Fan Li's killing intent was absolutely not just some impulse. On the contrary, this idea was the product of extreme rationality!

The system arranged for Fan Li to become a powerful minister, and as such a minister, Fan Li was very satisfied with Emperor Xiang Ning.

Once Xiang Ning's true gender was exposed, her position on the throne might not be preserved. No matter who the new emperor was after the change of rulers, Fan Li was sure they wouldn't satisfy him as much as Xiang Ning did.

By then, Fan Li would be hard pressed not to become a true villainous minister! He would disregard everything to suppress the new emperor and deprive them of imperial power, in order to ensure absolute benefits for himself and the Fan family!

However, all of that would be too troublesome. Fan Li hated trouble, and he hated troublesome princesses even more.

"The Princess knows too much," he said calmly.

Princess Chang Le always had a smile on her face and was graceful and elegant, but in that moment, a chill rose in her heart and her pretty face instantly froze!

Killing intent!

The princess clearly felt the killing intent hidden beneath Fan Li's calm tone!

This man actually still dared to have thoughts of killing her, clearly knowing her strength and background?

Princess Chang Le finally witnessed Fan Li's extraordinary nature, and she also instantly understood one truth:

Cultivation level and realm were not the entirety of a man's strength!

Recalling Fan Li's performance earlier outside the waterside pavilion, he had deterred the entire scene with his vast Righteous Qi, even making the eminent scholar Huangfu Song kneel down and bow.

Confucian and Daoist cultivators used Righteous Qi to substitute Spiritual Qi, but it still couldn't be viewed completely the same as Spiritual Qi.

The amount of Spiritual Qi represented the most intuitive combat power for ordinary cultivators. However, Confucian and Daoist Righteous Qi was not so straightforward.

In addition to using their cultivation to nurture Righteous Qi, Confucian and Daoist cultivators could also transform Righteous Qi from their essence, qi, and spirit.

Therefore, even though Fan Li was only at the 3rd grade of the Golden Core Realm in cultivation level, he could still condense qi into a sea. Princess Chang Le determined that his attainment in the Confucian cultivation of heart and character was approaching that of holy sages!

In the future, Fan Li's cultivation path would surely be one of prosperity and peace, continuously smooth without obstacles, unrestricted by the demons of the heart or bottlenecks in enlightenment.

He would become an unimaginably powerful being!

"I can guarantee not to speak about His Majesty the Chu Emperor's secret," Princess Chang Le softly said.

Fan Li nodded, indicating he was relatively satisfied with the princess's attitude.

Judging only from the current situation between the three kingdoms, the alliance between Chu and Han was the general trend, otherwise no single nation could independently face the powerful Great Ming alone.

Therefore, he also had no need to completely turn hostile against the princess.

According to Chu Kingdom's present intelligence, Great Ming's Emperor Jiajing's strength was above that of the Han Emperor Liu Xi.

And the recently promoted Nascent Soul Realm cultivator Xiang Ning could barely wield the Overlord Spear relying on her Xiang clan bloodline, far from being comparable with Emperor Jiajing.

Fan Li had privately asked Wu Gang before whether she could take a full powered strike from Xiang Ning with the Overlord Spear.

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Wu Gang had only answered with two words: Slight Injury.

It had to be known that Wu Gang was alone without family or friends and also destitute. That Xiang Ning's strike with the Overlord Spear could only lightly injure her meant that if it was Great Ming's Emperor instead, with innumerable secret arts and precious treasures protecting him, perhaps a single strike wouldn't even be able to harm him the slightest bit.

Furthermore, Emperor Jiajing's personal Great Vehicle Realm cultivation might even be above Wu Gang's.

Princess Chang Le continued, "But I have come for the marriage alliance between our families for the sake of both nations. If the Chu Emperor is disguising herself as a man, then how can this be good?"

Fan Li replied, "If the Han Emperor is sincere in his desire for an alliance, then my Great Chu absolutely welcomes it. Even without a marriage, we can still swear oaths and sign covenants."

But the princess shook her head. "I stayed in Peng City for months already. If I don't establish a marriage engagement with the Chu Emperor before returning, it would become a joke. Even if our nations have an alliance, what does that have to do with me?"

Fan Li was also able to understand her perspective. With the general trend of a Chu-Han alliance achieved, Princess Chang Le naturally had to consider her own interests.

But other than the issue of face that the princess mentioned, Fan Li felt she still had other concealed motives.

"May I ask what the princess is planning?" Fan Li asked directly.

The other party had been alluding to things for a long time already, clearly having plans set in her heart, only waiting for his approval as Great Chu's person in actual power.

Princess Chang Le smiled and said, "I still wish to marry the Chu Emperor, and will have to trouble Duke Jin to personally write a memorial, advising the Chu Emperor to ask my imperial father for my hand in marriage."

"Ah?"

Fan Li was finally somewhat dumbfounded.

What was going on here?

Princess Chang Le was a woman and Xiang Ning was also a woman. Clearly knowing that, why insist on a marriage alliance?

Fan Li first eliminated the possibility that Princess Chang Le was a special kind of person, because when she occasionally glanced at him, her eyes clearly contained a woman's captivation towards an admirable man.

The Fan family bloodline resulted in good looks and talents for all four siblings, Fan Li and Fan Yuehua especially so, comparable to a dragon or phoenix amongst people.

Although Fan Li wasn't arrogant about his appearance, he still knew his own charm. So unless she was a false phoenix, just what was Princess Chang Le trying to do?

"Please speak frankly, Princess," Fan Li said.

Princess Chang Le nodded and said, "I only want the status of Empress in Great Chu, and the marriage ceremony only requires going through the motions. But I have one condition."

Fan Li didn't know whether to laugh or cry. She was forcibly insisting on the marriage, not even Xiang Ning actively seeking the proposal, so how could Princess Chang Le be the one to set conditions?

Fan Li helplessly nodded for her to continue.

Princess Chang Le smiled first before slyly saying, "After I marry into Great Chu, as long as I give birth to a prince, he must immediately be established as Crown Prince!"

Pfff!!!

Fan Li had been drinking tea and directly spat out a mouthful, pulling off a celestial maiden scattering flowers.

"Please... don't joke around!"

What was wrong with this woman!?

Did she think she could reproduce asexually!?

Or, did Princess Chang Le actually have a lover on the side, planning to cuckold Xiang Ning after their marriage?

If that was the case, Fan Li absolutely wouldn't agree!

The pitiful Xiang Ning could only be bullied by him, Fan Li. Anyone else doing it was unacceptable!

"I'm not joking," Princess Chang Le gently said.

"Then I must refuse," Fan Li put on a stern face, seeming absolutely uncompromising.

But Princess Chang Le’s next words nearly broke through his composure.

"What if... the father of my future child... was Duke Jin?"

Fan Li stared dumbfounded at Princess Chang Le, with her peerless looks and figure. He actually caught a glimmer of true intentions from her expression. This woman was serious!

No, absolutely not! Without needing any reasons, Fan Li was opposed from head to toe to Princess Chang Le’s suggestion.

Just what was this woman plotting?

Fan Li felt she was very dangerous! Even more dangerous than Zhang Juzheng who had previously tried to incite his rebellion!

Princess Chang Le, unfathomable!

"Ding!"

And at this moment, the familiar system notification chime sounded.

"New mission issued: [I Am King Wen of Zhou]."

"Mission instructions: Host aspires to become King Wen of Zhou, establishing the foundation as a founding monarch for his descendants' eternal dynasty."

"Mission reward: Precious Artifact, [Nation-Establishing Jade Seal]."

Fan Li gradually became numb.

As expected of the Villainous Minister System. It chose this moment to present a mischievous task, and he didn't even have the chance to refuse.

While he was feeling annoyed, another supplementary notification from the system popped up.

"[I Am King Wen of Zhou] is a special task with no completion standards. The task reward will be immediately issued."

"This system will continue to wholeheartedly support the host. Please, host, march firmly on the path of treachery and soon become the first treacherous minister in history."

The notification ended, and Fan Li immediately felt something weighty in his hands. Lowering his head, he saw an object about four inches in diameter, with five dragons encircling a central button. On the front, it was engraved with the eight seal characters: 'Commanded by Heaven, Prosperity and Longevity.'

Princess Chang Le saw it and also froze for several seconds. Then, she suddenly smiled and asked, "What is Duke Jin holding in his hand?"

Can I say it's a brick? Would you believe me?

Fan Li's mouth twitched for a moment, feeling awkward. "Probably... it might be the Inherited Jade Seal?"