Mythical Qin: I, Gao Yao, will never be a eunuch!

Chapter 978 Discussing how to take down Chen Ping!

Upon hearing this, Gao Yao nodded in agreement; Wu She's analysis was indeed to the point. "Then, in your opinion, what should be done?" he asked with interest, recalling Wu She's previous skill in dividing and winning over Wu Rui, the Prince of Changsha, and his subordinates, and couldn't help but feel a little more expectant.

Wu She leaned forward slightly, his gaze sweeping over everyone present before finally settling on Gao Yao's face. He said slowly, "I believe we should still start from within, utilizing their existing conflicts, but the method needs to be more... subtle and thorough. Since Wei Tong is cunning, greedy, and vindictive, we should cater to his tastes. However, the goal is not to directly persuade Wei Tong, but rather to target his retainers or officials who share the same character. As the saying goes, 'like master, like servant,' these people are mostly opportunistic and ungrateful. We only need to secretly contact one or two of them, offer them substantial benefits, and induce them to constantly stir up trouble in Wei Tong's ears, exaggerating Chen Ping's 'threat' and intensifying his resentment."

He paused, a cold glint flashing in his eyes: "When the time is right, we can instigate them to suggest that Wei Tong carry out—assassination of Chen Ping!"

"Assassination?" Gao Yao's pupils contracted slightly.

“Exactly.” Wu She’s tone was calm, as if he were stating something perfectly ordinary. “Moreover, this assassination must happen, but we must ensure that it does not succeed. We must leave obvious clues that point to Wei Tong, such as the assassin’s weapon bearing the Wei family’s mark, or deliberately capturing one or two insignificant people and having them ‘confess’ to Wei Tong under torture… In short, we must firmly pin this mess on Wei Tong.”

Upon hearing this, the study fell silent, save for the soft sound of Erniu chewing his steamed bun. Xiao He, Zhang Liang, and the others, though their expressions remained unchanged, all wore thoughtful expressions. This move was indeed insidious, but undeniably, if executed properly, its effects would be immediate. Chen Ping, having survived an assassination attempt, would inevitably be suspected of having a grudge against Wei Tong, regardless of the strength of his evidence. This would force Chen Ping to choose: remain silent or report Wei Tong to Wei Bao?

Wu She continued to analyze his plan: "Given Chen Ping's intelligence, he would never choose to remain silent. To remain silent means to sit and wait for death, and there will inevitably be a more deadly attack next time. He will definitely speak to Wei Bao about Chen Ming's assassination and his suspicions about Wei Tong."

As Kuai Tong had previously stated in his secret letter, the two events were so close together; what would Wei Bao think? He would likely believe that Chen Ping was using this as an opportunity for revenge, making a mountain out of a molehill. Wei Tong, in order to protect himself, would inevitably try his best to defend himself, perhaps even counter-accusing Chen Ping of framing loyal officials. In this way, even if Wei Bao didn't completely trust Wei Tong, he would inevitably develop a dislike and distance himself from Chen Ping, believing him to be intolerant and disruptive to the harmony of the court.

"Brilliant!" Li Zhao couldn't help but praise in a low voice. "This is an open strategy. Even if Chen Ping sees through the instigation, he can't do anything about it because his conflict with Wei Tong is real. This is an unsolvable situation."

Wu She nodded slightly and continued, "This is only the first step. When Chen Ping is caught in the predicament of proving his innocence, and feels Wei Bao's coldness and Wei Tong's increasingly rampant hostility, his situation will become precarious, and his heart will inevitably be filled with fear and disappointment. At this time, it will be time for our spies, especially Kuai Tong, to play their role. Let Kuai Tong find a suitable opportunity to approach Chen Ping as a 'friend' or 'sympathizer,' or even directly 'guide' Wei Tong."

"To give Wei Tong some pointers?" Gao Yao pressed.

“Yes. We can have someone analyze the situation for Wei Tong from an outsider’s perspective, saying that after this assassination attempt, Chen Ping must now consider you a mortal enemy. If we don’t take advantage of his current fall from favor with the king to completely eliminate him, he will surely seek revenge when he rises again. We can encourage Wei Tong to personally plan a second assassination attempt, and…” Wu She’s voice lowered, carrying a cold calculation, “This time, we need to help Wei Tong ‘refine’ his plan, ensuring he can find an even more powerful assassin. But at the same time, we also need to create an opportunity for ourselves to obtain irrefutable evidence that Wei Tong orchestrated this assassination attempt! For example, his own handwritten letters, or conclusive evidence of his confidants meeting with the assassins.”

"Once we obtain this irrefutable evidence, we can subtly and 'inadvertently' let Chen Ping get it through Kuai Tong or other channels. What will Chen Ping do then, holding solid evidence? He will inevitably seek an audience with Wei Bao again and present the evidence. At that point, the dilemma will be placed on Wei Bao: on one side is his illustrious cousin, also a member of the imperial clan, and on the other is his talented but now estranged strategist. Will Wei Bao severely punish his cousin for the sake of Chen Ping, who has already decided to leave? Probably not. The most likely scenario is that he will punish both sides equally and forcefully suppress the matter. But after this incident, how much loyalty will Chen Ping still have to Wei Bao? Will he still feel at ease staying in that dangerous place?"

After Wu She finished speaking, he leaned back slightly, regaining his previous calm demeanor, as if the intricate and suspenseful scheme he had just devoid of any real connection to him.

Silence fell over the study once more. Only Erniu, having finally finished the last steamed bun, let out a satisfied burp, then scratched his head with his greasy hands, looked at the various expressions on the faces of the people present, and asked in a muffled voice, "Your Majesty, have you all made up your minds? What do you need me for? Are you going to go and meet that Chen Ping? Don't worry, with me here, I guarantee I'll 'bring' him back to you safely!"

Gao Yao didn't answer Er Niu immediately; his fingers tapped lightly on the smooth tabletop, his gaze deep. Wu She's plan...

Like an intricately woven spiderweb, it was cold, sticky, yet highly effective. It almost perfectly calculated the weaknesses of human nature, the balance of power, and the direction of the situation. This was indeed a shortcut that could greatly increase the success rate of recruiting Chen Ping.

A complex emotion rose within Gao Yao. Using such intrigue and treachery conflicted with certain moral principles he held from later generations. But then he recalled the more brutal struggles that had occurred on this land, and those that might unfold in the future. History is written by the victors; the victors are always the ones who write the stories. To quickly gather enough strength to counter any future uncertainties, some "necessary evils" might be unavoidable.

He raised his head, his gaze slowly sweeping over Zhang Liang, Xiao He, and Li Zhao, finally landing on Wu She and Er Niu, a cryptic smile gradually curving his lips.

"The plan sounds good." He spoke slowly, his voice echoing in the study. "Then, let's discuss in detail how to proceed step by step..."