Chapter 535: The Palace Won

Inside the hall the quarrel went on for a while, and finally Li Shimin, annoyed, directly announced the court's adjournment.

The officials saluted, and after Li Shimin left, Chen Yan saw his chance and bolted away.

"Hey, you ungrateful dog, stop right there!"

Cheng Yaojin scolded angrily, took big strides to chase after him, and Yuchi Gong, without hesitation, immediately joined the pursuit.

But Chen Yan was so clever; instead of running outside the palace, he ran into the palace.

"Hey!"

"I, the young master, have the Imperial Token granted by His Majesty and Her Majesty; do you have the nerve to follow me into the harem!"

Chen Yan kept talking as he ran, not a bit timid.

That really gave Cheng Yaojin and Yuchi Gong enough to be angry.

Having an Imperial Token makes you so great?

Fine, you really are impressive!

The two actually didn't dare continue the chase inside!

Being able to enter Lizheng Hall as easily as returning home is such an honor; only Chen Yan can claim it!

Standing at the harem gate, Chen Yan placed one hand on his hip, curled a finger with the other, and said, "You come over!"

The two: "......"

"Fine, fine, fine!" Cheng Yaojin laughed angrily, "If you have the guts, just stay here forever; otherwise, humph… just wait!"

"I just don't believe you won't go home!"

"What can you do if I go home?" Chen Yan, still unafraid, said, "When you two go back and receive the Twenty Great Boards, whether you can get off the ground is still uncertain; who are you trying to intimidate?"

He didn't mention it and it was fine; once he brought it up, the two instantly flared up.

Suspension, salary penalty, demotion—they all thought it was nothing, after all that was the point; once they went out and won a battle, wouldn't everything return?

And they wouldn't have to worry about the risk of overachieving and threatening the ruler—how great!

The only thing that made them angry was Chen Yan's line about giving them another Twenty Great Boards.

It really broke their defense.

"You good-for-nothing Chen Zian, you damn well remember me; don't let me catch you off guard, otherwise you'll get what's coming to you!"

Cheng Yaojin shouted curses!

"Chen Yan!" Yuchi Gong was even more furious, "You plotted back then, having Lao Qin bring his son to our door to swindle my lady; I won't elaborate, since the matter of the Dao and my family's lady is… Today at court, I was still concerned about you, and you not only did it to me without saying, but also want to give me the Twenty Great Boards!"

"You've got it, Chen Yan! You're a ruthless person!"

Yuchi Gong was so angry he shouted to the heavens, "Sister-in-law Wen, look, look at your son; he was the first to be unkind, sister-in-law, don't blame me for being unjust!"

Chen Yan's mother's surname is Wen.

"What are you doing?"

Suddenly, a harsh scolding came from behind!

Empress Changsun, accompanied by two female officials, walked over, first glancing at Chen Yan, then suppressing a smile, she glared at Cheng Yaojin and Yuchi Gong!

"What do you think this place is, daring to run wild on my territory?"

Cheng Yaojin and Yuchi Gong instantly dared not speak.

"Your Majesty… we had no such intention; that kid… is too infuriating!" Cheng Yaojin gritted his teeth.

Empress Changsun almost laughed out loud, but kept a stern face, "I don't care what reasons you have; running wild here is unacceptable, all of you get out and go back!"

"...... Yes!"

The two dared not act rashly, glancing resentfully at Chen Yan behind, who was leveraging his position like a dog with a master.

After they left, Empress Changsun looked back and saw Chen Yan's eyes wide open, a face full of arrogance, looking just like a chick that found an old hen, and she couldn't help but laugh.

"Fine, you, First Sword of Landing, go slay Big Old Black first!"

"And you think you can give them the Twenty Great Boards? If there's no personal grudge inside, I don't believe it."

Chen Yan sneered, "I apologize for making Your Majesty laugh, but those two Big Old Black have deserved their crimes; it has nothing to do with any personal grudge, please don't…"

"Is that so?" Empress Changsun glanced sideways, "Next time you come here, bring Xiao Sui An, I welcome you; if you don't bring… heh, next time the big board will be yours."

"Your Majesty and I give you the Imperial Token, not for you to…"

Chen Yan choked a bit, realizing that his actions today might have angered Empress Changsun.

It was indeed excessive to cause a ruckus at the harem gate.

"Alright, I got it."

Empress Changsun's expression softened, "Today's incident, we are all clear‑sighted and can see the situation. You want to help Cheng Yaojin and the others, which is understandable, but this kind of matter doesn't necessarily require you to act."

"After all, you've been taken care of by Cheng Yaojin and the others for years; if you do this, it will greatly affect your reputation. In the future, if similar situations arise, you could let Du Gou, or Fang Xuanling and the others handle it."

"The best candidate is actually Wei Zheng; he's practical and not rigid, and wouldn't mind returning a favor. That way, you achieve your goal while staying out of it—how great?"

Chen Yan blinked, shook his head, "No, it's best I do this myself; what others think is exactly what I want to see. I always remember: a person who isn't ruthless cannot stand firm!"

His words were brief, but enough for Empress Changsun to understand his intention.

After hesitating a moment, she sighed, "Fine, you've grown up; many matters I shouldn't meddle in too much, so you take care of yourself."

"In the future… often bring Lìzhì and Gao Yang, as well as Xiao Sui An, to come eat and chat with me, understand?"

Hearing this, Chen Yan smiled again, "I remember, Your Majesty, I'll definitely bring my wife and daughters more often to keep you company."

"Mm!" Empress Changsun nodded, "Leave now; regarding today's matter, I'll see if I can talk to His Majesty and help arrange it for you."

"I…"

"Brother, brother!"

Just as Chen Yan was about to speak, Xiao Sizi trotted with short legs, yelping as he sprinted over, like a tiny cannonball crashing straight into his leg and clinging tightly.

His face instantly turned black.

What are you doing?

Are you mourning?

The little one tilted up her small face, her big eyes brimming with tears, making anyone's heart melt. 'Brother, you finally came—are you here to take me away? Hurry up, I have nothing left to pack; let's go with you now. I can't stay in the Imperial Palace any longer.'

Chen Yan: '......'

Empress Changsun: '......'

'Me too, me too!'

Without waiting for them to speak, the Chengyang Little Princess ran over with a small bundle on her back, shouting anxiously, afraid that Chen Yan would forget her.

Seeing Empress Changsun's face growing darker and darker, Chen Yan felt utterly embarrassed, 'Your Highness...... look at this......'

Empress Changsun felt a stifled anger in her chest—is this Imperial Palace really that bad?

How can they keep thinking about running away day after day?

'...... Forget it, since they want to leave, just take them with you.'

'Brother, what are you waiting for? Mother has spoken—let's go quickly!'

Sizi was overjoyed, hurriedly pulling Chen Yan's pant leg as they went outside, as if something terrifying were behind them.

'......'