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

Fengling Pass's sphere of influence was equivalent to two prefectures, making it stand out among all the prefectures within the Tang Dynasty. As a border fortress with the Yuan Dynasty at its back, its importance was self-evident.

Yuliang County belongs to Jinshan Prefecture, which is adjacent to Fengling Pass. Both are border areas, and the two are controlled by different cultivation forces.

If Kongming can use Yuliang County as a breakthrough point, he can take Jinshan County in one fell swoop.

Then the Jade Cauldron Sect will undoubtedly see a significant increase in strength, and Qu Qianchou will also usher in a moment of glory in his life. He might as well follow An Tingjing's example and establish his own independent power, which would be incredibly prestigious.

The people present had different mindsets, but all of them were filled with hope for the future...

After all the discussions were over, Elder Qingyang left Fengling Pass with a sense of satisfaction and returned to Yuding Sect to report back.

Finally, Li Guangling and Qu Hongling's wedding date was set for ten days later.

……

The Prime Minister's residence in the Tang Dynasty was shrouded in darkness.

"Alas! In the end, we let the tiger return to the mountain!" Du Ruhui looked at the bulletin in his hand, his face extremely gloomy.

In order to remove Li Chengqian, the Prince of Zhongshan, from Empress Wu's fold, he fabricated numerous false cases, intending to wipe out the entire Li royal family.

Over the years, although he had risen to the highest ranks of officialdom, Changsun Wuji's words had always been a thorn in his side. If what he said was true, and the Li family were to rise again, then his Du family would be doomed.

When Empress Wu was forced by circumstances to release Li Guangling from prison, Du Ruhui strongly opposed it.

Unfortunately, the power of the old ministers led by the emperor's brother-in-law Changsun Wuji was still not to be underestimated, and Empress Wu had no choice but to compromise, even bestowing the title of Prince of Yuliang upon Li Guangling to appease the former subordinates of the Prince of Zhongshan.

Later, under Empress Wu's instruction, Du Ruhui arranged for someone to secretly assassinate Li Guangling. Unfortunately, Li Guangling was lucky and not only escaped many times, but he was also now married to Qu Qianchou. How could Du Ruhui not be furious?

Originally, it was thought that Qu Qianchou would take action to completely eliminate Li Guangling because of his dissatisfaction with the King of Zhongshan, so that even Changsun Wuji and the others would not be able to find fault with him. However, unexpectedly, this is the outcome.

"Somebody come!"

At Du Ruhui's command, a guard immediately knelt down: "What are your orders, Prime Minister?"

"Prepare the sedan chair, I wish to see Empress Wu." Du Ruhui's voice was low, as if he wanted to suppress all his emotions in these words.

The guards dared not delay and immediately got up to prepare. A moment later, a magnificent sedan chair stopped in front of the Prime Minister's residence.

Along the way, Du Ruhui was filled with thoughts. He knew what Li Guangling's rise meant for his Du family, and he had to nip it in the bud.

Soon, the sedan chair stopped at the entrance of the palace. Du Ruhui got out of the sedan chair, straightened his robes, and then walked into the depths of the palace.

"Your Majesty, the Prime Minister has urgent business to discuss with you." A female official hurriedly entered Empress Wu's bedchamber and reported with her head bowed.

A stunningly beautiful woman sat on the dragon throne, toying with a jade cup in her hand. Upon hearing the report, she frowned slightly, then nodded to the female official to let Du Ruhui in.

A moment later, Du Ruhui appeared at the entrance of the palace. He tidied his appearance once more and strode inside.

"Your Majesty, I pay my respects! Long live Your Majesty!"

"What important matter brings the Prime Minister here so late at night?" Empress Wu's tone was calm, yet carried an undeniable air of authority.

Du Ruhui took a deep breath and said in a deep voice, "Your Majesty, I have something important to report. It concerns Li Guangling..."

Empress Wu raised an eyebrow but did not interrupt, listening to Du Ruhui finish speaking.

"I originally thought that Qu Qianchou would take action to eliminate Li Guangling, but I did not expect that they would actually arrange a marriage. This trend must be stopped. If it is allowed to continue, it may be detrimental to Your Majesty."

Empress Wu was silent for a moment, then asked, "What are your thoughts?"

A ruthless glint flashed in Du Ruhui's eyes as he said, "Your Majesty, I request that you issue an edict ordering Li Guangling to immediately proceed to his fiefdom, where all preparations are complete!"

Upon hearing this, a strange light flashed in Empress Wu's eyes. She looked intently at Du Ruhui, seemingly considering the feasibility of the proposal.

After a moment, she slowly spoke, "What if Qu Qianchou is determined to protect Li Guangling? What does the Prime Minister think we should do?"

"Although Qu Qianchou has always been at odds with the court, he is still a subject of the Tang Dynasty. As long as he hasn't taken that step, he will be hesitant to act rashly. Therefore, I believe he would not dare to openly defy the imperial decree."

"Oh! How do you know?"

"Your Majesty only needs to inform the three major sects and ask them to put a little pressure on the Jade Cauldron Sect!"

"The affairs of the cultivation world are not so simple. The constraints from all sides are even more severe than in the mortal world. Moreover, there are already a group of people in the three major sects who do not support me." Empress Wu said with a hint of helplessness as she brushed her hair aside.

"Your Majesty, if Li Guangling colludes with Qu Qianchou, once he gains enough power, even veteran ministers like Changsun Wuji may side with him. We must take action as soon as possible!"

"How dare you! Are you framing a veteran of three dynasties?" Empress Wu's face turned cold as she shouted in a chilling voice.

Du Ruhui's heart trembled, and he immediately knelt down, saying in fear, "Your Majesty, I dare not. I am only worried that the Li family of the imperial family will become too powerful and will be detrimental to Your Majesty."

Empress Wu narrowed her eyes slightly. Although Du Ruhui could be ruthless at times, he was indeed thorough in his work. If Li Guangling truly gained power, he would still be a considerable threat.

After a moment of silence, Empress Wu said calmly, "Get up. I know your loyalty. However, Changsun Wuji is the late emperor's maternal uncle and has a life-or-death relationship with Emperor Taizong Wu. He cannot be acted upon lightly. As for Li Guangling, we will follow the Prime Minister's advice."

Upon hearing this, Du Ruhui was overjoyed and immediately knelt down, saying, "Your Majesty is wise."

"I will inform the three major sects, but since it concerns the Li family, I cannot guarantee the outcome..."

……

Inside Fengling Pass, the streets and alleys were already decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations, filled with a festive atmosphere, clearly in preparation for the General's daughter's wedding.

"Giddy up...giddy up..."

At this moment, a group of people quickly moved through the streets, heading towards the General's Mansion.

After dismounting, the young man in the lead kicked open the gate of the general's mansion. The guards ignored him and allowed him and his group to arrogantly barge into the mansion.

"Who the hell is so capable that my sister actually took a liking to him! Tell him to come out, I want to see what kind of three heads and six arms he has!" The boy shouted as he walked inside.

However, at this moment, a man beside him wearing silver armor and holding a silver spear couldn't help but frown slightly. This man had a handsome face and looked to be no more than twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, but he appeared exceptionally calm, and his brows revealed a heroic spirit.

"Young General, you're back!" At this moment, a steward from the manor hurriedly went to greet him.

"What about others?"

"Does the young general mean the prince who wants to marry our young lady?" the steward asked tentatively, somewhat puzzled.

"Who cares if he's a prince or not? I have Master Silver Dragon here, I'll teach him a lesson he won't forget."

The boy spoke, glancing respectfully at the person clad in silver armor beside him…