pappabearbooks Chapter 5550 The Dilemma of Choice
Chapter 5550 The Dilemma of Choice
Chapter 5550 A Dilemma of Choice
Li Yifu was no ordinary man. He still remembered Fang Jun's kindness in pushing his clothes away, which made him even more angry and resentful of the subsequent unwarranted suppression. Even though Wu Meiniang had promoted him and given him important responsibilities, he thought that this might be a way for the couple to completely cut off his career.
Now that there is a chance to break free from the control of that couple, why hesitate and linger?
A true man is born between heaven and earth; how can he remain subservient to others for long!
He didn't know what had happened in Chang'an that made Wu Meiniang so nervous, nor did he know who wanted to harm her. But as long as he released information about Wu Meiniang's defenses, someone would surely get the news and launch a devastating attack.
Once Wu Zetian is eliminated, he will have enough power and influence in the business to replace her.
So what if I can't enter officialdom?
Once he has complete control of the business, he is no less than a prime minister!
It's a pity that Wu Zetian, this beautiful and charming woman, died young, never having the chance to taste the flavor...
Having made up my mind, I no longer hesitated.
He summoned a few trusted confidants and made arrangements accordingly...
……
As night deepened, the rain, which had been falling more heavily, gathered on the roof tiles and dripped down the eaves in strings, falling into the ceramic jars under the windowsill with a tinkling, rhythmic sound.
The room was dimly lit by a single lamp. On the tea table sat a pot of fresh tea and some pastries. People walked in one after another with light footsteps, but no one spoke.
The atmosphere was somewhat gloomy, as if gathering in this place required vigilance to avoid being noticed, lest it lead to utter disaster...
Once everyone had arrived, the person in the main seat began to speak.
"We just received a message from Li Yifu. What suggestions do you all have on how to respond?"
Some people hesitated: "Madam Wu has always regarded Li Yifu as a confidant and given him great importance. Now that Li Yifu has suddenly turned against her, is there a trick involved?"
"You only know that Madam Wu did Li Yifu a favor by promoting him, but how can you forget the suppression that Fang Er has put Li Yifu under all these years? With Li Yifu's background and talent, if someone had helped him, he would at least be a vice minister of one of the six ministries by now. But Fang Er kicked him aside and no one dared to use him. Compared to such a deep-seated hatred as cutting off his career path, the mere favor of promoting him to a business is not worth mentioning."
"So, the reason Li Yifu did this is to use someone else to do his dirty work, and then take over the business from Lady Wu?"
"From a moral and rational standpoint, and from both a public and private perspective, this makes sense."
"Fang Er may not have many other skills, but his ability to judge people has always been highly praised. Since he has been constantly suppressing Li Yifu, it shows that he is not virtuous enough. It is only natural that Li Yifu would do such a betrayal."
A silence fell over the room, broken only by the occasional sound of people drinking water.
This statement was indeed recognized by everyone. After all, since Fang Jun took office, he had promoted and mentored countless talents, and he had never misjudged any of them. Almost every one of them had demonstrated outstanding abilities in their positions, and several of them had even become powerful regional officials.
Since Li Yifu was disliked by Fang Er and repeatedly suppressed, it is enough to show that he was not a loyal and righteous person.
There's no doubt that such a person would betray Lady Wu.
"But everyone must understand that now that news has spread from Li Yifu and assassins have gone to kill Wu Niangzi, we will be implicated regardless of the outcome."
If the assassins suddenly launch an assassination attempt on Lady Wu, it will be difficult to find any fault with them, regardless of whether it succeeds or fails. They can simply deny everything.
But now Li Yifu has spread the news that Wu Niangzi's residence is poorly defended, and then assassins went to kill her. Everyone knows that this is related to these people. This is irrefutable evidence. If they fail, Wu Niangzi or even Fang Jun will investigate. Who can bear the consequences?
"Fortune and honor are found in danger; how can one achieve great things if one is always so hesitant and indecisive?"
"Yes, our family has long coveted the shares of the trading company. Over the years, the company has relied on us to gather goods within the Tang Dynasty, sell them overseas, or distribute exotic goods from overseas to various places. However, most of the profits have been taken by the company. If we could control the company ourselves, the profits we would gain would be more than double what they were before."
"Now that such an opportunity has come up, we absolutely cannot miss it."
Everyone nodded in agreement.
Ultimately, what is without risk? What they fear is not the risk itself, but the mismatch between the risk they take and the benefits they receive. As long as the returns outweigh the risks, what wouldn't they dare to do?
"If we're going to do it, we should act now. There's already news from the navy that Lady Wu has ordered them to prepare for the entire town of Huating overnight. Once the navy is mobilized, our small force won't be enough to swallow them whole."
"Then let's do it this way, get the assassins moving immediately."
"We just received a message from Madam Wu summoning us to a meeting, so we'll wait here. If things succeed, we'll share the spoils; if they fail, we'll apologize with thorns on our backs."
"That's exactly right!"
Although none of the people present had received authorization from their families, they were all aware of their families' covetousness of the business, and had all received instructions from their families, either openly or secretly, that they must not miss any opportunity to acquire or divide the business.
Someone suddenly said, "I wonder what the situation is like in Chang'an..."
Silence fell over the room once again.
Although these people could not possibly be fully aware of their family's plans for such a major event, the fact that they had received orders to cooperate with the assassins to kill Lady Wu meant that Fang Jun's faction was bound to be caught in a huge storm and might be overthrown. Otherwise, who would dare to touch a hair on Lady Wu's head?
Over the years, as representatives of their respective families in the business, they have witnessed how the business went overseas, how it sold Tang Dynasty goods all over the world, and how it amassed wealth from overseas countries. However, they and their families have always been suppressed and could only share a small amount of profits. How could they be willing to accept this?
I've been looking forward to this opportunity to turn the tables and take over someone else's place...
*****
Inside the naval command tent, just one street away from the town government office, Su Dingfang, dressed in a brocade robe, wearing a turban, with a white jade pendant hanging at his waist, and a neatly groomed beard, sat at a desk by the window drinking hot tea. He seemed to have shed all his military airs, and his whole demeanor was gentle, refined, and easygoing. Compared to the Grand Admiral of the Navy who was in charge of the Tang Dynasty's coastal defenses, he was more like one of the Six Ministries officials in Chang'an who was nearing retirement.
Xi Jun, dressed in full armor and exuding a murderous aura, walked in from outside and reported: "Reporting to the commander, we have discovered a number of suspicious individuals sneaking out of the warehouse area and heading straight for the other side. Their numbers are approximately three hundred."
These assassins were well-prepared beforehand, their identities were meticulously concealed, and they had many people to help them hide and conceal themselves. It was like throwing a handful of sand into the desert; it would be extremely difficult to find them.
But once these assassins make a move, how could they possibly escape the notice of the navy stationed here?
The reason why the assassins knowingly carried out this action was clearly because they were prepared for total annihilation, aiming to assassinate Lady Wu with a single, devastating blow, leaving no way out...
Su Dingfang personally poured a cup of tea and placed it opposite the desk, pointing to the stool and saying, "The night rain is damp and cold, sit down and have a cup of hot tea to ward off the chill."
Xi Junmai asked anxiously, "General, should I lead men to Lady Wu's place to provide support?"
It wasn't that he was impatient; his years of military service, filled with life-and-death experiences and numerous merits, had long since tempered his character, making him calm, composed, and unable to show his emotions. It was just that now, with Lady Wu's life hanging in the balance, it was inevitable that his concern would cloud his judgment.
Instead of answering, Su Dingfang asked, "Have you found out who owns those warehouses that provide hiding places for the assassins?"
"It has been thoroughly investigated. All warehouses in Huating Town are recorded in the files, and we can find them clearly by following the map."
"Since you're not in the mood for tea, then take some men to seal up all those warehouses, and while you're at it, detain all the people who own those warehouses, and deal with them later."
"General..."
Xi Jun hesitated for a moment, as if he wanted to say something but then stopped.
Su Dingfang shook his head and pointed to the chair opposite him again: "Sit down and have some tea."
“…Here you go.”
Xi Junmai had no choice but to come forward, sit down, and take a sip of tea.
As the scalding hot tea entered my throat, I could feel the chill in my body being dispelled, and I gradually calmed down.
Su Dingfang earnestly instructed: "Your talent is exceptional; you were born to be a soldier. The only thing you lack is composure. Do you think 'remaining calm even when Mount Tai collapses before you' is just a display of magnanimity? Not at all. The highest ability a person can possess is the ability to make the right judgment in dangerous, difficult, or even desperate situations. To achieve this, one must have an 'iron heart,' unable to let one's thinking be influenced by external factors, and able to carefully and meticulously analyze the pros and cons and weigh the options based on all known conditions. Once you can achieve this, you will have entered the realm of a 'renowned general.'"
He paused, then said meaningfully, "Throughout history, which person who has achieved great things hasn't been willing to prioritize personal gain and avoid harm, even at the cost of family ties, when faced with a choice?"
Xi Jun bought silence.
Su Dingfang continued, "Telling you to be heartless, to seek profit and avoid harm, and to disregard even your own family does not mean being mean and ungrateful, or that one general's success is built on the bones of countless others. Rather, it tells you how to weigh what not to do and what must be done, and how to make the most rational decisions without being swayed by emotions."
Xi Junmai took a deep breath, stood up, bowed, and said, "This humble general has learned much!"
He was anxious because Wu Niangzi was Fang Jun's concubine. How could he remain indifferent knowing that she was about to be assassinated? What if something unexpected happened? How could he explain it to Fang Jun?
But in reality, he knew Wu Niangzi's character and abilities well; she would never willingly take such a risk. Since she had made the decision to lure the snake out of its hole, she must have made thorough preparations. What he needed to do was not to go to the rescue, but to follow Wu Niangzi's orders to complete the cleanup and maximize the benefits of Wu Niangzi's plan to use herself as bait.
Those people must have already received Wu Niangzi's summons and are probably somewhere watching from the sidelines, waiting for the assassination results before making a decision.
He wanted to uncover these details before the assassination attempt was completed, denying them any opportunity to negotiate...