Chapter 284: Reunion in the Changfeng Tower

This meeting with Emperor Ji Zichang lasted until late; Ji Zichang clapped Li Guanyi on the shoulder and finally ceased addressing him as a friend or brother, saying only:

"The changes in the world lie in you and me; what happened in the Academy is merely the beginning."

"The road ahead is long; may you manage well."

"Our next meeting will be a month from now—at the autumn hunt."

After parting from Ji Zichang, Li Guanyi returned to his unit's temporary quarters, and after accepting Ji Zichang's gift, he was met with a colossal problem—

How to extract these assets—worth at least thirty million taels of silver—from that tomb complex and transport them back to the distant Eighteenth Province of Jiangnan was no ordinary matter.

After pondering, Li Guanyi sought out Wen He.

He gave him a general account of the matter.

Wen He pondered, nodded seriously, then asked:

"Can we also dig up the burial offerings below?!"

Li Guanyi's lip twitched; when accepting Ji Zichang's goodwill, he had only felt Ji Zichang's resolve and the boldness of a descendant of the Red Emperor, yet he still felt some unease about accepting ancestral sacrificial objects.

Now he realized that, compared to himself and Ji Zichang, Wen He's moral bottom line was remarkably flexible.

Wen He said: "Lord, you haven't informed Lingjun about this, have you?"

Li Guanyi grinned and replied: "If I told him, he'd twist my head off."

Even if he couldn't defeat him, Wen Lingjun would rage uncontrollably.

In Wen Lingjun's eyes, even if Ji Zichang initiated this, subjects and commoners must firmly refuse it—so Li Guanyi absolutely could not consult him.

Wen He nodded: "Lord understands Lingjun well."

Li Guanyi said: "Besides, you hold my leverage—doesn't that make you more at ease?"

Wen He paused, fixed his gaze on Li Guanyi, and a faint smile appeared on his plain face.

The two understood each other without words.

Li Guanyi accepted Ji Zichang's goodwill, but this matter, if revealed, would ruin his reputation; telling Wen He meant Wen He now held leverage over Li Guanyi.

For a man who prioritized self-interest above all, this was reassuring.

Wen He smiled: "Lord understands me well too."

"Your Grace commands no more than fifty thousand troops, yet excels at commanding commanders and strategists."

"Fine, let's see how much is inside…"

Li Guanyi took Wen He there; after pondering, Wen He replied: "They can fetch fifty million taels."

Li Guanyi was surprised, slightly puzzled, and asked: "How so? Brother Changwen, raised in the imperial household, has some sense of these items' value."

Wen He said: "The 'Brother Changwen' you mean is surely His Majesty the Emperor; the Emperor grew up among the imperial clan, using only the finest imperial treasures, and is well-versed in such matters—naturally, he is skilled at appraising these valuables."

"Yet he understands silver and gold, not human nature."

"Selling three million taels' worth of gold and silver objects for three million taels is a losing deal."

"Just the words 'Imperial House'—slightly manipulated—can fetch two million taels."

"Fortunately, I also need things to incite rivalries among the great clans."

Wen He said: "Lord, don't worry; dumping all this at once will devalue it. A slow, steady flow yields the greatest profit."

Wen He inventoried the gold, silver, and jade objects: "Good, good."

"More than I expected—many are lost treasures; today, great clans take pride in collecting imperial tribute items. Lord, have you ever heard of the strategy 'Two Peaches Kill Three Warriors'?"

Li Guanyi stared at Wen He, smiling gently.

He felt a flicker of pity for the great clans of the Eighteen Provinces of Jiangnan.

How pitiful—they must face off against Mr. Wen He.

After the inventory, they returned to their temporary lodging; Wen He personally oversaw the operation, and together they spent much time retrieving all the gold and silver objects—there were inevitable complications, frequent comings and goings, and some were inevitably noticed.

Wen He devised a stratagem, taking advantage of the Chen and Ying states recruiting talent.

He had Li Guanyi publicly converse with Academy students on Dao, while he himself struck elsewhere.

"Using Lord as bait, my plan proceeds."

"Lord, this act is for the sake of the world!"

Wen He's plain face bore a sincere smile: "You should also go drink tea with the daughters of the great clans—don't waste the face you inherited from your parents and the Murong clan."

Li Guanyi's lip twitched: "Huh??"

"I don't understand what you mean, sir."

Wen He said succinctly: "The beauty trap."

"Beauty isn't your face—though it's certainly good for free meals—but even if the Fire Qilin Army and Tiance Prefecture were destitute, they couldn't send you to sell yourself."

"Besides, I doubt your mouth could extract jewelry money from young ladies and ladies—this soft meal isn't for you."

"Huh??"

"Huh??!!"

Li Guanyi covered his embarrassment by sipping tea, then suddenly realized something and stared at Wen He: "Lady?!"

What did you do?!

Wen He's expression didn't change: "A gentleman remains poor."

"A gentleman follows the Dao."

"But occasionally, for survival, one must do things contrary to one's heart."

"It's a pity—such a simple thing as drinking tea could bring in much silver, but Lord, you're incapable of it."

Wen He seemed genuinely regretful: "The jewelry boxes of those ladies and young ladies could fetch considerable sums; if you obtained a few young ladies' ornaments, you could sell them at higher prices to their suitors."

"Not even tenfold—hundredfold—the young masters of the great clans would gladly pay, and you'd gain leverage over them, making many things easy."

"Their boundaries aren't hard to cross, and they hold high positions—they're simply perfect…"

Wen He paused, then smiled: "I was just teasing you a moment ago—nothing but a joke."

"I only heard it from one of my friends."

Li Guanyi grinned.

He decided not to probe into the past of his scribe.

Perhaps because of the contrast, he felt that in this instant, his moral standard had risen so high it frightened even himself. Wen He said: "So, the beauty I speak of is not you as an individual."

"It is the Grand Marshal of the Fire Qilin Army, the Qin Wu Hou Li Guanyi."

"What you represent—the tide, the possibility—is what the aristocratic clans see as beauty. And your alliance with them is like a tiger stirring; the states of Ying and Chen will not ignore you. Only then can I safely extract the silver."

Wen He's scheme succeeded.

Li Guanyi easily drew the attention of Chen and Ying.

Wen He was able to slowly move out the vast amounts of gold and silver, hiding them at the Fire Qilin Army's porridge-distribution sites—places teeming with people and guarded by the Fire Qilin Army, yet no one noticed.

After tallying the gains, Wen He informed Wen Lingjun that they were gifts from the Emperor, and because Li Guanyi held the Bai Yu token—obviously an imperial artifact—Wen Lingjun did not recognize it as the key to the imperial mausoleum complex, but reluctantly accepted it.

The gentleman said frankly: "If the Lord were not Wen He, he would never deceive me."

Li Guanyi felt his moral bottom line was beginning to sink.

Wen Lingjun's nature was such that once he believed Li Guanyi, he would not doubt him. After tallying with Wen He, he reported to Li Guanyi: "It's a great deal—many bear imperial seals."

"The pure gold and silver alone amount to roughly ten to twenty million taels of silver—enough, even for Ying, to equal one-third of its annual tax revenue, even when taxes are paid in iron, grain, and fodder."

"One-third of a great nation's annual tax revenue, spanning tens of thousands of li."

"No need to support the imperial clan. No need to distribute to the aristocratic clans."

"All of it poured into a single region a thousand li wide—surely the Lord's earlier plans can now succeed. But these silver and gold cannot yet be shipped back to Jiangnan. The great tide of the world is just beginning to shift; silver is heavy and easily detected."

Wen Lingjun explained the current situation to Li Guanyi. As he spoke, his tone was slow and gentle, unhurried; his sleeves carried the faint, clean scent of winter snow-pines. He pointed at the table and said:

"Four months' tax revenue from an entire state—guarding it with a thousand cavalry is far from enough."

"This is enough silver to spark a small-scale war."

"Unless… a great upheaval sweeps the world, drawing all eyes to one single event, leaving everyone in panic, with no time to care—or even if they did care about the silver in your hands, they would be powerless to stop it."

"Then you stand invincible—and the plan becomes viable."

Wen Lingjun said: "After the autumn hunt, the opportunity for great change in the world will surely arise."

"At that time, the people and the silver will flow together into Jiangnan. The Lord shall be like a dragon returning to the sea—great momentum will be achieved, unbound by the aristocrats or the world."

Wen Lingjun hesitated, then rose and bowed, speaking gently:

"Yet I have one request—please consider it, Lord."

Li Guanyi said: "Chief Secretary, speak."

Wen Lingjun spoke slowly and calmly: "Now that we have this silver, many things become possible. First, write a letter to Yan Daiqing in the provincial capital, instructing him to begin constructing waterworks to avoid the autumn floods."

"If the Lord permits, I will join Duan Qingyu in gathering more civilians. But then, the eighteen prefectures of Jiangnan will eventually become overcrowded."

"When we must assemble a great army—if the world truly changes—then I humbly ask the Lord to commit the entire military force of Jiangnan's eighteen prefectures to seize the seventeen surrounding prefectures from Ying and Chen."

Wen Lingjun said: "The vast majority of those seventeen prefectures lie in Chen's hands."

"If Ying's Emperor holds them, it will be disastrous for us. We must seize that single moment—using the flood tide to surge with great ships into the seventeen prefectures, swiftly conquering them—not merely dominating a thousand-li region, but fully controlling it."

"The Lord previously made an agreement with Ying's Emperor. Only by seizing that instant can you force him and Chen Dingye to swallow this bitter humiliation."

Li Guanyi asked: "How certain are you, Chief Secretary?"

Wen Lingjun said: "Assign Yuan Zhi and Feng Xiao to me."

"If, by then, the Lord's name resounds across the land, and Yan Daiqing's actions are thorough enough to make the people of the seventeen prefectures envy us—nine out of ten. Nine out of ten…"

The gentle gentleman whispered:

"I have a nine-tenths chance of securing the Lord's complete pacification of all Jiangnan."

"After that, it will depend on what the Lord does in the Western Regions."

Li Guanyi said: "Good."

He rose and bowed deeply: "Then, I am in your hands, Master."

All the silver and gold were left in place. Feng Xiao was taken away by Wen He and Wen Lingjun. Their plan shifted again. Li Guanyi wrote a letter to Master Yan Daiqing, informing him the money problem was resolved—he could now begin preparing flood defenses.

Master Yan Daiqing was skeptical, but autumn floods were less than a hundred days away.

In truth, Master Yan Daiqing had already begun flood-prevention measures. The disciples of the Mohists and Agrarians moved swiftly—but daily silver expenditures were enormous, so vast that even Master Yan Daiqing felt stomach pain upon seeing the numbers.

Meanwhile, changes stirred across the world.

In the Ying Court.

Po Jun watched as the Seven Kings of the Tujue and the Ying Princess chatted. The Ying Princess was eleven years younger than the Seven Kings, beautiful, poised in speech and manner, skilled in both martial arts and literature. The Seven Kings carried their own heroic bearing.

Po Jun devised several schemes to make the Seven Kings display their martial prowess and boldness. Slowly, the Ying Princess—who had initially disliked him—began to accept him; their affection grew. She began subtly hinting to Jiang Wanxiang that she wished to accompany the Seven Kings away.

But Jiang Wanxiang pretended ignorance.

Or feigned tears, claiming he was old and could not bear to part with his daughter, and so on.

Watching this, Po Jun gritted his teeth.

These old men—shameless, playing the emotional card.

Jiang Wanxiang's stance had softened since the battle between Ying and Tujue over a month ago.

Ying's famed general, the Immovable King of Heaven, General Yuwen Tianxian, led Ying's Mohist mechanical beasts and decisively defeated the Tujue Eleventh King along the northern border, crushing their prestige.

On the surface, it was merely a border skirmish.

In truth, it was a clash between the conservative faction led by the Tujue Grand Khan and the rising reformist Seven Kings, who sought alliance with the Central Plains. The Grand Khan was the second-greatest general in the world, having suffered only one direct defeat in his life—at the hands of the Central Plains' Divine General.

He held immense prestige on the steppe, hailed as a hero akin to a celestial being—the only man in a thousand years to rival the legendary heroes of ancient epics. He sought to preserve the unchanging order of the steppe.

But the Seven Kings, having traveled through Jiangnan and the Central Plains, grew increasingly dissatisfied with the Grand Khan's conservatism.

He too craved the Central Plains' craftsmen, technology, writing, and culture.

The conflict between father and son had escalated far beyond the level of a rebellious son; after General Yuwen Tianxian defeated the Eleven Khans of the Turkic Weight, proving his command ability, Jiang Wanshang grew especially amiable toward the Seven Khan.

Before Jiang Wanshang departed for Zhongzhou, he even permitted the Seven Khan to attend family banquets.

When the Seven Khan returned, he was overjoyed, speaking of the princess's beauty and gentleness, of the emotional grace of Central Plains daughters; Po Jun immediately doused the Seven Khan's head with wine and roared: "Are you drunk in the arms of softness?!"

The Seven Khan's heart tightened.

Po Jun said: "Look closely—it was only after General Yuwen Tianxian crushed the Turkic Weight cavalry that he agreed. When you return to the steppe, you will balance your father; and at this moment, beyond the border where the Turkic Weight and Ying State meet."

"The Taiping Army and the Yue Family Army are being crushed by the Third Divine General."

"Jiang Wanshang is securing his rear."

"This old bastard is making a massive move!"

The Seven Khan calmed down: "We must leave quickly."

Po Jun said: "If you don't leave, the world will change. Among the Turkic Seven Khans, there are plenty in the Central Plains who don't want you alive—like the young general who grew up with the Third Princess since childhood, or Ying State's shrewd and calculating chancellor."

"And your father and brothers."

The Seven Khan planned to seek out Jiang Wanshang the next day, but Jiang Wanshang had already departed for Zhongzhou that day; thus the Seven Khan was trapped here. His letter to Jiang Wanshang had been sent for half a month, yet he received no reply, and his anxiety deepened.

Po Jun had already figured out what Jiang Wanshang intended.

Jiang Wanshang needed the most stable rear.

What was the most stable rear?

It was one torn by strife.

That ancient dragon did not believe in any so-called alliance or kinship; he had walked through chaos himself, trusting only desire and interest within men, trusting only the clash of sword and fire.

This aged emperor planned to send the anxious Seven Khan back to the Turkic Weight when the world changed; if Po Jun's guess was correct, the envoy of marriage would be Yuwen Tianxian.

This was exactly like the ancient Chi Empire's envoys—sent to stir trouble.

It would almost certainly end in battle!

Only when the Turkic Weight turned on themselves would this emperor release his grip on the world.

"Old devil, what a cruel heart."

Po Jun murmured: "Would you even use your own daughter as a sacrifice to the world?"

"... After all, she isn't yours and that woman's child."

The young strategist said: "Emperors, emperors."

"Truly grand in passion, yet cold and indifferent; in the annals of history, he counts as emotionally weighted, a worthy ruler."

He paused, his chin lifting slightly, a corner of his mouth curling!

"But that's you—all of you. My lord is nothing like that!"

Po Jun's lips curled slightly, calm and composed, with a hint of pride—but since such things could never be spoken to others, he could only sadly lower his head and savor it alone.

What a pity—you never had such a magnificent chance to hear me recount my lord's thirty-seven virtues and strengths, and the newly written treatise "On Why My Lord Is the Strongest Bai Hu Da Zong!"

Truly, what a tragedy!

I long to carve a million copies, three for every household in the Eighteen Provinces of Jiangnan.

One to read, one to gift friends, one to enshrine.

Po Jun lifted his eyes slightly, filled with regret.

He had already brokered the marriage alliance between the Turkic Weight and Ying State, and incited the struggle between the Second Imperial Prince and the Crown Prince; especially since Jiang Wanshang's departure, their rivalry had grown increasingly fierce.

But it was not direct conflict.

That would be foolish.

Jiang Yuan, following Po Jun's advice, began cultivating a reputation as a filial son, devoted to his parents, concerned for the realm, befriending scholars, humble and respectful, avoiding women and gold, living simply; the struggle must not be over power, but over reputation.

Po Jun engaged in constant covert and open struggles with Ying State's chancellor and the Minister of Rites.

But the chancellor assumed this hostility stemmed only from their rivalry over the Seven Khan.

He never thought further.

Po Jun's strategy in Ying State was nearly complete; though he still faced some danger, he looked up toward the distance and sighed:

"One falling leaf reveals autumn's approach—Ying State's waves have reached this point. My lord, my lord, are you still safe?"

"I wish I could be by my lord's side this very moment!"

"To ease my lord's worries and solve his troubles!"

……………………

In Zhongzhou, the scholars' transformations and the ripples within Ying State had not yet reached Zhongzhou; Jiang Wanshang spent his days feasting with scholars or fishing and drinking; when the revelry reached its peak, he would play the pipa himself and sing along.

His voice was vast and resonant, brimming with heroic spirit.

Chen Dingye of Chen State conversed with the scholars on learning; he had long been renowned across the land for his vast and profound reading, truly capable of winning the scholars' deep reverence.

Privately, Chen Dingye told the Director of Ceremonies:

"The scholars are naive and childish; they speak of morality and righteousness, yet cannot outargue a lonely man like me. They merely understand these things—they do not practice them. I surpass them in discourse, yet I treat this so-called benevolence and righteousness as merely a weapon."

"Thus, beyond swaying hearts, Confucianism is useless."

"The Military, Legalist, and Diplomatic schools are the true talents for governing the world."

Each side made its own choice. On this day, Yao Guang and Master Siming went fishing together; Li Guanyi, as usual, visited Master Wang Tong, spoke briefly with the strategist group, then headed to the Changfeng Tower.

He had a habit: every month he visited the Changfeng Tower to observe changes across the realm—in Zhenbei City, in the Eighteen Provinces of Jiangnan, even in the Gongsun family—he did the same.

After telling this habit to Wen Lingjun and the others,

Wen Lingjun fell silent for a long while, choosing his words carefully, then said gently:

"My lord has great fortune."

Master Master Wen He, however, said lazily: "My lord's habit is entirely spoiled—he's been coddled. Intelligence gathering has always been difficult; even military treatises have a dedicated chapter on 'Using Spies,' proving its importance."

"Aren't you just so spoiled you never noticed?"

"Wherever you go, you can always find the Changfeng Tower—wherever the Fire Qilin is, the Changfeng Tower waits. This ordinary thing is itself the most unreasonable thing!"

"The Changfeng Tower isn't roadside weeds that grow on their own. Establishing itself in different places, transmitting intelligence, recruiting personnel—none of this can be done by just opening your mouth and speaking."

"Lord, you had best consider this carefully: you must sincerely thank and reward the Changfeng Lady."

Li Guanyi endured a round of criticism from the strategist council and left reluctantly.

As he watched Li Guanyi depart,

Wen He shook his head and said, "He's been spoiled rotten."

"By subtly making the Lord almost forget how difficult it is to run an intelligence network, treating it as something ordinary—no one knows how much painstaking effort that took."

"Even stranger, that woman doesn't want the Lord to thank her for this."

"How odd—does such a person really exist in this world?"

Feng Xiao said, "Perhaps."

Wen He said, "I don't believe it."

So Feng Xiao could only roll his eyes dramatically.

He muttered curses under his breath.

Li Guanyi ascended the Changfeng Tower and entered the silent chamber. Now, the Changfeng Tower's intelligence-transmitting chamber resembled a ghost market—thick curtains hung in the center, concealing identities, transmitting intelligence without revealing who the other party was.

It had gradually become a proper intelligence organization.

It must have taken many bitter setbacks over the past couple of years to change so slowly.

Li Guanyi sat down and waited for the Changfeng Lady.

The Changfeng Lady of Zhongzhou was about to ascend when she was called out. She turned in surprise and saw a familiar young girl, wearing a cross-collared jacket embroidered with cloud patterns, a horse-face skirt with dozens of fine pleats, moving like ripples on water.

The Changfeng Lady of Zhongzhou's expression changed instantly; she moved to bow—but the girl stopped her.

The girl pressed a finger to her lips, signaling silence.

Then she motioned for the Lady to step back, and walked forward step by step herself.

Those thirty-three steps felt impossibly long.

Finally, she sat behind the curtain of the silent chamber, gazing at the figure before her.

She took a slight breath.

Her voice was clear:

"Esteemed guest, what intelligence do you seek?"