Sang Han fell silent as she stared intently at Ye Guan. The grand hall suddenly became deathly still. Ye Guan didn't continue speaking either. He was, in truth, taking a gamble. He didn't have the luxury of proving himself slowly or carefully laying out his plans; he had to move fast, as the Great Daoist Brush Master had already escaped, and he was an unimaginably terrifying foe. He had no choice but to be quick. And being quick meant taking risks. After a moment, Sang Han looked at Ye Guan and said, "Go on." Ye Guan breathed a sigh of relief and said, "My next words may be considered treasonous..." Sang Han calmly replied, "It's fine. You're already quite treasonous." Ye Guan was momentarily dumbfounded. "Keep going. I'd like to hear something even more treasonous." Ye Guan glanced at her and then said, "We need to give the people below some opportunities, something to hope for. Only then can we achieve true stability." Sang Han asked, "And in your eyes, how should we do that?" Ye Guan sternly said, "This cannot be rushed; it must be done step by step. We should start small. I believe you should fund the establishment of an academy, Madam. This academy will accept children of commoners, giving those without background or connections a path forward. "You must know that some commoners have decent talent. They don't lack ability or effort, but they lack the opportunity to make it big. If we're willing to offer them that opportunity, they'll certainly do well..." "And don't you recruit civil officials every year, Madam? We can prioritize selections from the academy. In simple terms, we can use the academy to cultivate talent for ourselves." Sang Han's brows furrowed slightly. Cultivate talent for ourselves! Of course, she understood the importance of talent. At present, she was in dire need of all kinds of capable people. Seeing that her interest was piqued, Ye Guan quickly added, "Establishing one academy, and only in our Yongrong Province, will not stir up much attention. "Most importantly, the talents nurtured by this academy will be loyal to you. Pardon me for saying something even more treasonous, but if you're willing, those people can see you as the heavens—as their everything." In their eyes, there would only be her, not the empire. He wanted to say that, but he dared not. He could tell that Sang Han was still loyal to the empire. He had to take things slow. Sang Han seemed indeed tempted by Ye Guan's proposal. She had no shortage of subordinates or even talented people, but who would ever complain about having too many talented people around them? Moreover, she had political enemies. Without some people absolutely loyal to her, she was at a disadvantage. Ye Guan asked, "Why don't we give it a try?" Give it a try.... Sang Han looked at Ye Guan. "You do it." Ye Guan nodded. "Alright!" Sang Han asked, "What will the academy be called?" Ye Guan thought for a long time, then said, "How about Guanxuan?" Sang Han looked at him. "Why?" Ye Guan smiled. "Guanxuan... to observe the mysteries and profundities of the vast expanse. The name sounds grand, meaningful, and catchy." Sang Han nodded. "As you wish." "Then I'll get started." Ye Guan hesitated before asking, "Do I get any compensation?" Sang Han looked at him. "No." Ye Guan asked again, "Then... the funding for the academy?" Ye Guan's face instantly darkened. "You'll have to raise the funds yourself." Ye Guan revealed a wry smile. "Governor, that's—" Suddenly, Sang Han called out, "Come." As soon as her words fell, a lady in a green dress appeared at the hall's entrance. Sang Han ordered, "Take him to the Secretariat and have him read through all the records and archives." The green-dressed lady bowed slightly. "Yes." Sang Han looked at Ye Guan. "The records in the Secretariat contain everything I need to handle right now. Read them so you can advise me later. As for the academy, handle it yourself." Ye Guan nodded. "Understood." Then, he followed the lady in a green dress out. After he left, a mysterious voice echoed. "Just what exactly are his motives?" Sang Han calmly asked, "What do you think of him?" The voice said in a low tone, "He's certainly no ordinary person. Not just from what he said, but the way he remained so composed in front of you is not something normal people can do. Clearly, he's someone who has seen great things." Sang Han asked, "And?" "He's too mysterious. My advice is to eliminate him, lest he becomes a serious future threat." However, Sang Han shook her head. "He's a talent." The voice replied solemnly, "If he's truly willing to serve you loyally, then of course, he should be put to good use. However, he definitely won't remain a subordinate for long, and he will never be satisfied with just that." Sang Han said, "That kind of talent is even rarer." Sang Han added, "What do you think of the issues he raised?" "Those issues... can't be judged lightly." "But what he said is the truth, isn't it?" "The reason I think this way is that His Majesty himself has already realized the problem. When everything was going well before, the flaws weren't so obvious, but when war broke out, it became clear how much of a burden the imperial family members are. "From what I know, His Majesty intends to send them to the Empyrean Star Battlefield... Meaning, once the war ends, he may push for reforms. And when that time comes, we, provincial governors, must respond accordingly." "So you're keeping him around for that day?" "But what if His Majesty doesn't carry out reforms?" Sang Han frowned. "Then the empire will continue to rot away." "If His Majesty doesn't push for reforms, you must never speak out. If you do, you'll offend the imperial family and the noble clans..." Sang Han said nothing. Of course, she knew what it would mean to make such a suggestion. She would become the enemy of the entire ruling class! Sang Han looked into the distance. She had to admit that she was pretty surprised. This young swordsman's insight caught her off guard, but she also knew that he definitely had his own motives. Sang Han shook her head and stopped thinking about it. For now, she had more important matters to attend to. After leaving the grand hall, Ye Guan was elated. With Sang Han's support, establishing the academy would become much easier. And once the academy was built, it would be a small but vital step forward. Of course, he couldn't be careless. The situation here was extremely complex; one misstep could mean total ruin. He had to stay aware; his enemies weren't just the Great Daoist Brush Master, but everyone around him. Governor Sang Han? A threat. Sang Han's political enemies? Even more of a threat. He needed to proceed with extreme caution. Even in establishing the academy, he couldn't immediately promote ideas like the Guanxuan Laws. And more importantly, he had to find a way to increase his own strength. Now that he no longer had his faith power or the Qingxuan Sword, he was too weak in this world. If he ended up encountering a top-tier expert, he'd be like a lamb ready to be slaughtered. Strength was always king! Hence, he had to begin using Sang Han's resources to become even stronger. Ye Guan immediately sought out Qin Yun. To build the academy, he needed financial support from merchants. Qin Yun was surprised. "You want to build an academy?" Ye Guan nodded. "Yes." Qin Yun asked in a low voice, "Is this the Governor's idea?" Ye Guan nodded. "Yes. The Governor wants to train her own talents. I'm sure you understand what I'm trying to say." I'm sure you understand what I'm trying to say... Qin Yun was startled. Why would the Governor need her own people? Could it be that... He immediately broke out into a cold sweat. Seeing that, Ye Guan realized that he had misunderstood, so he chuckled, "What are you even thinking? Madam wants to build an academy to cultivate talent for both herself and the empire. You know that people you train yourself tend to be extremely loyal, right?" Qin Yun relaxed and nodded. "That's true." "She can't handle this herself, as it would draw too much attention. Hence, she handed it over to me. However, I'm unfamiliar with this place and don't know where to start. Elder Qin, can you help me with your massive connections?" Hearing that, Qin Yun was delighted. He was being trusted! He thought for a moment and said, "To build an academy, first of all, you need a site to build that academy. That's easy. But then you need teachers... those are harder to find." "The teachers have to be exceptional. Otherwise, the people won't be attracted to the academy." Ye Guan replied, "I have a way." Qin Yun was curious. "What way?" Ye Guan smiled. "I'll make the governor our honorary headmaster." Qin Yun was instantly excited. "If the governor is willing to lend her name, that'll be excellent! As for funding, don't worry, Young Master Ye. I'll cover all of it." Ye Guan smiled. "Then I thank you in advance." Qin Yun hesitated, looking like he wanted to say something. "Elder Qin, if you have something to say, speak freely. We're all on the same side here," said Ye Guan upon seeing Qin Yun's hesitant face. Qin Yun said a bit sheepishly, "Well, it's . Erm, Young Master Ye... I have a granddaughter; she's beautiful beyond words, and..." Ye Guan had no idea what to say to that.