sages, while Jin De had written her own book to establish her teachings.

‘The pinnacle of Confucianism involves writing and disseminating one's own teachings, just like Jin De,’ Fan Li thought to himself.

Curiosity piqued, he asked, "Who is stronger, Sage Ruler Jin De or Marquis Lu?"

Yan Yuan pondered for a moment before replying softly, "Sage Ruler Jin De's cultivation level should be at the third rank of the Great Vehicle Realm. My teacher has recently entered the Great Vehicle Realm but is not as high-ranked as the Sage Ruler. However, in an actual battle, the Sage Ruler may not be able to defeat my teacher."

"Oh?" Fan Li asked, intrigued. "Why is that?"

"My teacher's knowledge encompasses all of heaven and earth, and he possesses the profound wisdom passed down through the Lu lineage for a thousand years. His foundation is deep, and his progress in the Great Vehicle Realm is smooth and steady, like a broad, open road."

"Sage Ruler Jin De, though a remarkable woman, is somewhat impatient for success. Her 'Book of Feminine Virtues' pales in comparison to my teacher's ancestral 'Annals of Lu Buwei.' Even her own character..."

Yan Yuan, being a gentleman, refrained from finishing his sentence.

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Fan Li nodded, not doubting Yan Yuan's judgment.

How could Jin De's "Book of Feminine Virtues," written solely by herself, compare to the "Annals of Lu Buwei," which was compiled by the first Marquis Wenxin with the help of countless talented individuals and immense effort?

The fact that Lu Chunqiu, at the ninth rank of the Unity Realm, had been able to withstand a blow from the Jiajing Emperor without injury, despite losing a page from the "Annals," was a show of his extraordinary abilities. If it were Jin De in his place, she would never have been able to achieve such a feat.

"Hahaha!" Jin De suddenly burst into laughter.

Everyone turned to look at her and saw the pages of the "Book of Feminine Virtues" scattering, each page made of golden paper, fluttering through the air.

Jin De stretched out her hands, and the pages transformed into golden ropes, binding the three-headed stone statue in an instant.

"Teacher, what do we do now?" Crown Prince Wanli asked anxiously. "This woman is incredibly powerful. She subdued the statue in one move!"

Zhang Juzheng had been observing the situation closely but shook his head.

"Don't worry, Your Highness. The statue hasn't retaliated yet."

Wanli was impatient. "Retaliate? How? Sage Ruler Jin De is a third-rank Great Vehicle Realm expert. The statue is powerless against her!"

Did being a third-rank Great Vehicle Realm expert guarantee victory against the statue?

Zhang Juzheng remained silent, a sense of unease gnawing at him.

If it were so easy to subdue the statue, how could Guiguzi be trapped at the summit of Mount Yunmeng?

Had he overlooked something?

"Not a king? What does that phrase mean?"

While Zhang Juzheng was lost in thought, Fan Li was also pondering the same question.

The statue had repelled Zhou Yu and Guo Jia and persuaded Zhuge Liang to retreat. Even when facing the Great Vehicle Realm Sage Ruler Jin De, it still uttered the words "You are not a king."

What did it mean to not be a king?

And what did it mean to be one?

Suddenly, Fan Li thought of himself and Crown Prince Wanli. He looked at Wanli and noticed that Zhang Juzheng was also gazing at the Crown Prince with a thoughtful expression.

"The Mandate of Heaven?"

Fan Li and Zhang Juzheng spoke in unison.

"Teacher, what did you say?" Wanli asked.

Zhuge Liang, Zhou Yu, and Guo Jia, however, had already figured it out, their faces showing expressions of realization.

"Duke Jin?" Yan Yuan whispered, "Could the key to breaking the Three Emperors Formation be related to the Mandate of Heaven?"

Fan Li smiled wryly. "So, I have no choice but to participate?"

Cao Cao, Liu Bei, and Sun Quan all knew that he possessed the Mandate of Heaven. As their trusted advisors, Zhuge Liang and the others were naturally aware of it as well.

"Duke Jin, if you intend to challenge the formation, perhaps you should wait for Crown Prince Wanli to try first?" Guo Jia suggested softly.

Zhuge Liang nodded in agreement. "A person of noble birth should not put themselves in danger unnecessarily. Duke Jin, Guo Jin’s words are wise."

"Please be careful, Duke Jin," Zhou Yu added. "No matter how important Guiguzi is, your safety is paramount."

Meanwhile, Zhang Juzheng had also shared his theory with Crown Prince Wanli.

"The Mandate of Heaven is the key to breaking the formation? Teacher, why didn't you say so earlier!"

"After Sage Ruler Jin De fails, I will challenge the formation. You don't need to go, Teacher!" Wanli was overjoyed.

Finally, the immense credit for recruiting Guiguzi would belong to him, the future Son of Heaven!

"Your Highness, it would be prudent to let Fan Li try first. According to the Embroidered Uniform Guard's intelligence, Fan Li is suspected to possess the Mandate of Heaven."

Zhang Juzheng, ever cautious, felt it was best to err on the side of caution.

Crown Prince Wanli, however, was displeased.

"Teacher," he said with sarcasm, "You have served in the imperial court for many years. Has your salary increased? Have you been working diligently? Why are you ranked last among the Grand Secretaries? Always yielding, never taking the initiative, lacking responsibility – you really should reflect on yourself, Teacher!"

Zhang Juzheng's face flushed red with shame as Wanli's words pierced him like daggers.

He trembled slightly, staring at Wanli in disbelief.

Was this the same imperial heir he had nurtured with such care, the same respectful and humble young prince who had once treated him like family?

He seemed to have changed.

In his pursuit of the throne, he had forgotten his initial aspirations, forgotten his roots, and forgotten who had helped him rise to his current position.

Was this version of Crown Prince Wanli still worthy of his loyalty and support?

"Uh..." Wanli seemed to realize he had gone too far.

"Teacher, I apologize," he quickly backtracked. "I was too anxious and said some inappropriate things. I have disappointed you. I know that I am where I am today because of your support..."

Zhang Juzheng shook his head with a bitter smile.

Making the Crown Prince apologize to him?

He wouldn't dare.

The Zhu family's tradition of settling scores after the autumn harvest had been a bloody affair since the time of the founding emperor. Zhang Juzheng didn't want Wanli to apologize to him today only to have his bones ground to dust after he ascended the throne.

"Upon further reflection, I believe Your Highness is right. Please, Your Highness, challenge the formation first."