| Ryo Fui | |||||||
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| Chinese | Lü Bu Wei | ||||||
| Kanji | 呂不韋 | ||||||
| Romaji | Ryo Fui | ||||||
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| “ | Allow me to say this, Ri Boku. When it comes to doing business, I have never in my entire life budged a single inch from my offered price. | ” |
—Ryo Fui negotiating with Ri Boku. | ||
Ryo Fui was a powerful politician of the state of Qin and former merchant. He was the leader of the Ryo Fui Faction, his personal political faction, at the beginning of Ei Sei's reign as the former Chancellor of the Right and later the Chancellor of the State before his fall from power.
Ryo Fui had so much power and influence, that he was able to defy the King's authority with ease while also scheming to seize the Qin throne for himself. His ambition was to make war obsolete by integrating China economically as he wanted to make Qin into a kingdom based on a powerful economy instead of pillage and plunder, where happiness and quality of life would be assured by a wide production of consumer goods.
Appearance[]
Ryo Fui is a well-built middle-aged man. He has a long brown goatee, long hair, and a thin mustache.
Personality[]
He loves gambling and has some luck with it. He likes to get what he wants and is used to it. He has shown great ambition in gaining the throne of Qin and slyness equaling to his ambition. Ryo Fui went to the extent of giving his fiancée to the past Qin king to win his trust and gain a higher ranking. He openly admitted that he tried to assassinate the king, forcing Ei Sei to show that he had no power to punish him for the crimes he committed.
History[]
Ryo Fui was born in the city of Youteki in the state of Han.[2]
Ryo Fui, as young man, became a merchant who dealt between the states of Yan and Zhao.[3] He once saw a battle between two states with his teacher, he mused at the sight of fighting seeing how foolish it was with his teacher reaffirming that the soldiers themselves also known. Ryo could only smile to himself as he thought on what he could do if he had access to the amount of money that goes into warfare but his teacher tells him not to go any further with his thoughts as they are simple merchants who sold weapons when needed. After experiencing this event, he would work to gain power in the years to come. As an adult, Ryo worked in the state of Zhao as he formed connections with Shun Pei Kun, a fellow merchant, and the Shi Ka's black merchant group. He also met Bi Ki, a young woman who was a famous dancer during this period with the two becoming lovers with Ryo Fui courting her with generous displays of his affection as the two were engaged. But at the same time, he would begin planning for his rise in power. Using Sou Jou, a prince from the state of Qin who was sent to Zhao as a political hostage, Ryo Fui used his entire fortune to gain favor with the prince as Ryo would invest a large amount of resources in order to make the prince the future king of Qin. Amongst these investment Ryo Fui give away his own fiancé to become the prince's woman.
After years of sponsorship, Sou Jou was able to return the state of Qin and invited Ryo Fui to the Qin courts. Ryo Fui then started gaining influence in the courts and used bribes to secure the throne for Sou Jou. The new Qin king rewarded the former merchant the position of the Chancellor of the Right of Qin. Ryo Fui also gained a rival in the form of Ketsu Shi, the Chancellor of the Left.
The first talented person he recruited was Shou Hei Kun, a young man with immense talent in the military arts and warfare and the former student of Kyou Shou of the Six Great Generals in his first years as the Chancellor. Sometime later, in order to strengthen his faction, he gathered many talented individuals to form his own faction while creating the Four Pillars of Ryo Fui, a group consisting of persons considered among the best in their respective fields. The members were: Shou Hei Kun, Mou Bu, the son of Great General Mou Gou, Sai Taku, a former Chancellor from the era of War God and famous diplomat and Ri Shi, a highly talented legalist.
Story[]
Sei Kyou's Rebellion Arc[]
Ryo Fui at the start of the series was on a military campaign against the state of Wei while at the same time the Sei Kyou Faction who had joined forces with his rival, Ketsu Shi, was rebelling against the Ei Sei Faction in the capital of Kanyou. When a messenger was dispatched by the Ei Sei faction to inform him about the rebellion and to seek help, Ryo Fui had the messenger executed on the spot under the excuse that they were sent by Wei to stir up confusion. The true intention of Ryo Fui was to allow the Sei Kyou faction to overthrow Ei Sei and then he and own forces would sweep in order to suppress the rebellion, kill Sei Kyou in the course of that and makes himself the new king. When news of Sei Kyou's defeat by Ei Sei and his men reached him, he was furious as the Chancellor could only click his teeth in annoyance. In anime, however, he went on to congratulate, although sarcastically, the king for retaining his throne.
Assassination Plot Arc[]
Ryo Fui, due to his childish nature, sends assassins clans including Kyou Kai to take Sei's head. The assassination attempt failed miserably. In Anime however, this does not happen.
Ryo Fui returns to Kanyou with his Four Pillars. He openly admitted that he tried to assassinate the king, and knowing full well he had no chance of putting him on trial due to his overwhelming power in the court, Ei Sei passed it as a joke as if it was false. In effect, he began pressuring the Ei Sei faction by gaining support from many influential officials that went against the king, Shou Bun Kun, Shi Shi, and other ministers. In Anime, the threat was not included, but seen him congratulating the King in his victory.
Alliance Arc[]
Ryo Fui oversees the truce between Zhao and Qin, acting as he was speaking in behalf of Qin. Then, he went on the banquet, and sit in front of Ri Boku, after Shin got dragged out.
Third Faction Arc[]
The king looked to his callous and distance mother, the Queen Mother for support against the Ryo Fui faction. She held absolute control over the Royal Harem and not even Ryo Fui had influence in her territory. The Queen falsely made it believe she was providing help to the king but in reality, was already in alliance with Ryo Fui in which they both had sexual relations and past intimate feelings for one another. Fortunately, one of the palace girls named Kou heard Ryo Fui and the Queen's conversation on murdering the king and taking the throne. Ei Sei found out about this and began taking charge against Ryo Fui by spreading rumors on his affair with the Queen with the help of Shi Shi which weakened his support from ministers from the court.
Sanyou Aftermath Arc[]
Later on, he gains the position of Chancellor of the state which gave him much more power, second only to Ei Sei. With this development, Ei Sei reluctantly released Sei Kyou from prison in which they agreed to assist each other against Ryo Fui. The king gains numerous support from ministers of royal blood and his power greatly increases. He is seen in the war meetings between Ri Boku as well in the discussions on how to defeat the Allied Coalition in which he shows great weariness.
Coalition Invasion Arc[]
He was mentioned by Ri Boku, wanting to deal with Ryo should Sei get captured.
Conspiracy in the Court Arc[]
He commanded Ho Kaku and Ryuu to set up Sei Kyou. Then, when the news arrived at the rebellion of Tonryuu, he nominated that Sei lead the subjugation, but the King has another person in mind.
After the rebellion, he was confronted by Shin after the latter heard him talking to his cohorts.
State of Ai Arc[]
He went to the coronation ceremony but posted his loyalists in Kanyou to assist the Ai Army. Then after the ceremony, he went with Sei to Kinen Temple for a debate. He admitted the loss and was exiled to a small province of Qin right afterwards.
Western Zhao Invasion Arc[]
Ryo Fui was stripped of his rank for his crimes against the Kingdom and exiled to city of Kanan.
Zhao Crisis Arc[]
Ryo Fui's presence in the Kanan area naturally attracted some of his former followers and many dissidents of Ei Sei's regime. In time, this faction was becoming too powerful to be ignored by the King, because it could very well start a civil war within the Kingdom (in a crucial hour of the war between Qin and Zhao, nonetheless).
The head of Intelligence, Shi Shi, advised the King that Ryo Fui should be executed regardless of treasonous conduct, given that his presence alone would suffice to rally his majesty's enemies. However, the King had other plans and decided to talk to the former Chancellor face to face.
When Ryo Fui and Ei Sei met for the first time after the exile, the monarch looked straight into his eyes and saw no reason to believe that Ryo Fui was a threat. The former Chancellor replied that his majesty's kindness was as much his strength as it was his weakness, for it could inspire loyalty, but it also barred him from making tough choices - like listening to Shi Shi's advice and taking his head off! Ei Sei left the conversation by reaffirming to his former rival that he still believes in the inherent goodness of men.
In a month or so, from Kanan came an intelligence report directly to the royal palace. It said that the former Chancellor of Qin, Ryo Fui, had committed suicide by drinking a cup of wine mixed with Zhen poison. With Ryo Fui's demise, the entire faction positioning themselves around his name and prestige, crumbled to dust, effectively ending the civil war menace. This was the final mention of Ryo Fui's name in the annals of the Shiji.
However, as Ryo Fui's body was being found at Kanan's palace, a carriage was leaving the city transporting a man and a couple of women in complete secrecy. Inside the carriage's body, the women asked Ryo Fui if no one would notice that the dead body belonged to someone else, to which he replied that it didn't matter, that he just planned to travel the lands and witness Ei Sei's ascension, and the unification of China.
Abilities[]
| STATS | |
|---|---|
| Strength | 60 |
| Leadership | 90 |
| Intelligence | 91 |
| Experience | A |
| ? | |
| STATS | |
|---|---|
| Strength | 60 |
| Leadership | 90 |
| Intelligence | 91 |
| Experience | A |
| Achieve the ruling of China with money | |
| STATS | |
|---|---|
| Strength | 60 |
| Leadership | 90 |
| Intelligence | 90 |
| Experience | A |
| Gambling Luck: 100! | |
| STATS | |
|---|---|
| Strength | Unknown |
| Leadership | Unknown |
| Intelligence | 90 |
| Ambition | 100 |
| Politics | 90 |
| Gambling Luck: 100 | |
As a rival to Ei Sei, Ryo Fui proved to be a master tactician and a manipulator who was able to use Ei Sei's father to further his ambitions for more power. Ryo Fui have an immense pressure that even soldiers from Ri Boku Army found it frighten during the Qin-Zhao Alliance.
Leadership[]
Ryo Fui is a charismatic leader, allowing him to create a powerful faction in Qin court and formed the Four Pillars of Ryo Fui, a group consisting of persons considered among the best in their respective fields like Shou Hei Kun, Mou Bu, Sai Taku, and Ri Shi.
Politics[]
Ryo Fui is a skilled, cunning politician as he was able to divert Ei Sei's mother's attention from himself and gain allies from the royal harem faction in the process. During the Qin/Zhao alliance, he captured Shun Pei Kun, the lover of Tou Jou, in order to strike a deal with Ri Boku. Ryo Fui even managed to get the city of Kankou, a strategical standpoint between Qin and Zhao. After becoming the Chancellor of State, his political influence expanded, and he was able to make key decisions for his state. His skills in politics are so vast, that he was directly compared to Shou Ou and Han Shou (both notorious Qin Chancellors).
Gallery[]
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Quotes[]
| “ | Where's the fun in something that is 'definite' | ” |
—Ryo Fui to Ri Shi (Chapter 100, Page 3) | ||
| “ | Mankind's strongest weapon is not the sword and spear that evolves on a dialy basis, but 'money' | ” |
—Ryo Fui to his teacher (Chapter 424, Page 2) | ||
| “ | The thing that needs to be managed is not money, but man's greed. By using money to manipulate greed one will be able to strengthen their nation. | ” |
—Ryo Fui to his teacher (Chapter 424, Page 3) | ||
Trivia[]
- Ryo Fui's character was based on the real-life Lu Buwei, Chancellor of Qin.
- In Chapter 100, he is shown drinking with a baby tiger in his lap.
- Ryo Fui is one of the few major characters to openly have sexual relations shown in the series.
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