Chapter 25: The Art of Physiognomy Aids the Rise to Power

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Chapter 25: The Art of Physiognomy Aids the Rise to Power

The processed “ritual tool” was handed over to Boss Wang that very afternoon. Chen Yuan instructed him to donate as much as possible to schools, orphanages, nursing homes, and similar institutions within three months, and to keep doing so until the “ritual tool” broke.

After that, he put the matter out of his mind. He had done everything he needed to do, and if any further complications arose, they had nothing to do with Chen Yuan.

What Chen Yuan did gain was a considerable sum of money, which got him thinking about renting a storefront and opening a small shop. After all, continuing to set up a stall in a park didn’t exactly have much prestige. Hadn’t all the true “masters” had their own places of practice? In any case, having a place of his own was always better. Even blind fortune-tellers who set up shop outside temples had their own regular spots.

Chen Yuan was a classic newcomer to a strange place, knowing neither the people nor the area, so in the end, he still asked Yu Shenliu. As it happened, it was Friday, and Yu Shenliu agreed to take him around the next day or the day after to see whether there was a suitable place near his home.

Before then, though, Chen Yuan remembered that he had already promised to help, and with tomorrow’s matter as well, he decided to give Yu Shenliu a little something in return for all the help he had received lately. So Chen Yuan turned on the television and watched a program on Jincheng Television.

What did watching television have to do with repaying him?

It was simple. Since Yu Shenliu was a government official, naturally he wanted to climb higher. The problem was that he was being pushed aside and had no real power in his hands. Yu Shenliu was the deputy mayor in charge of the economy, and his direct rival was the mayor, who had originally been responsible for economic development.

Chen Yuan didn’t understand many of the methods used in officialdom, but he understood that as long as the mayor’s influence could be weakened slightly, Yu Shenliu would naturally have an opportunity.

Chen Yuan had his own principles, so he certainly wouldn’t use any underhanded methods to deal with the other man. But there were some things he could do to provide a little assistance.

These days, government officials with a bit of seniority usually have to make an appearance on television now and then, showing off their approachable side or how hard they work. And Jincheng Television naturally kept an eye on events in Jincheng, with the mayor appearing on TV quite frequently as well. Chen Yuan spent the entire day watching television precisely so he could see this man.

Compared with ancient times, when it was difficult to get a good look at someone, having television made things much easier for Chen Yuan. Otherwise, how was he supposed to track down the mayor just to get a look at his face? And how was he supposed to obtain the man’s Bazi? Even if Yu Shenliu could help, it would ultimately be very inconvenient and could easily lead to trouble.

The local news in Jincheng aired before the national evening news, around dinnertime. Normally, Chen Yuan wouldn’t do anything else while eating and would simply focus on his meal. But today, he squatted in front of the television with his bowl in hand, staring at the screen and observing the mayor’s movements and face.

Fortunately, he was watching the mayor, so the camera stayed on him throughout. If it had been some lower-ranking official, it would have been much harder for Chen Yuan to observe him.

Normally, Yu Shenliu watched the national evening news, but he wasn’t particularly interested in Jincheng’s local news. For one thing, when it came to what was happening in Jincheng, he already knew far more than the news could tell him. The national evening news, on the other hand, would subtly reveal the country’s major policies, which helped him understand the general direction things were heading. For another, Jincheng’s local news always meant seeing a bunch of people who left him feeling frustrated. Yu Shenliu was, after all, somewhat proud by nature.

Normally, Chen Yuan wouldn’t pay any attention to the television at all. He had basically no interest in TV programs, much less something like the news. But today, seeing Chen Yuan turn on the television and watch this, Yu Shenliu was rather surprised.

Seeing how seriously Chen Yuan was watching, Yu Shenliu became curious as well. “What are you watching?” he asked.

Without turning his head, Chen Yuan tossed out two words.

“Physiognomy.”

What?

Yu Shenliu came over with his rice bowl in hand. Chen Yuan was, after all, no ordinary person, so many of the things he did were rather strange. But watching television to read someone’s physiognomy? That sounded truly… fascinating. Was Chen Yuan practicing his physiognomy skills? Even if that was the purpose, did he really need to watch Jincheng’s local news?

So he couldn’t help asking another question. “Who are you looking at?”

“I’m looking at the mayor for you.” Chen Yuan turned his head toward Yu Shenliu, looking a little puzzled but otherwise perfectly calm. Hadn’t Yu Shenliu asked him earlier to find a way to help him gain power ahead of schedule? It seemed he had already forgotten about it.

Yu Shenliu really hadn’t thought of that. Although he had previously asked Chen Yuan whether there was any way to help him gain power ahead of schedule, he hadn’t actually expected Chen Yuan to come up with any practical advice. Officialdom was officialdom, after all. No matter how capable Chen Yuan was, he knew very little about how things worked in the political world.

And yet now Chen Yuan was watching the mayor?

Could he really have a way?

Yu Shenliu leaned against Chen Yuan and looked at the mayor’s face on the television, then turned back to look at Chen Yuan’s expression. Clearly, curiosity was eating at him, but he didn’t ask any questions. He simply waited for Chen Yuan to finish observing.

The television in Yu Shenliu’s home was of excellent quality. As Chen Yuan watched the screen, he found that every detail of the man’s expression was displayed with astonishing clarity, almost as clear as if he were examining the man’s physiognomy face-to-face.

After Chen Yuan had watched for quite some time, the broadcast moved on and the mayor was no longer on screen. Only then did Yu Shenliu dare ask, “How is it?”

“Since I wasn’t looking at him in person, his complexion looks different, so I can’t make a definite judgment.” Chen Yuan started with that. He picked up his bowl, shoveled in a couple of mouthfuls, and chewed and swallowed.

Only then did Yu Shenliu realize that Chen Yuan had been so busy watching the television that he had barely eaten anything since they started their meal. He immediately felt a little guilty.

“Eat first. We can talk while we eat.” He stood up, reached down, and pulled Chen Yuan, who was still crouching there, to his feet before leading him back to the table.

Chen Yuan was indeed hungry. Once he sat down, he immediately reached out with his chopsticks for some food. Yu Shenliu also picked up several pieces and put them into Chen Yuan’s bowl. The two of them first ate a little to settle their stomachs before continuing the conversation.

“Actually, the mayor’s physiognomy isn’t as good as yours,” Chen Yuan began.

Yu Shenliu’s appearance could be called one in ten thousand. Chen Yuan had secretly marveled at it when they first met, so it was only natural that most people’s physiognomy would pale in comparison.

Chen Yuan’s gaze swept over the red mole beneath Yu Shenliu’s left eyebrow.

A physiognomy fit for a high-ranking official. Not everyone was born with one.

Hearing Chen Yuan say that, Yu Shenliu wasn’t surprised. Although the mayor was suppressing him now, that didn’t mean he would always be able to keep Yu Shenliu down. Yu Shenliu was still young and had powerful connections, and his future was bound to be limitless.

But no matter what the future held, the fact remained that Yu Shenliu was being constrained right now. Breaking through that predicament as soon as possible would only be a good thing. Climbing upward from the position of deputy mayor was a hurdle, and once he cleared it, everything would be different.

“Still, putting everything else aside, clear and well-defined brows and eyes, with balanced and regular features—that’s a good physiognomy for an official.” What Chen Yuan was talking about was partly physiognomy, but also the fact that an upright appearance naturally made people feel that an official was a good official.

Just look at officials who truly held high positions. Even if they weren’t handsome, they were invariably dignified and well-featured. So yes, even becoming an official had something to do with appearance. A person’s looks often caused others to form a preconceived impression of them.¹

“Setting everything else aside, that mole on the left side beneath his lower lip, close to the jawline, represents unexpected wealth.”

“For an ordinary person, having this mole wouldn’t be a problem. But for an official to have this mole…”

Yu Shenliu understood immediately.

“Bribery!”

Chen Yuan nodded firmly. Although everyone wanted to become a high-ranking official and make a fortune, it was hardly a good thing for an official to amass great wealth, especially when it came from unexpected or illicit sources. That could often lead to even more trouble.

The mole itself wasn’t enough to prove anything. What mattered was the mayor’s expression. Although his brows and eyes still appeared clear and well-defined, a closer look revealed a hazy quality in his eyes. It was a sign that wealth had already begun to cloud his judgment. If not for that, Chen Yuan couldn’t have been certain.

This really is a breakthrough point, Yu Shenliu thought.

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