Chapter 931 – The Rabbit-Sheep Poison Strategy (6)
Wu Libai was fuming, his voice trembling with anger, “Are we just going to turn a blind eye and let the unseen mastermind’s conspiracy succeed? If the King’s ambitions come to a halt here, then you will be the eternal sinners. Who can bear the responsibility? Since you all pledge loyalty to the King, shouldn’t you consider his interests?”
As he spoke, his heart raced, his face turning a deep shade of iron.
If we let these treacherous ministers drag us down, how can the King ever fulfill his grand ambition of conquering the Central Plains?
The political adversaries exchanged glances, their faces stiffening, eyes glinting with a cold chill, and one of them laughed maniacally, “Oh, how delightful! So, only you are the King’s loyal servant, while the rest of us are just a bunch of treacherous scoundrels? But in my view, you are also a scheming sycophant, Wu Libai. You refuse to heed the current situation and stubbornly force the King to act according to your wishes… Who truly holds sway over the Northern Border, you or the King? No matter how wise you are, does the King not have his own judgment?”
If Wu Libai hadn’t proposed collaborating with the Cangzhou Meng Clan to purchase broodmares at inflated prices, the royal treasury wouldn’t be so tight.
And now?
The Northern Border Royal Court is already stretched thin, unable to spare funds for anything else.
In other words, the Northern Border is now shackled by the expensive horses, not seeing any returns for at least a year or two.
Wu Libai was getting older and more clueless; could he really not see the Northern Border Royal Court’s predicament?
“Don’t you dare instigate! I, Wu Libai, am completely loyal to the King, without a second thought,” Wu Libai retorted. “Is it not you who fails to recognize the dangers of the herdsmen hoarding large numbers of rabbits and sheep? If you see it and stay silent, then who is it that harbors ill intentions?”
Before his adversary could retort, the Northern Border King roared, halting their quarrel.
“Silence! Dismissed!”
The Northern Border King glared at Wu Libai, his face a stormy shade of blue.
He had once adored this wise man, but now he found him utterly detestable.
To stabilize his rule, the Northern Border King had been suppressing a few of his grown sons and deliberately neglecting Wu Libai, trying to sideline him.
Why was that?
Because the herdsmen had deified the wise man, believing that whoever Wu Libai sided with was the true ruler of the grasslands.
If it were his younger self, he wouldn’t have cared about such rumors, confident he could use Wu Libai to his advantage.
But now, as he aged, with his body waning, and his sons in their prime, hearing such rumors was grating. Even as he gradually weakened Wu Libai, his sons clamored to curry favor with him—who could tolerate that from a fellow ruler?
After court was dismissed, the Northern Border King privately summoned his confidant—Wu Libai’s adversary, the one who had just clashed with him.
“Greetings, Your Majesty.”
Wu Libai’s adversary was also a high-ranking official in the Northern Border, named Halencha.
“Halencha, what do you think of Wu Libai’s words… Are they mere alarmist exaggerations, or do they hold some truth?”
The Northern Border King still hesitated; he understood Wu Libai’s character, knowing he wouldn’t insist unless it was truly significant.
Halencha’s eyes glimmered coldly, brimming with self-assurance.
“I would rather believe there’s something to it than dismiss it outright. A few rabbits and sheep alone can’t make a big impact, but thousands, tens of thousands, or even millions? It’s just like locusts in the Central Plains—one or two can’t make a difference, but when they swarm, they could turn a fertile land into a desolate wasteland, leaving nothing but bones. The King aims for the Central Plains, so he must know what the aftermath of a locust plague looks like…”
Halencha had never read many books; he was a proper Northern Border man, valuing martial prowess while scornful of literature, especially the Central Plains’ Confucian culture. In his eyes, the Northern Border was a lion, while the intellectuals were a poison eroding its will, making him especially dislike Wu Libai.
After all, Wu Libai had taken some time to learn about Central Plains culture, and upon entering the political heart of the Northern Border, he had repeatedly suggested promoting Central Plains culture.
Thus, Halencha had harbored grudges against Wu Libai.
But the Northern Border King was an ambitious man, well aware of who he should wield power over to benefit himself most.
Whenever Wu Libai clashed with Halencha, the Northern Border King consistently sided with the former.
Halencha had always been oppressed by Wu Libai, unable to hold his head up for decades.
Now, roles had reversed; Halencha, filled with resentment, rallied advisors to plot on his behalf, subtly positioning himself to replace Wu Libai.
“What you say is reasonable.” The Northern Border King shuddered at the thought of the locust plague, then revealed a bitter smile, “But…”
But what?
But they were out of money!
If they expelled the scheming merchants, what would become of the rabbits and sheep in the hands of the herdsmen?
Would the herdsmen not explode on the spot?
Halencha sighed, “In that case, why not turn the situation around, Your Majesty?”
The Northern Border King’s eyes brightened, “What do you mean by turning it around?”
Halencha said, “Regardless of who manipulates those merchant caravans, pretend you are unaware.”
“Pretend I am unaware?”
The Northern Border King was taken aback, unable to grasp the idea.
Halencha felt a rush of satisfaction, enjoying the suspense he created; no wonder Wu Libai, that pedantic scholar, liked to play coy.
“Yes, pretend you are unaware.” Halencha kept up the act under the Northern Border King’s urging gaze, “Your Majesty, can you really treat domestic rabbits and wild rabbits as equals? Domestic rabbits are lazy and foolish, their meat too fatty, and their fur dull. Wild rabbits, on the other hand, are alert and shrewd, sprinting across the grasslands to avoid danger; their meat is tender and lean. Naturally, the latter fetches a much higher price! In the past, those merchants slipped through the cracks, but this year, we mustn’t permit it. Your Majesty should send people to hint to the merchants to raise the purchase price of wild rabbits, which would encourage the herdsmen to catch wild rabbits themselves. The herdsmen can pocket a fortune, and the King won’t need to waste more manpower dealing with the wild rabbits.”
The Northern Border King’s eyes lit up; he had genuinely not thought of this solution.
“Is this feasible?”
Halencha replied, “Of course it is feasible. You don’t even need to spend money removing excess wild rabbits, and the herdsmen will be grateful to you.”
The Northern Border King was overjoyed, “This plan is brilliant!”
Halencha couldn’t suppress the upward curve of his lips, offering a few humble words.
“You don’t need to be modest.” The Northern Border King sighed, patting him on the shoulder, “Compared to Wu Libai, who causes me endless trouble, you are the one truly loyal to me. Not only did you present me with spiritual pills and elixirs, but you also devised this clever strategy.”
Halencha said, “It is only proper for a subject to perform his duties.”
The Northern Border King felt a wave of weariness wash over him; he called for a female slave to bring him his medicine.
After a while—
The Northern Border King felt invigorated, his complexion rosy, and his eyes imbued with vitality.
“Truly worthy of the secret formula from the Daxia Imperial Court, a splendid thing meant for the Emperor, indeed marvelous in effect.”
He let out a long breath, his expression as if he had fallen into a dream.
Due to his old age, his body wasn’t what it once was, and he couldn’t even satisfy the women in his courtyard.
For a proud Northern Border man, that was an unbearable humiliation.
Thankfully, Halencha remained steadfastly loyal, presenting him with the secret remedy that only the Emperor was entitled to use.
Each time he took it, he felt refreshed and full of energy, becoming vigorous in intimate matters.
It was said that long-term use could even extend one’s life.
That temptation was fatal for the Northern Border King.
