Chapter 10: As a Lackey, One Must Have the Awareness of a Lackey

"I knew you'd ask this...."

Chen Yan showed no surprise, lifted his gaze toward the morning light spilling from the sunrise, and smiled calmly.

"Please, Young Master, clear my doubts!" Zhu Yi was startled for a moment, then spoke.

At that moment, he truly thought of killing that father‑son pair with a single sword.

But since his own Young Master hadn't ordered it, he dared not act rashly....

"Two reasons."

Chen Yan, unhurried, raised two fingers, smiled lightly, and said, "First, the Grand Overseer hasn't given instructions; I can't act against the Chen Family now, and I don't have complete confidence...."

The Grand Overseer's mission was to eliminate Chen Kaiyuan by any means, not to purge the Duke of Wei's mansion.

As a lackey, one must have the awareness of a lackey.

One must know the limits and not overstep.

Moreover, when real fire is at stake, Chen Yan's foundation is still shallow, and he lacks absolute certainty that he can wipe out the Duke of Wei's entire household cleanly and walk away unscathed....

"This..."

Zhu Yi thought briefly, nodded, and said, "Indeed, that's the reasoning."

"Secondly, at this stage, recklessly killing them all would be like a fish dying and the net breaking—far too unprofitable...."

Chen Yan exhaled a breath of foul air, stretched lazily, and laughed, "Now that I have the Grand Overseer behind me, I can slowly play them to death!"

"Settle the grievances of these years, item by item!"

Within his calm words lay only sharp murderous intent.

The pain once inflicted upon him must be repaid a thousandfold, even a hundredfold.

He wants to send people to the Western Paradise, and claim all their estates and titles!

"It was my shallowness...."

Zhu Yi suddenly understood, "Young Master, you are brilliant!"

Chen Yan hooked his arm around Zhu Yi's shoulder, "Come, let's go back, don't let the little girl wait anxiously...."

A dilapidated courtyard.

At the doorway, Qingyu, who had stayed up all night, saw the two approaching in the morning light, instantly broke into a joyful smile, rushed forward, and shouted, "Young Master, Zhu Yi, you finally returned!"

"You scared me to death!"

On the pretty face of a teenager, a hint of gauntness appeared.

"I knew this little girl hadn't slept...."

Chen Yan smiled, lifted his hand and gently patted Qingyu's head.

Some are thinking, some are waiting; perhaps this is what family feels like....

"Hmm!"

Qingyu clung tightly to Chen Yan's arm, pouted, and said, "When you didn't come back, I couldn't even close my eyes...."

Having guarded all night, she was truly afraid, fearing that her own Young Master wouldn't return....

She wanted to go see, yet worried she couldn't help and might cause trouble.

"Just in time, here's something good for you!" Chen Yan raised his hand, pinched Qingyu's little cheek, and his mouth curved slightly upward.

"What good thing?" Qingyu blinked, full of anticipation.

The Young Master's clothing was flat, not bulging as if it hid candied hawthorn.

Qingyu's mind wandered, but when she saw Chen Yan pull out the item, she suddenly widened her eyes in astonishment and said, "This... is this a Silver Note?!"

She paused, focused her gaze, and was even more shocked, "Is it ten thousand taels?!"

The little girl was instantly stunned.

Ten thousand taels—that's really ten thousand taels!

When he was at the Duke of Wei's mansion before, the Young Master's monthly allowance was only eighteen taels.

"Take it, you and Zhu Yi each get five thousand taels...."

Chen Yan slipped the Silver Note into Qingyu's hand and said softly, "You two have worked hard these years!"

People aren't plants; who can be without feeling?

These years of steadfast guarding, whether in wealth or poverty, who could remain unmoved?

"Young Master, where did you get so much silver?"

Qingyu was stunned for a good while, then barely recovered and asked blankly.

Even though she held the Silver Note firmly in her hand, it still felt like a dream....

Chen Yan pressed his lips together, suppressed the upward curve of his mouth, and said seriously, "It was given by my father and my second uncle...."

"Huh?"

"Duke's son?"

"Second uncle?"

"Could they be so kind?"

Hearing this, Qingyu's face filled with doubt, giving Chen Yan a look that said, "Young Master, don't try to fool me," and stared straight at him.

In the little girl's understanding, even if the Silver Note came from the Young Master robbing a money house or high officials, it would still seem more reliable than being given by those two....

After all, over all these years, they hadn't even given a single copper coin, let alone silver.

"It was them who gave it...."

Zhu Yi touched his jaw, blinked, and said.

He paused, then shifted his tone, and added, "It's just that the process wasn't that voluntary!"

Immediately after, he gave the little girl a brief account of the events from last night to this morning.

Without exception, they were all taken or extorted by force by our Young Master....

But as soon as the words fell, Qingyu's eyes reddened, and she let out a "Woo—" as she began to cry.

"Hey hey hey, Qingyu, why are you crying?"

Chen Yan was thrown off by the girl's sudden outburst, at a loss for what to do, and soothed, "All of a sudden we have so much silver, aren't you happy?"

In that moment, even Chen Yan didn't know what to do....

He also couldn't understand how he had made the little girl cry.

"I'm overjoyed!"

Qingyu plunged into Chen Yan's arms, sobbing, "From now on we finally won't have to endure hard days...."

Since the late Duke passed away, they finally have seen the bitter turn sweet.

Especially our Young Master, who is no longer the Young Master who was bullied by everyone.

When she's this happy, she doesn't want to cry, but the little pearl in her eyes can't help it....

"Is this really how it is?"

Chen Yan exhaled, gave a faint smile, ruffling Qingyu's fine hair, and petulantly asked, "Little girl, can you have some ambition?"

"The Young Master will never again make you endure hard days...."

A man's word is as heavy as a thousand gold.

From this moment on, all that awaits Qingyu and Zhu Yi is wealth and honor....

"Mm-hmm!"

Qingyu nodded, responding repeatedly.

She doesn't seek great riches or high status; she only wants our Young Master to be fine.

Chen Yan raised his hand, brushed the little pearl hanging on the girl, then took out a Silver Note and slipped it into her hand, instructing, "There's another ten thousand taels for you to keep; after you wake up, go to the dental shop and pick a courtyard in the inner city...."

"We're moving houses!"

As everyone knows, once a person has money, the first thing they do is forget their roots.

"Alright." Qingyu smiled sweetly and replied obediently.

"Sleep, sleep!"

Chen Yan yawned, "I've been up all night without closing my eyes; I'm exhausted...."

Afternoon.

Tian Guan Fu.

Yuwen Hu, after hearing Grand Imperial Rectifier Shang Ting's report, showed a contemplative expression and, surprised, laughed, "Are you saying that Chen Yan, that kid, used a bewildering smoke to topple the entire Zhenyuan Jiangjun Fu, taking it easily without bloodshed, and also made Chen Kaiyuan commit suicide out of fear of guilt?"

Saying it's not unexpected is false.

Originally, the Grand Chancellor thought that given Chen Yan's age, even if he could fulfill the required Letter of Allegiance, it would never be so smooth and swift.

It was only a single night!

He had even already prepared to "clean up" for this kid.

Who could have thought Chen Yan would do it so perfectly and efficiently?

"Yes."

Shang Ting nodded, then continued, "But not only that, he also eradicated the entire line of Chen Kaiyuan, and on the side went to the Duke of Wei's mansion and extorted fifty thousand taels of silver!"

"Hahaha!"

Yuwen Hu was first stunned, then laughed out loud, praising, "Good kid!"

"Well done!"

"Brilliant!"

"It wasn't in vain that this king even spread false news for him....."

"Truly didn't disappoint!"

Saying that, he kept clapping continuously.

At that moment, the Personal Guard hurried in from outside, stopped at the doorway, and respectfully said:

"Reporting to the Grand Chancellor, on behalf of the Vermilion Bird Mirror Master, Chen Yan requests an audience!"