Chapter 76: A Game of Wits with a纨绔 (playboy/spoiled brat)
Qi Chengming glanced at the talent list in the infrastructure system, and Li Banhui was listed among them.
All right.
He gave up trying to figure out the spoiled brat's thought process—it was enough to confirm that the man was genuinely loyal.
Trying to project his own ideas onto a reckless and impulsive young man made Qi Chengming feel subtly insulted. Even if he were placed on the same level, Qi Chengming probably wouldn't understand why.
"I have a very important question to ask you." Having confirmed his stance, Qi Chengming no longer hesitated and asked directly and cautiously, "Did your father... uh, ever teach you not to tell others those secrets?"
"...?" Li Banhui stared, belatedly realizing that the future Crown Prince was complaining that he... wasn't keeping secrets enough?
His expression froze on his face, and he hurriedly defended himself: "That's different! Your Highness, you are the lord I want to serve. The relationship between ruler and subject, father and son, is one where the king is always above the father and son!"
“That’s what they say, but I’m not a ‘ruler’ yet,” Qi Chengming calmly pointed out. His gaze towards the young man replaced Li Banhui’s anxiety with fear. The young prince didn’t reveal any emotion, but his eyes held a hint of regret and disappointment as he spoke calmly.
“Vice Envoy Li, may I address you as such? You can frankly admit your shortcomings, which is not important to me at the moment. However—your current actions make it difficult for me to entrust you with this task.”
This is a warning, and also a test of the spoiled brat's character.
Qi Chengming currently only knows that this minor villain is a troublesome character, incompetent at everything and a master of causing chaos. Although the other party has genuinely come to pledge allegiance, Qi Chengming is no longer the down-on-his-luck prince who has just left the capital and is like a stray dog. He has the right to consider whether or not to recruit such a... troublesome individual into his camp.
Maintaining high team cohesion and avoiding being hindered by incompetent teammates are what Qi Chengming cares about most right now.
"..." Li Banhui slumped into the chair, his face pale, his spine feeling as if it had been broken.
His mind was in turmoil. He opened his mouth, trying to use his usual eloquent words to explain himself, but he couldn't say anything. His lips were dry, and all that remained was a heart-pounding fear.
what to do?
Even in this second life, he still won't be accepted? He came so early, right when the Second Prince was at his lowest point, trying to save the day! He brought so much money with him!
He's always been looked down upon as a spoiled brat, and he knows he's a good-for-nothing! It's true he's incompetent and unlikely to change. But… his loose tongue is because he really has no other options! He can only rely on his family and his father… This incredible opportunity to be reborn is worth risking everything for!
However, the second prince still disliked this.
Did he... end up making things worse?
The thought that he had finally gotten a chance to make something of himself and earn his father's respect was ruined by him. He had lived two lives, either as a pawn or a tool, and after living in a daze, he finally accepted a true master, only to be rejected now... Li Banhui couldn't hold back anymore, and tears streamed down his face.
He's really good at holding back his tears if he doesn't break down and wail.
That would be so embarrassing!
What should he do? How can he possibly win him back?
With his last shred of pride, the young man inhaled through his nose, and through his blurred vision, he vaguely saw a trace of helplessness flash across the Second Prince's face. His memories of dealing with his mother, accumulated over many years, suddenly resurfaced, as if he had instinctively grasped a soft, vulnerable opening.
Li Banhui blurted out, "...Your Highness, it's fine if you don't assign me the task! You don't need to tell me the secrets. I'll keep an eye on the capital for you when I get back and send out messages regularly. You'll see how I changed later...you'll see later."
He hesitated and said, "Want to talk to me about the job again?"
Li Banhui originally wanted to say, "Trust me one more time?", but the word "trust" was far from being associated with a playboy, and even Li Banhui himself had a sudden realization when he was about to say it, so he changed his words.
That word carries too much weight; a bastard like him... can't bear it.
After the initial shock and overwhelming excitement subsided, Li Banhui realized with a dejected sigh—yes, the Second Prince's judgment was correct. Even he himself still didn't believe it.
Upon hearing this, Qi Chengming revealed a genuine smile of joy.
The smile was one of relief.
"Okay." He agreed without hesitation, but said nothing more. Qi Chengming's next task was to observe whether the young master of the Li family would be exposed in the capital, and whether the news that he thought the "second prince" was not bad would spread throughout the city.
The good news is that this spoiled brat—who just passed the test—is not the type he hates the most.
What is Qi Chengming testing?
What he just said was actually the truth, a harsh and unpleasant truth about the纨绔 (playboy/spoiled brat). If Young Master Li reacted differently, he would respond differently based on that reaction:
He is currently outwardly weak, and even if Young Master Li is genuinely loyal, Young Master Li himself has many flaws that make him untrustworthy. If Qi Chengming refuses him, will Young Master Li fly into a rage? Will he harbor resentment?
Is he thinking...?
"I've come all this way to seek refuge with you, a prince with no one to serve, and you won't accept me?" "You yourself have no power, and I've shown you my worth once, yet you still look down on me for being utterly corrupt?" "I'm a grand-nephew who has influence with the Empress Dowager, while you have no say anywhere. Why don't you trust me?"
This is a subtle power struggle. It's something Qi Chengming instinctively felt he had to establish from the very beginning—is it a case of a weak ruler and arrogant subjects? Or should he try to gauge the situation from the outset and then gradually build a convincing framework?
If this point isn't clear, Qi Chengming won't accept anyone simply by looking at the talent list. Even among his talented individuals, different personalities will lead to different ways of interacting:
Huang Dong is the most worry-free technical talent; he submits when he submits, but he is too pure and not good at handling official business or controlling the overall situation.
Qin Liusong is a pillar of society, worldly-wise yet true to his principles; he's needed everywhere. He's extremely capable and incredibly ambitious. If it weren't for the twist of fate that extinguished his arrogance at their initial meeting, and Qi Chengming's subsequent constant introduction of new technologies and modern products that intimidated people, what would Qin Liusong have become?
Bai Xuan came from a merchant family, and the difference in status was too great, so it always went from bottom to top.
Shen Shuzhi and Wang Chuandao... Although these two are on the talent list, they have not confided in him. They belong to the type that Qi Chengming needs to consider the power dynamic between ruler and subject later, and he wants to avoid the issue for now, so let's not mention them for now.
—So, which type is this Young Master Li?
Given his arrogant and threatening nature in the original story, if the two of them were to clash in the future, would this spoiled brat really obediently listen to Qi Chengming? Or would he be bold enough to think, "I went to rely on you when you were at your weakest, and I played a part in your rise to the throne. Why should I be so obedient and repent now?"
This potential threat has now been nipped in the bud. Young Master Li is a bold and foolish playboy, naive and arrogant, but lacks the cunning, shrewdness, arrogance, and viciousness typical of mature playboys. Perhaps he will become like that in the future, but for now… he isn't entirely flawed.
Thinking about all this, Qi Chengming secretly admired it.
"Stay for a meal before you leave," Qi Chengming instructed methodically, and the atmosphere in the flower hall gradually relaxed.
He pondered to himself.
It's a good opportunity to take advantage of the meal—while the young rascal is still easy to fool—to find out what kind of inhuman things he's been reading, and to subtly influence him to change.
Qi Chengming could accept having a bad guy among his subordinates; he couldn't expect all his ministers to be virtuous and upright. But he also had his bottom line: Li Banhui's actions absolutely could not involve bullying men and women, forcing people to ruin and die, or causing widespread resentment.
Li Banhui happily agreed, feeling somewhat flattered.
In two lifetimes, he has never had a meal alone with His Highness the Crown Prince!
With a series of "clatters," familiar or unfamiliar dishes were placed on the table, their irresistible aromas filling the air.
Qi Chengming inexplicably felt that he was already quite familiar with this process. Xiao Chengzi came up and poured him a cup of tea. He picked up the cup of tea, which was at a suitable temperature, lowered his eyes, and prepared to wait for Li Banhui to eat a little longer before speaking: "..."
Li Banhui carefully sniffed the tea, then took a sip, and was astonished.
The name of this black tea was unknown, but its taste and quality were excellent, almost as good as the tea he drank in the capital. It should be noted that Li Banhui and his father held very lucrative but sinecure positions, allowing them to line their own pockets and live a life of leisure. Their food, clothing, and daily necessities were all of the highest quality, and the Empress Dowager would occasionally bestow gifts from the palace…
Even so, they are still almost the same.
As expected of the future Crown Prince, even in his most destitute moments, he still possesses such strength.
Li Banhui felt a chill run down his spine and became much more obedient.
"..." Xiao Chengzi carefully observed his expression, then stepped aside, contentedly concealing his merit and fame.
Ha, after that conversation, Xiao Chengzi was afraid that his prince's aura wouldn't be enough to suppress the gazes of these playboys from the capital, so he specially opened the best batch of tea that Bai Xuan had sent earlier, brewed a pot, and sure enough, it intimidated them.
"Losing the man but not the battle"—His Highness, of course, cannot lose either his manhood or his battle formation!
"Delicious... I love this braised pork the most!" Li Banhui blurted out, then realized with unease that he seemed to have revealed something, and quickly lowered his head to chew. He unconsciously began to laugh at himself.
Why is it so hard to change this habit of speaking without thinking?!
...In his previous life, he lived a very happy first half of his life. The carefree days and the joy of playing with cats and dogs were indescribable.
He knew he was stupid and wicked, but so what? His parents protected him, the Empress Dowager protected him, and as long as he didn't provoke the wrong people, he could do whatever he wanted. He could even retort to a prince—though it depended on the person. In short, he could practically do whatever he wanted in the capital most of the time.
He committed all sorts of evil deeds, enjoying the pleasure derived from this wickedness. Then, the "succession struggle among the princes," which had always troubled his father, arrived.
Li Banhui never cared about those things; he was content with just eating and playing. But the turmoil came too quickly, the danger too great, and he, in his naivety, knew nothing and was unwilling to care. With the Empress Dowager's passing, what was left of their family? The situation took a sharp turn for the worse; his father's worries and anxieties were still unresolved when disaster struck first.
...If His Highness the Crown Prince hadn't had no other choice, in that instant he would have chosen to trust Li Banhui and let him handle the matter.
Thinking of this, Li Banhui suddenly stopped eating and sighed heavily in frustration.
Otherwise, he wouldn't know what it felt like to be trusted for even a moment, which made him so fearful and strange. It was the last straw he grasped in his despair.
It's a pity he still died, ruining everything! What will become of His Highness the Crown Prince? He dared not think about those possibilities any further.
He's such a useless idiot, all he does is cause trouble!
Thinking about all this, Li Banhui felt a burning, uneasy unease. When he woke up in this life, he had been drinking in Zuiyuan Tower for three days, completely drunk, yet he still couldn't forget that agonizing feeling. So, there was only one way left.
Go to Liuzhou.
...He knew who would have a better chance of winning in the future, and he went for the sake of his family's future!
Li Banhui awkwardly tried to convince himself of this.
Qi Chengming, watching the boy eat as if he were being tortured, thought: "...?"
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Author's Note: Mini-Drama 1:
While eating, Young Master Li sighed, unable to swallow, his face contorted in pain.
Qi Chengming: ?
...You have such a picky palate? You can't get used to all these new dishes I've made? Are you trying to force me to add chili peppers?!
.
Mini-Theater 2:
Qi Chengming from his previous life (looking around): My brothers are all using the Li family as a shield, and now they're going to target me next?
Here's a little advice for this minor villain from the original book: if you can understand it, run away. Whether you live or die is up to you.
In his past life, Li Banhui was so clueless and couldn't understand anything: Your Highness...believe me?!
It gets angry and goes into a rage—then gets killed because it's useless.
Qi Chengming in his previous life: …………
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