An hour passed, and Liu Zhubu still hadn't arrived.
In the main hall, the silver frost charcoal in the brazier burned brightly, emitting soft crackling sounds, but it couldn't dispel the suffocating dullness in the air.
Li Chen'an maintained his lazy posture, leaning back in his chair with his eyes closed, as if completely unconcerned by Liu Zhubu's tardiness. Only his fingertips tapped rhythmically on the armrest.
Finally, the guard sent to deliver the message returned, his steps hurried, his face flushed with a suppressed indignation.
"Your Highness," he knelt on one knee and said in a low voice, "This subordinate went to the Zhubu's mansion in the prefecture. Liu's housekeeper said that Liu Zhubu... he... he caught a cold when he got up this morning and is now ill in bed, truly unable to come and meet Your Highness."
"Oh? Sick?" Li Chen'an didn't even lift his eyelids, but a sneer played on his lips. "What a coincidence."
The guard continued, "On the other side, Captain Zhao personally led his brothers to the Imperial Granary, intending to seal it. But the granary official, named Sun Youcai, he... he refused to open the doors, stating that the Imperial Granary is a vital imperial site, and without a joint inspection document issued by the prefecture and the Ministry of Revenue, no one is allowed to enter without permission. Otherwise... otherwise, it would be tantamount to treason."
"Treason? What a grand accusation. Did he really say that?" Li Chen'an finally opened his eyes, thinking, *Where am I supposed to get an inspection document from the Ministry of Revenue for him now?*
"Absolutely true. Captain Zhao and their men are currently facing off with weapons at the granary entrance, awaiting Your Highness's command."
Good heavens, one claims illness, the other uses national law as a shield. This isn't just giving me a hard time; this is clearly slapping me twice in the face.
Li Chen'an sneered inwardly. He knew this was definitely not the audacity of a mere Zhubu and granary official. In his previous life in the company, he had seen too many such things: departments shirking responsibility and bickering, seemingly for the sake of procedures and regulations, but in reality, there was a big boss behind them, using this to sideline a new project manager.
It seems that I, this 'project manager,' have run into an invisible wall before even starting work.
He didn't get angry; he just waved his hand, dismissing the guard. Then, he turned to Chen Zhizhou, who had been standing bowed in the hall, his tone still calm: "Chen (Prefect), have you heard all of this?"
Chen Zhizhou was already drenched in cold sweat. He took two steps forward, lowered his voice, almost whispering, "Your Highness, please dismiss everyone."
Li Chen'an glanced at him and gestured to the guards. All the guards then exited the main hall and guarded the entrance.
In the vast hall, only Li Chen'an and Chen Zhizhou remained.
Chen Zhizhou bowed again; this time, his waist was bent even lower, his posture even more humble, even carrying a hint of surrender.
"Your Highness, it's not that this official intentionally concealed anything, it's truly... truly that this matter involves too many people. This official... is insignificant and powerless!" He raised his head, his troubled face full of helplessness and struggle.
"Liu Zhubu, whose given name is Tai, acts so recklessly in Yunzhou City because... because one of his distant cousins is a favored concubine in the residence of the current Third Prince, Li Xiaowu."
Third Prince, Li Xiaowu!
Li Chen'an's pupils contracted slightly. It was him again. That imperial brother who had been hostile towards him in court and believed in iron-fisted methods.
Chen Zhizhou, seeing the slight change in Li Chen'an's expression, continued, "Not only that, but the Imperial Granary official, Sun Youcai, was originally an old hand transferred from Qin Province (the Third Prince's fiefdom).
It can be said that the money, grain, and personnel in Yunzhou City are nominally under this official's management, but secretly, they are all controlled by Li Xiaowu's people. This official... has been sidelined for many years, merely a figurehead."
After speaking, he sighed, as if all his strength had been drained.
This was reality, a cruel, naked reality.
Li Chen'an felt it was tricky for the first time. He had anticipated countless difficulties, but he had never expected his Third Brother's reach to be so long and deep.
He now understood Liu Zhubu's confidence. He wasn't resisting for himself; he was holding this 'fiefdom' for the Third Prince.
If he used force, breaking into the Imperial Granary as a prince, Sun Youcai only needed to shout, "The Seventh Prince is plundering the Imperial Granary and attempting treason!" This blame, he would have to bear it, whether he wanted to or not.
By the time the news reached the capital, his Imperial Father already disliked him; this charge would be enough to doom him, let alone talk about a peaceful retirement.
Violence would not work here.
He fell into his first true silence since transmigrating. He was accustomed to using modern thinking for a dimensionality reduction strike, but he had overlooked that this world had its own intricate set of game rules called power and human connections.
It seemed that having knowledge beyond his time was not enough. To live a peaceful life here, he first had to learn how to play the game.
He rubbed the pebble in his sleeve; its cool touch gradually calmed his chaotic thoughts.
"Calm down, Li Xian, calm down! Why panic? Isn't it just that the project encountered unexpected resistance? You've been through hellish starts in your previous life, where clients made demands in the middle of the night and programmers deleted databases and ran away. What is this?"
He took a deep breath, forcing himself to detach his emotions and redefine the problem from the most objective perspective.
"My core conflict now is not with Liu Zhubu, but the conflict of interest between me, the new project manager, and the Third Prince, the behind-the-scenes big boss. Liu Zhubu and that granary official are just the overseers and auditors he's embedded in the project."
"Forcing it through will get me branded with 'irregular operations,' and the project will be directly condemned to death. So, where is the breakthrough point?"
His gaze fell on Chen Zhizhou, who was looking fearful and dared not sweat.
This Chen Zhizhou, on the surface, seemed like a weak, incompetent, and bureaucratic official who only knew how to shirk responsibility and retreat. Unexpectedly, deep down, he still retained a bit of a scholar's integrity and a sense of righteousness for the country and its people.
"But this Chen Zhizhou... what role is he playing? A sidelined, incompetent former manager? No, that's not right."
Li Chen'an's eyes narrowed slightly: "If he were truly worthless, Liu Zhubu and his gang would have found an excuse to kick him out long ago. The fact that he's been a figurehead here for so many years indicates... he has a necessary existence within this old system."
That's right! He is that ceremonial tablet! Liu Zhubu needs him, this legitimate Zhizhou, to cover things up. The Third Prince also needs him, this soft and easily bullied empty shell, to maintain the superficial stability of Yunzhou City. He is a part of this corrupt system, a tool for maintaining stability.
A bold idea flashed in his mind.
"Since he is part of the old system, he must know the system's loopholes and cracks best! And... an instrumental figure suppressed for so many years, is he truly content?
Is he revealing all this to me today truly out of fear? Or... in despair, does he want to grasp a new lifeline?"
Li Chen'an didn't need Chen Zhizhou to have any world-shaking talents, nor did he even need him to have an unyielding integrity.
At this stage, he only needed to confirm one thing—that he was not content. As long as he was not content, he had value to be leveraged and utilized, and he could become the first wedge he drove into this monolithic system.
Thinking of this, Li Chen'an's chaotic thoughts became completely clear. He looked up, once again at Chen Zhizhou.
Chen Zhizhou felt a chill in his heart under his gaze, but then he saw Li Chen'an's lips slowly curve into a smile.
"Chen (Prefect)," he slowly began, his voice betraying no emotion, "You just said you were just a figurehead?"
"Yes... this official is incompetent."
"No, quite the opposite." Li Chen'an shook his head. "A figurehead who can remain steadily in the position of Zhizhou for many years under such circumstances precisely demonstrates your value."
"Your value lies in your incompetence and obedience. That's why Liu Zhubu needs you as a ceremonial tablet to deceive others, and the Third Prince also needs you as the nominal Zhizhou to maintain the superficial peace of Yunzhou City. You are like the main pillar in this house; though old, you are indispensable."
Chen Zhizhou's heart was violently shaken by his words, and cold sweat streamed down his face. He felt as if he had been stripped naked before this young prince, all his thoughts seen through.
Li Chen'an observed his shocked expression, knowing the timing was right, and then changed the subject: "Chen (Prefect), you have been a figurehead in Yunzhou City for so many years. Are there any talented people like you, who have abilities but no outlet, suppressed by Liu Zhubu and his ilk, and remain frustrated to this day?"