Chapter 51: The Bargaining Chip (Ten Times Stronger After Turning Dark)

Li Chang'an stated the purpose of his visit, explaining that he wished to smooth over his relationship with Cao Rui, or at least ensure Cao Rui would no longer target him.

Upon hearing this, the Duke thought to himself: I just had him released, and he is already causing trouble again?

Cao Rui had not yet regained his position as the Deputy Commander of the imperial family's City Guard, and the Duke wondered if this son of his had any proper sense at all.

Regardless of other matters, his elder sister had been muttering for quite some time about wanting to win over Li Chang'an and his faction for her own use. Hearing this, the Duke flew into a rage and immediately ordered someone to drag Cao Rui back to the estate to face family punishment.

"Please calm your anger, Duke. It is better to resolve enmities than to perpetuate them, and I truly wish to make peace with Cao Rui.

"The reason for his resentment is simply that I assisted Cao Rixiu in joining the Western Army. But the Duke is well aware that Rixiu now commands three battalions and serves as a deputy commander. This benefits the Duke's estate as well, does it not?"

Cao Yi quickly nodded. Of course it was beneficial—could it be anything other than good for the Cao family to regain a foothold in the military?

When aristocratic families were pampered for three or five generations, they invariably went to ruin. If the imperial court turned a cold shoulder for a few years, the household would even struggle to scrape together enough money to repair its gardens.

Only by re-establishing military prowess could one sit securely upon a hereditary title.

"Since you put it this way, I shall pick an auspicious date, host a banquet, and personally mediate a reconciliation between the two of you."

"Many thanks for your kindness, Duke!"

Having concluded official business, Cao Yi turned lobbyist.

"Veteran officials dominate the imperial court and harbor strong reservations about Wang Jiepu's New Policies, arguing endlessly and making it difficult to implement them. I have noticed that my young friend has a deep understanding of economic statecraft. Why not enter the Imperial Academy as a presidential advisor, where you could display your strategic talents? If you do not disdain it, this old man is willing to swallow his pride and act as your recommender, seeking a true talent for His Majesty."

"Duke, we have known each other for quite some time, and I will be frank with you. Whatever little ability I possess lies entirely in making friends. The so-called economic statecraft is mostly the collective wisdom of many. If I were to make a fool of myself before the Emperor, would that not waste the Duke's good intentions?"

The two men exchanged pleasantries and modesty, pushing and pulling for a long time without reaching a conclusion.

"How about this: I would not dare to disrespect the Duke's estate. If time permits, whenever a meeting is held, the Duke is welcome to grace us by listening from behind the screen. Should the imperial court require the collective wisdom of the masses for any matter, we can set it as a topic of discussion. How does that sound?"

Cao Yi found this exceedingly strange. This was the first time in the Great Song that he had encountered someone who refused to be an official.

Throughout history, the stipends of the Great Song had been the most generous, and officials treated with the utmost dignity. Could there truly still be someone who looked down upon glory and wealth?

Very well, at least it was not a flat refusal. As long as there was room for compromise, it meant there was still a chance.

After chatting a little longer, Li Chang'an took his leave. The Duke's estate wanted to send him off with gongs and drums and have him exit through the main gate, but this time he adamantly refused.

His personal plan was to become a sage; associating too closely with the powerful and elite felt somewhat beneath him.

Returning to the eastern suburb, a completely different scene awaited him. A crowd of people were neglecting their research on the inaugural issue's content, running over to the front entrance to watch the commotion in the scorching heat.

The moment he saw him return, the crowd immediately swarmed forward, speaking all at once.

"President! An imperial edict has arrived from the palace—you've been appointed an Academician of the Zizheng Hall!"

"Indeed, Brother Chang'an, this time it is a genuine, formal imperial edict!"

Qian Weiming held up the edict with a triumphant expression, looking as though he were the high official delivering the appointment.

"Grand Academician Li, from now on, all of us brothers must rely on your patronage!"

He hadn't even been present; how had they accepted the edict? It was too noisy outside, so they hurried back to the study to interrogate Qian Weiming.

"Oh, Sima Kang came in person, saying it was to commend your memorialized advice and suggestions, and specifically appointed you as an Academician of the Zizheng Hall to show special respect. He also said that every ten days, you are to write a policy essay for the Emperor. We've really made it this time! The inaugural issue hasn't even been published yet, and Lord Sima has already delivered the benefits."

Seeing Qian Weiming's excitement, Li Chang'an found it hard to pour cold water on him. Benefits like these were easy to swallow, but hard to digest.

"Oh, by the way, there is also a reply letter from Wang Yuanze, left right beneath the paperweight!"

The young lord had replied?

Opening it, he found that the first part addressed yesterday's puzzle; the answer written inside was an absolute mess, completely missing the essence of game theory.

What a load of aristocratic genius, the sixth man of the Great Song—nothing more than this.

The fellow had stubbornly mistaken the Prisoner's Dilemma for fiscal pie-slicing. Fiscal matters were merely secondary redistribution, dividing up crumbs of pie; what was there even to discuss?

The final line of the letter read: "Having suddenly heard of the Three Ministries case, I am told there is a wealthy Zhang family in the capital who disrupted the New Policies and defrauded the green sprouts loans—truly hateful."

Li Chang'an gnashed his teeth, his eyes locked onto a single spot without moving for a long time.

After thinking it through, he picked up his brush and wrote: "As in the affair of Gaozu, if rewards are granted, I shall demand a cup of your remaining wine!"

Having finished writing, he attached the correct answer to the puzzle, called the messenger, and sent it back to the Prime Minister's residence.

If others play rough first, I will certainly retaliate in kind.

There was no reason to suffer a blow without fighting back. Pinching someone else's soft spot—Wang Pang had broken the rules first. Since that was the case, everyone would just have to rely on their own abilities.

Thinking of this, he penned another letter.

This time, he had Guangxiao deliver it personally, making a grand spectacle of sending it straight to Lü Huiqing's residence.

Wang Pang did things just like his father: he grasped the big picture, didn't sweat the details, and shared the exact same idol—Zhuge Liang of Chengdu Prefecture.

Planning this gazette had taken two or three days, and the layout had already been finalized.

In any case, the objective was simple: to promote his father and his father's New Policies.

The front page would always feature the busy Prime Minister, reporting the working achievements and progress of Prime Minister Wang Anshi, portraying the radiant image of the great sage Wang working for the country and the people.

The second page would provide regulatory explanations; Lü Huiqing, serving as the Minister of the Three Ministries Regulatory Office, had written hundreds of various regulations.

Without someone to specially explain these contents, even the Imperial Academy scholars could not understand them. This time, the young lord and his aides would personally pick up their pens to popularize the laws for the common people.

The third page would be used to report advanced role models from various regions. Whichever place successfully implemented the New Policies would receive a dedicated feature report, serving as a form of self-commendation.

The final page would address the demands of the Great Song's financial reforms, stripping away the layers of redundant officials, redundant troops, and redundant expenditures for everyone to see.

He assigned an editor-in-chief to each page, responsible for writing articles, gathering data, and soliciting submissions.

He himself would maintain overall command; if anyone struggled to write something, they could apply to him for support.

As the group divided the pages and planned their future thematic sequences, the second-courtyard steward handed over a letter.

"Hah! Out of moves, are you? Watch how I handle you!"

Wang Pang put the letter down without even reading the answer to his own puzzle. He was convinced his own solution was the most correct one; even if it wasn't, the problem itself must have been flawed.

After arranging matters, he came out of the room and headed to the western wing to find Lü Yinping.

This man had now become Wang Anshi's advisor, specifically responsible for assisting in organizing and reviewing the expenditure accounts of the border and imperial armies.

With this man, the Prime Minister's residence had finally healed a crippled limb; otherwise, whenever military matters were raised in the past, everyone had been completely blind.

They couldn't even calculate the cost of transporting grain for a hundred li, causing Wang Anshi to suffer repeated setbacks in front of Wen Yanbo.

"Young Lord, is something the matter?"

"Zhong E of the Western Army has replied. Although Cao Rixiu has repeatedly performed meritorious military service, his crime of acting independently and provoking border conflicts cannot be forgiven.

"Do you think this man might end up dragging Li Chang'an down with him?"

Lü Yinping froze instantly, his teeth chattering slightly. Only after steadying his nerves with great effort did he reply: "Cao Rixiu is the Duke's man!"