Chapter 1040

After driving away Xu Fugui, Chen Guanlou let Huang Ye stay behind, preparing to chat.

"You are too anxious!"

He set the tone as soon as he opened his mouth.

Huang Ye was also decisive enough, bowing, "My lord's lesson is correct. This subordinate was indeed too hasty this time, and my words and actions were somewhat improper! I have failed my lord's high expectations! Please punish me, my lord."

"What should I punish you for? You open and close your mouths asking me to punish you—is it useful? Go back and reflect well; being able to learn experience and lessons from this incident is also a gain, and it's worth the half-year bonus that was docked. Conversely, you are just a mediocre person."

Huang Ye's face turned red, bright red; he was ashamed and embarrassed.

He didn't want to be a mediocre person.

"After I go back, I will definitely reflect carefully! I don't want to be a mediocre person!"

Chen Guanlou hummed, his expression very indifferent, "Everyone has the ambition to reach the clouds, but it doesn't mean everyone is a child of destiny. Reflection is necessary; don't get stuck in a dead end or hit a south wall! Go down!"

Huang Ye looked dejected, but still bowed and retreated. There was no problem with his etiquette at all.

Chen Guanlou rubbed his eyebrows and muttered, "Promoted too fast, suddenly obtaining a high position, his temperament is a bit impatient."

Medical Official Mu carried his small teapot and leisurely came to the office.

"Is my lord finished?"

"For now, it can be considered finished. One or two are not fuel-efficient lamps."

Medical Official Mu chuckled, "Although the income of the C-grade jail cannot keep up with the A-grade jail, it is still considerable. Being a prison clerk, the bonus alone every month is a large income. Wealth moves people's hearts; fighting and snatching are inevitable. Everyone wants to eat alone and wants to step on the other party; this is human nature."

Chen Guanlou laughed, "This matter cannot be blamed on me. At the beginning, it was also your suggestion that the C-grade jail must be rectified, so I set up two prison clerks to check and balance each other. How long has it been, and it's already caused trouble. Let them make trouble, let them make trouble. After making trouble a few more times, whether they are human or ghost, mediocre or talented, everything will be known."

Medical Official Mu nodded in approval, "Just like the imperial court, it cannot be all harmony."

"Oh my, Old Mu, how can you have the nerve to compare the Heavenly Prison to the imperial court? If it spreads out, it will make people laugh their teeth off."

"It won't spread out. Unless my lord spreads it intentionally." Medical Official Mu countered.

Chen Guanlou laughed and invited the other party to drink tea.

The two were chatting when the doorman came to report that someone had come to deliver an invitation. It seemed to be from the Xie Fu.

"Xie Fu? Which Xie Fu?"

"In the capital, who else could be called the Xie Fu besides the Left Prime Minister?" Medical Official Mu shook his head and smiled, mocking Chen Guanlou for asking what he already knew.

Chen Guanlou tapped the table lightly, "Why is the Xie Fu sending me an invitation? Go invite the person in; I will ask face to face."

The person who came was a steward of the Xie Fu, who was fat and looked like a Maitreya Buddha, with a very likable appearance. He belonged to the type of person who, as soon as he opened his mouth, could attract favor, make people willing to chat with him, and have no guard.

This appearance was simply heaven-sent. If he went to engage in deception, he would succeed every time.

I don't know where the Xie family recruited such a talent.

Chen Guanlou took the invitation and read the content.

Xie Gechen invited him to meet at Baoguo Temple in two days.

"Why does your Prime Minister want to meet me? And it's at a temple. What's the matter, does he want to invite me to burn incense and worship Buddha together, and become sworn brothers?"

The fat steward's surname was Lu.

Steward Lu listened to his nonsense without even moving his eyebrows, still smiling, "Chen Jiang Yucheng is joking. My lord has recently gained some insights into Buddhism and wants to invite Chen Jiang Yucheng to discuss it together."

"Invite me to discuss Buddhism?" Chen Guanlou laughed out loud; this was the funniest joke he had heard today, "Me, discuss Buddhism? Did you make this up, or did your Left Prime Minister say it himself?"

"This subordinate would not dare to make things up!" Steward Lu said solemnly; even so, he still had a smile on his face. A natural smiling face, a natural likable person!

Chen Guanlou once again sighed in his heart: what a talent!

He smiled enigmatically, "Aren't you afraid I'll expose you in front of Xie Gechen?"

"What ability does this subordinate have to stop Chen Jiang Yucheng from speaking? When my lord and my Prime Minister meet, they can talk about whatever they want without any scruples."

The implication was: feel free to confront him. Not afraid!

Chen Guanlou raised his eyebrows, "Fine, I will arrive on time in two days. Go back and tell your Prime Minister that I don't have the money to burn incense and worship Buddha, so have him prepare an extra portion. I went to burn incense at Baoguo Temple last time and haven't fulfilled my vow yet. Let's do it while we're at it this time."

Steward Lu smiled and agreed, as if he hadn't heard his stingy words at all. He was truly a natural diplomatic talent.

After sending the person away, Chen Guanlou threw the invitation aside and said, "Offering favors for no reason—it's either evil or theft! Xie Gechen suddenly looking for me definitely isn't anything good."

Good things wouldn't fall on his head anyway.

These officials never thought of him for good things. Whenever there was trouble, they remembered him.

"A dignified Left Prime Minister personally sending an invitation—what honor. How many people in the world want to beg for an invitation but can't get one. My lord, look at it more openly!" Medical Official Mu advised. He looked like he was afraid that Chen Jiang Yucheng's stubborn temper would flare up and he would go against Xie Gechen.

He was truly worried to death.

Chen Guanlou laughed, "Old Mu, don't worry, I can distinguish the weight of things. This invitation, if taken outside—I dare not say too much—is worth at least several hundred taels of silver. Plenty of people want to use money to exchange for this invitation. Unfortunately, my name is written on it, so exchanging it for money is useless."

An object that cannot be traded is just trash!

He despised it!

Medical Official Mu took the opportunity to say: "Researching Buddhism is definitely an excuse. Why doesn't my lord think about what he could be asking you for? It can't be for the Hou Fu."

"If it were really for the Hou Fu, he would go find Chen Guanfu; why find me? It must not be for the Hou Fu. It must be something else!"

The two guessed for a long time, but had no clue.

Chen Guanlou rubbed his eyebrows, not wanting to guess anymore.

"I'll know when I go to Baoguo Temple in two days. Anyway, he definitely won't kill me."

"My lord really knows how to joke." Medical Official Mu's mouth twitched; sometimes, he really wanted to sew Chen Jiang Yucheng's mouth shut.

Before going to the appointment, Chen Guanlou specifically went down to the A-grade jail to visit the Prince of Chu.

He asked bluntly: "Do you have any friendship with the Xie family?"

The Prince of Chu gritted his teeth, "If I had any friendship with the Xie family, how could I have been defeated! If it weren't for the Xie family coming forward to gather the financial and material resources of the South to support the imperial court, I would have already defeated the imperial court's army, and perhaps I would have already marched into the capital!"

"You really know how to brag!" Chen Guanlou retorted.

Even without the Xie family, the Prince of Chu couldn't have marched into the capital in a short time. The three major camps of the capital hadn't even moved; he really didn't know where the other party got his confidence.

The Ministry of Revenue of the Great Gan Dynasty was short of money every year, which didn't mean his ability to mobilize civilian resources was lacking. The Ministry of Revenue had no money, but the local areas had money; the common people had money. As long as there were means and no fear of infamy, there were plenty of ways to mobilize resources!

It was just that this time, it was the Xie family that came forward to shoulder the heavy burden of resource allocation.