Chapter 270: Houmochen Yi sends gifts, Chen Yan's return gift

Heh! You weren't wearing this face just now... Houmochen Yi witnessed this scene and sneered repeatedly in his heart, but had to hold his nose and flatter: "The Mingjing Si is clear about the world, and is naturally the most just!"

"This old man has prepared some thin wine, please, Superintendent, do me the honor!"

As a Pillar State, being threatened and pinched like this, undoubtedly was extremely unhappy...

But what could he do if he was unhappy?

He couldn't stand that the power of interpretation of principles and legal provisions was in the hands of others!

But he had to admit that this was indeed the most powerful young man Houmochen Yi had ever seen, and he was not inferior to some old guys who were good at playing with people's hearts...

"It's getting late, wouldn't it be inappropriate to disturb you again?" Chen Yan was still smiling, but retreated to advance.

"Superintendent Chen has already come to visit, if this old man doesn't do his duty as a host..."

Houmochen Yi twitched his mouth and persuaded: "Outsiders will say this old man doesn't know how to treat guests!"

He paused and continued: "It just so happens that we are like old friends at first sight, how can we not drink and talk happily?"

"Then this official will respectfully obey!" Chen Yan stopped playing the game of pushing away, cupped his hands, and accepted happily.

"Please!" Houmochen Yi raised his hand and pointed toward the inner hall.

Inner hall.

The table was piled full of dishes.

In the bronze tripod, wild boar meat was stewed until it was soft and rotten, the soup was thick and oily, and next to it, smoked goose meat was arranged on a pottery plate, with a sauce-red color.

Steamed sea bass was served in a white porcelain bowl, decorated with scallion segments, and the fragrance was refreshing.

On the desk, there were deep-fried sesame cakes, golden millet rice mixed with meat sauce, and seasonal vegetables such as pickled daylily and cabbage.

There was even a whole roasted lamb leg lying on the plate, the skin crispy, grease dripping down the texture, paired with the mellow sorghum wine in the pottery jar, the fragrance of meat and miscellaneous grains intertwined on the table.

"Superintendent Chen and Old Brother Chen are really similar..."

Houmochen Yi held the cup, touched it with Chen Yan, drank it in one gulp, looked at him closely, and sighed: "Not only this appearance, but also the ability!"

"Young and promising, this old man is envious of Old Brother!"

Houmochen Yi was also one of the eight Pillar States, but he was the youngest, nearly thirty years younger than Yu Jie, who was the oldest.

Even compared to Chen Hu, he was more than ten years younger...

Being at the end of the eight Pillar States was also due to the power of the Houmochen clan in Guanzhong and the support for Taizu when he first took power, so he called Chen Hu "Old Brother."

"The Grand Minister of Works is an old friend of my grandfather, this 'Superintendent Chen' one after another, it's too distant..."

Chen Yan picked up the pottery jar, filled Houmochen Yi's wine glass, and laughed: "This official is a junior, just call this official by name!"

"Good, then I'll call you A-Yan!"

Houmochen Yi seized this opportunity to pull closer the relationship, went down the slope, rubbed the wine glass, and continued to sigh: "If the Houmochen clan had a junior like A-Yan, even if this old man died immediately, I could die with a smile!"

This was not only flattery at the wine table but also his true words...

Sometimes, Houmochen Yi really couldn't understand how Chen Tongyuan gave birth to such an excellent direct son, and then personally sent him into the Heavenly Prison Death Prison and pushed him to the opposite side?

He couldn't understand it after a hundred thoughts.

If he had such a son, even if he rode on his head to shit and piss, he would have to praise him for daring to think and do...

"What is Uncle saying?"

Chen Yan chewed and swallowed the goose meat, smiled indifferently, and said: "You are in your prime, it is the time to do a great career!"

"Clap clap!"

But Houmochen Yi didn't answer, but raised his hand and clapped lightly.

Immediately, a group of servants lowered their heads and closed their eyes, holding red lacquer trays and stepping forward one by one.

On the first tray, lined with white silk, was a night-shining pearl the size of a pigeon egg, which also emitted a warm halo in the dark.

In the tray that followed, there were ten ingots of red gold, cast in the style of dragon patterns, heavy and pressing the tray slightly.

There was another tray piled with blue sapphires from the Western Regions, each one full, making the surroundings shine a bit brighter.

There were even trays filled with whole pieces of Shu brocade, woven with gold thread and phoenix birds, flowing with light and color.

In the last tray, there were two jade belt hooks inlaid with agate, the jade quality was moist, and the carving was exquisite.

The servants' footsteps were light and slow, the treasures on the trays swayed slightly with the movement, and the light refracted was bright and dark on the pillars, revealing silent luxury and flattery.

"Uncle, what is the meaning of this?"

Chen Yan saw this, glanced sideways at those red lacquer trays, judged the extraordinary value of these treasures in his heart, and teased: "Are you planning to bribe your nephew?"

As he spoke, his eyebrows raised slightly.

"A-Yan is used to joking!"

Houmochen Yi didn't care, waved his hand, and said sincerely: "Our two families are old friends, how can there be any talk of bribery?"

"This is the wedding gift that Uncle sent on your wedding day, it was too thin, today I specially made up for it!"

Since he chose to take the task of commercial tax reform, he had stood on the side of the Grand Chancellor...

Then he must have a good relationship with this number one favorite minister of the Grand Chancellor!

And making up for the wedding gift was the perfect excuse...

Even if it spread out, no one could pick any flaws!

"Uncle has a heart!"

Chen Yan smiled indifferently, nodded, and said: "Since it is Uncle's intention, how can there be any reason to refuse?"

He paused and continued: "Zhu Yi, accept it!"

As he spoke, he gave a look.

"Yes."

Zhu Yi responded and acted, handing those red lacquer trays to a group of embroidered messengers waiting behind the door.

Houmochen Yi saw Chen Yan accept it without refusal, his heart settled, and after drinking a few more cups of wine, brewing the atmosphere, he began to play the emotional card: "A-Yan, your grandfather is gone, but the friendship between our two families must continue..."

"That is of course!" Chen Yan's voice was passionate, echoing.

Houmochen Yi was quite slightly drunk, his face ruddy, and he took the opportunity to put his hand on Chen Yan's shoulder, saying: "Uncle and the Grand Chancellor don't have a deep private friendship, if there is a chance, please, A-Yan, say a few more good words for Uncle!"

Seemingly swaying, a look of being drunk...

In fact, the map was revealed, this was the real purpose of sending gifts.

At the beginning of Yuwen Hu's rise to power, Houmochen Yi never thought that Taizu would choose him to assist in the government, and he didn't stand on the side in time, so he would be so passive at this time.

"Uncle, rest assured, the Grand Chancellor appoints people according to their talents..."

Chen Yan's gaze froze, his mouth curled slightly upward, and he laughed: "With Uncle's qualifications and ability, how could the Grand Chancellor not value you?"

In the words, it was full of deep meaning.

It was said that one emperor, one court...

Many times, ability was not that important, and qualifications were not that important, the key was to stand on the right side!

Loyalty was the most important!

An extremely simple truth, if you don't appoint people according to their relatives, don't you appoint people according to their distance?

Are you really not afraid of being stabbed in the back?

"That's good!"

Houmochen Yi understood the hint in the words, nodded, sat back in his original seat, and said firmly: "The commercial tax reform will definitely not disappoint the Grand Chancellor!"

"Look at nephew's memory..."

Chen Yan looked at his statement, patted his head, and said: "Almost forgot the matter that the Grand Chancellor instructed!"

"Oh?" Houmochen Yi asked, "What is it?"

"Xu Zhixiang and Lu Ziyue, who smuggled and colluded with the enemy, have been brought to justice today, but the helmsmen of Jinxiu and Baohe have been vacated..."

Chen Yan's mouth curled slightly upward, laughed: "These two great merchant guilds cannot be left unattended for a long time!"

"What is the Grand Chancellor's meaning...?"

Houmochen Yi's eyes narrowed slightly, and he vaguely guessed a few points in his heart.

"I heard that Uncle's two direct sons have great ability..."

Chen Yan didn't sell the pass, and said straight to the point: "The Grand Chancellor intends for the two of them to take over as presidents!"

Houmochen Yi's eyes were first surprised, then several emotions changed one after another, quickly calmed down, and pretended to be difficult: "This old man has already presided over the commercial tax reform, and then letting the dogs take charge of the merchant guild, it's not very appropriate, right?"

"It will easily lead to criticism!"

Was this a refusal?

Who would be willing to refuse what was lost and found?

It was just advancing by retreating!

Chen Yan kept a straight face, righteously: "It is said that when using people, don't avoid suspicion, and when recommending talents, don't avoid relatives; how can you let go of talents because of outsiders' discussions?"

"Let the bright pearls be covered in dust?"

"Those who achieve great things don't care about small details!"

Houmochen Yi smiled knowingly, echoed extremely tacitly: "A-Yan is absolutely right!"

"It was Uncle's vision that was too limited..."

"Then I won't refuse anymore!"

Chen Yan picked up the wine glass, smiled extremely sincerely, and said loudly: "Then nephew wishes Uncle a smooth reform, overcoming difficulties, clearing up accumulated abuses, and finally achieving perfection, leaving a name in history!" ===== CHAPTER 271 =====