inspire-indiana Chapter 182 Ready to go
Chapter 182 Ready to go
Inside the imperial city of the Ming Dynasty, there was a luxurious mansion.
An Lushan, dressed in a magnificent brocade robe, sat in the main seat with a cold expression, playing with a jade pendant in his hand, but his thoughts drifted to the distance.
Since joining the Ming Dynasty royal family, he has enjoyed immense prestige, being granted the title of Prince An and wielding the Emperor's Sword. He is treated with utmost respect by both the mortal and immortal realms.
He also knew that Zhu Song's high regard for him was based on the fact that his strategies could be used by the Ming Dynasty.
However, to this day he has not achieved any convincing results.
Some time ago, he volunteered to go on a mission to the Yuan Dynasty. His purpose was to dampen the arrogance of this equally powerful country and, incidentally, to build up his own power in the Yuan Dynasty, laying the foundation for the future expansion of the Ming Dynasty.
However, they have not been able to find the right approach, which has caused the mission to be delayed again and again.
An Lushan frowned, his heart filled with resentment. He longed to prove his worth and consolidate his position in the Ming Dynasty with a glorious victory.
“Prince An,” a trusted advisor called softly, interrupting his thoughts.
"Our people have sent word that the three major sects in the Great Yuan have completely broken off relations, with even the sect leaders personally confronting each other, and the situation is on the verge of exploding."
Upon hearing this, An Lushan's eyes instantly sharpened like an eagle's, and he gripped the jade pendant tightly in his hand, asking, "How reliable is this information?"
The aide bowed slightly and replied respectfully, "Prince An, the news came from our most trusted informant in the Yuan Dynasty. It has been verified by multiple sources and is indeed true."
Upon hearing this, An Lushan stood up from his seat, put his hands behind his back, and paced back and forth in the hall. The soles of his shoes made a dull thud as they rubbed against the floor.
"In this way, the waters of the Great Yuan have been stirred up." He murmured, his tone a mixture of excitement and wariness.
Suddenly, he stopped and turned sharply to look at his advisor, his eyes sharp as knives. "Do you know why the three major factions of the Great Yuan Dynasty have escalated the situation to this point?"
The advisor cupped his hands and said, "Your Highness, it is said that the Crown Prince of the Great Yuan Dynasty found the brewing recipe for 'Flying Heaven' wine somewhere. With such great profits, the three major factions naturally all wanted to get their hands on it. As time went on, the conflicts escalated, eventually leading to the three major factions going to war with each other."
"Flying?"
When An Lushan heard the words "flying to the heavens," his foot, which he had just lifted, stopped in mid-air.
He was very familiar with this thing; it was made by his arch-rival, Zhuge Liang.
However, after Kongming was killed by the Sima family, the supply of this wine was cut off, and only some of the existing stock on the market was sold at exorbitant prices.
"Hmph! Zhuge Kongming, I never thought that even in death you would still have the ability to cause chaos in the Yuan Dynasty. But I must thank you!"
An Lushan's lips curled into a cold smile, his eyes flashing with a complex light, showing both fear of Kongming's methods and a hint of barely perceptible excitement.
"Prepare the sedan chair, I need to go to the palace to see the Emperor immediately!" An Lushan's eyes sharpened as he loudly gave the order.
Soon, the magnificent sedan chair was ready, and An Lushan quickly got into it. The sedan chair bearers hurried along, heading towards the palace.
Inside the sedan chair, An Lushan gently stroked the Emperor's Sword bestowed upon him by Zhu Song. Now, his intelligence network spanned both the mortal and immortal realms.
Back then, he suffered because he wasn't a cultivator, which led to him being suppressed and beaten by Zhuge Liang.
If it were now, with the support of the Ming Dynasty's royal family and numerous cultivators at his disposal, he would certainly not repeat the same mistake.
"Zhuge Kongming, if you were still alive, you would not be worthy to compete with me today."
An Lushan murmured to himself, a ruthless glint flashing in his eyes...
A short while later, the sedan chair stopped at the palace gate. An Lushan got up and got out of the sedan chair, straightened his brocade robe, and walked into the palace.
"Your humble servant An Lushan greets Your Majesty!" An Lushan knelt down and bowed immediately upon entering the hall.
"Rise, Prince An. What brings you to the palace in such a hurry today?" Zhu Song asked, raising his hand slightly as he sat on the dragon throne.
An Lushan stood up, took a few steps forward, and told Zhu Song the news he had just learned.
"Oh?"
Zhu Song raised an eyebrow slightly, a hint of interest flashing in his eyes. "Could it be that Prince An intends to go to the Great Yuan Kingdom to retrieve the 'flying' secret formula and present it to our Great Ming?"
An Lushan was slightly taken aback, then shook his head and said, "This subject will certainly not allow such a disastrous method to flow into the Ming Dynasty. Now that the three major factions of the Yuan Dynasty are in disarray, it is the perfect opportunity to realize Your Majesty's grand ambitions."
“Prince An, I know you have a grudge against Zhuge Liang, but if the ‘flying’ secret formula can be used by our Great Ming, the benefits it will bring are immeasurable. You must not disregard the huge benefits because of a moment of anger.”
Zhu Song stared intently at An Lushan, his gaze sharp and scrutinizing.
"Your Majesty, I did not deliberately belittle 'Flying Heaven' because of any old grudge against Zhuge Liang. In fact, this thing consumes too much food. Once it is brewed on a large scale, when the countries go to war, there will inevitably be a food shortage, and no amount of gold notes will help! I hope Your Majesty will investigate this matter thoroughly!"
An Lushan spoke calmly and earnestly.
Zhu Song frowned slightly upon hearing this. The allure of "flying to the heavens" was too great, but people often overlooked the enormous consumption of grain in its brewing process. He had never really thought of this aspect.
After a moment of silence, Zhu Song slowly spoke: "What Prince An said makes sense. I was indeed negligent. However, although the three major factions of Yuan Kingdom are on the verge of war, they still have strength. The time is not yet ripe. Once we take that step, we will be enemies of the whole world! Have you thought this through?"
An Lushan nodded slightly. "Your Majesty, I have come here to bid you farewell. I intend to personally go to the Yuan Kingdom to give them a boost and make the time ripe as soon as possible!"
Zhu Song nodded slightly upon hearing this, a hint of appreciation flashing in his eyes: "I am very pleased that Prince An has such determination. But you must remember that all actions must be based on the interests of our Great Ming. If there are any changes, report to me in time, and I will dispatch reinforcements to help you."
"Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty. I will certainly live up to your expectations."
An Lushan knelt down to express his gratitude, secretly thrilled. Once the matter was accomplished, not only would his status in the Ming Dynasty rise dramatically, but reclaiming the three prefectures belonging to the An family and wiping away his humiliation would be a piece of cake.
"Go, the royal family will send experts to accompany you. I look forward to your good news." Zhu Song waved his hand, signaling An Lushan to leave.
An Lushan rose and respectfully withdrew from the main hall...
Meanwhile, the situation in the Yuan Dynasty became increasingly tense.
The conflict between the three factions continues to escalate, and a full-blown clash is imminent.
Disciples of the Xuanhuo Sect, Xuanjian Sect, and Xuantian Sect were engaged in open and covert struggles, and even several small-scale conflicts occurred, plunging the cultivation world of the Great Yuan Dynasty into chaos.
When Temujin learned that the struggle between the three major factions was intensifying, he felt both excited and nervous.
He knew his plan was progressing step by step, but he was also worried that the situation would spiral out of control and bring utter disaster upon himself and the royal family.
Kongming became his last resort, and he listened to Kongming's every word...