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

"Hmm! How did this person end up associating with Zhuge Liang!" An Lushan stood up and pondered.

"Has there been any major change in Jinshan County recently?"

"Furthermore, Li Guangling's frantic expansion of troops is presumably to resist pressure from the Tang Dynasty court!"

An Yong hesitated for a moment before speaking, after all, he had received the news about this matter a long time ago, and in his opinion, it had nothing to do with the three states of the An family.

He hadn't planned to report it, but since An Lushan asked, he answered.

"A crazy expansion of troops? Has the Tang Dynasty sent troops to suppress it?" An Lushan asked.

“I haven’t heard of that. Maybe this person is eyeing several counties near Jinshan County!” An Yong replied.

"Why is it taking so long to report such a serious matter?" An Lushan shouted sternly.

"This...this...Young Master only instructed us to monitor Kongming, so...so we overlooked this matter."

At this time, An Lushan was unaware that Li Guangling was preparing to attack the three prefectures of the An family, but he immediately connected it with the purpose of Kongming's visit to the Yuan Dynasty.

"Warhorse!"

"Kongming's trip is also for warhorses!"

"Any news from Yuan Kingdom's spies?"

"That Zhuge Liang is incredibly cunning; our spies can't track him at all! Should we spread the news that he went to the Yuan Kingdom to procure warhorses to the Yuan Emperor's ears?"

"No, this plan may thwart him, but it could also alert the Emperor and make him more vigilant, which would be detrimental to our operation."

An Lushan pondered for a moment. Five hundred thousand warhorses were no small matter; every move had to be made with extreme caution.

"So, what are your plans, young master?"

"Keep an eye on his movements, but don't alert him. I need to know something about him. We'll deal with him after we've finished this!"

An Lushan paced slowly, his fingers tapping lightly on the table, as if he were calculating something.

"Understood!" An Yong acknowledged the order and withdrew...

……

Kongming and Zhao Yun finally stumbled and fell all the way to the capital of the Yuan Dynasty, and rented a relatively quiet courtyard as a temporary place to stay.

Soon Elder Qingyang and Duanmu Qing arrived one after another.

"Brother Duanmu, you have extensive connections. See if you can contact the Crown Prince Temujin of the Yuan Kingdom. However, this matter must not be made public, or my life will be in danger!"

Kongming waved his feather fan and said solemnly.

"Brother, are you planning to procure warhorses through the Crown Prince of the Great Yuan?" Duanmu Qing asked.

"No conclusion has been reached yet; it all depends on this person's attitude."

“That is indeed a good idea, after all, you saved his life. I wonder how you plan to proceed?” Duanmu Qing asked.

"The day after tomorrow is the annual Lantern Festival of the Great Yuan Dynasty. Do you think we can arrange an unexpected meeting with him?" Kongming said, waving his feather fan.

The Lantern Festival, with its throngs of people, provided a perfect opportunity to conceal his true intentions. Kongming could use this chance to test the Crown Prince's attitude and to see just how much power Duanmu Qing truly wielded.

Even if the Crown Prince of the Great Yuan, Temujin, were to turn his back on everyone, he could simply flee again. The world is vast, and he didn't believe that Temujin's spies were spread throughout the entire Great Yuan.

Upon hearing this, Duanmu Qing nodded, pondered for a moment, and then said, "Leave this matter to me. I still have some influence in the capital, and I should be able to find a suitable opportunity for you to 'accidentally' meet..."

……

"Princess, I've heard that this year's Lantern Festival is a little different from previous years, with a grand fireworks display. Would you like to go see it?" a maid whispered.

"Oh! What's different?"

A young woman parted her lips slightly, her voice carrying a hint of curiosity and anticipation.

Her name is Tie Yuanzhu, which means "the pearl of the Great Yuan Dynasty," and she is the half-sister of the current crown prince.

The Yuan emperor had countless sons, but only this one daughter, so his affection for her was no less than that for the crown prince.

"It's said that a unique 'Secret Obsession' game was held this time," the maid said mysteriously.

"Secretly fascinated?"

Tie Yuanzhu immediately became interested and asked curiously.

Upon hearing this, the maid quickly explained, "This game was designed by the most renowned scholars in the capital. Participants must wear their favorite mask and find a kindred spirit in the dim light. They communicate through riddles, poems, or other means. If they can finally remove each other's masks, they are considered to have successfully formed a bond!"

The maid spoke at length.

Upon hearing this, a hint of amusement flashed in Tie Yuanzhu's eyes. Having grown up in the palace, she enjoyed all the luxuries and privileges, but life within the palace walls always felt somewhat restrictive and monotonous. Such an activity was undoubtedly a breath of fresh air for her, something she longed for.

"That sounds quite interesting!" Tie Yuanzhu said, intrigued.

"Of course, this should be the most exciting one in nearly a hundred years. The princess can invite the crown prince to visit together."

“Xiao Xin, your suggestion is great. Recently, the Crown Prince seems to be in a bad mood, busy with state affairs all day long. This is a good opportunity to invite him to come along and relax.” Tie Yuanzhu said happily, the corners of her mouth unconsciously turning up.

"Go and prepare two exquisite masks. One is suitable for me, and the other can be chosen according to the Crown Prince's preferences."

"Princess, rest assured, this servant will make the arrangements immediately!"

The maid then obeyed and withdrew.

Three days later, as night fell, the Great Yuan Imperial City was adorned with colorful lanterns, making it look like a dream.

The streets were teeming with people, and laughter and cheerful voices filled the air.

Tie Yuanzhu pulled Tie Mujincheng to change into new clothes and put on masks. Accompanied by several maids, they quietly blended into the crowd.

"Wow! So beautiful!"

Along the way, Tie Yuanzhu acted as if she had never seen the world before, pulling Tie Mujincheng to look around and touch everything.

"Brother Crown Prince, the most important thing when you come out to play is to be happy. Come on, smile!" Tie Yuanzhu chuckled as she touched the mask on the Crown Prince's face.

Temujin smiled slightly. Although he did not speak, it was clear from his eyes that he actually liked the atmosphere very much.

Just then, an even louder noise came from not far away, and the crowd began to surge, as if some exciting event was about to begin.

Tie Yuanzhu pulled Tie Mujincheng along, deciding to follow the crowd to find out what was going on.

They walked through the bustling crowd and arrived at a wide square.

In the center of the square, a group of young men and women dressed in finery and wearing various masks were surrounding a huge screen.

The screen is inscribed with all sorts of riddles and poems, which are the core of the "Secretly Enchanted" game.

Participants need to find others who can solve the riddles or poems based on their level of liking for them.

"The willow head on the moon, after about dusk."

"What a beautiful poem, what a beautiful imagery..."

"Who wrote this? It's so fitting for the occasion..."

A group of men and women were gathered together discussing...