Zhuge Liang's Journey to Dominate the World: Starting from Another World

So he coughed and said, "Senior, I have a plan, but I don't know if I should tell you."

Elder Qingyang glared at Kongming and said irritably, "Tell me what you think?"

"As everyone knows, Empress Wu wanted to get rid of the prince as soon as possible. His entry into Fengling Pass was simply to seek protection; he had no intention of going to any of those damned fiefdoms..."

"Get to the point!" Elder Qingyang interrupted Kongming impatiently.

Kongming rolled his eyes, secretly annoyed. "You won't even let me use basic logic. Do you even understand it?"

However, Kongming did not show it and continued, "The important thing is that the prince has now changed his mind and is preparing to go to his fiefdom."

Upon hearing this, Elder Qingyang narrowed his eyes slightly, seemingly not quite understanding Kongming's intention, but not wanting to ask directly, he pretended to be profound and said, "Continue!"

Kongming smiled slightly, "Although Yuliang County is nominally the prince's fiefdom, it is merely a nominal title. He has neither real power nor enjoys the taxes levied there; it is no different from a cage. Once the prince steps into Yuliang County, there will only be one outcome: waiting to die!"

Ji Yizhi listened attentively, nodding repeatedly, as if enlightened. He had previously thought that once he arrived in his fiefdom, the emperor would be far away and he would be far from the capital. He had never heard Kongming mention these things before, and he never expected that Kongming would analyze them so thoroughly.

Little did they know, in his previous life, Zhuge Liang was a master strategist who could win battles from afar. Dealing with these people who only knew how to cultivate would be a piece of cake for him...

"Now that Your Highness intends to go to your fiefdom, you will first take over a county and offer it to your clan, hoping to gain your clan's support in return!" Kongming said calmly, his feather fan waving lightly.

"How can I trust you?" Elder Qingyang stared at Kongming, unable to judge the man's true character.

"Haha... Please rest assured, senior. Now that the Prince and General Qu have this relationship, it can be said that they share both glory and loss."

"Furthermore, although Yuliang County is a small border county, it controls the trade in and out. If we can bring it under our control, it will undoubtedly be a considerable gain for the Yuding Sect."

After a moment's thought, Elder Qingyang said, "My Jade Cauldron Sect can keep the cultivation forces in Jade Liang County in check, but with your current strength, it is still unknown whether you can successfully take Jade Liang. Don't bring unnecessary trouble to my sect."

Kongming shook his head. "This junior only wants to tell you, senior, that things in this world are not always black and white. Sometimes, it's not necessarily a bad thing to muddy the waters!"

What Kongming really wanted to say was: things in this world are not simply black and white, and the development of events is not something you can control, just like the affair between Qu Hongling and Li Guangling...

However, he absolutely could not say these things. Then he predicted the trend of the court and said eloquently, "And the era of Empress Wu will eventually come to an end. Do you think sons or nephews are closer?"

Kongming's words made Elder Qingyang fall into deep thought.

If Empress Wu eventually returns power to the Li family, Li Guangling's status will rise accordingly, and a large number of cities and fiefdoms will be easily within his grasp.

Elder Qingyang frowned slightly; this undoubtedly opened up new avenues of thought for him.

Give me three days, and I will definitely get back to you in three days.

"I will follow your instructions, senior!" Kongming said respectfully, bowing.

In fact, it was clear to everyone that Elder Qingyang had been persuaded by Kongming. He held a high position and great power in the Jade Cauldron Sect, and the rest of the matter was basically settled, with only some minor details needing to be discussed.

Li Guangling and Ji Yizhi exchanged a glance, both seeing shock in each other's eyes. They hadn't thought about it carefully before, but now they realized that once they entered Yuliang County, certain death awaited them.

He was utterly astonished by Kongming's talent, as he turned a seemingly hopeless game around in just a few moves.

Li Muling's beautiful eyes were filled with admiration for Kongming, and she was also glad that she had persisted in her initial decision...

……

"Master Zhuge is truly a genius! Please accept my bow!"

Upon returning to the inn, Ji Yizhi eagerly performed this grand ceremony for Kongming.

“Mr. Ji, what do you mean by this? You are a senior figure by the Prince’s side, and your reputation has long been known far and wide, while I am just an unknown person. How can I accept such a great gift!” Kongming helped Ji Yizhi up and smiled.

"Master Zhuge, you flatter me greatly. Your talent is beyond my reach, and your courage is far inferior to my own." Ji Yizhi bowed again sincerely.

Li Guangling also felt somewhat uncomfortable at this moment. Recalling his previous disrespect towards Kongming, he bowed deeply and then said to Li Muling, "Our Ling'er has such good judgment! No one in the world can match your discerning eyes! You will be by the Immortal Master's side from now on, and you will surely become an extraordinary person!"

It must be said that Li Guangling's flattery skills were truly remarkable. He never mentioned Kongming in a single sentence, yet every sentence praised Kongming, truly taking the essence of flattery to the extreme.

However, the backlash seems to have come quite quickly. Previously, because of the drugging incident, he even told Li Muling to stay away from Kongming, saying things like Kongming didn't seem like a good person. Now, he wants Li Muling to stay by his side all the time...

As for Kongming, he doesn't have any other requests, except that he hopes certain people can control their shrewish wives and stop calling Zhuge a charlatan. It's not just about hurting their self-esteem; it could lead to a reputation that lasts a lifetime, which would be a huge problem. So, it's quite necessary to clear his name here.

Li Guangling, of course, knew who these "certain people" were referring to, and immediately promised to resolutely prevent such a thing from happening again...

“Immortal Master, I have another question. How can Your Highness take Yuliang County with only two or three hundred soldiers left?” Ji Yi asked in confusion.

"You underestimate our princess. She'll make her father bleed a fortune." Kongming lightly flicked his feather fan, seemingly confident of success.

Three days passed by in a hurry.

This time, Kongming and his party once again arrived at the main hall of the General's Mansion.

Elder Qingyang looked at Kongming and slowly said, "Your suggestion has been adopted by the Jade Cauldron Sect. However, let me make it clear from the beginning that we will not interfere in the affairs of the mortal world. How to take over Yuliang County is your business. The Jade Cauldron Sect only wants the result."

"It is enough to have your esteemed clan's words. As for how to recruit soldiers and horses, you need not worry about it, Your Highness will take care of it. As for the tribute, in the first year, I would appreciate it if you could help me out. After all, the new army is newly established, and the huge military expenditure will definitely be a bit tight. Next year, I will definitely provide you with a amount that will satisfy you."

Kongming cupped his hands in greeting. Now that the Jade Cauldron Sect had agreed to restrain the cultivation forces there, he was fully confident that he could use Yuliang County as a base to plot against the entire Jinshan Prefecture.

Thinking back to his previous life, he also rose to power by assisting Liu Bei in a small county called Xinye. But in this life, he wants to be his own king.

Elder Qingyang nodded. In fact, he understood that if you want to recruit a new force, it's already good enough if you don't invest in it in the early stages. If you force it to pay tribute, it would be killing the goose that lays the golden eggs.

Just like Fengling Pass, the Jade Cauldron Sect invested countless resources and effort in its early stages to get it on the right track...