Chapter 445: The Wei Duke's New Post

Chen Yan pressed his fingertips against his temples with slight force, causing a faint, shallow redness to bloom across his brow bones.

The shock he had suppressed while the imperial decree was being read earlier now began to churn slowly within his chest.

"The step taken was still too large!"

After an unknown amount of time, the last trace of restlessness in his eyes finally faded, and he sighed silently: "One must eat rice one mouthful at a time; I was also far too young..."

Thinking about it carefully, he had been in office for less than two years and had already reached the rank of Pillar of State; this speed was indeed a bit too fast.

Being both skilled in political maneuvering and adept at warfare, even if one were a biological son, performing with such outstanding excellence easily invites the suspicion of those in power.

The fingers pressed against his temples suddenly paused. Chen Yan slowly withdrew his hand, his fingertips hovering in mid-air as he tapped his brow lightly. A layer of confusion suddenly permeated his previously calm gaze.

He tilted his head slightly, his gaze falling upon the flickering candle flame in the hall, yet his brows furrowed even more tightly than before.

A new cloud of suspicion had quietly surfaced in his mind.

"But that's not right either!"

He murmured unconsciously, his fingertips falling onto the arm of the chair. This time, it was no longer aimless stroking; instead, following the rise and fall of his thoughts, he tapped the cold wooden surface one beat at a time.

"If Father Grand Chancellor truly wanted to balance and restrict my power..."

Chen Yan paused, his Adam's apple rolling slightly, the confusion in his eyes deepening, "... then why would he let Li Tan take over as Superintendent and You Xian take over as the Azure Dragon Mirror Master?"

At that moment, the "blind student" discovered the "key point," and the more he thought about it, the more abnormal it seemed.

Father Grand Chancellor could not possibly be unaware that both of these men were his confidants.

Especially You Xian, who was promoted and cultivated by him personally—he belonged to the inner circle of his inner circle!

If he truly wanted to strip him of power, how could he hand these two key positions to people with such deep ties to him?

This was equivalent to the Mingjing Si still being under his control.

Chen Yan leaned back slowly against the chair, the tapping of his fingertips gradually stopping. Into the confusion in his eyes, a measure of deep thought had unknowingly blended: "But if it means something else, why this Magistrate of Wannian?"

From Mingjing Si Superintendent to Magistrate of Wannian, no matter how one looked at it, it was a demotion.

After all, the gap in the "power content" between the two was, to put it mildly, not ordinary at all!

【Q (Power Content of Position) = 【S (Actual Power Dominance) + C (Financial Dominance)】 ÷ Z (Rank)

Actual Power Dominance (S): Reflects the actual influence of the position in decision-making, resource allocation, personnel appointments, etc.

Financial Dominance (C): Embodies the position's ability to control and deploy financial resources.

Rank (Z): Represents the hierarchical level of the position.】

If it wasn't to balance or restrict, it should at least be a lateral transfer, right?

To suddenly make him a county magistrate—the demotion was far too harsh.

Chen Yan took a deep breath, his chest rising and falling slightly. When he opened his eyes again, the bewilderment in them had been replaced by a layer of cold composure, and his previously furrowed brows slowly smoothed out.

With one final, heavy press of his fingertips against the chair arm, he narrowed his eyes. His gaze swept across the empty hall and landed on the heavy night colors outside the window; a decision had already been made in his heart.

"Forget it!" These three words landed with a thud in his heart, and the previous hesitation was instantly suppressed. "If it's Magistrate of Wannian, then so be it!"

Chen Yan slowly straightened his body, his dark robes swaying lightly with the movement. Much of the previous gloom dissipated, replaced by a restrained determination. He muttered to himself in a low voice: "First, restrain my sharpness and bide my time; there will eventually come a day of resurgence!"

The moment the words fell, a flash of sharp light crossed his eyes, like a spark reignited in the dark night.

Chen Mouren believed that, given his value, it wouldn't be long before Father Grand Chancellor would have use for him again.

Moreover, one could not rule out the possibility that he wanted to use this to grind away his restlessness.

Of course, one cannot put all their eggs in one basket; at the same time, one must prepare for the worst!

Just then, a hurried shout suddenly broke the silence of the hall: "A Xiong, A Xiong!"

Before the voice had even finished, the hall door was pushed open violently.

Yuwen Ze, dressed in green brocade robes, looked somewhat disheveled from running; his hair ribbon hung loosely over his shoulder, and fine beads of sweat still clung to his temples.

Chen Yan came back to his senses, the sharp light remaining in his eyes instantly receding. He raised his brows slightly and asked, "A Ze, why have you come?"

Yuwen Ze had not yet caught his breath. His hands were still braced against his knees, his chest rising and falling with heavy "hu-hu" gasps, and sweat beads slid down his cheeks, dripping onto the front of his green brocade robes. He asked urgently, "A Xiong, have you received the transfer order?"

Chen Yan was stunned at these words and repeated in a murmur, "Transfer order?"

He lowered his eyes to scan his side, then raised his hand to pick up the imperial decree he had casually placed by the chair. He shook it lightly and asked meaningfully, "Are you talking about this decree transferring me to Magistrate of Wannian?"

"It seems A Xiong has received it too..."

Yuwen Ze's hands, braced against his knees, tightened suddenly. A "so that's how it is" expression appeared on his face, and even his hurried breathing slowed down a bit.

"Eh!"

Chen Yan's fingers, holding the imperial decree, paused slightly. His brows furrowed unconsciously, and he leaned forward, a trace of imperceptible probing in his tone: "A Ze, how did you know I would receive a transfer order?"

Based on Chen Yan's understanding of the Grand Chancellor, such matters would not be revealed to A Ze beforehand.

Moreover, if he had known earlier, he would have come to tip him off long ago.

How could he have come right after him?

Yuwen Ze blinked, and a bright smile suddenly hooked at the corners of his mouth. His eyes revealed an unhideable excitement, and even his voice became lighter: "Because I also received a transfer order!"

As he spoke, he quickly pulled a roll of equally bright yellow imperial decree from his bosom, his tone full of joy: "Appointed Magistrate of Chang'an..."

"???"

"!!!"

Chen Yan first stared at that bright yellow imperial decree in a daze for a moment, and the clouds of suspicion between his brows were swept away in an instant, as if blown away by the wind.

Immediately following, a flash of astonishment crossed his eyes, only to be replaced by the clarity of sudden realization—

So Father Grand Chancellor's arrangement was never about balancing...

"Hahahaha!"

Just as this clarity surfaced in his heart, he suddenly laughed out loud. At first, it was a restrained low chuckle, but later, the more he laughed, the more carefree he became, and he simply leaned back against the chair.

With one hand pressing on the armrest and the other rubbing his sore cheeks from laughing, he rocked back and forth.

Yuwen Ze was completely baffled, his eyes full of confusion as he asked, "A Xiong, why are you laughing?"

He paused, then lowered his head to look at the imperial decree he was still holding, his brows furrowing slightly, even more puzzled: "Is there something wrong with my transfer order?"

If his A Xiong could be so uncomposed, perhaps there was a problem with this order...

Could it be forged?

But who would have such guts?

"Nothing, nothing!"

Chen Yan waved his hand, his laughter gradually subsiding, leaving only a lingering smile at the corners of his mouth. The previous gloom was entirely gone, and his whole person exuded a sense of ease: "I just thought of some happy things..."

He paused and continued: "A Ze, continue!"

Although the transfer to Magistrate of Wannian looked like a demotion...

But to receive the same treatment as Father Grand Chancellor's own son, then the nature of it was different!

It was he who had misunderstood Father Grand Chancellor.

It was clearly to let the two brothers guard the vital capital region!

Everything was explained...

Yuwen Ze folded the imperial decree and tucked it back into his bosom, pressing his fingertips to confirm it was secure, his tone full of excitement: "A Xiong, on the way here, I heard from Master Gongyang at the mansion..."

He paused and continued: "Father intends for you to serve as Magistrate of Wannian for half a year, and then transfer you to Governor of Jingzhao!"

And he would be appointed Junior Governor of Jingzhao, serving as A Xiong's deputy.

An extremely reasonable arrangement!

This was Father Grand Chancellor wanting to temper his administrative abilities!... At that moment, Chen Yan felt understanding and emotion in his heart. He sighed lightly, a layer of warmth spreading in his eyes, and he remarked with feeling: "Father Grand Chancellor really has broken his heart for us brothers!"

How could the transfer to Magistrate of Wannian be a demotion?

It was clearly Father Grand Chancellor wanting them to go to the grassroots to build up their resumes...

This was seemingly inconspicuous but indispensable!

One must know that Daye Yuan was able to raise an army successfully and fight all the way from Jinyang to Chang'an precisely because he had served in positions along the route into Guanzhong, possessing a sufficient power base and prestige...

Moreover, going to the grassroots could also allow them to understand the people's livelihood at close range and practice administrative affairs.

At that instant, Chen Mouren really wanted to slap himself twice!

To actually question Father Grand Chancellor's painstaking efforts?

Did he really think everyone was that blockhead Chen Tongyuan?

"Yeah!"

Hearing this, the excitement on Yuwen Ze's face faded a bit. He followed suit and sighed lightly. When he lowered his eyes, a layer of heartache spread, and his voice softened: "When I spoke with Father yesterday, I saw that he had grown so many white hairs at his temples..."

The end of his words carried a trace of imperceptible bitterness.

Chen Yan raised his hand, patted Yuwen Ze's shoulder lightly, and said solemnly: "A Ze, you must not slack off; strive to share some of the burden for the Grand Chancellor as soon as possible!"

Now that everything was connected, and after calming down, thinking carefully about Father Grand Chancellor's transfer...

It seemed like a restriction, but in reality, it was protection.

He had indeed been too much in the limelight recently.

As the saying goes, the tree that stands above the forest will be destroyed by the wind...

There will always be people who find it unpleasant.

It was better to simply "demote" him to Magistrate of Wannian to avoid the limelight, and he could also take the opportunity to familiarize himself with local administration, paving the way for the future!

Father Grand Chancellor had considered every aspect; what a grateful heart!

Hearing this, Yuwen Ze nodded heavily in deep agreement, his jawline taut and straight, his tone full of sincerity: "A Xiong is absolutely right!"

He would not let Father down...

"A Ze, you should return to the mansion first!"

Chen Yan smiled indifferently, patted Yuwen Ze lightly, and said: "Later this evening, I will go to the Prince's Mansion to pay my respects and thank the Grand Chancellor!"