LFHYB -Chapter 96 Wei Zheng Doesn’t Want to Be a Remonstrating Minister

A man bold enough to raise the banner of rebellion had completely collapsed emotionally just from reading a few poems.

Li Xuanba lifted the cold wine bowl and took a sip.

The wine was thin as water, carrying the sour taste of fermented rice.

It made Li Xuanba think of his first birthday meal after leaving his hometown.

After leaving home, he had worked for a while on construction sites doing daily-paid jobs that included meals, saving money while searching for something better.

When the canteen auntie heard it was his birthday, she cooked him sweet fermented-rice eggs, saying it was a custom where she came from to eat them on one’s birthday.

Back then, his life was miserable—but as long as he was mentally sound and physically healthy, as long as he was willing to work, he would not starve.

With no fixed home, no family to rely on, and carrying crushing debt, he was already among the lowest of society. Yet even so, the poem “Lament for the Vegetables of Men” shook him to the core when he read it.

Li Xuanba took another sip of the murky wine, smacking his lips at its sour bitterness.

Disgusting.

While Wang Bo vented his emotions, Li Xuanba waited quietly.

When Wang Bo finally calmed down, Li Xuanba had Chen Tieniu hand him the wine jar.

Wang Bo lifted it and gulped it down in one go.

Wiping his face with his sleeve, he asked, “Did Third Young Master write this poem?”

Li Xuanba shook his head. “Not me—and not anyone from this world.”

Wang Bo understood. He sneered. “So the poet’s name is fake too? Figures. Anyone who dared write something like this would have their whole clan exterminated by that dog emperor.”

Li Xuanba said flatly, “As long as you know that.”

Wang Bo was slightly startled. He hadn’t expected Li Xuanba to admit it so directly.

Wasn’t Third Young Master the most favored junior of that dog emperor?

Wang Bo lowered his head and stared at the poetry booklet in his hands, no longer daring to read further.

Tucking it into his robe, he asked, “Why does Third Young Master want me to spread these poems?”

In the darkness, Wei Zheng rolled his eyes at Wang Bo.

You’re asking while stuffing it into your clothes—how hypocritical.

He was genuinely curious about what was written in the booklet Li Xuanba had given Wang Bo.

Li Xuanba said calmly, “You’ve read the poems. Many scholars mourn the hardship of the people. But if these poems are kept locked away in scholars’ trunks, they are nothing more than empty sighs. At best, future generations will shed a few sympathetic tears for the suffering of their ancestors and feel grateful for their own comfortable lives.”

A gust of night wind blew over, and Li Xuanba coughed a few times.

Wudi, who was on guard, immediately rushed into Li Xuanba’s arms—faster even than Chen Tieniu could bring a hand warmer.

Li Xuanba tucked his hand beneath Wudi’s warm wings and continued, “But in your hands, it will be different. Their pity and sorrow will become a sharp blade in your grasp.”

Wang Bo pressed a hand against the poetry booklet. “Why are you helping me, Third Young Master? Do you want the world to fall into chaos sooner so you can compete for it?”

Li Xuanba gave a soft laugh. “Isn’t the world already chaotic enough?”

Wang Bo said, “To the high officials and nobles, it isn’t.”

“Then that means the world is already in great chaos,” Li Xuanba replied. He had Chen Tieniu bring up a box that had long been prepared.

“You rose in rebellion because you couldn’t survive—but after rising up, you became bandits more brutal than the government troops. You were soaked by the rain, yet you went and tore off other people’s rain cloaks. That kind of uprising, I can’t stand to watch. I’m here to teach you what a true uprising really is.”

Wei Zheng cried out in alarm, “My lord, you—!”

Li Xuanba cut him off. “Wei Xuancheng, I know what I’m doing. My time is limited. I’ll only teach you tonight. Zhishi-lang, if you want to listen, stay. If not, leave. And even if you listen, you don’t have to follow it afterward.”

Wang Bo was shaken by Li Xuanba’s abnormal seriousness. “Aren’t you afraid I’ll report you?”

Li Xuanba chuckled. “Who would listen to you?”

Wang Bo’s breathing hitched.

He clenched his fists. “No one would listen to us.”

“Exactly,” Li Xuanba said. “That’s why I’m not afraid of you informing on me. And I believe in your character, Zhishi-lang. Why would you report a good man who is helping you—to the dog emperor and corrupt officials you despise?”

Wang Bo took a deep breath and knelt. “Please teach me, Third Young Master!”

He knew his chance had come—a chance greater than merely becoming a rebel bandit.

At that moment, ambition quietly sprouted in Wang Bo’s chest.

Li Xuanba did not have him rise. He had Wei Zheng brighten the bonfire and began taking books from the box, explaining them one by one.

“Although you took the road of rebellion to survive, if you want to keep going, you must think about the future.”

“To unite a force, you need both ideology and material interest.”

“Why was the Yellow Turban Rebellion able to sweep across the Han so quickly?”

Li Xuanba spoke of past peasant uprisings throughout history. Most of them had failed, but depending on how great the turmoil they caused was, they still offered many lessons.

He talked about the people’s basic demands, and how those demands conflicted with the practical uses needed to expand and maintain an army.

No conscription. No taxes. Everyone having land to farm.

The people’s dreams were that simple.

But in this era, even that simple dream was impossible.

Wang Bo’s eyes alternated between brightness and gloom, flickering like the bonfire.

Li Xuanba shifted the stories of the Rebel King and the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom into pre-Qin times and analyzed these failed examples for Wang Bo.

The night grew colder.

Li Xuanba coughed again. Chen Tieniu brought over blankets and wrapped Li Xuanba up, tucking Wudi inside as well, and stuffed several small warmers into the quilt.

When Li Xuanba finished explaining what he wanted to teach, the rooster had already crowed.

Wang Bo’s legs, still kneeling on the ground, had gone completely numb.

He said sorrowfully, “Even if I do everything you taught me… I still won’t succeed?”

Li Xuanba replied indifferently, “No. You won’t succeed.”

Wang Bo cried out, “Are kings and nobles really born, never made?”

Li Xuanba said, “For individuals, no. A man of humble birth can become a king or minister, and the descendants of kings and ministers can fall into commoners or even slaves. But for an entire class—yes. You may be able to join them, but you cannot bring all your followers with you. How many characters do you know? How many do your men know? No matter how much your power expands, the authority to govern the people will still end up in the hands of the scholar-gentry.”

Wang Bo wept. “Then what meaning is there in what I’m doing now?”

“There is,” Li Xuanba said. “Spread the flames of chaos to those scholar-gentry who stand by coldly and let them see how fierce a fire the people can become when driven to desperation. You will not succeed—but you will make them afraid. And when the next dynasty arrives, the common people will live much better lives.”

Li Xuanba was starting to feel drowsy. He pinched the back of his hand, forcing himself to stay awake.

“The sages of old said, ‘The ruler is the boat, the people are the water. Water can carry the boat, and water can also overturn it.’ If people only read the classics, those words will never truly enter their hearts. Only when they personally feel your power will they understand the real meaning of that saying,” Li Xuanba said. “You asked me what my goal is—this is my goal.”

Wang Bo raised his head. There was a hollow, despairing emptiness in his eyes as he looked at Li Xuanba.

He had once harbored ambition in his heart. But after listening to everything Li Xuanba had taught him, that ambition had turned into a deep, suffocating despair.

Li Xuanba had Chen Tieniu unwrap the quilt that was binding Wang Bo.

After stretching his limbs a little, Li Xuanba helped Wang Bo to his feet.

“If you continue being a rebel, when the Great Sui collapses, one day you may be destroyed by another power,” Li Xuanba said. “But if you do as I teach you, you might bring down the Great Sui earlier. You might gain even greater fame. You might even leave your name in history. But your situation will be extremely dangerous—almost every force in the world will want you dead.”

Wang Bo lowered his head. “Will Third Young Master Li want to kill me in the future as well?”

Li Xuanba said, “Second Brother and I are still too young. You may not live long enough to see the day when we hold power.”

Wang Bo raised his head and looked straight into Li Xuanba’s eyes.

He was many years older than Li Xuanba, but Li Xuanba lived far more comfortably than he did. Though Li Xuanba was half a head shorter than Li Shimin, his posture was far more upright than that of ordinary people, so he now stood about the same height as Wang Bo.

Wang Bo thought that if Third Young Master Li’s face were not so youthful, he would already look very much like a heroic ruler.

No—what Third Young Master Li was doing was not like a heroic ruler at all. It was more like the strategist standing behind such a ruler, like those miraculous wise ministers and great chancellors from the storybooks he had once heard.

Behind every heroic ruler, there must be a sage to assist him.

So who was the heroic ruler, and who was the sage?

Wang Bo gathered all the despair and faint hope in his eyes deep inside, restoring them to the calm stillness of an ancient well. “If I do this, can I really bring down the Great Sui early?”

Li Xuanba said, “You can.”

The corners of Wang Bo’s mouth split into a strange smile that looked less like a human’s and more like that of a cornered wild beast. “Then let’s do it.”

Seeing Wang Bo’s smile and hearing the firmness in his voice, Li Xuanba felt his heart tighten slightly.

Wang Bo’s hatred for Emperor Yang of Sui had probably surpassed everything else.

“There’s another box,” Li Xuanba said. “Inside are technical manuals—improved farming methods and tools, irrigation and canal building, waterwheels, and techniques for raising chickens, ducks, and fish. Don’t think only about plundering. Once you have land and people, you also need to think about how to manage them. I’ll give you nine words. They might let you live long enough to see Second Brother and me grow to the point where we can protect you.”

Li Xuanba touched the dozing falcon on his shoulder and said slowly, “Build high walls, stockpile grain, and delay proclaiming yourself king.”

Wang Bo knelt again and kowtowed. “Yes, Teacher!”

Li Xuanba turned and left. Wang Bo remained kneeling on the ground, watching him go.

Li Xuanba did not linger. Even though he was extremely tired, he immediately departed with his guards from the foot of Mount Tai and set out for Qinghe Commandery.

After traveling for most of the day, they reached a relatively prosperous county town. Only then did Li Xuanba enter the city and sleep soundly for a full day to make up for the mental strain of the previous day.

When he woke up, it was the morning of the third day. After washing up, Li Xuanba had the guards buy meat, vegetables, and seasonings. He personally prepared a hotpot base seasoned with pepper and Sichuan peppercorns, ate a steaming hot meal, and worked up a good sweat, feeling much better afterward.

It was Wei Zheng’s first time seeing Li Xuanba cook. He had meant to hold back, but in the end he couldn’t help eating far more than intended.

After eating and drinking their fill, Li Xuanba lay back on the bed to rest again, not setting out until noon.

Wei Zheng sat by the bedside, hesitating as if he wanted to say something.

Yawning, Li Xuanba said, “If you have something to say, just say it.”

Wei Zheng asked, “Why did you take the risk of making contact with Wang Bo?”

“It wasn’t a risk,” Li Xuanba said. “Wang Bo wouldn’t dare kill me, nor would he inform on me. Even if someone under him wanted to report it, would they have the ability to make Yang Guang believe that Second Brother and I—the only ones who keep winning in campaigns against the rebels—would secretly collude with rebels?”

Li Xuanba shoved aside the heavy Wudi, who was rolling around on his stomach. “And anyway, where’s the motive? Where’s the benefit? I’d have to be insane to collude with rebels.”

Wei Zheng pressed on, “So what is the motive? What is the benefit? Third Young Master, are you crazy?”

Wudi leapt up. “Chirp chirp chirp!”

Wei Zheng asked in confusion, “What is this bird saying?”

“Wudi thinks you’re insulting me, so it’s insulting you back,” Li Xuanba said.

Wei Zheng studied Wudi, who kept chirping.

After a moment, Wei Zheng smiled lightly. “A fine falcon, loyal to its master.”

Wudi lifted its head. “Chirp!”

“All right, stop bothering me,” Li Xuanba said. “If you’re bored, go fly around and come back before noon. You asked me about my motive and benefit? Didn’t I already tell Wang Bo? If he does what I told him, the Great Sui will collapse earlier; the common people will suffer fewer disasters in the chaos; and after a new dynasty is established, the high officials and nobles will pay at least a little more attention to the lives of ordinary people.”

Wei Zheng said, “Then are you some kind of sage, worrying about the country and the people?”

Li Xuanba sighed. “Wei Xuancheng, why does a perfectly normal sentence sound like sarcasm when you say it? Of course I’m not a sage. I’m just paving the way for the next dynasty. But can’t I also be a sage? Is it wrong to care about the country and the people?”

Wei Zheng was silent for a long time. Then he said, “It is very good.”

Li Xuanba said, “What are you hesitating about? Are you regretting following me?”

Wei Zheng shook his head.

He said, “Third Young Master, I have memorized the history books. In history, there is no ‘Chuang King’ and no Taiping Heavenly Kingdom.”

Li Xuanba said, “Then maybe I remembered it wrong.”

Wei Zheng fell silent again, gripping his sleeves even tighter.

Li Xuanba said helplessly, “If you have something to say, can’t you just say it? Don’t keep hemming and hawing. I have a good temper—I won’t get angry no matter what you say.”

He guessed that Wei Zheng was probably trying to offer some kind of admonition. Li Xuanba wasn’t a fool like his second brother who insisted on keeping every promise to the letter—he could just say “Sure, sure,” “Yes, yes,” “Right, right,” and brush it off.

Wei Zheng asked, “My lord, I’ve heard that in ancient times there were sages who could see the future.”

Li Xuanba said, “I only know a bit of physiognomy. Are you asking about your own future?”

Wei Zheng sighed. “My lord treats me so kindly. If you can see my future, then in that future I must get along very well with you.”

“You have nothing to do with me. You get along well with my second brother,” Li Xuanba replied. “You’re worried about your future position at his side? Don’t worry—you’ll be a famous remonstrating minister, the kind who goes down in history.”

Wei Zheng gave a bitter smile. “Just a remonstrating minister?”

Li Xuanba was puzzled. “What? You look down on remonstrating ministers?”

Wei Zheng shook his head. “Remonstrating ministers are certainly worthy of respect. But if my only achievement is being a remonstrating minister, wouldn’t that mean all my abilities were never truly put to use?”

Li Xuanba was about to say, ‘Being able to constantly offer useful advice—how is that not a great ability?’ But when he saw the bitterness on Wei Zheng’s face, something suddenly occurred to him.

According to the historical records, Wei Zheng seemed to specialize in the art of zongheng.

So-called zongheng was a comprehensive strategic discipline that encompassed both military planning and internal governance. Wei Zheng’s expertise in it was recorded three times in history: once when his proposals for strengthening the Wagang Army were repeatedly ignored; once when he persuaded Xu Shiji to surrender; and once when he devised the strategy that allowed Li Jiancheng to wipe out Liu Heita’s remaining forces through psychological warfare and division.

Judging from the latter two incidents, Wei Zheng’s claim to mastery of zongheng was no empty boast.

Li Xuanba said, “When a dynasty is stable, zongheng means becoming both a great general and a great minister. Wei Xuancheng, there are simply too many people around my second brother who can become generals and ministers.”

Wei Zheng said, “If I can’t compete, I’ll accept defeat. But the future you saw in your physiognomy—doesn’t it mean I never even get the chance to compete with them?”

Li Xuanba straightened up. “You people are all sly. I just give a hint and you figure everything out. Fine, I didn’t intend to hide it from you anyway. You care deeply about your posthumous reputation. Since you know that the ultimate victor in the future is my second brother, you won’t betray us.”

Wei Zheng looked strange. “Is it really just about this? My lord, you don’t seem to trust my character very much.”

Li Xuanba laughed. “I do trust you. Tell me—what do you want to do? When you can’t do it anymore, then come back and be a remonstrating minister.”

Wei Zheng said solemnly, “I can be both a general-minister and a remonstrating minister. I just don’t want to be only a remonstrating minister.”

Li Xuanba waved his hand. “All right. Since you came to me now, it has something to do with Wang Bo, doesn’t it?”

Wei Zheng’s expression relaxed, and a warm current surged through his heart.

Since his father died, in the thirty-one years he had lived, this was the first time anyone had indulged him so much.

The lord had only just met him, yet trusted him solely on the basis of ‘physiognomy’? Wei Zheng couldn’t help feeling a bit unconvinced.

That future version of himself sounded rather unimpressive. He could clearly be more formidable.

Famous as a remonstrating minister? Wouldn’t that mean that aside from offering remonstrance, he did nothing else? With all his abilities, how could he sink so low?

Wei Zheng said, “Yes. I want to go to Wang Bo’s side.”

Li Xuanba pressed his temples. “That’s very dangerous.”

Wei Zheng said, “How can one earn merit without danger?”

Li Xuanba sighed. “When I said you’d be remembered as a remonstrating minister, I didn’t mean that your job would be only remonstrance. You’ll become a high minister participating in state affairs—you’ll compile histories, adjudicate cases, do everything. Don’t act out of pique.”

Wei Zheng insisted, “I’m not being petulant. I clearly have greater abilities, so I should establish greater achievements. After I’ve made my mark as a general-minister, I can still do remonstrance.”

Li Xuanba’s head began to ache.

Wang Bo’s side was so dangerous—if Wei Zheng went there, what if he died in the chaos of the Sui dynasty’s collapse? Why was this man so stubborn?

Li Xuanba tried to persuade him a few more times, but Wei Zheng had already made up his mind.

“Wang Bo is only a blacksmith. Even though my lord has taught him, he may not be able to fully carry out your plans. If I go to assist him, I can definitely make him achieve what you expect!” Wei Zheng stood up and clasped his hands. “Please trust me, my lord!”

Li Xuanba snapped, “It’s not that I don’t trust you—I’m worried about your safety!”

Wei Zheng couldn’t help laughing. “My lord and my future sovereign, Second Lord Li, will they not face danger when they compete for the empire? Second Lord Li is personally leading troops into battle right now, isn’t he? My lord, I can protect myself.”

Li Xuanba grabbed his head. “Heavens, I really give up. Second Brother hasn’t even started getting headaches over you yet, and I already am? Fine, fine—go, go. If you die, I’ll have Second Brother posthumously confer you a title.”

Wei Zheng smiled. “Then I’ll trouble you, my lord.”

Li Xuanba said weakly, “You really won’t first take a look at your future ruler before leaving?”

Wei Zheng replied, “We’ll meet in the future anyway—no need to rush. Wang Bo is currently unsettled by my lord’s teachings; this is the best time for me to gain his trust.”

Li Xuanba sighed. “All right, go. Take care. I can’t give you troops from my current forces, but I’ll arrange for some men to pretend to be refugees and go to you—enough to gather a few hundred guards.”

Wei Zheng’s eyes reddened. He knelt and kowtowed. “Thank you, my lord! I will not fail your expectations!”