Chapter 33: A Thorough Scoundrel

The Prince of Dai looked at Cai Jing, a trace of anxiety in his tone.

Cai Jing smiled. "Your Highness, please set your mind at ease. I have investigated thoroughly: this Yan Song is nothing more than a sycophant. He believes that by blindly fawning over the Emperor and loudly championing the imperial edicts, he can win favor."

"But he fails to consider that there is no place in the imperial court for such a man. To say nothing of others, he would never even make it past Old Ge."

"I suspect the King of Tang was pushed to his wits' end, which is why he came up with this scheme—trying to disrupt our state affairs by planting a treacherous villain in the Great Zhou court. Yet, he little realizes that he is actually doing you a favor, Your Highness!"

Upon hearing this, a flicker of pleasant surprise crossed the Prince of Dai's eyes, though the joy faded instantly at the thought of Ge Siwang and his faction.

"If he is such a man, you must find ways to provide him with ample support. At the very least, our Emperor must find him agreeable; otherwise, no matter how the Tang Kingdom plots, it will all end in vain, like scooping water with a bamboo basket!"

Cai Jing hurriedly rose and bowed to the Prince, promising, "Rest assured, Your Highness. I have already investigated in secret. This man is silver-tongued and accustomed to flattery; I expect the Emperor will be pleased with him. As long as we use the diplomatic ties of the Tang Kingdom as a pretext to help him gain a foothold, I have no doubt he will be favored by the Emperor!"

The Prince of Dai nodded, yet could not help but sigh softly.

"Is something troubling you, Your Highness?" Sensing the change, Cai Jing asked quickly.

"It is nothing! Think about it—ever since this Emperor ascended the throne, has he done a single thing that wasn't bizarre?"

"I originally took him for a foolish and mediocre ruler. But now, seeing silk go from a stagnant product to one in high demand, and the way he stirred things up during the grand ceremony to gradually fill the national treasury, I truly worry that he has been playing the fool! If that is the case, our efforts will have been in vain!"

Hearing this, Cai Jing pondered for a moment, then chuckled to reassure him.

"You worry too much, Your Highness! Regardless of what kind of person the Emperor was before, or whether he possesses hidden brilliance, he now has a weakness. As long as you seize it, how can our great cause fail?"

The Prince’s face brightened, and he pressed, "You mean... the Emperor has a weakness?"

Cai Jing’s eyes narrowed into slits. "Did the Emperor not say he intends to take concubines and fill the inner palace? Since that is the case, we shall provide him with a beauty capable of bewitching his mind and distracting him from state affairs. How could your grand ambition not be realized then?"

"Furthermore, he abolished the imperial examinations; this alone has created a rift between him and the scholars of the world. As long as a suitable opportunity arises, Your Highness will surely be able to take his place!"

Hearing this, the joy that had just emerged on the Prince's face weakened once more.

He sighed, "In our Great Zhou, everyone is a woman; who would know how to seduce a man? If we seek an outsider, those stubborn old fools will likely not agree!"

Cai Jing sneered. "I happen to know a suitable person. Her name is Yang Yuhuan. If you are interested, Your Highness, shall I invite her?"

...

Meanwhile, at the Prime Minister's residence.

"What kind of person is this Yan Song, exactly?" Ge Siwang, the most senior among the ministers and the acting head of the Ministry of Personnel, could not help but ask the others.

In his view, if the man truly possessed talent or reputation, at least someone would have heard of him. But as soon as the words left his lips, he heard a cold snort from Zhang Cong nearby.

"Minister Zhang, do you know this man?" Ge Siwang wondered silently, suspecting there might be some bad blood between them.

Zhang Cong was dismissive. "He is nothing but a low-class opportunist who only knows how to climb! This man previously submitted a memorial to my Ministry of Rites singing the Emperor’s praises. His words were nothing but sycophancy, twisting right and wrong without any sense of shame!"

The officials’ expressions darkened at these words.

Ge Siwang immediately pressed, "Is that so? But if someone believes the Emperor’s policies are appropriate and offers some compliments, that is understandable. Minister Zhang, are you not making a mountain out of a molehill?"

In his view, even if the Tang Kingdom intended to undermine Great Zhou, they should have produced someone of substance. If the man were truly as Zhang Cong described, he was underestimating the ministers of Great Zhou far too much.

Zhang Cong retorted with a sneer, "Ha... a molehill? Gentlemen, I must admit that some of the Emperor's measures have indeed benefited the people, but with the abolition of the imperial examinations alone, the Emperor has already offended the scholars of the world."

"And yet, this Yan Song, who claims to read the sages—he actually supports and responds to these moves, calling the Emperor a saintly ruler! He even claims that merchants are the foundation of the state. Is this not utter nonsense?"

When he said this, everyone present looked grave.

Although this world differed from the ancient times of Li Chen’s memories, and merchants were not viewed as the lowest class, many officials still considered them unworthy of respect. Thus, Yan Song’s stance was, in the eyes of many, nothing short of heretical.

After a moment of silence, someone finally spoke up.

"Prime Minister, Elder Ge, I believe we must submit a joint memorial to dissuade the Emperor from employing this man. Regardless of his character, he is an outsider’s recommendation; for all we know, he has already been bought. Keeping him will bring disaster, not fortune!"

"Indeed, we must act together. The Emperor has already shocked the world by stopping the imperial examinations; to now employ someone recommended by a foreign power is truly absurd!"

As the men argued back and forth without reaching a decision, a voice called out from outside.

"My lords, my lords! You have been hard to find!"

The group turned to see the Vice Minister of Rites, who should have arrived long ago, stepping into the hall in a state of agitation.

Zhang Cong, feeling that his dignity had been slighted, was about to rebuke him for being late, but before he could speak, the man blurted out, "My lords, the Emperor has just summoned Yan Song to the palace! It appears the Emperor intends to reward him!"

Upon hearing this, the officials who had been hesitating or preparing to draft a memorial became anxious.

At the same time, in the imperial palace, Li Chen was struggling to keep a straight face.

In the Imperial Garden, Yan Song stood respectfully behind him, his demeanor submissive and downcast. When Li Chen had sent people to investigate earlier, he had heard about Yan Song’s memorial praising him, and he had concluded that the man must be an absolute villain, which was why he had ordered the summons.

But to his surprise, upon meeting him, Yan Song’s performance far exceeded that of any minister in the court.

According to the rules of Great Zhou, on informal occasions or during rites, those with a scholarly background were not required to kowtow. Yet, the moment Yan Song arrived, he had prostrated himself before Li Chen. Not only that, he had compared Li Chen to the wise monarchs of old.

Listening to Yan Song, Li Chen felt that the ruin of his nation’s fate was truly just around the corner.

"Yan Song, I can see that you and I are kindred spirits, and you come recommended by the Tang Kingdom. Tell me, if I were to appoint you to assist in governing the state, how would you go about it?"

However, to his surprise, before he could even wait for an answer to his casual question, the familiar chime of the system echoed in his mind.