Prime Minister Shi's pre-emptive warning came as a great boon for Fang Wenshi. Upon arriving at the main hall, he started to identify his key opponents from the rows of officials.
The King of Shu-lik was over forty and sat with a perfect upright posture, looking quite authoritative. He did not speak throughout the entire court session, preferring the eunuch at his side to moderate the entire debate.
Fang Wenshi presented his strategy to the king as the messenger of the Great Snowmountain, representing the 'Leader of the Dragons, and the Master of the Five Peaks". He had strategically replaced Gu Shenwei's title of 'King' to 'Master', following the Prime Minister's advice, to avoid belittling the King of Shu-lik. Naturally, Gu Shenwei had no use for mere titles and did not hesitate to agree with the change.