inspire-indiana Chapter 175 Planting a Seed
Chapter 175 Planting a Seed
"You little rascal Zhuge, you're trying to trick me, old pig, aren't you!" Pigsy shouted, hands on his hips and chest puffed out.
Then, with a pair of pig eyes, he looked at Temujincheng with disdain and continued shouting.
"That sorcerer is long dead. If you want revenge, you'll have to go down there!"
"You audacious pig demon! If we weren't at Master Zhuge's manor today, I would have skinned you alive! That way, Zhuge Kongming wouldn't be all alone down there..."
Kongming, standing to the side, had a dark face as he listened to the two hurling insults at each other, especially Zhu Bajie's veiled criticism, which made him very unhappy.
He then cleared his throat and shouted sternly, "So you're ignoring me, aren't you!"
The sound, like a resounding bell, echoed in the courtyard, startling both Tie Mu Jincheng and Zhu Ganglie.
Zhu Bajie sensed the dissatisfaction in Kongming's tone and realized that his words and actions had gone too far, so he couldn't help but shrink back.
These days he has been locked in a secret room to cultivate. Just thinking about it makes him shudder. He was never cut out for cultivation, and this is worse than death for him.
It was Zhao Yun who begged Kongming to come up with a solution that would satisfy both sides, which led to this scene.
Temujincheng's face flushed red and then turned pale. He thought to himself that if he really angered Kongming, he would probably never have a chance to turn things around.
Thinking of this, he quickly suppressed his anger and put on a humble expression, bowing and saying, "Please calm down, sir. I was rash and failed to consider the bigger picture. I hope you will forgive me and not hold it against me."
Kongming glared at Zhu Ganglie, then looked at Tiemu Jincheng and said, "Your Highness is unaware that Zhu Ganglie is the key to the secret recipe for brewing 'Flying Sky' wine."
Temujin was completely bewildered. Looking at the fat, wicked-looking Zhu Ganglie, he found it hard to associate him with the incredibly precious 'Flying Sky' wine.
"Sir, what... what does this mean? Please enlighten me."
"'Flying' was originally created by this pig demon. Do you understand now?"
Temujincheng's eyes widened in disbelief. His gaze darted back and forth between Zhu Ganglie and Kongming as he stammered, "This... how is this possible? Such precious 'Flying Fairy' wine, actually made by a pig?"
Seeing the suspicious look on Tie Mujincheng's face, Zhu Ganglie became displeased. He stiffened his neck and shouted, "You country bumpkin, why don't you come and pay your respects to your grandpa Zhu!"
you……
Tie Mu Jincheng was furious at Zhu Ganglie's words, but he had to suppress his anger because Kongming was present.
However, once the matter was settled, he had already thought of a hundred ways to eat this pig demon!
He then had no choice but to bow his head and say, "I was blind to your greatness, please forgive me, Brother Pig!"
Seeing that Tie Mu Jin Cheng had yielded, Zhu Ganglie patted his belly and said, "Hahaha, that's more like it! I, the old pig, am magnanimous and won't hold it against you!"
Kongming coughed lightly, steer the conversation back on track: "Your Highness, do you think these benefits are enough to make the three major factions take them seriously?"
Upon hearing this, Temujin Cheng immediately sobered up, took a deep breath, and his eyes were full of excitement.
"Sir, this is more than just something that will make the three major sects take notice; it's enough to make them fight tooth and nail for this secret recipe! Having the brewing secret of this 'Flying Fairy' wine is equivalent to having endless wealth and resources, enough to stir up a storm!"
Kongming's lips curled slightly into a subtle smile as he slowly said, "That's right, but we can't act rashly. We need to plan carefully to thoroughly escalate the conflict between the three major factions. Only in this way can we reduce their control over the royal family. At the same time, we must utilize this secret formula to maximize Your Highness's interests!"
Temujin nodded hurriedly, his eyes revealing eagerness and anticipation: "What you say is absolutely right, sir. Please tell me in detail how we should proceed next."
A sly glint flashed in Kongming's eyes as he said, "We can first have some merchants with close ties to the royal family sell small quantities of 'Flying Apsaras' at normal prices in major trading markets, and deliberately reveal some details about the secret formula. In this way, the news will spread like wildfire and naturally reach the ears of the three major sects. Since these merchants are all related to the royal family, the investigation will soon trace it back to the royal family."
Upon hearing this, Tie Mujincheng hesitated for a moment, then said with concern, "Sir, isn't this too risky? Once the three major sects find out that I have the secret formula, they will definitely try every means to take it. What should I do then?"
Kongming turned around, stared at Temujincheng, and sneered, "I'm afraid they won't come to you to collect it!"
Temu Jincheng looked bewildered, his eyes filled with confusion. "Sir, what do you mean? The three major sects are incredibly powerful. If they forcefully seize the secret formula, we won't be able to protect it at all. Then we'll lose all our leverage, and it will all be for nothing. We might even anger them and bring disaster upon the royal family!"
Kongming strolled into the courtyard, stood with his hands behind his back, looked into the distance, and slowly said, "Now, spread the word that Your Highness the Crown Prince accidentally found the secret recipe and that the flying apsaras you are selling are only to refine the process of the recipe. Once you have successfully mastered the brewing, you are ready to wholeheartedly expand this business territory for the three major sects."
"Sir, you are truly brilliant! In this way, I will become the greatest contributor, not only will my position as crown prince be secured, but they will also have to rely on me to seize huge amounts of resources in the future!"
Temujincheng's eyes gleamed with greed, and he rubbed his hands together incessantly, as if he could already see his future of immense power in the Great Yuan Dynasty.
But soon, his brows furrowed slightly, and a hint of dissatisfaction appeared on his face.
"Sir, this plan is ingenious, but in the end it is still controlled by the three major factions. I am just a pawn in their hands."
"Your Highness's ability to have such an idea is enough to demonstrate your ambition. Why not emulate the Ming Dynasty?" Kongming narrowed his eyes slightly, his expression carrying a profound meaning. He might as well plant a seed in this guy's heart; once it sprouts, there will be no stopping him!
Upon hearing this, Temujincheng visibly trembled.
At the beginning of the Ming Dynasty, it was no different from other countries. The first three emperors were tightly controlled by the three major factions.
The key to breaking free from the control of the cultivation sects lies in their ability to seize opportunities and exploit the conflicts between various forces, giving them a chance to develop stealthily.
Before establishing the dynasty, the Zhu family had kept a cultivation genius hidden away. Later, they used all the resources of the royal family to send this genius into seclusion for arduous cultivation.
When he emerged from seclusion, he already possessed the strength to challenge the three major sects, which allowed him to turn the tide and free the Ming Dynasty from the shackles of the cultivation sects.
Moreover, this ancestor of the Zhu family, having reached the Nascent Soul stage in cultivation, was able to continue his immortal bloodline.
From then on, there were countless descendants of the Zhu family who were able to cultivate, and every few generations a cultivator with extraordinary talent would be born. This allowed the strength of the Ming Dynasty royal family to accumulate and become increasingly powerful over the long years.
In less than a thousand years, it firmly suppressed the power of the three major cultivation sects in the country and completely seized control of the dynasty...