Chapter 1391: Warm-hearted and Righteous

Make them wait outside? The big man frowned, but said nothing.

"Eunuch Wei is old and frail. If it's not urgent, say what you need to quickly and let him rest." Liu Songping gave this instruction, then pushed open the door, and the big man strode in with his head held high.

The sky had already darkened, and the oil lamp inside had been lit, but the light was still rather dim. Under the dusky yellow lamplight, everything was half-lit and half-shadowed, hard to see clearly.

The big man walked to the depths of the room and then saw the old man sitting beside the bed.

His hair had already gone grey-white, and his skin looked pallid under the lamplight. Because he had taken good care of himself, his face bore few wrinkles, yet the worry in his expression was unmistakably written all over it.

It was indeed Wei Zhongxian himself.

To think that back in the day, whenever he could see him, it was always on the most solemn of occasions — him seated high above, surrounded by his trusted confidants like stars clustering around the moon, so utterly overbearing and peerless. Yet now, even a minor headman like himself from the Eastern Depot could look him straight in the eye.

It truly makes one sigh with emotion...

After suppressing the cold sneer in his heart, the big man bent at the waist and knelt down onto the floor.

"Your subordinate Li Zhao pays his respects to Eunuch Wei!"

"Li Zhao?" Wei Zhongxian furrowed his brow, as if pondering what sort of figure this was. A moment later, his brow smoothed out again. "Oh... it's you. I remember now. Hey... don't kneel, get up quickly. I'm already in this state now — how could I still be worthy of such formalities from you? And how can you still call yourself my subordinate? Please rise, please rise..."

"Though you are no longer the Depot Commander now, Eunuch, your lofty integrity and noble character have always remained in the hearts of us subordinates. My reverence has always been kept in my heart. Please do not refuse, Eunuch, and allow this subordinate to fulfill the proper courtesies." After Li Zhao finished speaking,

"Ha...! You truly leave me at a loss for words." Wei Zhongxian laughed out loud. "I had always thought this world was full of people who let the tea cool once the guest has left. I never expected to encounter someone who still speaks of loyalty and fidelity now. How wonderful, truly wonderful!"

Though he was laughing on the surface, Wei Zhongxian's heart sank even further instead.

He had supervised the Eastern Depot for many years — could he not know perfectly well what sort of people those in the Eastern Depot really were? Setting others aside, this Li Zhao was notoriously a ruthless character who would disown his own kin, single-mindedly bent on climbing the ranks.

Now that he had fallen to this state, would someone like Li Zhao still acknowledge any bond with him? Besides, he couldn't even speak of any real bond with the man to begin with.

It was clear that this man must have some ulterior motive, and what he was plotting was no small matter.

"Eunuch is right. There are indeed many petty men now who flock to power and curry favor — seeing you gone, they no longer acknowledge their ties to you and desperately fawn over that wretch Cao Huachun. But please rest assured, there are still some loyal and faithful men in this world. Many still remember the kindness you showed them in the past, and many are still waiting for the day you return to the capital and take control of the Eastern Depot once more!" Li Zhao cried out with impassioned fervor. "This subordinate, for example, is one of them."

Return to the capital, take control of the Eastern Depot once more?

How could that still be possible now? This is just meant to fool an old man like me.

Wei Zhongxian laughed bitterly in his heart, growing even more guarded against this Li Zhao.

"Oh? That is truly wonderful. My thanks to all of you!" He nodded. "Li Zhao, is it? I shall remember you. The strong wind reveals the sturdy grass... thank you for your loyalty. If that day truly comes, I will certainly not treat you shabbily — you shall have your share of glory, splendor, and riches!"

This offhand dismissal naturally did not fool Li Zhao.

"Eunuch, please, you must not lose heart! Your current hardship is only temporary — it is not without hope!" He slowly rose to his feet and looked directly at Wei Zhongxian. "The court's political situation is now in turmoil, and the Son of Heaven is difficult to manage. Right now the Son of Heaven is still angry with you, but once time passes and the Son of Heaven's anger subsides, there may well come a day when you rise again!"

"Hm?" Wei Zhongxian was slightly puzzled.

"The current court situation is nothing more than a tripartite balance of power." Seeing that Wei Zhongxian's interest had been stirred, Li Zhao rejoiced inwardly and began to speak with confidence. "Grand Secretary Sun Chengzong leads one faction, supported by the elite troops from Ji-Liao that he brought with him; Grand Secretary Wang Zaijin leads another faction, backed by the remnant forces from the pacification of the Xuzhou rebels; and Grand Secretary Yang Lian and Grand Secretary Zuo Guangdou lead the Donglin faction, with the many officials currently in court as their backing... The three factions are still relatively amicable now, but chaos is bound to erupt in the future! Once chaos erupts, Eunuch Wei will still have his chance, because His Majesty will come to understand — only you can keep the court officials somewhat in line and doing their jobs, rather than engaging in endless factional strife!"

Wei Zhongxian made no indication of his thoughts, merely continuing to watch Li Zhao, now waiting for him to go on.

"Among these three factions, each has its own strengths and weaknesses, and they have been waxing and waning all along." Li Zhao did not disappoint his expectations and continued. "Grand Secretary Sun Chengzong is of noble character and high prestige, and has always held considerable standing in the hearts of two generations of Sons of Heaven. Moreover, the Ji-Liao elite troops are indeed formidable — they are the pillar supporting the court. Thus Grand Secretary Sun's position is the highest and most stable. The Donglin partisans are numerous and powerful, with an excellent reputation and considerable esteem among the scholarly circles, so their foundation is also quite solid. Only Grand Secretary Wang... after the recent setbacks... I fear, I fear his situation is not looking good."

When he spoke of Wang Zaijin, his words suddenly became hesitant, though the meaning was actually quite clear: Wang Zaijin's grand army was the remnant force left after a crushing defeat by the Xuzhou rebels, so their morale and combat strength were both inadequate. It was only because the Son of Heaven wished to maintain checks and balances that these soldiers and Wang Zaijin himself had been kept. Among the three factions in the Grand Secretariat, his faction was the weakest and his foundation the most unstable.

"This analysis is quite insightful." Wei Zhongxian nodded.

"Eunuch has been in the court for many years and must see these matters far more clearly than this subordinate. This subordinate is merely displaying his meager skill before a master." Li Zhao smiled rather sycophantically, but deep down there was little real mirth in it.

If this were back in the day, daring to play such tricks in front of me — I'd have killed you on the spot. Wei Zhongxian was displeased in his heart.

"Alright, I now understand the court situation. You say I have hope, so let there be hope then. I shall wait for that day..." He deliberately stretched his back lazily. "Is there anything else? The hour is late, and I am waiting to go to sleep. If there is nothing else to discuss, please take your leave first."

Hm? By all logic, he shouldn't be reacting like this. Li Zhao was taken aback.

Logically speaking, someone like Wei Zhongxian who had just fallen from the pinnacle of power should harbor above all else that desire to return to the peak, to taste the flavor of power once more. In such a state of mind, he would be desperately eager to seize any opportunity to seek a comeback, just like a drowning man frantically grasping at any straw.

A person in such a state of mind is the easiest to lure and manipulate.

Yet he had not expected Wei Zhongxian to react with such indifference, as if it had nothing to do with him.

Hmph, Wei Zhongxian, I refuse to believe that you, who once served as Depot Commander, could forget what it felt like to be second only to one man and above ten thousand!

Li Zhao gritted his teeth.

"Eunuch! Though the Son of Heaven may allow you to rise again, that does not mean you can simply wait and rise again on your own!" He sighed as if deeply pained. "Don't forget, plenty of people are eager to share the Son of Heaven's burdens! If Eunuch does nothing, how can you let everyone know that your lingering authority remains? And how can you make the Son of Heaven understand that you are indispensable?"

"Then what do you say I should do?" Wei Zhongxian swept a glance at him.

"Eunuch should seek life within death." Li Zhao's eyes widened, and he made a chopping gesture with his hand. "Was it not the Donglin crowd who framed, slandered, ostracized you, and instigated the Son of Heaven to suppress and banish you? That bunch prides themselves on being lofty and aloof men of integrity, utterly insufferable in their arrogance, but in truth they are all a pack of petty men scheming for private gain! They collude together for selfish interests and official posts, yet put on a sanctimonious front, deceiving the world and deceiving the Son of Heaven! As long as these people exist, as long as their arrogance still runs rampant, it will be a thousand times harder for Eunuch to rise again! Eunuch knows this himself, doesn't he? These people are your mortal enemies!"

"It is true that within the Donglin faction, there are far too many hypocrites who appear righteous on the outside but are treacherous and sinister within." Wei Zhongxian nodded, but then his tone shifted. "However, men like Yang Lian and Zuo Guangdou are upright, incorruptible, and honest."

"The two Grand Secretaries Yang and Zuo are indeed difficult to shake, but that doesn't matter..." Li Zhao laughed coldly. "As long as we discredit and ruin all their allies, then without their trusted confidants and claws, will they still be able to wield power? Will they still be able to hold their positions? Eunuch Wei, back when you held power, weren't there quite a few among these Donglin partisans who flocked to curry favor with you, who flattered and fawned upon you? And weren't there quite a few who professed their loyalty to you? As long as we bring all of that out, the Donglin partisans will surely suffer a devastating blow!"

Wei Zhongxian said nothing.

"Eunuch!" Li Zhao raised his voice again, his tone growing even more vehement. "Has Eunuch forgotten the humiliation the Donglin faction brought upon you?! Does Eunuch not wish to stage a comeback?!"

Under his gaze, the corners of Wei Zhongxian's mouth slowly curled up, and then formed into a deeply enigmatic smile.

"Heh heh... heh heh heh heh..."

This somewhat sinister smile made Li Zhao feel a slight chill of fear, and he stared at Wei Zhongxian in bewilderment.

"I understand what you mean now." After laughing for a good while, Wei Zhongxian finally returned to normal. "However, these secret dealings — surely they aren't something you could have come up with on your own, are they? Tell me, who sent you?"

This question made Li Zhao's expression shift slightly.

As expected of the man who once held sway over the entire court — he does have some ability after all.

"Eunuch has sharp eyes. Indeed, this subordinate has come at the behest of another, and that person is someone within the court." A moment later, he regained his composure. "However, that esteemed person merely wishes to extend a helping hand to Eunuch and does not wish to reveal their name."

"Heh heh... is that so? To think that within this court, there is still such a warm-hearted and righteous soul so eager to champion justice! I am full of admiration!" Wei Zhongxian was still laughing heartily, only the mockery on his face grew thicker and thicker. "However, I am truly sorry. Though I have fallen, I still have no wish to serve as a blade in another's hand..."