Chapter 169

"We are all brothers, why be so polite?"

Chen Yan gave a calm smile, his face full of sincerity, and said in a clear voice: "It is my honor to be able to help you two brothers!"

"I toast you two brothers!"

As he spoke, he also raised his wine cup.

Walking the world relies entirely on acting; Chen Yan was undoubtedly an extremely utilitarian person...

He was able to win them over and help them, accumulating favors, precisely because he felt he would definitely be able to use these two in the future, or at the very least, build a good relationship.

By casting a wide net, there would always be unexpected benefits.

"Between us brothers, we shall definitely be loyal to each other in the future!" Qin and Lu felt extremely comfortable, finding the young man before them more and more pleasing to the eye, and laughed heartily.

"Cheers!"

The three clinked their wine cups together and drained them in one gulp.

Chen Yan picked up the wine pot, and while pouring, smiled: "Brother Qin, Brother Lu, I have something to say, but I don't know if I should..."

He wore the look of someone wanting to speak but holding back.

Chen Yan was not drunk or unconscious; if it weren't something he could say, he wouldn't even have brought it up...

Instead, he was deliberately piquing their curiosity!

"Why are you stuttering?" Lu Miao heard this, his body swaying slightly as he placed his hand on Chen Yan's shoulder, "There are no outsiders here, just speak freely!"

Qin Zhao also nodded in agreement.

"Then please forgive my bluntness, but the way you two brothers obtain profit through power has great room for improvement..."

Chen Yan blinked, picked up his chopsticks, placed food into each of their bowls, and said.

He paused, then continued: "It's too easy for people to find evidence, and you'll repeat today's mistake!"

Chen Yan's phrasing was extremely meticulous and very subtle; he expressed his meaning accurately and tactfully, while also considering their face.

The implication was self-evident.

He was saying their methods of corruption and bribery were too crude!

It was too easy for people to catch them!

"Oh?"

Qin Zhao raised an eyebrow, his interest piqued, and he leaned forward with his hands on the table, asking: "Listening to you, Brother A Yan, it sounds like you have a better way?"

Able to reach the position of Junior Minister of Justice and be planted in the Autumn Office to oppose Old Pillar of State Zhao, Qin Zhao could not be a stupid or arrogant person...

He also knew his previous methods weren't great and had too many loopholes, so naturally, he wanted to improve himself when he encountered a good method.

"Who is our Brother A Yan?"

Lu Miao was slightly tipsy, pressed his hand down, and smiled: "He definitely has a brilliant strategy!"

"I wouldn't dare call it brilliant..."

Chen Yan shook his head, a flash of cunning in his eyes, and said in a low voice: "It's just a bit of my own crude, humble opinion!"

When it came to how to make money and how to launder it reasonably and legally, Chen was a professional!

"We would like to hear the details!" Qin and Lu said in unison.

"In the future, when you two brothers need to collect silver to get things done, you can first send your subordinates to open an antique and calligraphy shop..." Chen Yan picked up his wine cup, took a shallow sip, and smiled.

His words were full of deep meaning.

"What do you mean?"

"Is there any connection between the two?"

Qin Zhao and Lu Miao exchanged a look, confused, and asked.

They both felt lost in the clouds and couldn't grasp the point.

What direct connection was there between bribery and opening an antique and calligraphy shop?

How much silver could you make selling those trinkets?

"You could say there's a connection, or you could say there isn't!" Chen Yan tapped his knuckles on the table, looking at them with a half-smile, and said playfully.

This flexible, intelligent connection that could advance or retreat was the key to this strategy.

If you say there is, the silver flows in endlessly from there...

If you say there isn't, no one can find any evidence, and you won't leave any handle for others to use.

"Brother A Yan, stop talking in riddles..."

Lu Miao's curiosity was piqued to the point of itching, and he could no longer hold back, smiling: "Explain it properly to your two slow-witted brothers!"

"Think about it, you two brothers: the person sending the gift can just go to the shop and purchase antiques or calligraphy of the same value as the amount of silver they want to offer as a tribute..."

Chen Yan's mouth curled slightly upward as he met their confused gazes and smiled.

He paused, then continued: "Then they bring this item to your door; wouldn't both parties know exactly what's going on?"

This method originated from the Qing Dynasty and was known as "elegant bribery," but Chen Yan had made revisions and improvements to it.

The original process was that officials would go to the capital to bribe, and first, they had to follow the rules and ask for directions at the antique and calligraphy shops in the Liulichang...

After stating how much silver they wanted to give a certain high official, the shop owner would very professionally tell them which painting by a certain artist to send.

After receiving the silver, the shop owner would go to that official's home, use the silver to buy a painting by that artist from the official's collection, and then give that painting to the briber.

The briber only needed to visit the official's home holding this elegant, non-vulgar gift, and the bribery was completed with a layer of elegant clothing.

This was also the reason why many tobacco and liquor shops with few customers stayed in business longer than anyone else...

Chen Yan felt that having the silver pass through one hand was too risky, so he made improvements.

"Brilliant!"

Qin Zhao's hand, which was holding the wine cup, froze instantly, spilling quite a bit of wine, but his eyes lit up as if he had been enlightened, and he smiled: "No wonder you said there is a connection, yet there isn't..."

"If someone buys antiques and calligraphy for their collection, what does that have to do with me?"

The silver was used to buy antiques and calligraphy, and it had never passed through his hands; the dilemma was solved, and there was no handle left!

The key was that there was also a reasonable excuse to distance himself from the relationship!

The silver was obtained, the task was done, the reputation was kept, and he remained completely untainted.

How could it not be brilliant!

"Wonderful!"

The personal guards of the General's mansion, who had been guarding outside, responded and came, surrounding everyone in the room, their bodies exuding a murderous intent.

These people looked like old soldiers who had been on the battlefield for many years.

"Lady Shangguan, what do you want to do?"

Li Tan swept his eyes from left to right, smiled contemptuously, and asked a question he already knew the answer to.

"Li Tan, don't think that just because you are the grandson of the Old Pillar of State Li and a Mirror Master of the Mingjing Si, you can act recklessly. Do you really think my General's mansion has no one?" Wu Xiqing stepped forward, the corners of her mouth curling into a cold smile as she retorted.

Does a tiger not show its power, and you think it's a soft persimmon that can be pinched by anyone?

This is the General's mansion, not the residence of those civil officials!

"Lady Shangguan, calm down!"

"Think twice before you act, be cautious!"

"Don't be impulsive; let's talk things over properly!"

Liu Bingzhong looked at the situation that was about to explode and hurriedly stepped forward to advise.

If they really made a move, it would be a great crime...

"Lord Liu, this matter has nothing to do with you; it won't hurt your Jingzhao Prefecture people!" Wu Xiqing could no longer hear anything and pushed away Liu Bingzhong, who was trying to dissuade her.

"Old Liu, did you hear that?"

"She told you to shut up and step aside!"

Li Tan raised his eyebrows and teased.

His words were full of mockery.

"Li Tan, with just those few Embroidered Attire Envoys behind you, do you think you can walk out of the General's mansion today?" Wu Xiqing looked at Li Tan with disdain, feeling that victory was in her grasp, and asked coldly.

"Hahahaha!"

Li Tan laughed, couldn't help but shake his head, and said with great interest, "Lady Shangguan, do you know that acting like this is a disguised way of confirming Shangguan Jun's guilt?"

"Attacking the Mingjing Si is an even greater crime, oh!"

Resisting arrest and attacking law enforcement officers, even if the evidence is not conclusive, confirms the charges completely.

And what kind of organization is the Mingjing Si?

Daring to attack them openly, are you tired of living?

"So what?"

Wu Xiqing smiled lightly, not caring at all, pointed her finger, and said eloquently, "You, Li Tan, brought people disguised as Embroidered Attire Envoys to sneak into my mansion to commit treacherous acts. Arresting all of you and handing you over to the Old Zhao Lord for disposal, what is wrong with that?"

"I now suspect that it was you, Li Tan, who poisoned my Master!"

"Poisoned the Right General and the Censorate Grand Minister!"

Wu Xiqing seemed muddled, but in reality, she was exceptionally clear-headed.

She knew very well that whoever took the other down first and handed them to the big figures behind them, that was who was in the right...

The Mingjing Si could say they found evidence, so she could also accuse them of poisoning!

Using their own methods to deal with them.

"Good!"