Song Qingshu hurriedly asked, "What is it?"
Li Shouchong replied, "This time, the officials used debauchery in the inner palace as a pretext to attack you. Next time, they can find some other excuse. Are you going to remain passively on the defensive every time? As the saying goes, prolonged defense is bound to fail. One day, they will force you into a corner."
Song Qingshu gave a bitter smile. "How could I not know that? But what can I do right now? I can only deal with each move as it comes."
Li Shouchong shook his head. "Although King Qi now holds a lofty position and immense authority, seemingly beneath one man and above ten thousand, it is merely oil poured onto a blazing fire, flowers piled atop brocade. Your decrees cannot reach the lower ranks, and even if they do, they will be distorted. On top of that, certain people will direct their followers to pick apart your faults. In the end, it all comes down to the fact that you have no foundation at court."
"I understand that well enough, but where am I supposed to build my own faction in such a short time?" Song Qingshu was deeply troubled by this as well.
Li Shouchong looked at him meaningfully. "Right now, there happens to be a ready-made force at court."
"Oh?" Song Qingshu quickly pressed him for more.
Li Shouchong answered, "A few months ago, Han Tuozhou still wielded overwhelming power over the court. Unfortunately, Jia Sidao killed him with a Bolang strike. With the Han faction leaderless, they were then defeated one by one. But back then, they had suppressed Jia Sidao so thoroughly he could barely breathe. How many officials did they have under them? Later, Jia Sidao cracked down on them. Some were