Chapter 1333 - 1169: Alliance Between Prince Gong and Prince Jing
Chapter 1333: Chapter 1169: Alliance Between Prince Gong and Prince Jing
"He is your junior fellow disciple, naturally you’d speak for him. It’s all about one person’s success elevating everyone around him!" Minister of Ministry of Industry Tong Shunmin felt extremely displeased and couldn’t help but sneer.
"Everyone, since the Emperor has already given the order, we should naturally comply. I have pressing matters to attend to, so I’ll take my leave first!" Minister of Revenue Deng Wenshang smiled slightly, bowed to the crowd, and then walked towards the exit of the hall.
After Shen Shikang’s betrayal, he was promoted from the Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Revenue to the current Minister of Revenue.
He had just been promoted, with limited experience, naturally unable to compare with those seniors who had been sitting in the position of ministers for a long time. He hadn’t expected to get the Grand Secretary position, so whoever rises to power doesn’t make a difference to him.
Moreover, he had clearly stated his position before, refusing to align with others. Thus, during the recent tensions, he maintained a neutral stance and didn’t get involved in these conflicts.
As someone took the lead, other ministers also began leaving the hall one after another. They weren’t qualified to vie for the Grand Secretary position, hence they weren’t entirely opposed to Gu Chengyu entering the Cabinet.
Actually, only a small part vehemently opposed, and they were pawns of various factions.
With more than half of the ministers having left the hall, Gu Chengyu saluted everyone and strode outside the hall. Once out, he paused and glanced back, letting out a cold laugh.
Is this just the beginning, and they couldn’t handle it already? We’re just getting started!
...
"Prince! We’ve suffered huge losses this time; clearly, Prince Jing’s foundation isn’t shallow either!" Li Chang An looked grim; indeed, their losses were heavy and things had quieted down recently.
Prince Gong sneered, "Not shallow foundation? He’s merely relying on his eloquence! This time, I underestimated him, not realizing he had a contingency planned."
"Not good, Prince, our weapon workshop was looted empty again." A soldier rushed in to report.
"What? Has Fourth struck again?" Prince Gong was shocked, having suffered considerable losses last time, with Fourth gaining little advantage. Have they returned so soon, declaring war again?
"No, this time it’s the court’s forces! The court seems to be targeting us, recruiting troops at the border, seemingly to expand the army. And they’ve deployed a hundred thousand elite soldiers to Fengqing Prefecture, successfully taking over the area. Fengqing Prefecture has become an impregnable fortress, tightly guarded, making it hard for us to gather any intel."
"What? The court?" Prince Gong’s expression darkened; Old Two either doesn’t strike or strikes with full force!
"Are you saying the court is recruiting soldiers? Quickly gather exact information, and instruct Fengqing Prefecture’s hidden guards not to act rashly for the next few days. The security is tight; if discovered, we’ll lose valuable pawns, making intelligence-gathering even harder."
"Prince! Second Young Master Lu has arrived."
"Let him in!" Prince Gong was intending to discuss with Lu Chen; the court’s smooth takeover of Fourth’s Fengqing Prefecture seemed unfathomable to him.
"Prince!" Lu Chen entered the study, saluting the two.
"Liang Chen, have you heard about the court sending troops?" Prince Gong turned to the high seat, believing Lu Chen had caught word.
"I came precisely because of this, Prince! The court’s decisive actions this time seem aimed at dealing with both us and Prince Jing. Regarding the recruitment at the border, I’ve just inquired; it’s said the court is spending Silver freely to enlist soldiers, precisely to confront us and Prince Jing."
"It seems the court has made up its mind this time!" Prince Gong found matters troubling. First caught off guard by Prince Jing, then eyed by the court.
His foundation is indeed shallow! Prince Gong sighed deeply.
"Prince! I have an idea, perhaps you could hear it out!" Lu Chen hesitated for a moment, revealing his purpose to Prince Gong.
"Feel free to speak!" Lu Chen’s mind was always sharp, often providing strategies, thus Prince Gong was quite expectant of Lu Chen’s proposal.
"Prince! Since the court plans to go against both our factions, why don’t we form an alliance to confront the court? What does the Prince think?"
"Alliance?" Prince Gong leaned forward, gazing at Lu Chen with surprise.
"Are you suggesting an alliance with Fourth?" Prince Gong wasn’t furious, but scoured Lu Chen with an inquisitive gaze.
"Prince, absolutely not! Prince Jing is cunning; forming an alliance with him requires being wary of betrayal. I believe this is absolutely unfeasible!" Li Chang An opposed Lu Chen’s suggestion immediately upon hearing it.
Prince Jing is so adept at manipulation; allying with him is akin to inviting trouble, decidedly unwise.
"Prince! The current situation is quite unfavorable for us; without an alliance, being defeated individually by the court is merely a matter of time. It’s merely a temporary alliance; once the court is conquered, we’ll finalize matters with Prince Jing. Though Prince Jing is shrewd, you’re equally matched, even more charismatic, and I have great confidence in you."
Lu Chen smiled slightly, his words flattering yet his expression earnest.
"And if Prince Jing grows in strength, posing threats to us, will we still have time to act? Besides, Prince Jing may not be willing to ally with us, especially after the previous fierce battles; he may begrudge the Prince!"
Li Chang An was not optimistic about this; he felt the idea was too risky.
"I actually find it feasible!" Prince Gong pondered for a while, agreeing with Lu Chen.
"Prince!" Li Chang An was a bit surprised, not expecting Prince Gong to agree in the end. He turned to look at Lu Chen, eyes full of scrutiny and warning.
Perhaps since Lu Chen had previously been close to Prince Jing, friends estranged, causing concern for his loyalty—though his recent conduct was commendable, he remained wary for fear Lu Chen might switch sides to Prince Jing.
"This is indeed a good idea, except he’s currently trapped in Fengqing Prefecture, uncertain of his situation there. If indeed controlled by the court, there’s no need for an alliance."
Prince Gong suddenly felt the idea was quite sound—first dealing with Old Two, as Old Two posed the most threat.
"Prince! To ally with him..." Li Chang An, seeing Prince’s true intentions, still wished to advise further.
"Alright, the alliance matter isn’t settled yet! Liang Chen, go gather intel; if Fourth can still act, forming an alliance isn’t impossible—there’s no eternal adversary in this world."
Prince Gong interrupted Li Chang An; if this matter is to be done well, it must involve Lu Chen. Given their past rapport, Lu Chen should persuade on this matter.
He trusts Fourth would consider this out of respect for Lu Chen. In truth, this is the best option currently; Fourth isn’t foolish—he should agree.