When Ying Lan heard Pei Rumo"s suggestion, he heaved a sigh of relief. He thought about how the First Prince"s thoughts had been completely seen through by his mistress. Right now, he had to rely on himself to respond accordingly. It would be fine if he fell here. However, he couldn"t allow the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence his mistress painstakingly established to disappear because of his mistake.
“Your First Highness, you are confusing me right now.” Ying Lan pretended that he didn"t understand Pei Rumo"s words and tried to relay the question back to Pei Rumo.
“Hahahaha, Palace Master Ying Lan, you shouldn"t act confused. You and I are intelligent people and we shouldn"t waste each other"s time.” Pei Rumo obviously saw through Ying Lan"s intention..
Ying Lan felt a little helpless and he thought about how Pei Rumo was extremely difficult to deal with. Instead of dragging the conversation on, he felt that he should give a straightforward reply in order to avoid incurring Pei Rumo"s wrath.
“The First Prince is too polite. Of course I wish for the Palace of Brilliance resurgence to flourish and reach new heights. I am wondering about the cooperation you are talking about.”
Pei Rumo saw that Ying Lan was already speaking in a straightforward manner and he started doing the same. He stated his plan to Ying Lan. “This matter is a little complicated. Palace Master Ying Lan must listen well and avoid getting impatient.”
Pei Rumo was speaking the truth. He had been brooding over the lack of influence in the martial world, but if he was to recklessly negotiate with those established factions, his plan might backfire instead. For one, he might not be able to offer them something enticing enough and they might even sell him out to the Phoenix King Valley. If that were to happen, Pei Wuchen would realize what he was trying to do. It was the reason why he delayed his plan for such a long time.
But things were different now. There was a faction with great potential right in front of him. Rather than negotiating with a well established faction, why shouldn"t he try nurturing one for himself? Furthermore, the moment Pei Rumo noticed the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence, he had a feeling that they would be standing at the peak of the continent.
In order to rope in the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence to his side, Pei Rumo thought about all the conditions he could put forth. Of course, this included his plan for the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence. Everything could be summed up with a single word, "complicated".
“Your Highness, please speak your mind. I will pay my utmost attention.” When Ying Lan heard Pei Rumo speaking like this, he immediately knew that the dinner wasn"t a Hongmen Feast. On the contrary, Pei Rumo was dealing with this matter with utmost sincerity.
Pei Rumo nodded with satisfaction and started his speech, “My Third Brother has always been supported by the Phoenix King Valley. Even though I already have a firm position in the imperial court, the fact that an outstanding tree will attract wind is true. The ones that are monitoring me are not only the officials and my imperial relatives. Even my Emperor Father is suspicious and taking some precaution against me. Therefore, I can only break my own wings in order to exchange for my Emperor Father"s trust. I do not have to speak in detail about the multiple challenges in the imperial clan and I trust that you can make some accurate guesses with your intelligence. I cannot simply lay down obediently and watch my Third Brother grow stronger. Those factions that can contest against the Phoenix King Valley are mostly a.s.sociated with the Phoenix King Valley. If I recklessly form agreements with them, I am afraid that my Third Brother will learn of my actions before the negotiation even starts. Hence, I have chosen to personally support a faction with potential. Before making a choice, your Palace of Brilliance Resurgence appeared before me. To me, this is definitely a favor offered by the heavens.”
When Ying Lan heard Pei Rumo putting on such a large hat for the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence, he immediately evaded the praise, “Your First Highness is exaggerating too much. Our Palace of Brilliance Resurgence is a new faction. How can we be compared to the Phoenix King Valley that is part of the Three Great Immortal Sects?” Even though he was praising the Phoenix King Valley, he was despising it in his heart.
“Sigh, what is Palace Master Ying Lan saying... Regular people might think that the Phoenix King Valley is eminent and unapproachable, but isn"t it obvious after their disciple exhibition? Those with discerning eyes can see that the Phoenix King Valley only has a gilded exterior but is shabby and ruined on the inside. Had it not been for the foundation left behind by their ancestors, they would have already collapsed. I might want to recruit you, but I am not someone who will use flattery to achieve my means. All my praises come straight from the heart. Palace Master Ying Lan should not undervalue yourself.”
How could Ying Lan miss Pei Rumo"s meaning? The situation of the Phoenix King Valley was indeed different from the past. It seemed like the capability of his Palace of Brilliance Resurgence wasn"t going to escape the eyes of the First Prince. After some consideration, Ying Lan questioned Pei Rumo, “How far is Your First Highness willing to take this? What kind of benefits can you bring to my Palace of Brilliance Resurgence? What do you need our Palace of Brilliance Resurgence to do for you?”
Ying Lan didn"t have the intention to involve the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence. He merely wanted to hear the plans that Pei Rumo had so that he would be able to consider his next course of action.
To Pei Rumo, he was convinced that Ying Lan was ready to work with him.
“There is nothing much I need you to do. There will be times when it won"t be convenient for me to make a move and as a faction in the martial world, you will be of great help. Those that wish to harm my imperial court and those smaller factions that are getting restless and wish to live off the imperial clan shall be handled by you. Moreover, I noticed Palace Master Ying Lan"s close relations.h.i.+p with Divine Physician Bai. I believe the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence should be housing another valiant leader. If Divine Physician Bai is to follow by my side, it will be adding wings to a tiger. Things will be much more convenient.”
“Of course, there are many benefits for your faction. Previously, when Divine Physician Bai was residing in my residence, be it spirit medicine for cultivation or daily necessities, I have provided nothing but the best. As long as you need anything and it is within ability, I will provide all of it. It may seem like you are serving me, but we will be forming an alliance where both parties are equal. When "that matter" is complete, the Palace of Brilliance Resurgence will be the most prestigious faction in the entire Cloud Water Nation. Your faction will even be honored as the National Sect!”
“I have already stated my conditions, what does Palace Master Ying Lan think?”