The Fierce Teacher of Zhenguan: Starting with Teaching the Crown Prince to Make a Comeback

Chapter 116 Excellent! What a brilliant plan!
He waited until the King of Wei's anger subsided before speaking slowly, his voice so calm that it was completely unwavering.

"The Crown Prince's plan seems groundbreaking and ingenious, but in reality... there is a fatal flaw that has not been revealed, nor does he dare to reveal."

Li Tai suddenly raised his head, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his small eyes.

"The vital point? Where is the vital point?"

"The source of the money is already clear: it comes from this bond issuance."

"But where did he get the money to pay the principal and interest on the bonds two years later?"

Du Chuke spoke slowly and deliberately.

"The 'Letter to the World' is vague on this matter, only vaguely mentioning the benefits of developing Xizhou. However, Xizhou is far away on the frontier, and the effect of relocating people to cultivate land is extremely slow. Within two years, let alone repaying the debt, it would be a blessing if we could not even deplete our own grain reserves."

"This benefit is like water from afar, unable to quench immediate thirst."

Li Tai frowned and subconsciously tapped the small rosewood table on the couch with his fingers.

"Doesn't he have that Snowflake Salt? If it were released, it would be priceless. Why would he have to worry about money?"

A faint, mocking smile appeared on Du Chuke's lips.

"Has Your Highness forgotten? In the Liangyi Hall, the Crown Prince personally promised in front of His Majesty, the Duke of Zhao, the Duke of Liang, and others that he would never engage in lending or business."

"He only gave away this salt, not for sale, in order to silence any dissent from those who would profit at the expense of the people."

"If he uses this salt to pay off his debts in the future, or sells his method of production to someone in exchange for money and grain, then he will be going back on his word and breaking his promise."

"At that time, the Crown Prince's crime of being untrustworthy and breaking his word will be more fatal than competing with the people for profit. His Majesty values ​​promises above all else, and the court's public opinion will not tolerate such behavior."

Li Tai was stunned. He was so focused on the preciousness of the salt that he almost forgot about this crucial detail.

Yes, that cripple really made his point to get rid of the bad reputation of being a "businessman".

His mind raced, and he wondered, "Then...does he really expect Xizhou to generate mountains of gold and silver within two years? Or does he have another way to make money that he hasn't revealed yet?"

Du Chuke shook his head slightly.

"I have also thought about this. If the Crown Prince or the person behind him is not so arrogant as to believe that Xizhou can be achieved quickly, then he must have a backup plan. However, this backup plan cannot be the open way, but can only be a covert one."

"And the most likely scenario for this hidden channel is still that it will fall on the salt."

Li Tai's spirits lifted, and he leaned forward.
"What the gentleman means is... he won't sell openly, but he'll secretly..."

“Not bad.” Du Chuke’s gaze was sharp.

"He may not sell them himself, but who can guarantee that he won't bestow this salt-making method upon some nobleman or family loyal to him?"

"They run the business on their behalf, and the profits are secretly transferred to the Crown Prince's Palace to repay the bonds?"

"Although this method is also risky, it is much more covert than the Crown Prince personally taking action. At that time, he can simply claim ignorance or say that it was done by a servant without authorization."

Li Tai's eyes lit up as he listened, as if he had already caught his brother red-handed, but then he frowned.

"Even so, how can we obtain evidence? The Eastern Palace Imperial Estate is heavily guarded and impenetrable."

Du Chuke pondered for a moment, then lowered his voice even further, revealing a sinister calculation.

"Therefore, I believe that we should make two preparations at present. First, we should keep a close eye on the source and outflow of this snowflake salt. The Crown Prince's salt production, the raw material sea salt, the craftsmen he uses, and the people involved cannot all be completely hidden."

“A place in Chang’an that can produce such refined salt is definitely not an ordinary workshop.”

"Your Highness should use all available resources to secretly investigate all salt-related matters in Chang'an and even the surrounding areas that may be connected with the Crown Prince."

"Pay special attention to merchants who have suddenly become active recently, or who have secret dealings with officials and guards of the Crown Prince's palace."

"If we can find concrete evidence that the Crown Prince is secretly involved in salt profits, then he has committed the crime of deceiving the Emperor!" Li Tai slammed his hand heavily on the table, his fleshy face trembling.

"Yes! Yes! The crime of deceiving the emperor! Let's see how he tries to deny it then! I will give the order now, and have my trusted men, along with my spies from various families, investigate thoroughly!"

"Your Highness is wise." Du Chuke nodded slightly, then changed the subject, his tone becoming increasingly cold.

"However, verification takes time, and the other party will certainly be on high alert, so it may not be effective quickly. Therefore, I have two more strategies that can be implemented immediately: first, to shake their foundations."

"Oh? Tell me quickly!" Li Tai said eagerly.

A cold glint flashed in Du Chuke's eyes.

"So, the idea is to spread rumors and question how much of this Snowflake Salt the Crown Prince actually possesses?"

Li Tai was taken aback: "What do you mean?"

“Your Highness,” Du Chuke calmly analyzed.

"The Crown Prince used the 'rarity' and 'preciousness' of this salt as his ballast. Because of its rarity, people believed that the Crown Prince possessed incredible abilities and that he had sufficient resources to repay the debt."

"But what if... this rare item is actually extremely limited in number?"

"If the Crown Prince only has a few hundred shi, or even a few dozen shi, in his possession, it's only enough for him to reward his close ministers and decorate his image. It's simply not enough to support his promise to repay the bonds worth hundreds of thousands of guan."

Li Tai gasped, instantly realizing Du Chuke's wicked scheme.

"Sir, are you saying... to undermine its credibility by cutting off its foundation?"

"Exactly!" Du Chuke said firmly.

"We don't need to assert that the Crown Prince has no salt. We only need to subtly spread doubts in the marketplace, in places where merchants gather, and in the private discussions of court officials—that the jade salt made by the Crown Prince is extremely difficult to produce and yields very little salt."

"However, it is only a fleeting spectacle, which may be used to bewitch people, but if it is to be relied upon as a guarantee to pay off huge debts, it is truly a mirage."

"It is even rumored that the Crown Prince has spent a fortune on this, but has gained very little, and is already at the end of his rope."

He paused briefly, allowing Li Tai to process what he had said.

"Such rumors need no evidence; they only need to be repeated a thousand times, and people will believe them. Once doubts are sown about the limited supply of salt for the Crown Prince and the uncertain repayment of bonds,"

Du Chuke paused.

“Those wealthy merchants who originally intended to buy bonds will hesitate and wait and see.”

"The Crown Prince's fundraising plan may be thwarted. Even if he manages to raise enough funds, if he cannot come up with sufficient money and supplies when the repayment deadline approaches, or if he is forced to resort to extreme measures, it will be exactly what we want!"

"Whether he has lost the trust of the people or has taken a risk by exposing the hidden channel, it is a path to death!"

Li Tai felt a chill mixed with excitement rush up his spine.

Du Chuke's plan does not focus on direct attack, but rather on insidiously eroding the Crown Prince's credibility, which is more deadly than a direct impeachment!

He could almost see the rumors spreading like a plague in Chang'an, the merchants holding their money bags becoming hesitant, and Li Chengqian looking extremely anxious in the Xiande Hall.

"Excellent! What a brilliant plan!"

Li Tai clapped his hands and chuckled softly, his fat face full of ruthlessness.

"As you say, sir! I will immediately arrange for people to spread this word! It must be done discreetly, like a drop of water in the ocean, leaving no trace, yet omnipresent!"

Du Chuke added, "Your Highness, those who spread rumors must be reliable, and they should be divided into several groups, each unaware of the others. The content should also differ slightly, so that it can appear real, as if it comes from a consensus reached through investigation from multiple sources."

(End of this chapter)