Unexpected as it was, Li Bangyan, having reached his current official standing, did not believe in any manna from heaven.
If a pie were to truly fall from the sky one day, it would likely be poisoned.
The terms offered by Xu Churen were so generous that he almost couldn't believe them.
"Are you so sure I can ascend?"
After frowning, Li Bangyan looked at Yuan Xingchi again.
"Does your Excellency wish to hear the truth or a falsehood?"
Yuan Xingchi asked with a smile.
"What sort of question is that? Of course, I want to hear the truth!"
"Then forgive my presumption!"
Yuan Xingchi smiled, took a sip of tea, and then said.
"Speak freely, sir!"
Li Bangyan also gestured for him to proceed.
"Whether Academician Li can ascend this time depends firstly on Academician Li himself, and secondly on Chancellor Wang and Assistant Minister Bai!"
"What do you mean?"
Yuan Xingchi's statement immediately piqued Li Bangyan's interest.
"Forgive my bluntness, but among the three, Academician Li was originally the least favored."
Even Li Bangyan felt a bit awkward after Yuan Xingchi's words, as being told by a stranger that one was inferior was a great humiliation for any official.
Yet, he had to admit that Yuan Xingchi's words held some truth.
As for Wang Fu, he was already a Grand Councilor, and further promotion to Chancellor seemed fitting.
Although Bai Shizhong was only an Assistant Minister of Personnel, he was a core member of the Cai faction. Previously supported by Cai Jing, he now had Cai You behind him.
Consequently, his position was not only incredibly stable but he had also become the de facto controller of the entire Ministry of Personnel.
Furthermore, with the support of Prince Yun at this juncture, even if he himself did not wish to ascend, Prince Yun and Cai You would actively push him forward.
In contrast, Li Bangyan was merely a sinecural academician of the Hanlin Academy, lacking strong connections to support his rise.
Moreover, although his relationship with the Crown Prince was cordial, the issue was that even if Liang Shicheng now sided with the Crown Prince, he couldn't offer any assistance in this matter.
After all, no emperor would wish to see his close eunuchs friendly with the nation's Chancellor.
If Liang Shicheng were to intervene at this time, it would only be counterproductive for Li Bangyan.
Analyzing from these two aspects, he was indeed at the bottom of the three.
"The words may not be pleasant to hear, but they are the truth. Please continue, sir!"
Honest advice, though bitter, is beneficial. Especially at this juncture, Li Bangyan was eager to hear such candid opinions.
"Although Academician Li has the smallest chance of ascending among the three, he cannot withstand their current mutual conflict!"
"Oh?"
A peculiar smile appeared on Li Bangyan's face.
He seemed to have caught something extraordinary in Yuan Xingchi's words.
"The case in Kaifeng Prefecture, isn't that Chancellor Wang exerting pressure on Assistant Minister Bai?"
Not intimidated by Li Bangyan's strange smile, Yuan Xingchi continued his discourse without any explanation.
"Then, in your opinion, who will win or lose in this current case?"
Li Bangyan's interest was piqued.
"Where is there victory or defeat in such matters? In my view, neither Chancellor Wang nor Assistant Minister Bai will fare well in the end! Of course, this is assuming they continue to attack each other and remain evenly matched."
"And what if Assistant Minister Bai falls because of this?"
As Li Bangyan spoke, he reached out to pour Yuan Xingchi another cup of tea.
"Chancellor Wang has played his cards. Isn't Assistant Minister Bai still safe? While our Chancellor Wang is a master strategist, his methods are too clumsy and his vision too narrow!"
While to most, Yuan Xingchi's words might seem presumptuous, as he was a commoner critiquing a nation's Chancellor, Li Bangyan himself had to admit that there was some truth to his statement at this moment.
"The breadth of vision, what does that have to do with this matter?"
Despite acknowledging the truth, Li Bangyan still felt a slight sense of defiance.
"If Chancellor Wang truly wanted to ensure Bai Shizhong had no chance of recovery, he should have revealed everything in court that day, rather than waiting for the Kaifeng Prefecture investigation! Moreover, he himself hid behind the scenes, hesitant to act. At such a critical juncture, he still cared about saving face. His current predicament is hardly unwarranted!"
Yuan Xingchi finished speaking and gave a slight smile.
According to their original plan, once Wang Fu obtained the evidence, Bai Shizhong should have been completely ousted.
However, he had not anticipated that Wang Fu's methods would be so clumsy. Although the timing was precise and the execution swift, his thick skin was simply too thin.
Had he personally intervened in court that day or at the Kaifeng Prefecture investigation, once that evidence was publicly revealed, Bai Shizhong would have had no chance.
Yet, he kept his distance, arguing with Cai You for so long in court without getting to the crucial points.
This gave Bai Shizhong an opportunity to maneuver, ultimately leading to the Emperor's change of heart and the failure of all prior schemes.
If it weren't for Han Mo's timely adjustment of the plan, Yuan Xingchi would likely not have had the leisure to sit with Li Bangyan now.
"There is some truth to what you say, but even without Bai Shizhong, I would still be no match for Chancellor Wang."
Li Bangyan calmly drank his tea and said again.
"Why should Academician Li be so self-deprecating? If I'm not mistaken, someone should have already delivered evidence against Chancellor Wang to your doorstep by now."
As Yuan Xingchi finished speaking, the butler's knock sounded at the door.
"What is it?"
Li Bangyan frowned slightly, showing displeasure.
"There is another guest outside. He says he is from Hebei and has urgent matters to discuss with Academician Li!"
As soon as the butler finished speaking, Li Bangyan felt a chill run down his spine.
Could someone in this world truly possess foresight?
"Sir, you are indeed extraordinary. I wonder, do you think I should meet this person?"
Taking a deep breath, Li Bangyan asked again.
"I reiterate my question: does Academician Li wish to hear the truth or a falsehood?"
Yuan Xingchi spoke while raising his teacup.