Chapter 1634: The Clash Between Ministerial Power and Military Power

Early in the morning, Chen Guanlou followed his eldest sister Chen Xiaolan's family out of the city to burn incense and worship Buddha.

Halfway there, he left his eldest sister Chen Xiaolan behind and headed straight for a manor a hundred miles away.

He arrived early; the others had not yet arrived.

Near noon, Marquis Pingjiang appeared at the manor with his troops.

No one would have expected that Marquis Pingjiang, who should have been at the Northwest border, would suddenly appear a hundred miles outside the capital.

Chen Guanlou stepped forward to pay his respects. "Marquis, you have had a tiring journey; please go inside and rest."

"Have they arrived?" Marquis Pingjiang got off the carriage and looked around. In a few years, he had clearly aged, his face full of the weathering of time.

The water in the Northwest did not nourish people; those who followed him were all very rough.

Chen Guanlou shook his head. "They have not arrived yet. However, Marquis, rest assured, the other party will definitely keep the appointment on time."

This was a meeting that could not see the light of day.

It was a meeting that could not be publicized.

It was a meeting that would implicate countless lives.

Once people learned that Marquis Pingjiang had arrived in the capital, it would instantly cause a huge uproar, shaking the world.

If people learned who the two parties meeting were, Emperor Yuan Ding, who was in the imperial palace, would likely never sleep peacefully again, staring with wide eyes until dawn every day.

Marquis Pingjiang stepped into the villa, washed up, ate, and rested.

By the time the sun set, the other party to the meeting arrived late.

It was the current Left Minister, Xie Changling.

The tug-of-war negotiations between the two sides had lasted for several months, and finally, it was time for the principals to meet and settle the fate of the nation.

Chen Guanlou shouldered a heavy responsibility, in charge of the safety of the meeting venue, ensuring no one approached and ensuring both parties could leave safely.

He was a human security scanner; no ghosts or monsters could escape his eyes.

Even if Wei Wubing came in person, Chen Guanlou had the confidence to detect the other party's movements immediately.

From the few words of Eunuch Wang Hai, it could be concluded that Zhou Mobai's cultivation must have gone seriously wrong; his delay in coming out of seclusion must be because he could not come out.

At the same time, Wei Wubing's cultivation had also encountered a bottleneck; for several years, there seemed to be no obvious breakthrough.

One was stuck in place, unable to make an inch of progress.

The other was advancing by leaps and bounds, progressing rapidly.

The gap between the two sides was gradually narrowing.

He could not defeat Wei Wubing for the time being, but detecting the other party's presence should not be difficult.

In the vast capital region, he could gallop at will.

Mere security was even less of a problem.

To avoid attracting attention, Chen Guanfu did not show his face and was still working diligently at the Yamen at this moment.

Today was a meeting of kings.

The area around the study was cleared; only Xie Changling and Marquis Pingjiang were present, and even their strategists were not allowed to accompany them to offer advice.

Today was a showdown between ministerial power and military power; no one could be sure how it would turn out.

The troops of both sides remained in the courtyard, each keeping to themselves, confronting each other like they were facing a formidable enemy. No one dared to relax.

There was only one person in the courtyard who seemed unable to feel this tense atmosphere.

Chen Guanlou held a plate of peach pastries and asked the clansman who had followed Marquis Pingjiang, "Want some?"

The other party swept a glance at him, his expression indescribable, and shook his head to indicate he did not want any.

Chen Guanlou asked several people in succession, and they all said no, so he gave up the idea.

After thinking about it, he still had to show hospitality, so he asked Xie Changling's attendants, "Want some?"

The other party was silent for a moment, then shook his head to indicate he was not hungry.

"Since none of you want any, I'll eat them all by myself. Don't be envious!"

Who would be envious!

There were eight of them!

He was like a sore thumb, truly a bit of an eyesore.

The clansman wanted to send him away. "If you don't go outside and keep watch, will it really be okay? We are enough for the manor. The key is outside; absolutely no one must be allowed to approach."

Chen Guanlou stared at the other party and asked bluntly, "Do you dislike me?"

"Little Lou, you really know how to joke. How could I dislike you, brother?"

"Better not. Otherwise, I'll make you lose your fortune!" He finished the peach pastry in one bite, threw the plate away, and went outside to keep watch.

Within a radius of one mile, there wasn't even a ghost's shadow.

The conversation between Marquis Pingjiang and Xie Changling lasted from day to night.

Chen Guanlou glanced at them; could it be that they were going to stay up all night?

Was it necessary to talk for so long?

Haggling over every ounce? Calculating every cent?

The two big shots shouldn't have reached such a point.

He had already yawned twice when the study door finally opened.

Xie Changling walked out with a smile, followed closely by Marquis Pingjiang.

Judging by their expressions, the negotiations seemed to have gone very smoothly, achieving key progress and reaching a cooperation agreement.

The troops of both sides gathered together, each listening to orders.

Soon, the strategists, private secretaries, and various talents of both sides entered the side rooms to discuss the details.

The kitchen prepared a table of wine and dishes, and Marquis Pingjiang hosted Xie Changling. Both sides ate and drank, neither hurried, just waiting for the attendants to sort out the details and implement the cooperation.

Such cooperation would certainly not leave any written records and would not be put on paper.

The meal lasted nearly two hours, and the troops of both sides successfully completed the tasks assigned by their respective masters.

By this time, it was already the early hours of the morning.

Marquis Pingjiang and Xie Changling both revealed satisfied smiles and returned to their rooms to rest.

Chen Guanlou entered Marquis Pingjiang's bedroom. "Marquis and Minister Xie have finally reached a cooperation; this is a cause for celebration."

In the sweltering heat, Marquis Pingjiang opened his collar and greeted Chen Guanlou to come forward for tea. "I am old; people eventually have to lose to destiny. Appropriate concessions and compromises are necessary."

"Marquis has thought it through; you don't want to be a rebel, you want to be a loyal official," Chen Guanlou teased.

Marquis Pingjiang laughed. "I would like to be a rebel, but the timing is not right. If I were to raise the flag, how many years do you think I would have to live?"

Chen Guanlou stared at the other party, pondering for a good while. "I reckon three to five years. Rebellion requires exhausting one's energy and is extremely draining. If you were thirty years younger, it would certainly be no problem. But at your age, you'd better forget it. Even if the rebellion succeeded, you wouldn't have the life to be Emperor, and it would be a waste, benefiting Chen Guanfu for nothing."

"Hahaha... Guanfu should hear these words of yours."

"He would definitely be angered to death."

"That wouldn't happen. I am old and don't have many years left to live; I can't toss around anymore. But at least I have planned for the Hou Fu for so many years, and I have a group of loyal troops under my command."

"Do you really want to hand over the military power?"

To be honest, Chen Guanlou did not quite believe it. Military power, how could it be easily let go? For the military power in his hands, Marquis Pingjiang had borne all kinds of infamy over the years, only short of raising the flag of rebellion.

"I have already promised Minister Xie that I will end the war within this year."

Marquis Pingjiang did not explain further.

Some things, once said, lose their effectiveness.

Chen Guanlou suddenly realized. "The imperial court is as poor as a church mouse, and Xie Changling is almost unable to resist taking a knife to the noble families. Continuing to fight in the Northwest is to force him to death. If he doesn't want to die, he has to force you to compromise."

"Minister Xie does things with a method; I admire him deeply! It's just a pity that he hasn't met a wise master." Marquis Pingjiang sighed.

Regarding this, Chen Guanlou had a different view.

"I think that now is the best time for Xie Changling to display his talents. If he really met a wise master, a wise master would not be able to tolerate such a powerful official; sooner or later, they would turn against each other, he would die, and his policies would be abolished. On the contrary, Emperor Yuan Ding is firmly suppressed by the Secretariat, which gives Xie Changling room to maneuver and the possibility to realize his ambitions."

"He will still end up with his policies being abolished after his death," Marquis Pingjiang said objectively.

"Not necessarily!" ===== CHAPTER 1635 =====