Tang Dynasty Xie Lu Lang

Chapter 527 Li Daitao is stiff
"To whom should we explain? And what should we explain?"

Upon hearing this, Yuwen Kuan frowned immediately and then angrily said, "My country has devoted itself to the country with all its might, a fact known to everyone in the court and the public. How could it be changed by a few evil words? These are nothing but the vicious schemes of those treacherous people to hinder my country from achieving its goals. The more this is the case, the more we should forge ahead to dismantle these evil obstacles!"

"Is this what you mean, my husband?"

Upon hearing this, Li Linfu's heart skipped a beat, and he hurriedly asked again.

Yuwen Kuan shook his head: "These are just some of my own thoughts, but I suppose my master thinks the same way. My master has gained fame through financial means and recognition through achievements, and I am not one of those opportunists who seek fame and fortune or flattery. The more critical the moment, the more we should demonstrate our ability to govern."

Even if the two celestial maidens have some misunderstanding, the lessons of the past are still fresh. Our current sage is wise and powerful; how could he allow them to interfere in state affairs? As long as my cause achieves great success, a little disturbance is nothing to worry about. At that time, I will visit them again, calmly explain, and naturally, resentment will dissipate and the past will be forgotten.”

"However, the difficulties in national finances are not the result of a sudden accumulation. Even if you, sir, possess great talent and ambition, you should also consider the instability and unrest among the people. Things cannot be accomplished overnight..."

Seeing that Yuwen Kuan was still thinking too simply and idealistically, Li Linfu couldn't help but offer some earnest advice.

Yuwen Kuan, however, was growing impatient. His face darkened, and he said with displeasure, "Prime Minister Li, you are not in a position to govern effectively. Let's talk about matters within your duties. You don't need to go to Bianzhou for now..."

"Why is this?"

Upon hearing this, Li Linfu immediately asked again, "Regardless of any personnel changes in the court, the enormous debt I bear must be repaid, and the deadline is fast approaching—this is an unchangeable fact. Moreover, this matter was personally decided by the Emperor, and I dare not disobey it."

"Now that the opponent has made their move, they will surely not let it go so easily. As Li Cheng just said, the fickleness of human relationships cannot be ignored, but it is not my father's place to interfere in everything. Right now, my father needs to strive for merit, so we will have to deal with the other troubles on his behalf. Although you, Li Cheng, are in a minor post, at this time, every word you utter will increase your influence!"

Yuwen Kuan then said in a deep voice, "Your plan is quite comprehensive; you've already prepared for a long-term verbal battle with your political enemies."

But after hearing this reason, Li Linfu was on the verge of tears. He immediately said, "The power struggles in the capital are certainly a key issue at present, but we must also consider the whereabouts and ownership of such a huge sum of money!"
The scheme to obtain the money should be swift rather than slow, especially now that the other side has already fabricated a trap for it. The fiercer the struggle becomes, the less likely it is that everything will still be done according to the rules. At such a critical moment, it is even more important not to give the other side any leverage. We need to get the money out of the way even faster!
As you said, my current position is merely a sinecure, and staying in the capital would only cause a few disturbances, offering little real help. However, if I were to go to Bianzhou to seize Zhang Dai's assets, causing him to be preoccupied with one thing and neglect another, then I would have truly served my purpose.

Even if the social atmosphere in the capital is too volatile, and Lord Yuwen might need to temporarily avoid the enemy's sharp edge, as before, and bide his time in other states to accumulate merits, the large sum of money from his eldest son would be quite beneficial. However, if the flying money remains in the safe, withdrawing it later might not be as easy as it is now…”

"How dare he! If he dares to embezzle my huge sum of money, I will not let him get away with it!"

Upon hearing this, Yuwen Kuan immediately became tense, then turned to Li Linfu and complained, "If you hadn't strongly urged me to plan this matter, how could I be in this predicament! If this sum of money is truly inappropriate, how will you repay me?"

"I never expected Zhang Dai to be so audacious as to impeach Prime Minister Yuwen. Now all these problems are caused by his malicious intentions, and all we can do is try our best to fix them. Moreover, there is a way to resolve this situation, so Dalang doesn't need to be so hasty."

Li Linfu then said apologetically to Yuwen Kuan, "Although the flying money under Dalang's name has been transferred to Zhang Dai's Luoyang storehouse for redemption, there are still other people's money that haven't been transferred in yet!"

"You mean Wu Wenshen?"

When the topic turned to money, Yuwen Kuan suddenly became quick-witted. Hearing Li Linfu's words, he immediately realized: "You want me to exchange my tickets with those held by Wu Wenshen?"

Upon hearing this, Li Linfu nodded and said with a smile, "The direction of personnel in the capital is still unknown. Exchanging flying money and bonds with Wu Wenshen is precisely to achieve the best of both worlds. If the situation is very favorable, then the plan in Bianzhou can continue as previously planned. If the situation encounters obstacles, then Wu Wenshen's money and silk can be directly exchanged in Luoyang, without having to get entangled in Bianzhou anymore..."

“That’s a very good idea. Although I am not afraid of those underhanded tricks, we should indeed be prepared for the worst. Besides, Zhang Dai has always disregarded the law. If he really wants to resort to evil schemes again, we should have a countermeasure.”

Yuwen Kuan nodded repeatedly, saying that although he had enough confidence in his father, the personnel turmoil in the capital would inevitably increase the risk to the safety of funds. It was normal to make two preparations in order to be fully prepared.

However, he still hesitated for a moment, and then said, "But that is, after all, a huge sum of hundreds of thousands of strings of cash. Would Wu Wenshen be willing to exchange it with me so easily?"

“I’m not forcibly demanding it, but merely exchanging it with him. He won’t be shortchanged. He was willing to help before because he was greedy and missed the opportunity. With a little trickery, exchanging it with him won’t be difficult.” Li Linfu quickly added, “Wu Wenshen will stay in the capital to cultivate relationships and won’t accompany me to Bianzhou. He will only send his son with him. I’ll write him a letter first, briefly explaining the matter. The wording can be a bit stern. Once I’m on my way, I can use this to intimidate and entice him, ensuring that I can keep all your money safe!”

However, to carry out this plan, Your Majesty must first entrust me with the flying money password, tokens, and other such matters. I will certainly not betray my principles or steal them, but I also need Your Highness to trust me.”

“If I didn’t trust you, why would I listen to your advice and devise this plan? Besides, Li Cheng, your family background is not ordinary. You wouldn’t abandon everything and run away with the money. If such a thing really happens, I can only admit that I didn’t know how to judge people. There are General Li and others in the capital to clean up this mess.”

Upon hearing this, Yuwen Kuan laughed, saying he trusted Li Linfu, but his words carried a veiled threat. He then added, "My second son serves in the Third Guard, but he's lazy and incompetent, lacking any serious plans. I'll send him with you this time; he should learn a thing or two about business management!"

Although I trust Li Cheng, I don't want to place all the danger on your shoulders. If things go wrong, the loss of money is a small matter; Li Cheng's safety is paramount. If you are implicated, how can I explain this to your family in the capital?

“That would be perfect. As the old saying goes, ‘three men can make a tiger.’ I was also worried that since I hadn’t seen my eldest brother for a long time, I might be sown apart by others, causing our relationship to become distant. If my second brother travels with me, we can discuss things together, and I can also tell my eldest brother how I have acted after we return.”

Upon hearing this, Li Linfu quickly smiled and said that he naturally did not expect to gain Yuwen Kuan's complete trust and entrustment. But as the saying goes, a general in the field may disobey the emperor's orders. This is true even for matters of state, let alone private schemes within the family.

After discussing these matters with Yuwen Kuan, Li Linfu turned to look at the sky and then said, "Now that the matter is settled, let's not delay. Please have the eldest brother quickly summon the second brother and ask him to prepare some luggage. Let's go out of the city together."

"So fast? Isn't that a bit too rushed?"

Yuwen Kuan was taken aback upon hearing this, not expecting Li Linfu to be so decisive and resolute.

Upon hearing this, Li Linfu sighed and said, "Since this is the only way to do things, what is there to hesitate about? Besides, my eldest son has entrusted me with this task so much. If I were to hesitate and waver, would that be the attitude one should have when shouldering such an important responsibility?"

"I only knew that Li Cheng was shrewd, but I never expected you to be so chivalrous and righteous in the face of adversity! After this matter is over, when you return to the capital, we will drink and reminisce. At that time, I will also strongly recommend Li Cheng to my father, so that your talents will not be wasted!"

Upon hearing Li Linfu's impassioned speech, Yuwen Kuan couldn't help but show surprise and emotion on his face.

While ordering his servants to quickly go to the backyard to summon his younger brother Yuwen Ning, he also told Li Linfu in detail about the password for his flying money.

The withdrawal of flying money required several credentials, and because he was worried that his brother might not act reliably, Yuwen Kuan did not intend to tell him the password. After informing Li Linfu, the flying money tickets and tokens were still kept close by family members, and the money could only be withdrawn when several people went out together.

This arrangement was naturally very secure, unless Li Linfu, driven by greed and recklessness, directly murdered his brother and servants. But if Li Linfu were to do that, the Yuwen family wouldn't back down; they could easily wipe out his entire clan in the capital!
After he finished speaking with Li Linfu, his younger brother Yuwen Ning was summoned into the hall. Upon seeing this, Li Linfu quickly withdrew, leaving the brothers space to talk.

When Yuwen Ning heard that his elder brother was going to arrange for him to leave Chang'an and go to Bianzhou, he was naturally very unwilling. However, after being coaxed and scolded by Yuwen Kuan, he had no choice but to obediently agree.

After a brief preparation, Li Linfu, Yuwen Zhi, and several servants of the Yuwen clan left the city before nightfall when the city gates closed. Li Linfu urged them repeatedly without even returning home. Yuwen Ning, having received instructions from his elder brother and knowing that this trip was for important family matters, dared not delay and could only let Li Linfu arrange their actions.

"Erlang, don't think this journey is a hardship. Chang'an has its prosperity, and the countryside has its rustic charm. Changle Post Station is the gateway to the capital from the east and west. There are often official prostitutes and private prostitutes lingering around the post station, and the atmosphere is quite different from that in the city. If Erlang experiences this, I'm sure he will linger and never want to leave!"

Seeing that Yuwen Ning's face lacked joy, Li Linfu smiled and said to him.

Upon hearing this, Yuwen Ning snorted coldly: "Does Prime Minister Li think I am completely ignorant? Last year, when I accompanied my mother from Luoyang to the capital, we also stayed at Chang Le Post Station. I did not see any charming scenery or beautiful women that would make me infatuated or reluctant to leave."

Although he said this, he noticeably quickened his pace in urging his horse forward. After all, he was still young when he entered the capital last year, and he was traveling with his family, so he naturally dared not indulge in debauchery or frequent brothels.

(End of this chapter)