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

"Is that enough?" Kongming said gently.

"That's enough, that's enough, young master, would you like to play a little longer?" The madam took the money and immediately changed her tune.

"Ganglie, shall we play a little longer?" Kongming looked at Zhu Ganglie and said with a teasing expression.

To everyone's surprise, upon hearing this, his eyes immediately lit up again, and he reverted to his previous shy demeanor, scratching his pig-like head, "Hehehe... It's all up to you, Big Brother!"

"You stupid pig-headed idiot, it seems I didn't spend enough money, you didn't sell enough of this crime!" Kongming shook his head helplessly.

Before leaving, this dead pig didn't forget to pinch the girl's buttocks, then ran away as fast as he could...

The two returned to the inn. This time, Zhu Bajie had learned his lesson and stayed close to Kongming, even insisting on sharing a room with him.

No matter how much Kongming tried to persuade him, he remained unmoved, curled up in the corner and fell fast asleep. It seems he has indeed suffered a great deal these past few days...

As night fell, two cultivators suddenly arrived at the inn where Kongming was staying and knocked on his door.

"The governor requests your presence; please, fellow Daoist, accompany us."

Kongming had been prepared for this and was just waiting for Zhao Jingmo's summons.

While Zhu Bajie was fast asleep, Kongming and two other cultivators boarded a carriage and headed straight for Zhao Jingmo's residence under the cover of night.

The carriage stopped deep inside the mansion, and Kongming was led to an elegantly decorated study.

Inside the study, the light was soft. Zhao Jingmo looked at a short letter with a solemn expression. On the desk was the brocade pouch that Kongming had given him.

Kongming stepped forward, bowed slightly, and said, "I am Zhuge Kongming, paying my respects to the Governor."

Zhao Jingmo looked up, his gaze sharp as he looked at Kongming. Then he put down the letter in his hand, slowly stood up, walked to Kongming, and said in a deep voice, "Do you know what you wrote?"

"Of course I know, and I have the ability to do it for you!" Kongming looked directly at Zhao Jingmo and answered neither humbly nor arrogantly.

Based on his experience, even if the person standing opposite him was the King of Heaven himself, he wouldn't be intimidated at all.

"Such a young age, talking so arrogantly is not a good thing!" Zhao Jingmo frowned, his voice revealing a hint of displeasure.

As the governor of a prefecture, he wielded immense power and had encountered countless heroes and valiant figures, but few were as young and boastful as Kongming. An Lushan was one, but based on his understanding of An Lushan, Kongming had the right to boast.

Kongming smiled slightly, not caring about Zhao Jingmo's attitude.

"Did Lord Zhao summon me here today just to reprimand me?" Kongming said calmly, gently stroking his feather fan.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Jingmo raised an eyebrow slightly. This young man, who was not well-known, actually dared to ask him such a direct question. However, he admitted that the other party had indeed hit his sore spot.

“Of course not.” Zhao Jingmo withdrew his gaze, sat back down at his desk, and pointed to the brocade pouch on the table. “Tell me what’s going on here?”

Kongming walked to his desk, picked up the letter from the brocade pouch, and read it to himself: 'Your son is out of trouble.'

"Isn't this what the governor wants?"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Jingmo seemed to age considerably in an instant. A complex light flashed in his eyes, and then he slowly asked, "Do you know the price behind this?"

Kongming nodded slightly and replied, "The previous governor chose to hang himself in exchange for your freedom, sir."

"Now that you know, why do you still dare to speak falsehoods?"

"Man proposes, God disposes. I am confident that I can bring your son out safely!" Kongming's deep eyes shone with unparalleled confidence.

Zhao Jingmo looked at Kongming, remained silent for a moment, and tentatively said, "Do you know that the Great Yuan Kingdom is at its zenith, which is incomparable to your Great Tang? Even if you bring my son back, what can I do?"

"I'll say it again: it's all about opinion. I think Your Excellency the Governor wants to choose between me and An Lushan, right?"

Zhao Jingmo frowned slightly upon hearing this. Both of them wanted to recruit him as an ally, but this would undoubtedly lead to a true break between him and the Yuan Emperor. The court could not allow its regional officials to collude with outsiders.

In truth, Zhao Jingmo had long wanted to confront the Emperor Yuan. The hatred between father and son was irreconcilable, and he had been secretly preparing for this all these years, just waiting for the right moment.

If we analyze it solely from the perspective of strength, he would choose An Lushan without hesitation, after all, An's three prefectures are well-equipped and have the support of a powerful cultivation sect.

On the other hand, Li Guangling's territory was only one county, and his army numbered only tens of thousands; nothing could compare.

However, Kongming was using his son as a starting point, firmly grasping his weakness. This forced him to consider carefully: if he could rescue his son, he would be free of all ties...

……

Inside the posthouse.

"Young Master, Zhao Jingmo's men have taken Zhuge Liang away!" An Lushan's trusted aide gently pushed open the door and reported in a low voice.

"Oh! When did this happen?" An Lushan hurriedly sat up in bed and asked.

"Two hours ago!"

"Why didn't you report this sooner?"

"Young Master is overworked and rarely gets to sleep, so... so..."

"How dare you! You almost ruined my plans! Prepare the horses at once!" An Lushan quickly put on his clothes and gave the order.

"Wait!"

"Does the young master have any further instructions?" the trusted aide asked hurriedly.

"Alright! No rush. Continue to monitor Zhao Jingmo's residence and report immediately if there is any disturbance."

"Yes!"

An Lushan rubbed his forehead. He had been waiting for Zhao Jingmo's private audience, but he never expected that Zhuge Kongming would beat him to it.

"What methods did he use?"

"If I were Zhuge Liang, given Li Guangling's current situation, what conditions would I offer to entice him?"

An Lushan paced back and forth in the room, talking to himself.

"Military strength? Money? Or..."

"Protons!"

"Yes, that must be the case!"

An Lushan immediately grasped the crux of the problem: with the strength of his An family, he could easily crush Li Guangling in any aspect.

He never mentioned the fact that Zhao Jingmo's son was a hostage in the Yuan court.

It wasn't that he hadn't thought of it, but rather that it was simply impossible.

The place was heavily guarded, and exposing himself for someone was not worthwhile no matter how you looked at it. If he failed, it might even cause his subsequent plans to be shelved, so he simply didn't mention it.

However, Zhuge Liang exploited the loophole.

"Could it be that Zhuge Liang has a way to rescue him?"

"What methods will he use?"

An Lushan paced back and forth, pondering Kongming's methods.

This measure by the Yuan Dynasty has been in place for a thousand years and will never be changed because of any one person. Moreover, the Yuan Dynasty is at its zenith, and trying to forcibly take the hostage from it would be a death sentence.

……

The residence of the governor of Leizhou.

"Does Your Excellency have any results?" Kongming asked, fanning himself with his feather fan as he waited for Zhao Jingmo's reply.

"Could you tell me your plan?" Zhao Jingmo asked cautiously, after all, failure could cost his son his life...