Chapter 619: What

Li Lizhi's eye corner twitched; she truly didn't know what to say.

Everyone's been locked up in Dali Temple Prison, yet they seem not the least bit panicked.

They're still thinking about that ruined roast chicken.

Gao Yang scowled and said, "We came together, and now it's affecting your roast chicken, huh?"

"Isn't that right?" Chen Yan said lazily, "You two, stop worrying pointlessly and hurry back. Is this even a place you can come to?"

"I'll be back in a couple of days," Gao Yang said.

Gao Yang subconsciously wanted to snap at Chen Yan, but suddenly realized it was wrong, steadied his gaze and asked, "Why are you so eager to make us leave?"

"You… have something?"

Chen Yan glanced at her and said, "You still ask after I already know!"

"I'm not joking with you. I expect many people will come looking for me later; you should go back first. I live here, and probably more visitors come here than when I'm at home."

Hearing that, Gao Yang gave Chen Yan a deep look, nodded lightly, and said, "Alright, my sister and I will go back first. We'll take good care of the child at home; remember to return."

"…Fine," Chen Yan replied seriously this time.

"Let's go, sister."

Li Lizhi subconsciously nodded at the words, realized something major must have happened at the Court today, was about to leave, then suddenly thought of something.

She hurriedly took out four or five gold pastries she had prepared beforehand and thrust them into Pei Guang's hand, saying, "Young master, please look after my husband more often; I am deeply grateful."

"Princess… that's not appropriate, really not," Pei Guang was frightened, quickly declined, "I am familiar with the Duke, and even if you don't say so, I wouldn't wrong the Duke; rest assured."

"Take them, use them to buy wine," Li Lizhi forcefully shoved the pastries into Pei Guang's hand, then anxiously glanced at Chen Yan, who was lying inside patting his belly, and left with Gao Yang.

However, what they didn't expect was that just as they stepped out of the underground cell, they turned and met two people.

"Grand Historian? National Teacher?"

"Your Highnesses, Princesses," Li Chunfeng smiled faintly, "Did you finish talking with Mr. Chen so quickly?"

Gao Yang clicked his tongue, "He really hit the mark; I expect many people are looking for Chen Yan today, no wonder they're so eager to make us leave."

"Grand Historian, could you tell me what exactly happened at the Court today?"

Li Chunfeng shook his head, "The matter is serious; since Mr. Chen hasn't told you, I shouldn't speak further."

"The only thing I can tell Your Highness is that Mr. Chen intends to do a great deed beneficial to the nation and the people, but has offended countless people across the world."

"Alright," Gao Yang said, and the last thread of worry left his mind.

Because she knows well that as long as Chen Yan's overall direction is correct, Li Shimin and Empress Changsun will support him.

Now in this situation, it's most likely that he's actually grinding for titles.

Moreover… if there truly were a matter, Cheng Yaojin and his group wouldn't be shouting about giving Chen Yan forty lashes.

The four didn't chat much; after Li Lizhi and Gao Yang left, Li Chunfeng and Yuan Tiangang exchanged a glance, then shook their heads and laughed, stepping into the cell.

At that moment, Pei Guang just handed the roast chicken to Chen Yan, and the two clinked cups through the cell door's crack.

"Grandpa, these gold pastries… I have them…"

"If you have them, keep them." Chen Yan chewed the chicken leg indifferently, "Everyone calls me 'Grandpa'; do you think I'm lacking in that?"

"You, keep it safe, and when you go back buy your wife and child a couple of new clothes."

"Didn't you say last time your child was a year old? Now, let's calculate… should be three years old, right?"

"After a while, Chang'an will open several academies; with this money you can send your child to school, let him study well, and someday become a grandpa himself."

"Besides, only the few of us know about this; don't go bragging about it, who would know?"

Pei Guang opened his mouth but said nothing, his eyes reddened, and he nodded heavily, "I understand."

"As long as you understand… don't cause trouble; days will get better later."

【9】 "Ah, Grandpa, it's I who made you look embarrassed."

Ah ah, sir, it's the junior who made you laugh.

While the two were talking, Li Chunfeng and Yuan Tiangang silently walked over.

Li Chunfeng suddenly spoke, "Mr. Chen!"

"What the hell!"

Chen Yan was startled, looked up and saw the smiling Li Chunfeng.

He was instantly speechless and said, "Grand Historian, could you make some noise next time you come?"

"Every time you speak calmly beside me, don't you know that people can be frightening, even deadly?"

Li Chunfeng sighed, "Mr. Chen, with our meager abilities, we could never compare to you."

"You lead officials from the Ministry of Revenue, and even the fiercest among the whole Court's civil and military, and even…"

He stopped there, clicking his tongue in amazement.

He truly hadn't expected Chen Yan's audacity to be so great, daring to strike at a temple.

Chen Yan sneered, continuing to chew the chicken leg, "You don't know this, eradicating Buddhism is impossible; that's everyone's bottom line."

"Besides, the Tang Dynasty has hundreds of thousands of monks; could you wipe them out?"

"Moreover, do you think His Majesty doesn't want to act against Buddhism? Do you think only landlords, nobles, and great families hinder the progressive tax system?"

"I'm merely going with the flow, nothing more…"

Yuan Tiangang deeply agreed, "Indeed, and since you brought this up, it's a huge benefit; the advantages are countless, impossible to sum up in a single sentence."

"But, Mr. Chen, are you truly not afraid of offending this group of believers?"

Chen Yan paused his hand movement, turned to Yuan Tiangang and asked, "Why would you think I'm afraid?"

Yuan Tiangang frowned, "Shouldn't it be? Take Lord Xiao, for example, and even Empress Changsun is a Buddhist follower."

"You're not offending one or two people, but…"

"I understand, I understand," Chen Yan raised his hand and pressed, "I'm offending countless people, the believers spread across the world, right?"

Yuan Tiangang said nothing, but his meaning was clear.

Chen Yan is overly fierce; the attitude he displayed on the Court was absolutely steadfast, and what he shouted was not anti‑Buddha but to annihilate Buddha.

The gap between the two can truly be described as worlds apart.

Chen Yan tossed the chicken bone he had finished gnawing at casually, clapped his hands, and retorted, "National Teacher, do you know how difficult it is to realize the prototype of Labor-to-Land Redistribution I mentioned last time?"

"And how great is the resistance involved?"

"National Teacher, sometimes there are things you know will have huge consequences, yet still must be done."

"Dealing with this resistance requires both soft and hard measures."

"His Majesty certainly cannot be hard, because he still needs to ensure the stability of the Tang Dynasty, so he can only be soft."

"But someone has to be hard, right?"

"Reform, how can it be without blood?"

"Since the new law is destined to be built upon countless piled corpses, why can't I be the one who raises the butcher's knife?"

"......"