Chapter 575

"Stop trying to bewitch me. Chen Guanlou, you have a rebellious bone and are quite selfish; I have never questioned that. However, if you want to achieve unspeakable goals through me, forget it! I will not do as you wish."

Sun Daoning was righteous, completely looking like a messenger of justice. Against his backdrop, Chen Guanlou looked like a treacherous villain and a clown.

Chen Guanlou was so angry he almost spat a mouthful of blood onto Sun Daoning's face. He was bitter! More bitter than coptis.

"Old Sun, if you want to burn bridges, that's fine. Anyway, it's not the first time you've done such a thing. But don't you dare slander me or frame me. What goal could I have? Tell me, what goal could I have? You invited me here; I kindly offered you ideas, yet you question my intentions. Old Sun, check your conscience."

Sun Daoning felt a bit embarrassed, but refused to lower his head, only snorting coldly. "You incited me to impeach His Majesty; isn't that harboring malicious intent?"

"Is that malicious intent? I am thinking for you! Do you want a reputation? What is easier to get a good reputation from than impeaching His Majesty the Emperor? Once this move is made, you will be famous in the scholarly circles; the persona of being upright and unafraid of power will be established. I am wholeheartedly planning for you, yet you turn your face and don't recognize people. Sun Daoning, oh Sun Daoning, you are clearly a petty person."

Chen Guanlou retorted unceremoniously, directly exposing the other party's face. Fortunately, no third person was present, and no one saw the shameful side of the Sun fellow, otherwise he would have had thoughts of killing.

Even if he didn't kill, he found Chen Guanlou an eyesore everywhere.

Chen Guanlou was useful, he didn't deny that. But that mouth of his was deadly! Truly deadly! The words he spoke were like knives, stabbing straight into the heart.

Who could stand it!

He was a dignified Second-Rank official, Minister of Justice, and a walker in the Secretariat.

To be pointed at and called a petty person—if it were someone with a violent temper, they would have already dug up Chen Guanlou's ancestral grave. If they couldn't dig up the grave, they would have raided his home.

How unreasonable!

Too bullying!

"Whether I am a petty person or not, let's not discuss that for now. I want to satisfy His Majesty; do you have a way?"

Chen Guanlou subconsciously asked back, "Are you sure? The struggle between the Xu and Wei families, to put it lightly, belongs to family conflict and private matters. To put it heavily, this is a court factional struggle. The best way for the Emperor to profit from it is to break the old rules and have him formulate new ones. The danger in this—are you sure you want to jump in and actively be the knife in His Majesty's hand?

You better think it through. Once you jump in, you will be stained with right and wrong, and when the time comes, you won't be able to get out! And as a civil official, you care about your face and cannot actively associate with the nobility. Then you can only choose to stand on the Xu family's side. Are you sure you want to take a side now? His Majesty has just ascended the throne; there are at least ten or eight years ahead. The imperial princes have not yet grown up; taking a side at this time is too hasty!"

How can one start taking sides when the situation is unclear?

Although investing early might yield the greatest benefits, it is more likely to encounter an unexpected disaster and die before seeing the outcome.

To profit, taking a portion is enough. Wanting to occupy all the benefits is too greedy. People in officialdom must be greedy, but not too greedy.

"According to your meaning, I don't need to consider His Majesty's feelings?" Sun Daoning frowned tightly, not very satisfied.

"You are the Minister of Justice; your duty is to maintain the order of the world and ensure the bottom line of the law is not trampled upon. Why do you keep thinking about pleasing the Emperor? If this case didn't involve court factional struggle, that would be one thing, but since it involves two major families, the best approach is to be impartial. Even if His Majesty is dissatisfied, he cannot find fault with you personally. You use this case to prove your uprightness, which is indisputable. When you encounter major cases in the future, His Majesty will inevitably think of you first."

Sun Daoning's brows were tightly locked, walking back and forth in the office, unable to make up his mind for a moment. His personality was just like this: seeking stability, which inevitably made him appear indecisive.

Chen Guanlou was not in a hurry at all, pouring and drinking by himself, only regretting there were no peanuts or melon seeds. Watching Sun Daoning's worried appearance was quite interesting.

"So, the verdict for the third Xu son does not need to be changed."

"Three months in prison is a very fair verdict. Moreover, the Xu family has also given the Wei family material compensation; it is said they sent several young maids to the Wei family, each one beautiful as a flower."

The Xu and Wei families, while fighting a lawsuit, were also dealing privately, and nothing was delayed. Clearly, neither family wanted to become a target, and even less did they want to become the fuse for court factional struggle, inviting hatred.

Therefore, the private dealings never stopped. However, the open struggle also continued.

These noble families, the drama of killing each other while being on good terms, they played it exceptionally smoothly.

Whether there were factors of acting for outsiders to see, Chen Guanlou didn't know. His understanding of noble families was only the tip of the iceberg. What it was like inside, what private transactions they had—except for the parties involved, only ghosts would know.

People play tricks, and the Emperor wants to intervene; that is understandable. Opportunities are reserved for those who are prepared. Sun Daoning wanting to be the knife is a bit beyond his capabilities.

Civil officials are also divided into factions; it's not just one or two, there are many.

Sun Daoning's faction clearly lacked strength, and his background was not very good. He couldn't compare to the noble children from wealthy and powerful families.

"His Majesty won't blame me for this?"

"His Majesty cares about his face. He knows people and assigns them tasks, and is good at accepting advice; the reputation of a wise monarch has been spread for decades, and he won't turn his face on the first day of his reign. My lord, you are just thinking too much. You are complicating simple things. There is no need."

Sun Daoning nodded slowly; there was indeed no need.

Chen Guanlou had said so much before, and he was still hesitant, only because he didn't have full certainty. He didn't even have seventy or eighty percent. His heart felt empty.

It wasn't until the other party mentioned that His Majesty cared about his face that he suddenly came to his senses.

That's right, His Majesty had only ascended the throne for half a year; even if he wanted to change his face, it wouldn't be now, and it certainly wouldn't be on him. His weight was not yet enough.

Having figured out the joints, Sun Daoning looked relieved and felt much lighter. There was even a bit of a smile on his face.

"Prison Warden Chen, you have solved a difficult problem for me. How should I thank you?"

"If you truly want to thank me, my lord, why not make up the grain and silver owed to the Heavenly Prison? The Heavenly Prison is so poor it's about to run out of food!"

Sure enough, he brought up the sore spot.

Sun Daoning immediately picked up his teacup and said lightly, "The Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Revenue are still bickering; it won't be resolved for a while. I will give you a gift of thanks, as a personal expression of gratitude to you. As for the Heavenly Prison, just wait; everything will come in time."

Chen Guanlou:...

He secretly cursed in his heart: Coward!

If the Ministry of Revenue is looking for trouble, just hit back directly. There's still time to bicker; bicker about what. What a shameful thing!