Chapter 1529: Power is everything

"I guess Song Shizheng might have lost the Emperor's heart and lost the qualification to inherit the Prince's mansion."

Otherwise, why would the Jian Shi Emperor grant him an orphan daughter!

The wife's family has no support, just an orphan daughter. Where is such a Prince's mansion heir?

This is Sun Daoning's speculation.

Chen Guanlou pondered for a while and drank two cups of wine. "I have a different view. Standing from the Emperor's position, the weaker all the imperial clans are, the better, which is beneficial to imperial power. A Prince's mansion heir, a future Prince, without the support of his wife's family, is clearly more reassuring than a powerful clan. As for whether weakening the power of the clan will create powerful officials who will hold the imperial power hostage, that is a matter for the future. As an emperor, he only wants to do what is in the present. In the future, there will naturally be the wisdom of descendants to solve it!"

Sun Daoning was speechless after hearing this, not knowing what to say.

He wanted to refute, but after thinking carefully, his own position was actually standing on the side of the Prince's mansion, thinking about the problem from the perspective of the Prince's mansion. If standing on the side of the Emperor, an orphan daughter is indeed stronger than a daughter from a noble family.

He took a sip of wine. "Do you mean that Song Shizheng has a chance to inherit the Prince's mansion?"

"Have you understood why the Emperor wants to grant Dou Shu to Song Shizheng? Was it someone reminding him from the side, or was it someone who took the initiative to ask for marriage? Or was it someone obstructing it from the middle?"

Sun Daoning shook his head; he naturally wouldn't care about these trivial matters.

The Emperor granting an orphan daughter a marriage is not a major court matter. He is busy with ten thousand things every day, so he has no time to ponder the twists and turns inside.

Seeing this, Chen Guanlou gave a soft laugh. "Since you haven't understood, don't jump to conclusions easily. It's better to wait and see, and wait for the follow-up."

Sun Daoning nodded. "You see far!"

"Because I am idle, looking around everywhere, and after seeing a lot, I have my own judgment. Old Sun, you are a professional, a talent for criminal justice, just focus on your own affairs. Don't get involved in those messy things. When everyone else is dead, you will be a veteran of three dynasties, a heavy minister of the country, and a pillar that the new emperor needs to rely on!"

Chen Guanlou's words were like teasing, like serious planning, and even more like bewitching.

Sun Daoning laughed. "According to what you say, I can still shine in the court at seventy or eighty. I accept your blessing, but I hope there will be such a day."

He was quite happy.

Understanding Chen Guanlou's words as a blessing made him feel much better.

His peers were basically all dead, and he was not only alive but could also be an official and a prime minister; how happy. Even if his aptitude for being an official was not as good as others, his luck was not as good as others, his heart was not as black as others, and his methods were not as poisonous as others, but as long as he lived long enough, as long as he was steady enough, one day he could also become an arm that the Emperor must rely on, thus leaving his name in history!

Thinking about it is happy!

Then, he worried again. "Can I outlive Xie Changling? He is much younger than me. I'm afraid I will be suppressed by Xie Changling for the rest of my life and will never be able to turn over."

In his words, there was dissatisfaction, unwillingness, and helplessness.

As an old official in the court, he must admit that Xie Changling is stronger than him! Much stronger!

Chen Guanlou laughed happily. "Old Sun, sometimes you are too short-sighted, and sometimes you are too long-sighted. Why think so much, looking for trouble for yourself. Future troubles will be solved by the future you. You must believe that the future you has enough wisdom to solve various difficulties!"

Sun Daoning nodded slowly, expressing approval.

"No wonder you live so freely, so transparently. Get drunk today for today's wine! Come, have a drink!"

The two were like good brothers, drinking until they were half-drunk.

They separated at the third watch, and Chen Guanlou reminded the other party to close Qiu Gui's case quickly. Afterward, he changed to a place to be free and easy.

Sun Daoning went straight back to his mansion to rest under the escort of his butler and guards.

Returning to the mansion, after thinking about it, he went straight to the backyard.

He and his old wife had been sleeping in separate rooms for twenty years! Occasionally he would go over to sit for a while, but never stayed the night.

Today, for some reason, he suddenly wanted to talk to his old wife. They were a young couple and old companions! Some words, in this mansion, could only be said to his old wife, could be poured out.

Madam Niu was woken up and complained twice.

Seeing his drunken appearance, she first let the maid bring hot water to serve him to wash up.

Afterward, she sent away all the servants who were serving.

Sun Daoning lay directly on Madam Niu's lap, looking slightly drunk, squinting his eyes, enjoying a moment of tranquility.

"I heard from the front that you went out to socialize. Looking at you like this, you must have drunk a lot. Who is it that can make you drink so much? Don't you want your body anymore?"

Madam Niu nagged while gently stroking his forehead, helping him relax.

Sun Daoning first gave an 'en', then answered softly, "Chen Guanlou!"

"It's him again! You two are quite close, not like superior and subordinate, but like friends of different ages. Among the hundreds of people in the Ministry of Justice, not a single one can get your favor. Only this Chen, for several years, you have valued him extra. I thought you valued the backer behind him and wanted to sell the Hou Fu a favor. Now looking at it, you value him personally?"

Madam Niu was very curious.

She had seen Chen Guanlou a few times. When he came to pay New Year's greetings, they were all polite words. He was a handsome young man who could charm people to death when he smiled. The little girls in the family would occasionally discuss him.

Besides that, they had too little contact, and she didn't see it.

However, looking at her husband's appearance, this Prison Warden Chen must have something extraordinary besides his martial arts cultivation.

"He has his own uniqueness! Among the hundreds of people in the Ministry of Justice, only he can jump out of the officialdom and look at the disputes in the court calmly and objectively. I am often confused and muddled, and need a clear-headed person to remind me from the side." Sun Daoning didn't hide it; there was nothing shameful about this.

Madam Niu had seen even more shameful times.

Old couple, they had experienced everything. Face didn't matter!

"Among so many secretaries, isn't there a single clear-headed one? You still need an outsider to remind you?" Madam Niu teased.

"Several secretaries, also in the officialdom, can see my situation clearly, but cannot see the situation of the court clearly. On the contrary, Chen Guanlou, who has nothing to do with it, sees it more clearly. Although, sometimes he is inevitably a bit self-righteous, at least the general direction is correct. In his own words, he has mastered the laws of things, the laws of the dynasty. Coming and going, it's all just those things."

"What laws?" Madam Niu was very curious.

Sun Daoning gave a soft laugh. "It's all just the word 'power'! The concubines in the harem fighting for favor, the essence is power. The struggle in the court, the essence is power, the struggle for imperial power is still power! What is power? Power is wealth, is war, is resources, is the formulation of rules, is deciding life and death in one word, is the direction of the dynasty, is the life of thousands upon thousands of people..."

Madam Niu felt inexplicably shocked, her heartbeat was a bit fast, and her emotions were slightly agitated.

Having lived for decades, few people could make her agitated.

"Are these words all said by him?"

"Yes!"

"He is so young, how could he say such profound words?"

"Don't know!" After a pause, Sun Daoning said again: "He told me to relax, saying that the Emperor wouldn't easily move me. Even if he moves me, Xie Changling will protect me. Do you think I should believe him?" ===== CHAPTER 1530 =====