Tang Dynasty Xie Lu Lang

Chapter 485 Family Affairs of Those in Power

Li Linfu was still unaware that he was being monitored from various angles. After leaving the imperial city, he went straight to Yuwen Rong's residence.

Yuwen Rong's house was still bustling with visitors. A large number of people came to the prime minister's house with various purposes, eager to see him, but very few were actually able to enter the house.

Yuwen Kuan, who was in charge of household affairs, divided the visiting guests into different classes according to what they presented. Those who had nothing to offer or whose gifts were of little value were not even allowed to enter the house. Only those who presented substantial gifts were allowed to enter the house and be received in different halls.

People like Li Linfu, who frequently visit, are naturally not subject to such restrictions. Even so, he still has to occasionally show his appreciation, otherwise he will be met with cold stares and ridicule from Yuwen Kuan.

This impartial attitude even earned Yuwen Kuan a reputation among those who sought his favors for being honest and trustworthy, regardless of age or gender; as long as the money was right, anything was negotiable.

Li Linfu has been visiting Yuwen Rong's house recently, but he rarely sees Yuwen Rong.

Yuwen Rong was becoming more and more accustomed to the role of prime minister. He had a lot of government affairs to handle every day and didn't have much time or energy to pay attention to other things. He often stayed overnight at the Zhongshu Menxia office and only summoned his subordinates in key positions.

Li Linfu held a sinecure as the Assistant Minister of Ceremonies, so naturally he didn't have any important matters to report to the emperor frequently. Therefore, when he came to Yuwen Rong's house, he usually assisted Yuwen Kuan in entertaining guests. Because they had more contact, they naturally had more exchanges with each other.

"With the increasing number of visitors lately, it seems that starting from the latter part of the month, we'll need to add another ten bolts of silk to the guest room in the main hall!"

Yuwen Kuan, like a shrewd merchant seeking to maximize profits, spoke again after calculating the number of guests he had received and the gifts he had collected in recent days.

His father was in charge of finances, and every policy he formulated affected the well-being of countless families. For example, the recent crackdown on hidden households in temples and monasteries within the pass caused those temples and monasteries, as well as the families who owned temple or monastery properties, to be extremely anxious and come to him for help.

Despite Yuwen Kuan raising the bar for those seeking redress to an extremely high level, he still couldn't stop the flow of people coming to plead their cases. These people all wanted to find some room for maneuver outside the law, so they inevitably rushed to be exploited.

Li Linfu had just helped entertain a group of guests when he heard Yuwen Kuan's plan. He couldn't help but say, "However, it's still somewhat inappropriate to openly gather guests like this! There are many people and many eyes in the capital. What we're doing now is taking advantage of the current situation to maintain stability and the fact that Minister Yuwen has a strong grasp of finances. Once the situation changes, it's not advisable to be so ostentatious!"

Yuwen Kuan was not a man who only knew how to amass wealth and had no sense of awe. After hearing Li Linfu say this, he nodded and said, "I have also discussed this matter with Father. Father has recently been appointed prime minister and still needs some personnel assistance. Once everything is on track, I will no longer be stationed in the capital, but will go to the Eastern Capital to handle personnel matters. This will naturally avoid a lot of slander."

In his early years, when Yao Chong was in power, his sons were placed in Luoyang. They engaged in various acts of selling official positions and corruption without facing much criticism.

Previously, when Yuan Qianyao was serving as prime minister, he had also taken the initiative to request that his son be sent to serve as an official outside the capital. However, even after he had already left office, his son still could not escape being executed for abusing his power.

Yuwen Rong and his son were well aware of these past examples, so when the time was right, they arranged for Yuwen Kuan and his brothers to leave Chang'an for Luoyang, which was a plan that had been in place for a long time.

"But even if we go to Luoyang, it's not safe! There's frequent interaction between the two capitals, and everyone has their own desires and insatiable greed. Since we've accepted the money and silk donated by this group of people, we can't avoid giving something back. If they don't get what they want, they'll definitely make a fuss. Even if you, my brother, are willing to be kind to others, how can you bow down and serve them for such a paltry sum of money?"

Upon hearing Yuwen Kuan's words, Li Linfu began to earnestly advise him again.

“I know what Li Cheng wants to say. But Zhang Zongzhi is no easy man. Just the other day, my father told me that this man is quite cunning. Even if we can't be friends, we should at least avoid being enemies. It is really not a good idea to offend such a person for a trivial matter of money.”

Upon hearing this, Yuwen Kuan sighed and said, "Now he has his businesses, and I have my empire. We have different paths, but we can still live in peace. If any conflict were to occur, it would probably not be resolved with money. If it were to affect my reputation in court, it would be even more of a loss."

"Elder brother, your shrewdness is commendable, but you really shouldn't overestimate this fellow! His money-making scheme generates hundreds of millions in profit every year, and he also uses this business to forcibly rent warehouses and shops on both sides of the Bian Canal, making his annual profits immeasurable!"

Seeing that Yuwen Kuan was hesitant again, Li Linfu quickly advised him, "Elder brother, although you are willing to do good to others, how many people do you need to befriend to achieve this? How much hard work and effort will you have to put in? And who knows how much ridicule and criticism you will have to endure?"

Luxurious mansions and beautiful women are things those in power can easily possess! What right does Zhang Dai have to own all of these? Looking at him and then at himself, does the eldest son truly intend to willingly relinquish them?

"But if he were truly so cunning, why would he let me take it?" Yuwen Kuan was indeed somewhat unwilling, but he still remembered his father's instructions and did not let Li Linfu sway him into losing his composure. Instead, he said with a conflicted expression, "You say that the profits from the flying money are astonishing, but a significant portion must belong to the palace. I am in charge of the outer court. If I interfere in palace affairs, wouldn't that be asking for trouble? There are plenty of good things in the world, why should I try to possess them all! Don't say any more..."

His fear of Zhang Dai stemmed not only from his father's admonitions but also from the fact that Zhang Dai also held a position in the Eastern Palace and had recently personally witnessed the execution of Wang Shouqing and other officials of the Eastern Palace at the execution ground in the Eastern Market. Zhang Dai's impeachment had resulted in a massacre of officials, so he was naturally cautious.

Seeing that Yuwen Kuan still couldn't make up his mind, Li Linfu couldn't help but secretly resent this guy for being a bully who preyed on the weak and feared the strong, and for being both greedy and cowardly.

After thinking for a moment, he spoke again: "If I have a plan to take the flying money from their hands, would you support me, Dalang? You have seen how convenient the flying money is. It can be used anywhere in the world with just a ticket, and there is no need to fill boats and carriages with money to make the journey more convenient."

"Brother, you must be worried about where to store your full granaries of silk and millet. If you could use this 'flying money' to transfer funds elsewhere, it would be convenient, quick, and undetectable. But since you're not in charge of this 'flying money' now, are you sure you can use it with peace of mind?"

"If you, Li Cheng, truly have a plan to seize this beauty business, I would certainly be happy to see it. After all, I have no real relationship with Zhang Dai, but Li Cheng is a wise man in my sect whom I can entrust with important matters!"

Upon hearing this, Yuwen Kuan was also greatly tempted. He certainly coveted the flying money, but on the one hand, he was worried about the negative impact it would have on his father's career, and on the other hand, he was concerned about the complicated relationships with Zhang Dai and was unwilling to directly antagonize him.

But if Li Linfu took the lead, he would certainly be happy to lend a hand. Just as Li Linfu said, if the flying money could be controlled by trustworthy people, he could quickly transfer the wealth he had amassed without worrying about losing power in the court one day and having it confiscated by the censors and criminal authorities.

“Since you have this intention, things will be much easier to do! I observe that although the profits from this money-making scheme are enormous, the core is only in the two local money warehouses. If one of the money warehouses suddenly withdraws a large amount of money, his money-making shops will inevitably be caught off guard and unable to cope. Once there is no money to exchange, who would dare to put their own money there?”

Li Linfu had been planning this for a long time, and now he spoke up again: "Eldest brother can secretly send the family's goods to the Eastern Capital pawnshop in batches. Once the amount has accumulated, he can secretly make connections with the wealthy families and merchants of Bianzhou and suddenly withdraw a huge sum of money from Bianzhou. After the chaos ensues, he can then create a big stir, making it a common rumor in the city that his treasury is empty!"
Having suffered such a severe blow, his business will inevitably be in turmoil. At that time, I will exert my efforts elsewhere, having the Duke of Bohai and others interrogate this man, and taking advantage of his internal and external troubles to seize his business directly. Then the matter will be settled!

"Where can you exert your influence to make the Duke of Bohai and others stop favoring that person?"

Seeing Li Linfu's confidence, Yuwen Kuan was naturally a little curious and couldn't help but ask.

Li Linfu naturally wouldn't reveal his trump card lightly. Upon hearing this, he simply smiled and said, "We've known each other for quite some time, so you should know who I am, young master. Since I've devised this plan, I'm naturally capable of carrying it out. Besides, even if we fail to seize their assets, you can still transfer money and silk out of the two capitals and use it as capital in Bianzhou, where the returns will be astonishing!"

After thinking for a moment, Yuwen Kuan slowly nodded.

His bribery and acquisition of goods in the capital were all small-scale businesses. The real business he ran was the lending network he had established when his father was a garrison officer in Bianzhou. Even if he didn't intend to seize the flying money, he still needed to transfer funds to Bianzhou. He might as well cooperate with Li Linfu and try to squeeze out Zhang Dai's flying money in Bianzhou.

The two discussed the details of their operation for a while. Seeing that it was getting dark and Yuwen Rong still hadn't gone home, Li Linfu stopped waiting and got up to say goodbye, agreeing to continue the discussion the next day.

After leaving Yuwen Rong's residence, Li Linfu did not return home directly, but wandered the streets until he arrived at Pingkang Ward. To avoid being seen by more people, he circled around the outside of the ward, entered through the south gate, and went directly to the outside of Bodhi Temple.

To the north of Bodhi Temple was Zhang Dai's newly built villa. Standing outside the temple and looking north, Li Linfu saw the magnificent and imposing buildings that had already been completed and constructed, and a fire immediately burned in his heart.

However, Li Linfu did not stand on the street for long. He soon turned into the Bodhi Temple, found a familiar guest monk, and asked him to lead him to the Bodhi Temple's vegetable garden.

The so-called Bodhi Temple Vegetable Garden is actually a rather elegantly built retreat within the temple grounds, which is used to rent or lend to patrons who frequently visit the temple to live and worship.

Bodhi Temple is famous in the capital region for its long-lived pigs, which leads many believers in the city to believe that Bodhi Temple's Buddhist teachings are profound, and that even a mischievous pig can achieve longevity. They believe that if they can sincerely worship Buddha here, they can also prolong their lives.

Li Linfu walked into a secluded hut deep within the monastery and sat down. He then waved for the monks to leave. He wandered around the hut for a while, then lifted a brick in the corner and jumped into a pit. A rustling sound came from the pit.

(End of this chapter)