Ryo Fui, a merchant from Youteki City in Han, initially traded between Yan and Zhao. Observing war's futility in his youth, he formed a belief that economic power, not military force, could unify China and achieve peace. This conviction drove his ambition to transcend commerce and gain political control. He strategically invested his entire fortune in Sou Jou, a Qin prince held hostage in Zhao, securing the prince's return to Qin and eventual ascension to the throne. As part of this plan, he sacrificed his fiancée, Bi Ki, giving her to Sou Jou. Upon Sou Jou becoming king, Ryo Fui entered Qin's political hierarchy as Chancellor of the Right. He built a powerful court faction around the "Four Pillars": military strategist Shou Hei Kun, general Mou Bu, diplomat Sai Taku, and legalist scholar Ri Shi. This group wielded considerable influence, with observers noting members possessed "auras on par with generals." Ryo Fui's ultimate aim was seizing the Qin throne, believing economic integration across China would end war. During King Ei Sei's early reign, Ryo Fui orchestrated schemes to undermine the monarchy. He permitted the rebellion of Ei Sei's half-brother, Sei Kyou, intending to intervene later and claim power amidst the chaos. When this failed, he openly admitted to plotting assassination attempts against Ei Sei, leveraging his political immunity to avoid punishment. He further manipulated the Queen Mother, with whom he shared a longstanding intimate relationship, to destabilize the royal family internally. His tactics included kidnapping a Zhao dignitary to pressure strategist Ri Boku into negotiations, gaining territorial concessions for Qin. During the Coalition Invasion, he considered surrendering Ei Sei to enemy forces to preserve his own power. His most elaborate plot engineered the "State of Ai" rebellion, using the Queen Mother to orchestrate an attack on Qin's capital during Ei Sei's coronation. This plan failed due to Shou Hei Kun's betrayal and loyalist intervention. Defeated in the State of Ai conflict, Ryo Fui engaged in a philosophical debate with Ei Sei about governance. While advocating economic unification over military conquest, he conceded defeat and accepted exile to Kanan. In exile, his continued influence attracted dissidents, raising civil war concerns. Despite advice for execution, Ei Sei offered clemency in a final meeting. Ryo Fui warned the king such mercy could become a weakness. He died shortly afterward by suicide, poisoning himself with Zhen wine. His death dissolved his faction, ending the threat to Qin's stability. Historically recorded as suicide, some interpretations suggest it allowed him to evade exile discreetly. He consistently maintained that human motives—ideological, personal, or greedy—were equally valid, a perspective he articulated confronting Ei Sei. His legacy endured as a formative challenge shaping Ei Sei's leadership.