YWTGU -Chapter 8 There’s No Such Thing as Real Trash in This World!

Inside the imperial inner court, in Cining Palace.

Zhao Ling’er strode briskly into the main hall. Though she usually forced herself to appear composed and steady, today she simply could not suppress the faintly smug smile tugging at her lips.

She had even changed deliberately into a moon-white set of casual robes, and discreetly adorned her hair with a few pearl blossoms. Beyond her usual dashing and free-spirited air, she now carried a touch of girlish charm.

“Your daughter greets Mother Empress!”

The Empress Dowager was reclining on a cushioned couch with her eyes closed, resting. Hearing the voice, she slowly opened her eyes, a trace of fatigue on her face.

“What brings you here today?”

Her tone was calm—yet laced with an unmistakable distance.

How could Zhao Ling’er fail to hear the displeasure in it?

But she was in an excellent mood today. In fact, she had come precisely to make the Empress Dowager even more displeased.

She walked over and sat beside her without invitation, picked up the teapot from the small table, and poured herself a cup.

“Mother Empress, I’ve come to bring you good news!”

“Oh? What good news?”

The Empress Dowager’s eyes remained half-closed as she asked faintly.

“It concerns the new top scholar Li An—the one I’ve taken a liking to. Yesterday, he accomplished something extraordinary!”

“The top scholar Li An?”

Only then did the Empress Dowager look at her directly. “You mean the one who scolded you so harshly, and later proposed the foolish idea of selling official posts in court?”

“Mother Empress!”

Zhao Ling’er straightened in protest. “That was forthright remonstration! He speaks out of concern for the country and the people. I would rather be scolded if it means having more such upright officials in court.”

The Empress Dowager gave a soft snort but said nothing.

For three years Zhao Ling’er had been suppressed and used as a puppet emperor. Now that Li An had appeared, she finally had a bit of confidence to show off in front of the Empress Dowager.

And so she proudly launched into a detailed recounting of Li An’s achievements.

“Mother Empress, you don’t know—the three factions were originally planning to sabotage the Revenue-Raising Office. The Prime Minister’s residence, the Grand Commandant’s residence, and the State Uncle’s residence—joining forces against a newly appointed top scholar! How could an ordinary person possibly fight that?”

“And then?”

The Empress Dowager raised her head slightly, curiosity flickering.

“Li An came up with a brilliant plan! Not only did he avoid clashing with them directly, he actually pulled all three factions into the Revenue-Raising Office—and even made each of them pay a hundred thousand taels as a shareholder’s fee!”

“The cleverest part—”

Zhao Ling’er grew more animated, as though proudly displaying her prized possession. “He bound their interests together, made them compete and restrain one another. They came intending to cause trouble, but now they’re helping to sell official posts instead!”

“And the key is—he even introduced this strange commission system for every office sold! Tell me, isn’t that ingenious?”

But at this, the Empress Dowager merely smiled and shook her head.

She examined the triumphant emperor before her with faint unfamiliarity and asked in a tone that practically said, Is that all?

“So Your Majesty believes that this Li An has all three factions dancing in the palm of his hand?”

“Of course!”

Zhao Ling’er turned gracefully and nodded firmly. “He not only neutralized their resistance but made them willingly pay out silver! If I do not employ such talent, that would make me the true fool of a ruler!”

She looked expectantly at the Empress Dowager, hoping to see anger—or at least astonishment.

Instead…

The Empress Dowager simply smiled faintly.

“Oh? Is that truly so, Your Majesty?”

“What do you mean?” Zhao Ling’er froze.

The Empress Dowager slowly sat upright, assisted by a matron, and regarded her calmly.

“These three factions have entrenched themselves in court for years. Which of them is not a thousand-year turtle, a wily old fox? Do you truly believe they would be so easily manipulated by a newly crowned scholar fresh out of the examinations?”

She paused, studying Zhao Ling’er’s startled expression, and curved her lips into a meaningful smile.

“Still too green.”

Those words made Zhao Ling’er’s expression stiffen.

She knew that phrase carried a double meaning—both that Li An was too green, and that she, the emperor, was too green.

“Mother Empress is forcing that interpretation!”

Zhao Ling’er retorted unwillingly. “You overestimate them. They’re simply driven by profit. Li An used an open strategy—they had no way to refuse!”

“An open strategy?”

The Empress Dowager shook her head lightly, her eyes flashing with faint amusement.

“If those old foxes did not see sufficient benefit—or sufficient certainty—why would they so readily accept the conditions of a newly appointed scholar? Why would they voluntarily part with silver? These are men who split a single coin in half before spending it.”

Zhao Ling’er opened her mouth to argue further—but found herself momentarily speechless.

Seeing this, the Empress Dowager added:

“If Your Majesty does not believe it, then just wait and see. Will your top scholar truly have everything under control? Or will those three veteran ministers slaughter him like a pig and toy with him at will?”

“Mother Empress!”

Zhao Ling’er shot to her feet, anger now evident.

“I came to report good news, not to be doused with cold water! Li An is talent I personally selected. I trust him!”

The Empress Dowager did not flare up as before.

“Whom Your Majesty chooses to trust is your own affair. I merely remind you: the waters of this court run deeper than you imagine. Do not end up being sold off while helping to count the money. Were you not previously restraining them from inserting their people into key court positions? Now, through Li An’s sale of offices, they are placing their people in openly and legitimately.”

Zhao Ling’er’s face grew uglier by the second.

Suppressing her resentment and anger, she bowed stiffly.

“Your daughter takes her leave.”

She turned and departed in hurried strides—nothing like the light steps with which she had arrived.

The Empress Dowager watched her figure disappear beyond the hall doors and shook her head again.

“Young people… always so prone to oversimplifying things.”

…

The next morning, at the main hall of the Revenue-Raising Office.

Li An had just arrived from his residence. Before he could even sip a cup of hot tea, he was confronted with what looked like a bustling “spoils division” scene—and momentarily didn’t know how to react.

Ding!

【A new day begins!】

【Current Great Qi National Fortune: 87,653】

【National Fortune Change This Cycle: -347】

【Estimated Settlement Income: 34,700 taels of gold】

【Remaining Time: 26 days】

It wasn’t exactly surprising. After all, everything had unfolded within Li An’s expectations.

Three tables were arranged side by side in the hall. Mr. Zhou, Old Qian, and Sun Fu each occupied one.

Beside them, several aides and accountants worked frantically.

Abacuses clattered nonstop, and piles of silver rose like small hills.

“Jiangnan Salt Transport Commission—fifty thousand taels. That goes to the Prime Minister’s residence!”

Mr. Zhou made a bold stroke and circled the entry heavily.

Ding!

【Key taxation office divided among aristocratic families!】

【Great Qi National Fortune -8】

【Current National Fortune: 87,645】

“Capital Wansui County Magistrate—thirty-five thousand. The Grand Commandant’s residence claims it!”

Old Qian shouted without even lifting his head.

Ding!

【The foremost county under the Son of Heaven falls into military hands!】

【Great Qi National Fortune -6】

【Current National Fortune: 87,639】

“Director of Personnel Evaluation, Ministry of Rites—forty thousand taels! No more fighting, gentlemen. The State Uncle’s residence has had its eye on this for quite some time!”

Sun Fu, the steward, looked utterly triumphant.

Ding!

【Performance evaluation authority falls into the hands of imperial relatives!】

【Official administration will thoroughly decay!】

【Great Qi National Fortune -10】

【Current National Fortune: 87,629】

Standing at the entrance, Li An watched the representatives of the three factions scramble like shoppers grabbing discounted cabbages at a market, casually dividing up the most lucrative posts.

He glanced at the system interface and the corner of his lips curved upward.

These three idiots.

They thought they were picking up bargains, not realizing that every post they grabbed was helping him shear the wool off the nation’s fortune.

Hongmei stood behind him, her expression equally grim.

“Young Master, they’re…”

“As expected,” Li An replied calmly, his face still wearing that roguish grin.

Hongmei blinked. “You anticipated this?”

“How could it be otherwise?”

Li An lowered his voice. “For these three families to stand firm in court for so many years—none of them are simple. After paying to buy in yesterday, how could they accept losses? Of course they’d move overnight to snatch the most valuable positions first.”

“Then why did you still—”

“No choice.”

Li An sighed. “If I let them obstruct the sale of offices, I wouldn’t be able to do anything. Better to tie them to the same boat first. At least the boat can now set sail. As for the meat aboard…”

He shrugged lightly.

“Let them eat first.”

At that moment, Mr. Zhou looked up and finally noticed Li An. Instantly, he plastered on a broad smile and hurried over.

“Ah! Lord Li, you’ve arrived!”

He cupped his hands respectfully. “We shareholders discussed matters through the night, afraid of delaying your grand plan of selling offices to raise funds. So we began work early this morning!”

“Yes, yes!”

Sun Fu chimed in with a thin smile. “Lord Li was right—introduce a successful deal and receive a ten percent commission! We’re just helping you find clients. Our three households happen to have students, former subordinates, relatives, and friends who wish to purchase posts, so we’ve started by handling internal demand!”

“Internal demand?”

Li An glanced at the thick account books on the tables, his eyelids twitching.

Then he pointed at the stack of appointment certificates stamped in red.

“How many have been sold?”

“In reply to Lord Li.”

Old Qian set down his brush and flipped through the ledger unhurriedly.

“As of now, forty-seven official posts have been transacted, totaling one million taels of silver. Including the three directors’ initial thirty thousand taels of shareholder fees yesterday, the Revenue-Raising Office now holds one million three hundred thousand taels.”

Ding!

【Revenue-Raising Office accounts updated!】

【Funds raised: 1.3 million taels / 2 million taels】

【Target Completion: 65%】

【Time Remaining: 7 days】

That made it 1.3 million taels!

Li An calculated silently in his heart.

More than half of the military pledge target had already been completed.

But the problem was…

“Let me see what official posts you’ve all bought.”

He extended his hand with a faint smile, his tone calm.

Mr. Zhou hesitated for a moment before handing over the account book.

Li An took it and began flipping through it page by page.

Jiangnan Salt Transport Commissioner — the fattest post in the entire realm.

Magistrate of Wannian County in the capital — the foremost county beneath the Son of Heaven’s feet.

Langzhong of the Ministry of Personnel’s Evaluation Division — in charge of assessing and ranking officials nationwide.

Director-General of River Works under the Ministry of Works — tens of thousands of taels allocated annually for flood control.

Treasury Silver Langzhong of the Ministry of Revenue — keeper of the national treasury keys.

And also posts in the Ministry of Rites’ Reception Bureau, judicial assessors in the Court of Judicial Review, the Ministry of War’s Military Selection Division…

The more Li An flipped through the pages, the clearer it became in his mind.

Almost every position listed was one of the greasiest, most powerful sinecures in the Great Qi court.

And yet the prices paid were ridiculously low — nearly all purchased at or close to the minimum reference price set by the Ministry of Revenue.

By the power-weight formula, the Salt Transport Commissioner alone should have been worth at least 200,000 taels of silver.

But they had bought it for only 50,000.

These old foxes were treating the officially assessed prices as if they were discounted sale tags.

And yet…

Li An did not flare up.

He calmly closed the account book and handed it back to Mr. Zhou.

“You gentlemen are truly diligent! The official post list issued by the Ministry of Revenue has already been more than half sold — I’m quite ashamed of myself in comparison. So then… what positions remain? As the true Director of the Fundraising Bureau, I must contribute my share as well.”

“Well…”

Mr. Zhou, Sun Fu, and Old Qian exchanged quick glances, faint smugness flickering across their faces.

Sun Fu pulled out a thin register from his sleeve and respectfully presented it to Li An.

“What’s left is all here. Take your time choosing, Lord Li. There’s no rush.”

Li An unfolded the register and glanced over it.

Interrogation Officer of the Supreme Court’s Heavenly Prison — responsible for interrogating major criminals; heavy yin energy, no profit, long neglected.

Northern Frontier Mutual Trade Supervisor — oversees trade with steppe tribes; extremely dangerous, nine out of ten supervisors die unnatural deaths.

Capital Streets Administration Office — responsible for dredging drains, clearing excrement, repairing roads; commonly known as the “Dung Officer.”

Maritime Inspection Envoy — with the sea ban in place, no ships, no troops, no authority; purely nominal.

Lingnan Epidemic Prevention Commissioner — stationed in miasma-ridden lands; extremely low survival rate.

Frontier Army Grain Transport Inspector — supervises provisions at chaotic front lines; nine deaths out of ten.

…

Li An clicked his tongue as he read.

These fellows were impressive indeed.

Overnight, they had divided up all the fat posts, leaving him only the garbage no one wanted.

In their eyes, this effectively sidelined him.

But what they didn’t know…

Li An smiled, tucked the register into his sleeve, then looked up with a grin that made the three men’s scalps tingle.

“Gentlemen, I must sincerely thank you!”

“Thank us? For what?” Old Qian frowned.

“For chewing through all the tough bones! Not only have you completed more than half the fundraising task in one stroke, you’ve even left me all the easiest posts to sell!”

The three men froze.

The easiest to sell?

Those worthless leftovers?

Mr. Zhou and Sun Fu exchanged puzzled looks.

Without another word, Li An waved his sleeve and turned toward the inner hall.

“Hongmei, with me!”

Hongmei followed closely, not forgetting to leave the three stunned “shareholders” with a meaningful cold smile.

Inner Hall

Li An shut the door. Not only did his smile not fade — it grew brighter.

He first stole a glance at the system panel—

【Today’s National Fortune Change: -24】

【Total Change: -371】

【Current National Fortune: 87,629】

【Estimated Settlement Reward: 37,100 taels of gold】

Over thirty-seven thousand taels of gold.

And it was only the third day.

“Young Master…”

Hongmei leaned closer and lowered her voice. “When you said those posts were treasures — were you serious, or just bluffing?”

“Of course I’m serious!”

Li An lazily dropped into a chair and spread the thin register on the table.

“Hongmei, do you know how valuable these so-called trash posts are in my eyes?”

“I would like to hear.”

Her curiosity deepened.

Li An cleared his throat and began analyzing them one by one.

“First, the Heavenly Prison Interrogation Officer.”

He tapped the first line. “No profits, heavy yin aura — sure. But it directly handles major criminals! Think about who’s locked in the Supreme Court prison. Rebellious princes, corrupt frontier governors, officials who offended powerful nobles…”

“The secrets in their bellies could overturn half the court.”

Hongmei’s eyes lit up.

“Now the Northern Frontier Trade Supervisor. Others fear the danger — but consider this: caravans moving through there handle over a million taels’ worth of trade annually. The emperor is far away. If you’re not afraid to die, it’s an unregulated private domain.”

“You can do whatever you want.”

“And the Streets Administration Office…”

Li An chuckled. “Yes, they shovel dung — but they have the authority to enter homes for inspection and to demolish illegal structures! All roadside shops and unauthorized buildings in the capital fall under their jurisdiction.”

The light in Hongmei’s eyes grew brighter.

“And the Maritime Inspection Envoy?”

“Even better!”

Li An slapped the table. “With the sea ban in place, it seems powerless. But what if one day the ban is lifted? That office becomes the sole official regulator of maritime trade! Every merchant ship wanting to sail would need an approval document from this envoy.”

“At that point, we’re talking millions of taels.”

Hongmei stared at him in silence for a moment, admiration deepening in her gaze.

“So you deliberately let them take the fat posts?”

“Not deliberately,” Li An smiled. “I simply knew they would. Those old foxes would fill their own bellies first. And the fat posts they took — high power, high profit — aren’t something ordinary buyers could control. Without drawing their factions in, even if we sold those posts, they’d still be restrained by the three powers. We wouldn’t achieve the goal of destabilizing Great Qi’s governance.”

“So it’s better to give them what they schemed for — in exchange for their lowered vigilance and our complete control over these leftover ‘trash’ posts…”

“They don’t realize that what they left me are the real treasures. I’ve always believed — where in this world is there any such thing as real trash? It’s only treasure placed in the wrong position.”

Hongmei nodded repeatedly, inwardly shaken.

This man’s mind was more terrifying than the strategists of the Northern Yan court.

Those fools thought they’d gained the advantage — not knowing they had left the truly dangerous tools in the hands of a lone wolf.

She quickly took out a blank silk scroll and began recording everything with a small wolf-hair brush.

“H-Hongmei! What are you doing?” Li An asked curiously.

“Recording.”

Without looking up, she replied, “What you just said is critical. It must be reported to the Governor of the Blackwater Terrace.”

“Oh! Recording my achievements, right?”

Li An leaned over, grinning. “Make sure you describe me as wise and heroic. Add a few compliments — like ‘a heaven-sent genius’ or ‘a once-in-a-century talent’…”

“Shameless.”

Hongmei rolled her eyes and continued writing.

But the slight upward curve of her lips betrayed her good mood.

Watching her write, Li An calculated further.

Those three fools had taken the fat posts, leaving him these “lawless zones.”

In their eyes, they had thrown away hot potatoes.

But these obscure offices were the real engines of chaos.

The prison officer could access vast state secrets.
The northern trade supervisor could build private forces.
The streets office could penetrate every household in the capital…

As long as he found the right “buyers” — bold, ambitious men — and sold these posts to them, within months Great Qi’s local governance would descend into utter disorder.

His mission to ruin the state would be completed with ease.

“However…”

Li An narrowed his eyes.

Though these obscure posts held enormous potential, ordinary people — even the aides of those three big figures — couldn’t see their value without his explanation.

If he wanted to sell this “trash” and still reach the steep target of 700,000 taels, he’d need new packaging.

He had to turn what everyone saw as “risk” into a rare “opportunity” for a specific group.

“This calls for precision marketing…”

After pondering briefly, Li An suddenly shouted:

“Hongmei! Brush and ink!”

“What now?”

“This official is about to draft… a Great Qi Official Positions Investment Prospectus!”