latelenovela Chapter 174 Starting the Plan
Chapter 174 Starting the Plan
Kongming's lips curled up slightly, revealing an unfathomable smile. After helping Temujin to sit down, he slowly began to speak.
"Your Highness, these three factions appear to be a united front, but in reality, they have considerable internal conflicts. They have only formed an alliance temporarily to control the entire dynasty and the royal family!"
Upon hearing this, Temujin frowned. Wasn't this the case in all the states? Besides, Kongming's words didn't seem to have anything to do with his efforts to retain the position of crown prince.
Seeing that Temujin looked puzzled, Kongming calmly tapped the ground with his index finger and continued speaking.
"Your Highness, please don't be anxious. There's a lot more to this than meets the eye. This is our breakthrough point."
A hint of doubt and fear flashed in Tie Mujincheng's eyes as he pressed, "Sir, do you mean we should use the conflict between them to sow discord? If they find out, my Tie family will be doomed!"
Kongming gently patted Temujincheng on the shoulder, his expression calm yet carrying an undeniable power, and said.
"Your Highness, please don't panic. Since ancient times, imperial power has been controlled by three major factions. Ultimately, this is because these three factions share common interests. As long as the royal family finds an opportunity to break this relationship, then the royal family will not be a soft persimmon to be easily manipulated. Do you understand what I mean?"
Kongming paused for a moment, then casually picked up a chess piece from the table, gently twirled it in his hand, and continued speaking.
"As the saying goes, fortune favors the bold. You are now in a precarious situation, and if you don't take a gamble, you may not even have a chance to turn things around. The three major factions are already planning to replace you. If you continue to sit and wait for your doom, the Tie family's fate may not be good."
Upon hearing Kongming's words, Temujin gritted his teeth, his eyes filled with struggle, and fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. For thousands of years, no royal family had dared to coerce the three major factions, of course, the Ming Dynasty was an exception.
Then his voice trembled slightly: "Sir, the risk is too great. If we are not careful, the entire royal family will be wiped out. I hope you will find another way!"
Kongming curled his lip and waved his hand, saying, "Since Your Highness is willing to be a coward, then please go back. Why bother asking me to come out of seclusion for such a trivial matter!"
Then, Kongming got up and prepared to leave.
Temujin was taken aback by Kongming's merciless words, his face turning red and white in turns.
As the crown prince, he had never been so openly mocked.
At this moment, although he was somewhat annoyed, the person in front of him seemed to have some real skills.
Temujin's eyes darted around, he took a deep breath, hurriedly blocked Kongming's path, and knelt down in front of Kongming again with a thud.
“Sir, I was cowardly just now. The Tie family has protected the Great Yuan for generations. As the Crown Prince, I bear the heavy responsibility of revitalizing the royal family and protecting the people. How can I back down because of temporary difficulties and fear? I hope you will not blame me and continue to offer me advice. I will do my best and never back down.”
Kongming looked at Temujin, who was kneeling on the ground, and sneered inwardly. He knew exactly what kind of person the other party was; he was just trying to secure his position.
He wouldn't believe any of that bullshit about protecting the people.
Of course, Kongming didn't care about these things.
So he deliberately put on a stern face and said, "Your Highness is commendable for thinking of the common people, but nothing in this world can be accomplished without taking risks. If you continue to be so hesitant and indecisive, even if I had extraordinary abilities, I would find it difficult to help you achieve great things."
Temujin raised his head, looking intently at Kongming, and said, "Sir, rest assured, I have made up my mind. No matter how many difficulties and obstacles lie ahead, I will not back down. Please enlighten me on how we should proceed next."
After Kongming sat back down, he picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said unhurriedly, "The three major factions all want to pursue their own interests. Since it is impossible to satisfy them all at the same time, Your Highness might as well feed one of them first. I believe that with the support of one of them, you will not be in such a passive position!"
Temujin frowned. This move was nothing more than trying to curry favor with one faction while offending the other two.
If it's just a small, ordinary benefit, they might not even care. But if it's a large benefit, it could very well cause a rift in the alliance between the three factions.
When clams fight, the fisherman benefits, thus breaking their checks and balances on the royal family.
Soon, Temujincheng looked troubled, his voice tinged with helplessness: "Sir, it's not easy for me to offer benefits that would make the three major factions envious. Most of the resources of the Great Yuan have been divided up by them, and I have very few bargaining chips to offer."
Kongming crossed his arms, leaned back in his chair, and looked intently at Temujincheng, saying, "Your Highness, I know of something that could be the key to changing the situation."
A flame instantly ignited in Temujincheng's eyes. He hurriedly leaned closer and asked, "What is it that you are talking about, sir? Please tell me quickly. If we can truly break through this predicament, it will be a blessing for our royal family and for the Great Yuan Dynasty!"
Kongming narrowed his eyes slightly, "Has Your Highness ever heard of the 'Flying Apsara' wine from the Tang Dynasty?"
Temujincheng paused slightly, then said with some regret, "I have had the pleasure of tasting it a few times, and it is indeed unforgettable. However, since Zhuge Liang died, it has become very difficult for other countries to buy this wine."
Kongming nodded slightly, a confident glint in his eyes, and said, "Your Highness may not know, but the brewing recipe for this 'Flying Fairy' wine is now in my hands."
Temujincheng stared wide-eyed, his face filled with disbelief.
Now that Zhuge Liang is dead, the existing 'Flying Heaven' wine is simply not enough to satisfy the vast cultivation world.
A single jar of wine was sold for an astronomical price; if one possessed this secret recipe, immense wealth would be within reach.
Temu Jincheng's voice trembled slightly with excitement: "Is what you say true, sir? This is a treasure more precious than anything else, how could you possibly possess it?"
Kongming revealed a profound smile, but instead of directly answering Temujin's question, he slowly stood up and clapped his hands.
A short while later, two people were brought up.
When Temujincheng saw the two men clearly, his eyes widened like copper bells, and he shouted loudly, "What a heartless scoundrel and a pig demon who doesn't know his own death! I was just looking for you two!"
As he spoke, Temujin drew his sword, intending to avenge himself, but was stopped by Kongming.
"Does Your Highness know these two people?"
"Sir, you are unaware of the truth. These two scoundrels are none other than the henchmen of that sorcerer Zhuge. They caused me great harm back then, and I am now in this predicament entirely because of that sorcerer!"
Temujin held his sword, looking ready to kill.
Kongming slightly raised his hand, his face still bearing that unfathomable smile, and said leisurely, "Then Your Highness should kill that pig to vent your anger!"
Upon hearing this, Pigsy immediately became enraged, raised his pig head, and began spewing nonsense...