Munitions Empire-Chapter 964 - Top Strategy 887

Chapter 964: Top Strategy 887 Chapter 964: Top Strategy 887 Zhao Yu had been extremely restless lately; he didn’t understand why his father always targeted him—when it came to capability, he was far superior to that damned older brother of his.

The regions that supported him provided tens of millions in taxes and revenue to the Dahua Empire every year, and through his own “connections,” he was able to obtain many advanced technologies from the Great Tang Empire.

No matter how one looked at it, his elder brother was a complete waste of space. Zhao Ji only blindly supported Zhao Kai, knowing nothing except for currying favor through flattery!

Yet, it was precisely such a sycophantic Crown Prince who was considered so important. Even if it meant going against public opinion, his father, Emperor Zhao Kai, had no intention of letting him, Zhao Yu, take that spot as the Crown Prince!

“Damn it, he’s just biased! He just likes my older brother more!” A piece of very precious glassware within the Dahua Empire was smashed to the ground, shattering into pieces all over the place.

Since Zhao Yu had started supporting trade between the two countries, the specialty products from the Great Tang Empire had never ceased coming in. All kinds of valuable items could easily be found in his possession.

“Your Highness, please calm your anger! At times like these, we should keep a cool head and stay patient,” a young man who had always been plotting for Zhao Yu advised, “We still have the diplomatic support of the Great Tang Empire, the people’s hearts, and the robust backing of the Imperial Ministers… there’s no need to rush.”

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The young man’s words were effective; after all, he was the benefactor who had helped Zhao Yu reach his current stature.

Although he could be impatient and a bit of a scoundrel, Zhao Yu still clearly understood who his real financiers were and who the crutch was that he couldn’t do without.

“You’re right, sir. But now, with Father protecting Zhao Ji, that bastard, the situation has become very unfavorable for me,” Zhao Yu asked for advice, his anxiety evident.

Rash people often lack courage; their semblance of dominance is just a front, masking their cowardly nature.

Zhao Yu belonged to this category; he was actually someone who feared death a great deal. His struggle for the succession was driven by greed, and as time went on, failure in that struggle became his greatest fear.

He was afraid, afraid that if he failed, he would be purged by Zhao Ji. So, he was thrown into disarray, unsure of how to proceed.

“Emperor Zhao Kai has simply been deceived by Zhao Ji. If we lose our composure, aren’t we just giving Zhao Ji the perfect opportunity?” The young strategist’s sound reasoning temporarily soothed Zhao Yu’s mind.

As a Prince, Zhao Yu was unclear about how the situation had suddenly turned against him: once bursting with promise and beginning to make his mark, he quickly became a thorn in both his father and brother’s side.

He could understand Crown Prince Zhao Ji’s opposition to him; but when it came from his father, Emperor Zhao Kai, Zhao Yu felt overwhelmed.

At his core, he was reluctant to confront Emperor Zhao Kai, despite initially appearing bold and confident, thinking he could even overthrow his old man. In truth, he was afraid of Emperor Zhao Kai; that was an inevitable feeling.

If it had just been surreptitious actions in the shadows, it’d be a different story. But almost without giving Zhao Yu any time to react, their conflict had been laid bare.

Suddenly, the situation was out of Zhao Yu’s control, and he was clueless on how to handle it—with the instigation of the Great Tang Empire’s intelligence services, how could Zhao Yu possibly stabilize the situation?

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“Sir… what should I do? Surely I can’t just sit here waiting for the axe to fall, can I?” After a few seconds of silence, Zhao Yu spoke up again.

“I have three strategies for you, Your Highness: a best, a middle, and a worst. Which would you like to hear?” The young man picked up his cup of tea, his demeanor that of a detached sage.

“Of course, the best strategy. Tell me the best one!” Zhao Yu immediately chose the optimal solution without hesitation.

The young man felt a bit of regret, thinking he should have presented himself with more of a sage-like demeanor at that moment. Although his heart held slight regret, his mouth showed no hesitation as he spoke, “Your Highness could present a memorial to the Emperor requesting to go to Fengjiang to investigate a case.”

“Investigate a case? What case in Fengjiang would require my attention?” As Zhao Yu uttered the last word, his tone had already changed.

“The merchants there are either loyal to Your Highness or Great Tang; who else would dare to go?” the young man confidently rebutted, “And to make a huge case out of their situation wouldn’t be difficult, would it?”

Dahua’s Fengjiang, or rather Western Fengjiang, with its booming commerce and colossal tariffs, was naturally a city with clear allegiances. It was practically Zhao Yu’s stronghold, the most supportive of his claim to the succession.

“But…” Although it wasn’t explicit, Zhao Yu still sensed something uncomfortably fishy about this plan.

With his political acumen not seeing through the entire plot, once he presented the memorial to head to Fengjiang, he’d enter into a separatist trajectory; nothing would stop the splintering of the Dahua Empire.

The sensitive Emperor Zhao Kai of the Dahua Empire would certainly detect the subtle scent of Zhao Yu planning to flee through the “Investigate Fengjiang” memorial; his only choice would be to deny the request and then arrest Zhao Yu immediately.

But Zhao Yu, protected by the intelligence department of the Great Tang Empire, would definitely evade capture. Once Emperor Zhao Kai took action, Zhao Yu would have no choice but to flee.

A fleeing Zhao Yu was sure to receive support from the Great Tang Empire, reaching Fengjiang safely to fight for his life against his own father—by that point, the situation the Great Tang had intended to create would have unfolded entirely.

At that time, as long as they supported the weaker side and maintained a stalemate, the Great Tang could reap the benefits of the fishermen.

“Your Highness, this best strategy allows you to attack or defend. Once you leave the Imperial Capital, the world is your oyster, and you will truly be safe,” the young man described the plan with a smile, convincing Zhao Yu that it was indeed not a bad move.

Still, Zhao Yu hesitated. After pondering for a while, he lifted his head and asked, “What about the middle strategy?”

“The middle strategy? It’s to stay at home honestly and just wait! No matter what the other side does, we simply react passively,” the young man blurted out.

He had prepared this middle strategy well in advance, too. So long as the current stalemate continued, and Zhao Yu’s power grew, nothing could stop him; it would only mean a few more years of delay.

That was fine; the intelligence operatives of the Great Tang could afford to wait, as the initial plan hadn’t been for such an early confrontation, meaning everything went back to the start, with no changes and therefore no loss.

Unfortunately, Zhao Yu was impatient by nature; to him, waiting was agony and it also meant handing his life over to someone else.

That was something he couldn’t tolerate, something he had to avoid at all costs.