Chapter 54: The Calculating Right Chancellor!

It is common knowledge throughout the imperial court and beyond that Guo Wanjin, one of the four great wealth gods, is the purse of the Right Chancellor’s faction. Now that Guo Wanjin has suffered a major setback, it is effectively a major setback for the Right Chancellor’s party as well.

As the mastermind of the Right Chancellor’s faction, how would Li Linfu react? Would he swallow his pride, or would he launch a fierce counterattack? For a time, all eyes in the capital were fixed firmly on the Right Chancellor’s manor.

...

The Right Chancellor’s manor is located within Ankang Ward. It consists of five successive courtyards containing hundreds of rooms of all styles, housing over a thousand people, including the family, guards, servants, and maids. The constant coming and going made it incredibly bustling.

However, within the fourth courtyard, there sat a small, crescent-shaped hall that remained exceptionally cold and quiet. No one in the manor dared to approach it, for this was the private sanctuary of the Right Chancellor, Li Linfu. It is said that whenever Li Linfu intends to eliminate a political rival, he retreats to the Crescent Hall to meditate. If he emerges with a smile on his face, it means the target’s days are numbered. Conversely, if he emerges with a face as dark as water, it means the target is not yet in immediate danger.

Li Linfu detests being disturbed while meditating. Anyone in the manor who dares to approach the Crescent Hall without cause faces severe punishment—at best, dozens of strokes of the rod, leaving them bedridden for months; at worst, an immediate end to their life.

Yet, there are two exceptions.

"Where is the Chancellor?"
"Reporting to Young Master Dugu, the Chancellor is meditating inside the Crescent Hall."
"Very well, clear the way!"
"Understood!"

A figure strode purposefully toward the Crescent Hall. The guards along the way did not stop him; instead, they stepped aside one after another. This was none other than the "Peerless Young Master," Dugu Junchen.

As previously mentioned, there are two people in the Right Chancellor’s manor who can enter the Crescent Hall at will. One is Li Linfu’s eldest legitimate son, Li Xiu, currently serving as the Record-Keeping Adjutant of the Jingzhao Prefecture—a rising star in the imperial court. The other is Dugu Junchen. As for the reason, well, that has already been explained.

...

Inside the Crescent Hall, Right Chancellor Li Linfu, dressed in casual attire, sat cross-legged on a soft silver-threaded couch, focused intently on a game of Go. Usually, Go is played between two people, but Li Linfu is different. He enjoys playing alone, pitting his left hand against his right, calculating against himself with a divided mind.

A man cannot rely solely on calculating others; he must also be able to calculate himself, the overall situation, and the entire world. Only then can his plans truly be foolproof.

Dugu Junchen hurried over and bowed deeply to Li Linfu. "Greetings, Uncle!"
"Hui'er is here. Sit."
"Thank you, Uncle!"

Hui'er is Dugu Junchen’s childhood nickname. It stems from a cyan birthmark on his back shaped like a *hui*—a type of serpent. The name was chosen with the hope that, as he grew, he would transform from a serpent into a dragon and soar to the heavens. Incidentally, it was Li Linfu himself who gave him this name, a testament to his deep affection for his illegitimate son.

"Hui'er, tell me, what is the situation outside?"
"Reporting to Uncle, the situation is dire. Guo Wanjin has suffered heavy losses; our purse has shrunk by at least half. This is all due to my incompetence; I ask for your punishment!"

Dugu Junchen felt incredibly frustrated, even tempted to bang his head against the wall. He had spent months meticulously planning, mobilizing vast connections to trigger a liquidity crisis, hoping to use it to strike a heavy blow against the Left Chancellor’s faction.

If the Left Chancellor’s faction were to collapse, the Right Chancellor’s faction would naturally be there to pick up the pieces, allowing him to have whatever he desired. Everything was going smoothly, and victory seemed only ten days or a fortnight away. Yet, in a blink, the situation had taken a sharp turn for the worse. He had become the one who lost—and lost miserably, without even understanding why.

He could not fathom why Wang Yuanbao and Lady Mei would risk their entire fortunes to stabilize the market. He could not understand how a mere slip of paper—a bill of exchange—could revitalize commercial activity so effectively. And he was even more baffled as to why Gao Lishi, who is always cautious and never participates in court disputes, had chosen to intervene this time.

...

"Heh, there is no need for punishment. This was not your fault. None of us anticipated that a formidable opponent would suddenly appear out of nowhere, causing us this defeat."
"An opponent? What opponent? I don't understand, please enlighten me, Uncle."
"Come, look at this. This is a secret letter just sent by the 'Parasite'."

As he spoke, Li Linfu produced a secret letter from his robe, which contained detailed records of the times, locations, and attendance of the Left Chancellor’s faction’s recent meetings, along with every word spoken by each person present.

During the previous disputes at the Qinzheng Wuben Pavilion regarding the liquidity crisis, Li Linfu had clashed fiercely with the Left Chancellor, Li Shizhi. During those arguments, Li Shizhi had performed brilliantly, offering over a dozen ingenious solutions that not only suppressed the Right Chancellor’s faction but also won the favor of the Emperor, who subsequently granted him greater authority. At the time, Li Linfu had suspected that someone was pulling the strings behind the scenes for Li Shizhi.

Thus, using high positions and wealth as bait, supplemented by underhanded tactics, Li Linfu successfully bribed a key member of the Left Chancellor’s faction to secretly relay information. To ensure secrecy, the turncoat was not referred to by name or rank, but by the code name: the Parasite. The identity of this individual was known only to Li Linfu—it was a top-secret matter that could not be leaked, not even to his own illegitimate son. To remain standing in the imperial court, one must trust no one—that was one of Li Linfu’s mottos.

"What? It was this brat who ruined our plans? How is that possible?" After reading the letter, Dugu Junchen was so shocked he couldn't hide his dismay. The mastermind helping the Left Chancellor’s faction was none other than Li Zhao!

It was Li Zhao who proposed the minting of bronze coins, rooting out the destruction of currency for copper; it was Li Zhao who persuaded Wang Yuanbao and Lady Mei to use their vast fortunes to stabilize prices; and it was Li Zhao who introduced banks, bills of exchange, and merchant guilds to stimulate trade. Furthermore, it was Li Zhao who had personally convinced Gao Lishi to intervene.

To put it bluntly, the Right Chancellor’s faction had not lost to the Left Chancellor’s faction; they had lost to Li Zhao.

...

If Dugu Junchen had previously harbored resentment toward Li Zhao because of Lady Mei, his emotions were now far more complex—resentment, anger, jealousy, and even a sliver of admiration. He asked himself: if he were in Li Zhao's position, could he have pulled off such feats? He couldn't even have imagined them. The lad was only in his teens; was he some sort of monstrous genius?

Li Linfu felt similar emotions. He had heard of a prodigy among the imperial clan named Li Zhao, a descendant of the Prince of Wu, who had arrived in Chang'an not long ago and was already overshadowing the four young talents of the city. He had assumed Li Zhao was merely a romantic playboy with a talent for poetry and music. He never expected the boy to be so formidable in matters of statecraft. Truly, a hero has emerged from the youth.

"Hui'er, I hear you have had some contact with this Li Zhao?"
"Yes, at the Qujiang Banquet hosted by Lady Mei, I had some interactions, but nothing deep. We are mere acquaintances."
"Heh, acquaintance is better than nothing. Find an opportunity in the future to get closer to him. See if you can bring him over to our side."
"What? Bring him over? That might be difficult, no?"

Dugu Junchen hesitated. The secret letter from the Parasite mentioned that only yesterday morning, the Left Chancellor’s faction had held a victory banquet at the home of the famous scholar Jiao Sui. Li Zhao’s seat had moved from second-to-last to second-from-the-front, right next to the Left Chancellor, Li Shizhi. What did that mean? It meant Li Zhao had become a core member of the Left Chancellor’s faction. How could he be easily swayed?

"Heh, he is just a youth. What does he seek if not glory, wealth, and beauty? You can tell Li Zhao that whatever Li Shizhi can give him, I can give him more. If he is willing to join my camp, official titles, noble ranks, wealth, beauties... whatever he wants, he shall have."

Li Linfu was not only known for "honey on his lips and a sword in his belly," but he was also a master at winning hearts. To recruit followers, he was willing to spend heavily. Many of the important civil and military officials in the court had been lured into his faction this way.

"Hui'er understands. I will do everything in my power to recruit Li Zhao... but what if he is ungrateful and refuses?"
"If that is the case, then remove the threat early. Do you understand?" Li Linfu’s aged face wore a sinister smile as he made a throat-slitting gesture. Talent like Li Zhao’s, if it cannot be used, must be eliminated, or it will lead to endless trouble.

"Also, tell our people: for the time being, do not engage in any more conflicts with the Left Chancellor’s side. Even if they provoke us, we will retreat."
"Uncle, why is that?"

Dugu Junchen was puzzled. Although they had suffered a loss, the Right Chancellor’s faction was still far stronger in overall power. Why retreat? He wondered if his uncle had grown old and lost his edge, afraid to fight Li Shizhi, though he dared not voice this thought. But Li Linfu saw right through his nephew's mind.

"So, you think I have grown old and am afraid to fight?"
"I would not dare, Uncle!"
"Haha, those who wish to achieve great things must hide their edge and endure humiliation to avoid danger. Fighting at every turn is merely the courage of a brute, not worth valuing!"

Li Linfu sneered and glanced at Dugu Junchen. This illegitimate son was clever, smarter than his other sons, but he lacked vision and breadth of mind. Still, he was his own blood, so he chose to instruct him.

"As Right Chancellor, I hold the center and have countless followers. I have no fear of Li Shizhi. I choose to endure and retreat simply to put one person at ease."
"Who?"
"The Emperor!"
"The Emperor?"

"Indeed. The Emperor is well-versed in the arts of kingship. He likes to watch his ministers contend and check one another while he sits on the throne. In recent years, our faction has become too dominant, breaking the balance of the court. The Emperor is worried, which is why he promoted Li Shizhi and supports the Left Chancellor’s faction to restore that balance. In such a situation, we must retreat and endure to make the Emperor feel secure. Only when the Emperor is at ease can we remain safe and continue to dominate the court. As for settling scores with the Left Chancellor’s faction, there is plenty of time for that later... do you understand?"

"Your insight is profound, Uncle. I have been taught well."