tallest building

Chapter 272 A Startling Statement

When the King of Chu learned that his servant, Mr. Hua Ying, was actually a scoundrel from the Northwest, he broke out in a cold sweat. The only reason he dared to defy the King of Zhao was because he had connections at the Sanjing Academy. Now that he knew this, he was naturally disheartened.

"How could this happen?!" The King of Chu roared in his own home, "Will any of you admit your mistakes?"

“Well… Mr. Hua Ying isn’t often in the capital, and we’re not close to him, so how could we be sure?” The steward was also helpless. “Besides, who would have thought he would have the audacity to impersonate him?”

"What am I to do now? I'm in a bind!" King Chu gritted his teeth, his anger and frustration unsure of who to vent it on.

He had fallen out with the King of Zhao, and his son had been blinded by an arrow. Now the court and the harem were in chaos, and no one knew what the outcome would be.

"Your Highness, Master Zhuge has arrived," a servant announced as he entered the house.

The King of Chu's first reaction was: "Could it be another fake?"

The imposter, Mr. Hua Ying, was released by the Empress, which shouldn't have happened, but it was clear that the Empress didn't want to help the Prince of Chu and intended to let the matter drop.

"This...this humble servant is not sure either." The servant looked helplessly at the steward.

"Then please come in," said the King of Chu.

He knew Master Zhuge and wouldn't mistake him for someone else.

As expected, it was Master Zhuge who arrived. King Chu dismissed his attendants and couldn't help but complain, "Master, you've caused me so much trouble! If it weren't for what you said to me when we were admiring the chrysanthemums, I wouldn't be in this situation..."

Zhuge Fuzi's words stirred his ambition, which also made it easy for the imposter Mr. Hua Ying to gain his trust.

Master Zhuge was not annoyed, but simply smiled and said, "I understand Your Highness's feelings at this moment. In truth, whether Hua Ying is real or not is not important; falsehoods can be just as truthful. Didn't he indeed help you?"

The King of Chu remained silent for a long time after hearing his words. Indeed, although Hua Ying was an imposter, the matter of Dai Shan was true.

Although those people escaped due to his subordinates' negligence, the ledger was still extremely useful.

"There's another point: the fact that he's a fake is actually more advantageous to Your Highness," Master Zhuge continued. "If he were real, I'm afraid even His Majesty would harbor resentment towards Your Highness."

"What you say is very true, Master. I was confused before." King Chu thought for a moment before realizing his mistake.

Someone even the Emperor couldn't easily invite had volunteered to join the Prince of Chu's residence—this was a taboo.

If someone were to frame me for plotting a rebellion, it would be difficult to explain in a short time.

At this point, he couldn't help but conclude that this fake Hua Ying was also the work of the Sanjing Academy; otherwise, he wouldn't have such great abilities.

"The Crown Prince's injury was indeed unexpected," Master Zhuge said, frowning. "We really didn't expect such a sudden and unexpected event."

"Who would have thought? That little beast Ying Tong is truly ruthless and heartless." The King of Chu truly hated the Zhao family.

"Has Your Highness considered what to do next? After all, the tragedy has already occurred, and there's no use in regretting it!" Master Zhuge reminded the King of Chu. "Yes, Master's advice is correct." The King of Chu took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. "Now I must request His Majesty to severely punish Prince Zhao and the others, but regarding the matter of shooting Bai'er blind, Prince Zhao insists that it was an unintentional mistake."

The matter of the account books is also being disputed, but His Majesty has already sent people to investigate. There's no way around it; the Dong family's power is too great, and the Empress is entirely loyal to them. His Majesty also has to consider the Grand Tutor's feelings, after all, it was the Grand Tutor who defied public opinion and supported His Majesty's ascension to the throne.

"Your Highness, have you only thought about severely punishing the Prince of Zhao? Have you not thought about anything else?" Master Zhuge asked.

The King of Chu was taken aback by the question: "What else do I need to think about? Please enlighten me, Master."

"Even if the Prince of Zhao is punished, what are the plans for his lineage in the future?" Master Zhuge said earnestly. "Even if the Prince of Zhao has been severely damaged this time, the Dong family's power remains, and the Prince of Zhao's restoration is only a matter of time. Now that the turmoil has come to an end, can the Prince rest easy from now on?"

The King of Chu understood what Zhuge Liang meant: as long as the Dong family didn't fall, they would definitely retaliate against him in the future.

What will happen then?

Thinking of this, he simply knelt down before Master Zhuge: "Master, save me! My mind is in complete turmoil, and I'm utterly at my wit's end."

"Your Highness, please get up!" Master Zhuge reached out and helped the King of Chu up. "Since Your Highness understands the advantages and disadvantages involved, there is no need for this old man to say anything more."

Now is the time to seize upon King Zhao's weaknesses, not to demand justice, but to have sufficient leverage to negotiate with them. Otherwise, temporary justice may be easy to achieve, but the safety of future generations is hard to guarantee!

"What you say, Master, is invaluable advice; I will certainly heed it," the King of Chu said urgently. "I hope you will speak freely and without reservation!"

“Your Highness, have you considered that disputes in the court are ultimately limited? Now that Grand Tutor Dong is not in the capital, it is of great advantage to Your Highness. As the saying goes, the hearts of the people are divided, and public opinion is a fearsome thing. Your Highness should..." Master Zhuge's voice grew softer and softer, and only he and the Prince of Chu could hear it.

"Oh, Master means to let the students of the Imperial Academy..." King Chu's eyes lit up immediately. "That's right, how come I didn't think of that before? Although these people are not officials, they are very important. Once they stand on my side, everyone will have to think twice."

"This is just to make a big show of things and prevent the King of Zhao and others from acting rashly," said Master Zhuge. "But Your Highness's ultimate goal is not just this, which is why I came out of the palace specifically to tell Your Highness."

"Then what does the Master think the ultimate goal should be?" The King of Chu's heart couldn't help but pound wildly again.

“It is truly heartbreaking and regrettable that the Crown Prince is injured. After he recovers, he will certainly not be able to stay in the palace, but doesn’t he still have a young master in the manor?” Master Zhuge’s eyes were like ancient wells, deep and wise.

"So that's how it is. Master means to send Shan'er to the palace..." The gloom in King Chu's heart was instantly cleared away.

Ying Tong deposed his son; a blind heir could never contend for the throne. But he had more than one son; he also had a younger son, Ying Shan.

Now that the King of Zhao is in the wrong and he himself holds other leverage, he can take advantage of this situation to send his young son into the palace.

“Even if the Crown Prince of Zhao’s mistake was unintentional, it has still been a grave error. He should not remain in the palace.” Master Zhuge stroked his long, snow-white beard. “Wouldn’t this be a much safer course of action than before?”

Yes, if Ying Bai hadn't been injured, there would definitely have been several more battles between him and Ying Tong.

No one can predict who will come out on top.

But the situation is different now; if we make good use of it, we can be sure of victory.