Chapter Thirteen: Buddhist Sorcery (I)

As Yangzhou had once been Jiangdu under the former Sui Dynasty, its commerce and economy were highly developed, making it the third-largest city in the Tang Empire after Chang’an and Luoyang. Among various trade routes, the salt trade was undoubtedly the most coveted. Faced with a situation where there was more demand than supply, coordinating the interests of all parties became the top priority for the salt merchants. After all, what they needed was official approval to monopolize salt transportation, while the money spent bribing officials at all levels seemed inevitable to them.

It was like taking the imperial examinations to become a scholar-official. Besides the usual expenses for travel and accommodation, letters of recommendation from influential figures were also essential. Compared to one’s actual test scores, a letter of recommendation from a prominent official could often prove more decisive. This was the rule of the empire, and since it could not be changed, one had to adapt—just as in the case of the salt trade.

The small governor’s office in Jiangdu was filled with competing factions. Whether it was the crown prince’s loyalists represented by Governor Cui Yuanshan, the Yong King’s confidants led by Secretary Xu Runda, or various local officials pursuing their own interests, everyone wanted a share of the profits. How to divide this share required reaching an agreement.

Yet such an agreement, destined to be made in secret, could never satisfy everyone. Those dissatisfied would inevitably try to disrupt the situation in various ways—just as the saying goes, “One rat can spoil the whole pot.”

Inside the governor’s office in Jiangdu, Cui Yuanshan was deep in thought. Earlier, he had received reports from informants that Li Kuo, the military commander of Jianghuai, had obtained a secret letter related to salt transportation in the region, containing a detailed list of officials who accepted bribes from salt merchants. As Yong King’s long-time stronghold, Jianghuai naturally belonged to him. He would never believe that Yong King wasn’t on that list. If he could obtain this secret letter and present it to the emperor, he could strike down Yong King and eliminate a major rival for the crown prince.

Since the death of the crown prince, Prince Qing Li Cong, the crown prince now faced a fierce rival. Yet just as he had rid himself of one threat at the front door, another vicious wolf appeared at the back. Prince Yong Li Lin, originally of humble origin and not considered a rival by the crown prince, had established a literary academy and compiled classical texts over the years, gaining the support of a group of conservative scholars and showing signs of overtaking the crown prince’s influence. (Note 1) On top of this, the emperor intended to use Prince Yong to suppress the crown prince, making the crown prince’s situation even more difficult. Prince Yong had been raised by the crown prince himself, who treated him like a brother, but this man turned out to be heartless and treacherous, seeking to compete with the crown prince for the throne—truly, one can never truly know a person’s heart!

Since Emperor Taizong, the throne of the crown prince has always been a minefield, with few heirs able to ascend the throne smoothly; those who failed were met with death and the destruction of their families. As a staunch supporter of the crown prince, he could not allow Prince Yong any chance to defy fate.

This wasn’t just about him—it was about the entire Cui family.

With such a perfect opportunity before him, how could he turn a blind eye? Before coming to Yangzhou, the crown prince had repeatedly instructed him in secret meetings to seize control of the salt profits in Jianghuai.

If he could use this opportunity to undermine Prince Yong, he could naturally take over the salt trade in Jianghuai. The most crucial step now was to gain Li Kuo’s support and obtain that top-secret letter from him.

But this wasn’t easy. Logically, Li Kuo, having come from the imperial palace, should have been loyal to the crown prince. However, it was said that after the battle at Shibao City, he broke ties with the crown prince due to some matters best left unspoken. Although relations improved over time through various efforts, they could never return to their original state.

Thus, even if he posed no threat to the crown prince, he wouldn’t willingly help him, and obtaining the document from him would likely be difficult.

Sigh, the crown prince was too impatient. As the heir apparent, he should do everything possible to win over such important officials—why push them away?

“Master, General Li has arrived!”

The butler Cui Fude had somehow arrived near Cui Yuanshan and whispered a reminder.

“Hmm, invite him in quickly!”

Cui Yuanshan adjusted his appearance and gave a firm order. Since this man still came to see him, there was still room for negotiation. After all, the emperor was now old and lacked the energy to train a new heir. The crown prince’s position was already secure, so there was no need for him to go against the imperial palace faction at this time!

Thinking of this, Cui Yuanshan felt somewhat relieved, and a faint smile appeared on his face as well.
Soon, Li Kuo entered the living room under the guidance of the butler.
“Your humble servant, Li Kuo, pays his respects to the esteemed Cui senior!”
As soon as Li Kuo entered the main hall, he bowed to Cui Yuanshan with the proper deference due to a junior to an elder, much to Cui Yuanshan’s delight. After all, in terms of rank, he, as the governor of Yangzhou, was even higher than the military commander of Jianghuai. Even if their ranks were considered equal due to his literary prowess outweighing his military skills, Li Kuo had no reason to bow to him. His willingness to greet him with the rituals of a junior showed that he intended to repair relations with the crown prince.
“Ah, dear nephew Kuo, please rise.”
Cui Yuanshan offered a perfunctory gesture of support, giving Li Kuo ample face. “Since you’ve come to Jianghuai to serve as the military commander, how could I, as the governor of Yangzhou, fail to show hospitality?”
His words were quite hypocritical, as he had only been in Yangzhou for a few days and was, like Li Kuo, a newcomer to his post.
Li Kuo smiled slightly and said, “Uncle Cui, you’re too kind. As an elder, it’s only right for me to come and pay my respects. I’ve just been busy training troops and haven’t had time to free myself, but as soon as I heard of your summons, I rushed over.”
Compared to his naivety when he first entered officialdom, Li Kuo had become much more polished by now. Yet he truly couldn’t understand why Cui Yuanshan had come to see him at this time.
“Hehe, the crown prince often spoke of you to me, saying you were an outstanding and heroic individual. At first, I didn’t believe it, but now that I’ve met you, I see you truly are extraordinary.”
Cui Yuanshan stroked his beard while examining Li Kuo carefully, trying to figure out how this young man in his twenties had managed to reach such a high position.
Li Kuo’s heart sank. He hadn’t expected the conversation to turn to the crown prince after all. It seemed Cui Yuanshan was likely here to act as a lobbyist for Li Heng.
Cui Yuanshan nodded and said, “I heard that you, dear nephew Li, are exceptionally charming and have won the heart of Huangfu Yun, the top entertainer at Zimi Pavilion. Not only has she decided to marry you, but she has also given you a precious gift. Dear nephew, is this true?”
Though he spoke casually, Li Kuo was shocked. How did he know about the letter he had obtained from Huangfu Yun? Could it be that Cui Yuanshan had already planted an informant in his household?
As his mind raced, Li Kuo replied, “To be honest, I am indeed friends with Miss Huangfu Yun. As for the gift, it was just some tea and such.”
“Ahem!”

Cui Yuanshan coughed lightly a few times, thinking to himself that Li Kuo was cunning, but he wasn’t annoyed. He slowly tried to probe further, “I’ve long heard that salt transportation in the Jianghuai region brings huge profits, and it has also given rise to many corrupt officials in local government offices. I wonder if you, my dear nephew, are interested in investigating this matter?”
Li Kuo waved his hand and said with a wry smile, “Uncle, you’re joking. I’m just a rough man who knows how to fight; I have no idea how to handle investigations.”
“Ah! That’s not right. As the saying goes, a person who is skilled in both literature and martial arts is truly talented. In my opinion, you are an unparalleled talent of that kind in our Tang Dynasty.”
Cui Yuanshan showered Li Kuo with praise without any hesitation, not even blushing slightly. For the sake of the crown prince, he was willing to do anything.
Li Kuo’s expression froze for a moment before he said, “I wonder if Uncle Gao could give me some guidance?”
Seeing Li Kuo switch from defense to offense, Cui Yuanshan secretly admired the boy’s skills!
“Well, the salt transportation case can be simple or complicated, depending on how you look at it. The key is to understand the psychology of the salt merchants. To get permission to sell salt, they must bribe officials in the government. To ensure that no one who benefits reveals the truth, they usually keep a small notebook recording the officials they’ve bribed.”
After a brief pause, Cui Yuanshan continued, “They’ll have this notebook copied into several copies, with several key leaders each holding one. So, as long as we obtain this notebook, we can eradicate the entire corrupt network.”
Cui Yuanshan nodded proudly at Li Kuo, shifting the pressure back onto him.
Li Kuo remained silent for a long time before saying with a smile, “But since this notebook is so important, it surely won’t be easy for us to get our hands on.”
Seeing that Li Kuo was still acting foolish, Cui Yuanshan grew somewhat angry, but to gain his support, he maintained an air of a kind elder and advised, “My dear nephew, life is sometimes like climbing a mountain. As you climb, you encounter many beautiful views along the way. If you focus on those views, you’ll think there are even better ones ahead. But extremes lead to decline. Once you start descending the mountain, it becomes very difficult to see those once-enviable views again.”
Note 1: Prince Qing Li Cong died of illness in May of the 11th year of Tianbao (752), and Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, Li Longji, posthumously honored him as Prince Jingde.