Chapter 512: Beaten So Hard I Can

After a moment of contemplation, Du Ruhui slowly began, "Letting you oversee the Ministry of Revenue, in reality, the benefits outweigh the drawbacks."

"The good point is that this fully demonstrates His Majesty's trust and regard for you, to the extent that he is willing to bear pressure and let your rank make a leap."

"It also means that you have formally stepped onto the pinnacle of the Court, becoming one of the small handful at the summit of the Tang Dynasty."

"It is not merely about power or rank size; more importantly, you will formally enter a tiny circle of only a few people, possessing the right to propose, decide, and veto!"

"The downside is…"

At this point, Du Ruhui paused, his voice low, "Your speed of promotion, in the Tang Dynasty, is unprecedented; it is His Majesty who forcibly lifted you with his own authority."

"If His Majesty is determined, even if Court officials are unwilling, they have no way to oppose His Majesty."

"But you are different; first you must understand that overseeing the Ministry of Revenue brings the highest level of power and status, and likewise its allure is also top‑tier."

Chen Yan, seeming to grasp it, said, "You mean there are many people eyeing the Minister of Revenue position, but because of my arrival, they probably think they have no chance."

"Not just a guess!" Du Ruhui said seriously, "It's certain!"

"I recall I once told you that His Majesty initially wanted you to enter the Ministry of Revenue, but later thought it better for you to first go to Weinan County, so he abandoned that idea."

"Think about who currently oversees the Ministry of Revenue?"

"Dai Zhou!"

Du Ruhui said to himself, "At the beginning of the fourth year of the Zhenguan era, Dai Zhou was still serving at Dali Temple; later, because of his outstanding ability, His Majesty promoted him to Minister of Revenue!"

"In reality, the Minister of Revenue is merely a transitional post for Dai Zhou."

"Given the current situation, Wei Zheng is practically a done deal to become an imperial attendant, and Wang Gui will definitely be removed!"

"When these two move, the impact is huge; plus you said His Majesty let you oversee the Ministry of Revenue, so I can almost be certain that Dai Zhou will be transferred immediately."

"Those below, even if they don't know His Majesty has already decided on you, will still speculate about Dai Zhou's position change."

Chen Yan remained silent, holding his teacup and sipping carefully, pondering the subtext in Du Ruhui's words.

The atmosphere stayed quiet for a while.

What the two didn't expect was that Li Lizhi, who had never interrupted their conversation, suddenly whispered.

"Lately, aren't there many officials hoping for promotion, working hard to showcase themselves?"

Du Ruhui exclaimed in surprise, "Indeed, as His/Her Highness of Chang Le said, it's funny to mention, I've never seen the Tang Dynasty Court so united; each one's efficiency has improved beyond measure compared to before."

"In the past, if there was nothing, the court session would basically end; the current sessions, well… hehe."

At the end, Du Ruhui let out a cold laugh.

Chen Yan twirled the teacup with his fingers, his tone gaining a hint of gravity: "So, this suddenly‑promoted Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, who will become Minister of Revenue early next year, has blocked many people's path to glory?"

"At least that's what they think," Du Ruhui remarked.

Chen Yan understood instantly, grasping his meaning.

Human hearts have always been the hardest to gauge.

When opportunity arises and greed is stirred, those who have long eyed these positions, regardless of your status or achievements, only know that Chen Yan has snatched what originally belonged to them.

"They will only see me as a roadblock, even if that stone was placed there by His Majesty himself."

Chen Yan set down the teacup, having understood more of the issue.

"Exactly!" Du Ruhui nodded, "You rose to fame young, earned the sole favor of the sage's heart, even Empress Changsun protects you like a guardian calf, and you married two Princesses, which naturally breeds jealousy."

"Now you've reached the pinnacle of Tang power; henceforth, both open attacks and hidden daggers will surely not be few."

"No problem!" Chen Yan waved his hand nonchalantly, "I'm not alone; I have backing behind me!"

"To become an official, the most important things are connections, background, and ability, and I happen to have all of them!"

"When soldiers come, I will block; when water comes, earth will cover!"

"If anyone can shake me, that's their own skill; I am willing to bet and accept defeat!"

"Hmm!" Du Ruhui nodded appreciatively, "In this regard you are truly flawless, far exceeding the norm."

"Life spans only a few decades; it's nothing but a grand gamble!"

"If you win the gamble, chickens and dogs ascend to heaven!"

"If you lose, at worst you start over in the next life!"

Du Ruhui's mouth twitched upward, "Back then, we and your father, weren't we all winners of the gamble?"

Chen Yan froze.

Indeed, Du Ruhui and Fang Xuanling had pretended to be Taoist priests to join the Xuanwu Gate team‑building, truly pulling a big one.

The Du Family, because of Du Ruhui alone, was once compared with the century‑old Wei Family.

The gains were enormous, rarely seen in the world.

Perhaps only when dynasties change can such situations appear in large numbers.

"By the way," Du Ruhui added, "Since you're different from others, if you lose, you can take your two wives and daughter to complain to Empress Changsun, and the matter will be over."

Chen Yan subconsciously glanced at Li Lizhi beside him, couldn't help tugging at his mouth corner, speechless.

Not to mention, sometimes going to Empress Changsun might be more useful than seeking Li Shimin.

"Husband, in Mother's eyes, you have always been a good child," Li Lizhi giggled.

Chen Yan placed a hand on his forehead.

"You still don't know, do you?"

The last time you entered the palace, your mother already said I was a damn good child.

"From what you just said, you first become Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Revenue? Then when early next year Dai Zhou is transferred elsewhere, you take the position, right?"

Du Ruhui said at this point.

"Correct."

Chen Yan admitted, then laughed, "You must quickly place Brother Du into the Ministry of Revenue, preferably now, otherwise when I take office without any acquaintances, that would be disastrous."

Du Ruhui pondered, "I don't think it's necessary; His Majesty is surely planning to send Du Gou and his group over to assist you."

At the very beginning, His Majesty actually wanted to arrange a puppet to become Minister of Revenue, so he let you be Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Revenue; this way, most hidden attacks wouldn't be aimed at you.

But now His Majesty directly makes you the Minister of Revenue; I personally think there should be a test of your mind.

Let's see whether you can withstand the pressure!

After all, if you can't bear the pressure, you're destined not to go far.

Chen Yan clicked his tongue, "I already guessed, but I still thank Cai Duke for informing me."

Saying that, he seemed to recall something, turned his head and looked around, "By the way, why haven't I seen Brother Du?"

"He…"

Du Ruhui was silent for two breaths, "He went to support your business."

"What?" Chen Yan was startled.

"The brothel you run, what's its name… Wang… Wangyuelou, he said he had to give you some patronage, then came back and started a fight with my daughter‑in‑law, and now he's been beaten so badly he can't get out of bed."

Chen Yan: "......"

"......"