Chapter 523: The Office of Transmission Intervenes

The man definitely could not be handed over to Chen Tang, Xu Xianchun knew this clearly in his heart.

Since the man couldn't be handed over, he could only find a way from other angles. Did the Embroidered Uniform Guard have a way?

Of course they did — the simplest way was to deal with Chen Tang and keep him from jumping around.

Only, Xu Xianchun didn't want to handle this matter himself. After all, for the Embroidered Uniform Guard, it was impossible to keep watching these people.

There were too many matters in officialdom, and the matters in Yangzhou officialdom were even more numerous. If one truly wanted to deal with them all, the time and energy spent would be especially great. Xu Xianchun had neither the time nor the energy to waste on them.

Xu Xianchun glanced at his subordinate and said, "Hasn't the man arrived yet? So slow. Ask whether the message has been delivered or not."

"Yes, sir." The subordinate acknowledged, turned around, and walked outside.

After Chen Tang heard these words, a change came over his expression.

He glanced at Xu Xianchun and found him looking utterly fearless and confident, which made him furrow his brow.

Was this disrespect toward him? Or contempt for him?

Seeing Chen Tang looking at him, Xu Xianchun explained, "Prefect Chen need not be anxious. I will naturally give Prefect Chen an explanation for this matter. Prefect Chen can rest assured — I absolutely will not fob you off."

"That would be for the best." Chen Tang gave a cold snort.

Before long, a subordinate of the Embroidered Uniform Guard walked in from outside.

He came to Xu Xianchun's side and said, "Sir, the man has arrived and is waiting outside. Shall I invite him in?"

"Invite him in." Xu Xianchun nodded and said, "Inform Prefect Chen that I have a guest here and cannot go out to receive him."

"Yes, sir." The subordinate acknowledged and walked out.

Chen Tang was startled. Someone else was coming? Who was coming?

Xu Xianchun had invited a man surnamed Chen? Could it be Yangzhou Transport Commissioner Chen Zhenglin?

On the ground of Yangzhou, only Chen Zhenglin counted as a high official surnamed Chen; everyone else was of no significance at all.

Even if Chen Zhenglin did come, so what? Was he supposed to be afraid of him?

After all, he had already been thinking of bringing Chen Zhenglin down. But how could Xu Xianchun have summoned Chen Zhenglin? Could it be that Xu Xianchun and Chen Zhenglin had gotten in league with each other? Were these two going to do him in?

If that were the case, he would have to be a bit more cautious.

But that shouldn't be — how could Xu Xianchun and the others have gotten together with him?

Still, meet soldiers with soldiers and water with earth — at this point, that was all he could do.

Chen Tang straightened his body, sat up properly, and fixed his gaze on the doorway, wanting to see who walked in.

Before long, footsteps sounded from outside.

The first to enter was Xu Xianchun's subordinate.

Then a middle-aged man walked in from outside.

The newcomer was in his forties, dressed as a Confucian scholar, not wearing official robes; in his hand he held a folding fan which he waved, looking quite at ease and leisurely.

This style was naturally not unfamiliar to Xu Xianchun.

As the saying goes, what the superior likes, the inferior imitates. The current Emperor liked this sort of thing, so this style had become popular throughout the Great Ming.

A scholar's attire, a folding fan in hand. If the fan came from the hand of a famous master, it showed off one's status even more.

In recent years, what was fashionable was the boots of Dengyun Pavilion, the folding fans of Huizhou Cao Family's Changsheng Workshop — in short, all of these people were suppliers to the Imperial Household Department, and their goods all had to be sent to the imperial palace.

Every one of them bore the imperial seal, and now they had the feel of becoming the luxury goods of the Great Ming. In short, their goods were simply expensive, and it had nearly become a trend. Now the city of Yangzhou was also quite influenced by it.

So Chen Tang was not surprised by this man's attire. Only, since the man wore no official robes, he could not tell his rank.

Chen Tang carefully studied the man's face and found it very unfamiliar.

This made Chen Tang furrow his brow — who was this man?

After Chen Sihai walked in, he did not so much as look at Chen Tang. In his eyes, this was merely a Prefect. Even if he were the Prefect of Yangzhou, so what?

Chen Sihai looked straight at Xu Xianchun.

And upon seeing Chen Sihai walk in, Xu Xianchun rose to his feet.

The relationship between the two of them was actually not good, because to a certain extent, they could also be considered rivals. But when facing the outside world, the two of them could cooperate, for after all, they were both the Emperor's men, counting as the Emperor's faction.

And in terms of official position, Chen Sihai was actually higher than Xu Xianchun. Although the Embroidered Uniform Guard's duties might be weightier, Chen Sihai was also in charge of that area.

When facing officials, the Office of Transmission was quite overbearing — even the Embroidered Uniform Guard had to operate under the supervision of these people.

"Greetings, Lord Chen." Xu Xianchun walked before Chen Sihai, cupped his fists, and said with a smile, "I had to trouble Lord Chen to come here because of some unavoidable matters. I hope Lord Chen will not take offense."

Chen Sihai glanced at Xu Xianchun and immediately furrowed his brow, saying, "If you have something to say, say it. In handling affairs, one should be pragmatic — don't always be slick and hollow. If you have something, speak it directly. What use is saying all that useless stuff? You didn't call me over just to exchange pleasantries with me, did you?"

Chen Sihai's words were very blunt, but Xu Xianchun did not mind.

This Chen Sihai was just that sort of temperament — an unfeeling judge. If you couldn't afford to provoke him, you didn't provoke him.

Xu Xianchun said, "The reason I invited Lord Chen here today is the matter of the Prefect of Yangzhou. This is the Prefect of Yangzhou, Chen Tang."

At this moment, Chen Tang had already stood up, his expression rather unpleasant.

Xu Xianchun was this courteous to the man before him, so the man's identity was certainly out of the ordinary. And Xu Xianchun had brought this man over, clearly intending to deal with him — what was this all about?

Chen Sihai glanced at Chen Tang and said, "You are the Prefect of Yangzhou?"

"Yes, I am the Prefect of Yangzhou." Chen Tang said, "May I ask how I should address you?"

Chen Sihai nodded and said, "I am Chen Sihai of the Office of Transmission."

Having said this, Chen Sihai turned to look at Xu Xianchun and asked, "What is he doing here? Local officials and the Embroidered Uniform Guard seem to have no connection. Did you go provoking someone again?"

"Sir, those words of yours are mistaken." Xu Xianchun's face sank directly as he said, "Our Embroidered Uniform Guard carries out its duties by imperial decree, and we have always acted impartially and according to the law. We would absolutely never overstep our bounds — how could we casually go provoking people?"

Xu Xianchun himself did not believe these words, let alone Chen Sihai — he believed them even less.

"Enough, stop the nonsense and get to the point quickly." Chen Sihai furrowed his brow and asked.

Chen Tang on the side had already panicked, his heart pounding thump-thump-thump-thump as he cursed Han Qi inwardly.

This time he had been thoroughly screwed over by Han Qi. What kind of business was this? How had he brought out someone from the Office of Transmission?

After all, in recent years the Office of Transmission could be said to be formidable and renowned. What reputation had the Office of Transmission had a few years ago?

Although it was one of the Nine Ministers, its actual power was very, very small — no one paid it any mind at all. The authority of the Office of Transmission had been carved up between the Grand Secretariat and the Directorate of Ceremonial.

However, ever since His Majesty ascended the throne, the Office of Transmission had been given serious use. After the secret memorial system became widespread, the power and influence of the Office of Transmission could be said to have grown day by day.

Add to that the newly granted authority to investigate and arrest, and its prestige became utterly unmatched for a time. Under such circumstances, the Office of Transmission was practically one of the most favored offices in the entire court.

Moreover, in recent years the Office of Transmission had arrested and seized any number of corrupt officials. Under such circumstances, many people turned pale with fear at the mere mention of the Office of Transmission's name.

Under such circumstances, how could Chen Tang's heart not be racing? Xu Xianchun inviting this Lord Chen over was simply a violation of martial ethics!

And to dig such a huge pit for him without his even knowing about it — that was a sneak attack!

Chen Tang wanted to open his mouth and say something, but Chen Sihai had already turned his head to look over and said: "You've come to stick up for the Han family? I never would have guessed that the Han family could even mobilize you. Are you an official of the Great Ming, or an official of the Han family?"

Hearing these words, Chen Tang gave a shudder and nearly fell straight to his knees.

What kind of talk was this? Were you trying to say he wanted to rebel? How could the hat be thrown on so smoothly? You people were doing this deliberately!

Although Chen Tang's heart was panicked, on the surface he could not let his nerve show.

Chen Tang raised his head and said with great toughness and iron resolve: "Lord Chen's words are biased. Can a court-appointed official simply slander another's innocence like this?"

"Everyone present knows the rights and wrongs of this matter. The men of the Embroidered Uniform Guard fabricated charges without cause and harmed the good people under my jurisdiction. As the parent-official of this region, how could I possibly sit by and do nothing? When the Han family brought their complaint to my office, naturally I had to look into it. Does that somehow make me an official of the Han family?"

Chen Tang's words could be said to be righteous and stern — no one could find any fault with them.

Chen Sihai glanced at Chen Tang and said with an expressionless face: "Well spoken. If your deeds were as good as your words, you really would be a good official. What a pity — you talk beautifully, but your actions are quite ugly."

"That estate of yours west of the city — wasn't it a gift from the Han family? Those seventeen concubines you keep — weren't they also gifts from the Han family? And the annual expenses for keeping those women — weren't those paid by the Han family as well? A hundred fifty thousand taels a year in dividends — quite the generous gesture."

Hearing these words, Chen Tang gave a shudder, a faint dampness seeping into his crotch, and he nearly collapsed straight to the ground.

Chen Tang was terrified in his heart — how did this Chen Sihai know all this? And in such detail?

Had they already begun investigating him in secret?

Chen Tang's face instantly turned as pale as paper, his forehead covered in a dense layer of cold sweat.

Looking at the sweat-drenched Chen Tang, Chen Sihai curled the corner of his mouth, gave him a contemptuous glance, and said: "You say you're not an official of the Han family, but you've certainly taken no small amount of money from them."