Chapter 522: Turbulent Hidden Currents

"Don't worry, I won't use poison, let alone kill anyone."

Chen Yan replied as a matter of course, "I'm a scholar; how could a scholar do such a thing?"

"Besides, the people who plotted against Xu Lianyue are dead; what does that have to do with me?"

"Don't slander me; I'm a proper physician!"

"...... Heh." Gao Yang just smiled and fell silent.

To speak of that Xu Lianyue affair has nothing to do with Chen Yan; even if you kill her, they wouldn't believe it.

Of course, that's all unimportant.

The important thing is that Gao Yang almost understands that Chen Yan knows what's going on.

Then she felt at ease.

"In the coming days, His Majesty's imperial edict should be issued," Li Lizhi guessed. "Husband, when you were eating, didn't you say Du Gou would assume office three days from now?"

"Your husband's position is making such a huge leap; it must be accompanied by an imperial edict, and the official robes need to be sent ahead."

"I estimate it will be within these two days."

"It doesn't matter when." Chen Yan said casually. "If you ask me, the later the better. In fact, early in the seventh year of Zhen Guan would be the best chance. Now, with the Court roiling with hidden currents, it's not a good time."

"Fortunately His Majesty is probably equally aware of this, so he first appointed me as Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Revenue instead of immediately making me Minister of Revenue."

"Otherwise, the hidden daggers I would have to face in the future would likely be even more."

Gao Yang was startled by the words, and while Chen Yan and Li Lizhi didn't notice, his gaze darkened......

"......"

As Li Lizhi had thought, two days later, before Du Gou took office, Wushe personally led palace maids and eunuchs, bearing the imperial edict and official robes, belts and other items, into the Duke of Wei's residence.

Chen Yan rose from a Sixth Rank County Magistrate directly to a regular Fourth Rank Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Revenue (during the reigns of Emperor Gaozong and Empress Wu Zetian, the Six Ministries' attendants were of regular Fourth Rank and above).

The news fell like a meteor onto the Chang'an bureaucracy, instantly setting the pot boiling.

Whether they had received some advance notice or were completely unaware, everyone was shocked by it.

Du Ruhui sighed at home, "I entered office at eighteen, and by twenty I became Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Revenue; in a little over a month I'll have to assume the post of Minister of Revenue......"

"Tsk tsk, truly defying the heavens......"

In the Fang household, Fang Xuanling, hands clasped behind his back, turned his head to his eldest son and said, "Always remember father's words: staying by Chen Yan's side, opportunity isn't the most important thing; what matters is learning his way of thinking about problems."

"As for the minor details, father will not speak of them, but if you think carefully about the several overt schemes Chen Yan presented to His Majesty before, wasn't each one leveraging the great trend? That is what is most helpless."

"Even if everyone at Court knows the road ahead is a pit, must they still jump down?"

"Privately, father could even tell you that when facing the great trend, even His Majesty must temporarily avoid the sharp edge, let alone others."

"Father, do you mean you want me to learn the methods of Brother Zi Anxiong?" Fang Yizhi asked with a frown.

Fang Xuanling fell silent for a moment, sighing inwardly.

His own son is still somewhat young; although he has already reached a Fifth Rank official, that was only because he shamelessly sent him to Weinan County, riding the wind created by Chen Yan.

He said earnestly, "I'm not telling you to copy Chen Yan's overt schemes; you need to remember that the means are not the most important thing. What matters is the way of thinking, the very term you mentioned last time, which you learned from Chen Yan—'thinking!'"

"Sometimes the enormous gap between people is precisely because their ways of thinking differ, leading to different responses to problems."

"Sigh, never mind. Now that you've returned to Chang'an, keep learning from Chen Yan, take notes, and if convenient, come back and tell father; father will analyze for you."

Fang Yizhi opened his mouth slightly and nodded.

He isn't a prodigal second generation; he knows himself clearly and is willing to admit he's not as good as others.

"Fang! Who are you leaning against back there for? Your son is about to take office; have you sorted out the connections? Have you thought about how to arrange his future? And my lingering affection—he still has no wife; can you think of a solution?"

"Such a high official, and you can't even arrange a wife for your son; I truly don't know what you're doing day after day!"

Suddenly, a loud shout rang out, followed by a series of roars.

The Fang father and son's bodies shivered in unison, they exchanged a glance, smiled tacitly, and jogged toward the direction of the sound.

"......."

That imperial edict, once issued, not only caused a huge stir in Chang'an, becoming the hottest topic in the recent bureaucracy, but also made the already turbulent situation shift subtly again.

Because everyone knows Wang Gui will be coming down soon, and either Wei Zheng or Dai Zhou will have to go up.

In the current situation, the Ministry of Revenue parachuted in an Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, who is Li Shimin's imperial son-in-law, the husband of the legitimate Princess Changle, a concubine‑born but dearly favored Gao Yang.

He is also greatly favored by Empress Changsun, entering Lizheng Hall as if returning home.

Most importantly, he is only twenty years old, just having come of age.

Such a background, such an age—truly terrifying!

Some officials instantly realized this was an absolutely untouchable target; the names Chen Yan and Chen Zian were etched deeply in their minds.

A large portion of people have already begun preparing gifts, intending to befriend this twenty‑year‑old Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Revenue.

Only a tiny handful have raised their wariness of Chen Yan to the highest level, both sending people to prepare lavish gifts like everyone else and also tasking trusted contacts to scout for other information.

In short, the hidden currents that Chang'an once concealed seem to be beginning to surface.

Yet at the center of this storm, the Duke of Wei, Chen Yan, was squatting on the steps with Li Tai, slurping noodles.

Slurp~

Li Tai swallowed a mouthful of noodles, smacking his lips, and asked, "Brother Chen, it's not calm outside now; don't you have anything to say?"

"Say what?" Chen Yan looked at the noodles in his bowl, seeming a bit regretful, "Eating noodles without garlic halves the aroma; next time we should have Aunt Zhang watch this."

Li Tai instinctively nodded, then realized, and was speechless, "I asked you to talk about what's happening outside, and you tell me about eating noodles without garlic?"

"Hmm! Then what else?"

Chen Yan took a sip of broth, smacking his lips, "Noodles, you have to eat them while they're hot; that's when they taste best. If they're cold they become clumpy, so they must be hot!"

"Even hot isn't perfect; as I just said, eating noodles without garlic halves the fragrance."

"Why is that?"

He went on by himself, "Because garlic is a strong ingredient, it's highly stimulating and also spicy!"

Just like people, a peaceful life cannot last too long, otherwise it will become boring!

At the right time, you need to add some excitement, enough vigor!