A Pawn's Passage

Chapter 1433: Scheming in the Secret Chamber

This first-rank Tianzhen Daoist did not refer to an idle Great Sage without office, but rather to a Deputy Grand Master.

It was obvious that Zhang Jucheng hoped Qi Xuansu would become the future Earthly Preceptor rather than Yao Pei.

But that was all a matter for the future. The immediate issue was not whether Qi Xuansu would one day govern Jiangnan Daoist Mansion, but rather Li Tianlan.

Qi Xuansu said, “Li Tianlan might as well have the words ‘conflict of interests’ written directly on his face. He’s not even pretending anymore.”

“He’s been entrenched within the Jiangnan Daoist Mansion for so many years already. Everything is out in the open, so there’s no need for him to pretend.” Zhang Jucheng took out a tin of tea leaves and poured them into the teapot.

“The other Deputy Mansion Masters aren’t much better. Just take my cousin Zhang Juquan, for example. He was once a Deputy Mansion Master as well. His greatest crime wasn’t sleeping with the female Daoists. It was using the Jiangnan Daoist Mansion’s flying ships to smuggle goods between Fenglin and Jiangnan. I’m not trying to excuse Zhang Juquan, but honestly speaking, are the other Deputy Mansion Masters really that clean?”

Zhang Jucheng poured boiling water into the purple clay teapot, and the white steam blurred his face. “It’s simply that nothing has been uncovered yet.”

Qi Xuansu said, “Individually, these Deputy Mansion Masters can’t stir up much trouble. The real danger is if someone takes the lead and unites them all, having them outwardly obey while secretly resisting the Golden Tower Council’s resolution.”

Holding the purple clay teapot in one hand and two matching tea cups in the other, Zhang Jucheng walked over and sat down on the sofa as well. “Obviously, Li Tianlan is that leader. These people will inevitably unite, driven by the same interests. That makes things rather troublesome.”

As he spoke, Zhang Jucheng filled the two cups with tea and pushed one toward Qi Xuansu. “I don’t understand all that tea ceremony business of washing tea, brewing tea, and the like. Normally, my secretary handles it. But since today’s meeting is special, I hope you can put up with a boor like me ruining fine tea.”

Although Qi Xuansu did not ceremoniously stand to receive the tea, he still lifted the cup with both hands, took a small sip, and gently set it back down with both hands as a sign of respect toward an elder. “Well, good thing I don’t understand much about tea either. I only know how to gulp it down without savoring it.”

Zhang Jucheng also raised his tea cup and took a sip. “I thought carefully about Li Tianlan’s matter once again. Li Ping alone may be enough to wound him, but probably not enough to destroy him entirely. At most, it would leave him somewhat humiliated. But if another charge of resisting the Golden Tower Council’s resolution is added, then he will never recover from it.”

Qi Xuansu added, “With the delegation from the Western Daoist Order currently watching everything closely, it will be very difficult for the Li family to manipulate things.”

Zhang Jucheng nodded. “Exactly. The key is to firmly establish the fact that Li Tianlan opposed the Golden Tower Council’s resolution.”

Recalling how Zhang Juquan had been brought down, Qi Xuansu said, “If we want to firmly establish this matter, the best approach is to start from within their own ranks.”

Zhang Jucheng gave a slight nod, agreeing with Qi Xuansu’s assessment.

At this moment, the conversation between the two of them was akin to masterminds plotting behind the scenes, scheming in secret chambers while issuing orders that would create ripples across the world.

But the man they were plotting against was not a naive amateur. Li Tianlan was also capable of stirring storms in Jiangnan. Even with countless tempests over the years, Li Tianlan still stood strong.

The reason Zhang Jucheng and Qi Xuansu were so determined to destroy Li Tianlan was due to an unwritten rule of high-level Daoist politics. If one’s relationship had completely broken down, ripping off the mask of civility, then it was best to crush the opponent so that they could never rise again.

Of course, this did not necessarily mean death. It could mean being exiled to the Kunlun Daoist Mansion to repair temples or being suppressed in the Demon-Vanquishing Cave. That way, one effectively vanished from the Daoist world forever.

Under normal circumstances, overturning a verdict was not easy. The Zhou family used to be a Daoist aristocratic family with influential backing, yet after all these years, they still carried their historical baggage. It was no exaggeration to say that they could never recover from it.

That was because bringing down a high-ranking Daoist usually involved many procedures. It was never just a matter of a few political enemies acting against someone. There had to be investigations, trials, and formal judgments. If a case were to be overturned, that would imply that all the investigators and judges involved back then had been wrong. Moreover, those capable of investigating and judging high-ranking Daoists were no ordinary people. They would naturally resist overturning such cases.

Unless one had direct access to the very highest levels and could exert pressure from above, overturning a case was basically impossible.

Moreover, there was another prerequisite: the accused truly had to be wronged, with sufficient factual evidence supporting a reversal. Only then, combined with pressure from the upper levels, could a case possibly be overturned. For someone like Li Tianlan, whose crimes were relatively clear-cut, even pressure from the top would be useless. After all, the Daoist Order did not belong to any single person.

Zhang Jucheng drained the tea in his cup in one gulp. “Fortresses are often broken from within. Who do you think Li Tianlan’s weakness lies with?”

Qi Xuansu picked up the teapot and refilled Zhang Jucheng’s cup before topping up his own. “Naturally, it’s the woman who sleeps beside him. Li Tianlan has had three wives—his first wife, Li Ping’s mother, and his current wife. The first two are already dead. The current wife bore him a younger son, and Li Tianlan abandoned even his eldest son for her sake. That alone shows how much he values her. She most likely knows many of Li Tianlan’s secrets and inner dealings.”

Zhang Jucheng rose and walked over to his desk, picked up a file, then returned to the tea table and handed it to Qi Xuansu.

Qi Xuansu accepted it and looked inside, only to discover that it was a file on Li Tianlan’s entire family.

For Zhang Jucheng to become the spokesperson of the Zhang family’s main branch, he was naturally no mediocre figure. He possessed all the necessary methods and means. He also had abundant resources at his disposal. The resources he could mobilize from the Zhang family were on an entirely different level compared to those of Zhang Yuelu.

Thus, after Zhang Jucheng assumed the position of Jiangnan Daoist Mansion Master, the entire Daoist Mansion immediately became calm and orderly, with no major incidents occurring again. Even Li Tianlan did not dare openly oppose this Mansion Master. But this time, the matter had touched Li Tianlan’s bottom line. Cutting off a man’s source of wealth was akin to murdering his parents, so Li Tianlan had no choice but to react.

The reason Zhang Jucheng was determined to take down Li Tianlan was because of Zhang Juquan’s case. Zhang Jucheng did not deny that Zhang Juquan deserved his punishment, nor did he wish to overturn his case. But everything had to be fair.

If members of the Zhang family were corrupt and had been punished for it, then so be it. But members of the Li family were equally corrupt, so how could they be allowed to continue swaggering about arrogantly? More importantly, Zhang Juquan had been brought down by Li Tianlan himself. If Li Tianlan were not dealt with this time, then the Zhang family would never recover its dignity.

The struggle between the Zhang and Li families over all these years was no mere empty talk. That was why Zhang Jucheng and Qi Xuansu naturally found themselves in complete agreement.

Qi Xuansu flipped through the file. The contents were extremely detailed, even including portraits.

Li Tianlan’s third wife was named Gu Ying, who was still in her thirties. She was exceptionally beautiful, with a naturally seductive charm.

Even someone like Qi Xuansu, who was not particularly interested in women, was stunned by her beauty.

Judging purely from her appearance, this woman was a graceful and gentle beauty. Yet beneath that elegance was an allure capable of capturing a man’s heart and stirring his soul. The contrast between her refinement and hidden sensuality was what made her so attractive.

Qi Xuansu sighed. “A beauty like this is hard to forget. No wonder Li Tianlan was willing to abandon his own son for a woman.”

Zhang Jucheng continued, “I think gold is harder to forget. Over these years, the major Jiangnan cases are proof of that. Li Tianlan is most likely involved in them too.”

Qi Xuansu said, “The file states that this woman usually lives in seclusion and rarely appears in public. How are we supposed to get through to her? We can’t possibly target her son. If we’re going to bring Li Tianlan down, it has to be done openly and properly. We cannot resort to underhanded methods like that.”

“Of course, we can’t target her biological son,” Zhang Jucheng replied. Having already studied the file thoroughly, he remembered every detail by heart. “But we can start with her stepson.”

Qi Xuansu lifted his head. “Li Ping.”

“That’s right. Everything still circles back to Li Ping.” Zhang Jucheng had done his homework seriously, going far beyond gathering intelligence. In contrast, Qi Xuansu had recently focused most of his attention on Qi Wangui’s matter and had not paid much attention to this issue.

Zhang Jucheng continued, “Li Ping’s charge was attempted rape of his stepmother. Li Ping loudly claimed that he was framed by her. If what Li Ping says is true, then Gu Ying falsely accused him.”

Qi Xuansu nodded. “If it was indeed a false accusation, then the wrongful case must be overturned, and the false accuser must be held responsible. In that case, we can arrest Gu Ying on charges of falsely accusing another person.”

Zhang Jucheng nodded. “As long as Gu Ying falls into our hands, then uncovering other matters connected to Li Tianlan would be perfectly reasonable. The key issue is how to overturn the case. That will require cooperation from the Fengxian Hall.”

Qi Xuansu pondered for a moment before saying, “The Li family will have to get involved. The previous Zhang Juquan incident left Sage Qingwei looking embarrassed, and Li Changge was even investigated by Yao Pei for an entire month. That caused Li Changge to miss the opportunity to earn merit during the Fenglin Campaign, which made him lag one step behind me. They may not say it aloud, but they definitely harbor resentment in their hearts. Besides, Li Ping is also a member of the Li family. Helping one of their own overturn a wrongful conviction would be perfectly justifiable.”

Zhang Jucheng said, “What I fear is that the Li family may prioritize the greater picture and choose to swallow this grievance. Right now, some people within the Li family want Li Tianlan to suffer a heavy setback, but they don’t actually want him dead. They merely want to teach him a lesson. We can’t approach them directly, as that would alert the enemy. We need to take a more indirect route.”

Qi Xuansu thought for a moment. “Leave it to me. I’ll find a way to quietly pass the message to the Li family.”

Zhang Jucheng did not ask how Qi Xuansu intended to do it. He trusted Qi Xuansu’s abilities completely. “Good.”