Chapter 609: Li Shimin: Bring My Sword!

"You...!"

"Chen Zian!"

Li Shimin trembled with anger, pointing at Chen Yan and saying, "I appointed you as Minister of Revenue hoping you would help share my burdens, not so that you would constantly worry about my treasury!"

"That's my money; it has nothing to do with you!"

"Moreover, didn't you yourself say that the treasury belongs to the treasury, that it's my personal petty cash and cannot be used for state affairs?"

Chen Yan said innocently, "Your Majesty is mistaken; I never said you should draw disaster relief funds from the treasury. I meant that the Ministry of Revenue should provide the money."

Li Shimin shouted angrily, "Stop pretending to be stupid with me here; you know I'm not talking about that matter!"

"But Your Majesty... the pressing priority now is to deal with the Luoyang flooding. If we linger here any longer, another citizen in Luoyang may lose their home," Chen Yan said with a smile.

"Your Majesty, I think we should stop concerning ourselves with other matters and discuss them later."

Li Shimin: "......"

He laughed in anger, "Didn't you already dispatch people with a large amount of supplies to Luoyang?"

"Even though it's a Money Shop, I only need to send one person to sign a loan contract with the Money Shop; then your Ministry of Revenue can allocate part of the disaster relief funds, and the matter will be settled."

"A flood is just a flood; it's not a flood disaster!"

"But it could turn into a flood disaster, couldn't it, Your Majesty?" Chen Yan, unfazed, said solemnly, "After all, Luoyang's location is special; if not dealt with promptly, the chance of the flood becoming a disaster is not small."

"I dare to ask Your Majesty to pay attention to Luoyang, to its people!"

Li Shimin: "......"

"Alright, alright, you're being a minister again, aren't you? Daring, right?" He nodded, let out a low laugh, and sighed, "Chen Zian, Chen Zian!"

"Don't give me a chance to catch you, or else... you'll at least have to go to Dali Temple Prison."

Chen Yan pursed his lips, "Well, Your Majesty, I understand."

"I always remember that I am a minister, and as the saying goes, if the ruler wants the minister to die, the minister has no choice but to die. Don't tell me you're putting me in Dali Temple Prison; you want my head, and I have absolutely no objection."

"As long as you aren't afraid that a few of your daughters might crash into you and die!"

"You...!"

Upon hearing that, Li Shimin's eyes nearly bulged out, his breath almost caught, and Chen Yan's last sentence choked him completely.

"You you you!"

"Damn it!"

"If the ruler wants the minister to die, the minister has no choice but to die, right?" Li Shimin slammed the table, shouting, "Wushe, what the hell are you still standing there doing?"

"Fetch the sword!"

"Bring my sword!"

"Today I will definitely chop this scoundrel!"

Chen Yan was plagued by a splitting headache.

Aren't I just fretting about your petty cash?

And then?

Forgot how the money in your petty cash got there?

"Wushe?" Li Shimin kept shouting, "Where did the dead go?"

Just as Wushe stepped into the hall, he pursed his lips and cautiously said, "Your Majesty, the Grand Historian and the National Teacher have arrived."

Li Shimin was startled, glanced lightly at Chen Yan, and asked, "How did they get here?"

Wushe hesitated briefly, then said, "The Grand Historian and the National Teacher said that the Duke of Wei sent them here, saying to wait for them here."

Li Shimin sneered, "I see."

"I told you, who has such great ability to command these two? If it's our Duke, then there's no problem."

"Let them in."

Chen Yan: "......"

"Hey, Your Majesty."

Wushe respectfully withdrew.

"Why did you summon them?" Li Shimin sat down again, staring at Chen Yan, "Is it related to the Luoyang matter?"

Chen Yan asked puzzled, "Your Majesty, you aren't fetching the sword to cut off my head, are you?"

"...... Chen! Zian!"

"Alright, alright, no joking, no joking, ha." Seeing Li Shimin about to get angry, Chen Yan hurriedly said, "Just kidding, we're all family in private; why are you angry, Your Majesty?"

"Sooner or later I will be driven to death by you!" Li Shimin shouted angrily.

Chen Yan said cheerfully, "That won't happen, Your Majesty; I know my limits... never mind, let's not talk about that now."

"Regarding the Luoyang matter... there are indeed many suspicious aspects, so I plan to send the Grand Historian and the National Teacher on a trip."

"One more thing, I would like to request an appointment for the Grand Historian and the National Teacher. Your troublesome person is now under Li Daozong's control, I think, and the National Teacher might be a bit more suitable for that position."

"Let Yuan Tiangang take charge of the troublesome person?" Li Shimin thought for a moment.

"Yes, Your Majesty, what do you think?"

"I don't think so! What, our Duke controls the Ministry of Revenue, the Money Shop, can meddle in the Eastern Palace, even develop explosives, and that's not enough? Trying to reach into my troublesome person?"

Chen Yan: "......"

"Fine, you, just pretend I never said anything."

Li Shimin snorted coldly and said no more.

He said that on the surface, but in fact he was seriously considering Chen Yan's suggestion, because he also felt that Li Daozong truly wasn't suitable for the position; his efficiency in handling affairs was indeed not great.

If he hadn't been unable to find a suitable candidate at the time, he wouldn't have used Li Daozong.

If it were Yuan Tiangang... it does seem possible.

First of all, Yuan Tiangang and Li Chunfeng are Daoists, just like Chen Yan, with little desire for power, and moreover their loyalty is beyond doubt.

Chen Yan likes to eat well and enjoys looking at beautiful women.

But these two are even more so than Chen Yan; they can be described as having no desires, no pursuits, the only thing they might care about is the common people of the world.

The Outlaws need to expand; in the future, according to his conception, power will inevitably not be small, and using these two people is indeed quite good.

Adding to their miraculous abilities and their uncanny, elusive skills, after careful consideration, Li Shimin increasingly feels that Chen Yan's suggestion is feasible.

"Your servant, I pay my respects to Your Majesty."

Coincidentally, Li Chunfeng and Yuan Tiangang entered.

Li Shimin gave a slight nod, "Grand Historian, National Teacher, no need for excessive courtesy, please take a seat."

"Your servant thanks Your Majesty."

The two did not know why Chen Yan had summoned them, but with Chen Yan present, they would eventually find out, so they did not ask further.

After they sat down, what Chen Yan did not expect was that Li Shimin directly said: "Our Duke has found a task for you; see if you are willing."

Li Chunfeng and Yuan Tiangang were not surprised either, because Chen Yan had already mentioned this matter to them earlier.

Yuan Tiangang said: "Your Majesty, I do not know what the matter is; if I can contribute my share, I will certainly not shirk."

Li Shimin's expression turned cold: "Just now, Zi An informed me that Luoyang has suffered a flood, with the possibility of triggering a disaster."

"Many people have already been displaced and fled to Chang'an, yet I have received no news at all."

"I intend to send you a group of people to covertly investigate and find out exactly what the situation is."

"......"