Chapter 47: Grudges (III)

The onlooker sees most of the game. Zhou Wucui’s words enlightened Li Kuo—he had never grasped the core of the problem, just like a skilled warrior who entered a dead end, unable to do anything but lament despite his strength in the face of insurmountable obstacles.
Zhou Wucui’s view could be summed up in one sentence: To capture the thief, first capture its leader.
Li Linfu was now at the height of his power, with countless allies in the court. Adding those who joined his side to advance their own careers, Li Linfu almost controlled half of the Tang court.
Since the Wei, Jin, and Southern and Northern Dynasties, aristocratic families had maintained control over politics through their extensive networks. Having three high-ranking officials in one family was not just a fantasy—it was common if a family had strong backing and influence.
After the dynasty was established, although efforts were made to suppress these aristocratic families, as the saying goes, a starved camel is still bigger than a horse. Though the major aristocratic clans from Shandong and Guanlong were heavily suppressed, they still held significant influence in the court. During the Tianbao era, Li Linfu was undoubtedly their leader.
Gao Xiuyan rose to power thanks to Li Linfu’s strong support. He was also one of Li Linfu’s trusted agents in the military, tasked with carrying out shady tasks, such as using others as pawns to commit assassinations.
Since he represented Li Linfu’s interests in the military, Gao Xiuyan would not be easily brought down. Even if he couldn’t gather enough evidence proving Gao Xiuyan’s collusion with the Tibetans, and even if he did, Li Linfu’s vast network would allow him to turn black into white with just a few words—potentially backfiring on him instead.
The young man still remembered Su Yasi’s resentful gaze before his death. Without Li Linfu’s protection, how could Gao Xiuyan act recklessly?
That was a family feud, but this was a national hatred!
So this grudge must be avenged—and directly against the mastermind behind it: Li Linfu!
If Li Linfu wasn’t brought down, Gao Xiuyan would always remain under his protection; if he wasn’t removed, the young man could never fulfill his promises.
But how could he bring down the powerful right chancellor of the Tang dynasty?
Relying on the crown prince was clearly not an option. Facts had shown that despite trying to win him over, the crown prince would abandon him at the first sign of trouble to save himself. How could such a person have the courage to take action against his political rivals?
Rely on Gao Lishi? Though he had saved his life, that didn’t mean he’d get involved in such messes.

He and Li Linfu divided responsibilities between the inner palace and the outer court, ensuring their spheres did not overlap. Although Gao Lishi was also dissatisfied with Li Linfu’s monopolization of power, as long as Li Linfu did not act in a way that harmed Gao Lishi’s interests, this delicate balance remained intact. Thus, the only group that might offer him support was the Yang family. From what he knew about Yang Zhao, he had long coveted the position of prime minister in the Tang Dynasty. The reason he had been kept out of political affairs was due to Li Linfu’s obstruction. It seemed likely that Yang Zhao hated Li Linfu deeply. But what kind of support could this somewhat crude censor-in-chief provide him? Relying on the Yang family to openly confront Li Linfu was clearly unrealistic. Though the Yang family enjoyed great favor due to the imperial concubine, this did not mean they could openly challenge the highest authority among Tang’s civil officials. Li Linfu represented not just the interests of one family but also many powerful, obscure aristocratic clans—some of which might be century-old families from Shandong, newly risen elites from Guanlong, or even members of the royal family. Such a vast vested interest group would certainly not allow new nobles to gain dominance. For Yang Zhao to rise to power, merely gaining the emperor’s approval was far from enough. Moreover, it seemed the emperor was not yet tired of Li Linfu. Under such circumstances, all Yang Zhao could do was endure and wait for the right opportunity. Therefore, any support he could receive would likely be covert. Hence, if the young man wanted to overthrow Li Linfu, he must not act openly! As the saying goes, to defeat a snake, strike at its vital point—everyone has weaknesses; once Li Linfu’s weakness was found, defeating him would not be difficult. For such a cunning prime minister, what was his weakness? To obtain this information, Li Kuo summoned his trusted subordinate Xian Yu Cheng these past few days and sent his men to gather information. These men, coming from the scout team, could gather useful information while keeping themselves hidden. Of course, the information gathered could be true or false, requiring careful verification to avoid repeating past mistakes. This confrontation with Li Linfu could not be resolved by impulsive action; it required meticulous planning. Xian Yu Cheng did not disappoint Li Kuo. Within just over ten days, he gathered information about Li Linfu’s likes and dislikes from various sources and reported everything to the young man upon returning to Li Kuo’s residence. “What? You say Li Linfu is most greedy and lustful?”

Li Kuo forced a smile, barely believing what he had heard. Who would have thought that a high-ranking minister of the Tang Dynasty would, like ordinary people, succumb to greed and lust?
“Not a word of it is false!”
Xianyu Yucheng clasped his fists, looking quite confident.
“Actually, there’s nothing really curious about this.”
After a pause, Li Sheng analyzed, “As the saying goes, one serves in office for food and clothing. Though that old scoundrel is a high-ranking minister, he still comes from a scholarly background. As a scholar, his nature remains the same. Being in such a high position, he naturally wants to take advantage of opportunities to gain more wealth for himself and his family. As for lust—how many men in the world aren’t lustful?”
“Brother Li makes good sense,” Li Kuo nodded in agreement.
“But these two weaknesses are too common. Moreover, Li Linfu isn’t short of money or women; we’re afraid we have no way to start.”
Dou Qing shook his head and sighed.
That old scoundrel now holds immense power in the court. If he truly sets his mind to it, how many people will compete to bring him wealth and beauties? Finding a way to crack through this is extremely difficult.
“Brother Dou, you’re wrong!” Li Kuo smiled mysteriously. “As for money and women, the more you can’t get them, the more you want them. For a cunning man like Li Linfu, if you offer yourself eagerly, he might even become suspicious.”
The struggle against Li Linfu has just begun—it seems this will be a protracted battle.
Clenching his fists, the young man resolvedly stared into the distance: But since he had made his choice, no matter what the outcome, he would fight on.