Chapter 697: The butt is crooked

Chen Guanlou sent a visiting card to the Xie mansion, specifically naming to see Xie Changling. The two of them only had a bit of friendship during the time in the Heavenly Prison; a few years had passed, and he didn't know if the other party would be willing to see him.

If he wasn't willing?

Then he would change the method.

Unfortunately, the other party didn't give him a chance and didn't allow him to change the method.

On the appointed day, he successfully stepped into the Xie mansion and saw Xie Changling, the Minister of Revenue and Secretariat Minister, in the study.

"It's really not easy to see Minister Xie."

"Jiang Jiang Yucheng Chen is joking. It's indeed not easy for others, but if it were you, what place in the world can you not go to?" Xie Changling greeted Chen Guanlou to drink tea with a smile.

"Minister Xie's meaning is that the Xie family's status is very high, and ordinary people can't come in." Chen Guanlou raised an eyebrow slightly; his speech was not polite at all. He had no consciousness of asking for help. He always liked to grasp the initiative and reverse the guest and host. This time was no exception.

Xie Changling smiled, his handsome face having a bit of a scholar's "sao" (flirtatious/arrogant) air because he kept short whiskers. He said: "Whether the Xie family's status is high or not depends on who it is. For Jiang Jiang Yucheng Chen, the Xie family's status is naturally a decoration."

"I don't know whether your family's status is high or not. Anyway, your family's servants' airs are quite big." Chen Guanlou casually complained.

Xie Changling smiled and, in front of him, ordered the steward: "Who is on duty at the gate today? Drag him down and hit him with twenty boards. Daring to put on airs in front of a distinguished guest, it seems the rules haven't been learned well."

The steward took the order and left.

Chen Guanlou:...

It's for real!

"Are you acting, acting, or acting?"

Xie Changling was stunned for a moment, then couldn't help but laugh. "Jiang Jiang Yucheng Chen is indeed different from others. Anyone who sees the scene just now, even if they have questions in their heart, wouldn't ask them to their face. You are not polite at all; at least consider my face, don't you think?"

"You haven't answered me yet, is it acting for me to see?"

Xie Changling picked up the teacup, his eyes slightly raised. "If I say it is acting for you to see, what will you do?"

"Then I will naturally sit and watch the play."

"If it's not acting, and the Xie family's rules are just that strict, how do you view it?"

"Still sitting and watching." Chen Guanlou was steady. "Whether the Xie family's rules are strict or not, I don't know. Anyway, you are quite pretentious. A belly full of bad water, yet you insist on pretending to be a gentleman."

Xie Changling laughed out loud, and the servants waiting on the side were stunned. In the Xie mansion, including the old master and old mistress, no one dared to joke with Xie Changling like this. Peers and juniors saw him like mice seeing a cat, all becoming quails.

Xie Changling was not the oldest or highest-ranking person in the Xie mansion, but his power and personal majesty were the heaviest. Any major decision of the Xie family had to be nodded by him before it could be passed. The old master of the Xie family had high seniority, but in major matters, he also had to seek Xie Changling's opinion.

Such a person who said one thing and meant another, and was always calm, was now being scolded to his face for having a belly full of bad water and being pretentious, yet he didn't get angry and instead laughed out loud.

The servants waiting were scared to death, fearing that their master would turn his face in the next second and kick Chen Guanlou out of the door.

"Jiang Jiang Yucheng Chen hasn't changed at all, still the same as back then, daring to say anything. Although it's very harsh, it is indeed the truth."

"You can just say I'm outspoken. No matter how harsh the words are, I can listen to them." It was nothing more than entering the left ear and exiting the right. Chen Guanlou had long since cultivated it. Even if thousands of people insulted him, he had the ability to turn a deaf ear, treat it as passing smoke, and ignore it.

"As always!" Xie Changling was quite emotional. "In these few years, it's rare for me to hear a few true words. Come, I will toast you with tea instead of wine."

Chen Guanlou gave him face, picked up the teacup, toasted from afar, and took a sip.

"You came to the door today for Marquis Pingjiang?"

This time it was Chen Guanlou's turn to be stunned, and then he reacted and laughed. "You misunderstood. Marquis Pingjiang is not someone I need to worry about; his affairs are naturally worried about by the court officials. What kind of person am I; it's not to that extent, not to that extent."

"You are not for Marquis Pingjiang?" Xie Changling's expression was slightly surprised.

"Of course not. I came to the door today for Zhao Mingqiao. He has been punished, and he has been locked up; he has learned his lesson, so let him out of prison."

Xie Changling slowly put down the teacup in his hand, and the servant stepped forward to refill the water without a sound, ensuring the tea water was kept at an appropriate temperature.

"Zhao Mingqiao is the president of the Youth Society; do you know this?"

"I know."

"The Youth Society has entered the Emperor's eyes, and the Emperor is slightly dissatisfied; do you know this?"

Chen Guanlou raised an eyebrow slightly. He knew that Zhao Mingqiao's imprisonment was not that simple. The Youth Society had indeed attracted attention.

"The Emperor has expressed great concern about the capital having an extra Youth Society, and that the members are all young scholars and young officials."

Xie Changling made the matter sound very serious.

Chen Guanlou raised an eyebrow slightly. He suspected the other party was bluffing!

He argued righteously: "What is there to worry about? It's nothing more than a group of young people gathering at a fixed time to chat about major military and state affairs. This is much better than scholars scattered everywhere chatting blindly, without a plan, and doing things messily.

Look, if the imperial court wants to wipe them out, they can just catch people according to the Youth Society's member list; they don't need to spend effort to investigate.

In the final analysis, the Youth Society has made great efforts and made huge contributions to helping the imperial court manage young people and unify young people's thoughts.

I think the imperial court and the Emperor shouldn't feel worried, but instead should reward the Youth Society. Reward this emerging cultural society that is on the table. Compared to dark societies hidden under the table, a society like the Youth Society that is open and aboveboard should be encouraged by the imperial court."

After several years, Xie Changling saw Chen Guanlou's ability to turn black into white again. It was truly breathtaking.

He said with a straight face: "A group of young scholars and young officials with excess energy gathering together for some purpose for a long time—fear the ten thousand, not the one. If this group of people wants to cause trouble, their destructive power is far greater than your so-called dark society."

Chen Guanlou sneered, looking very disdainful, completely disagreeing with the other party's point of view.

He fired at full power: "What you said is a bit nonsense! Have you read the Youth Society's platform? People are worried about the country and the people, and they are asking for the people; even if they want to cause trouble, the starting point must be good, and it must be for the sake of the commoners, for the sake of the imperial court, and for the sake of the Emperor.

A group of young people who want to serve the country, in your mouth, have become bombs. It's clearly prejudice. Look at you, guarding against a group of upright and hot-blooded young people as if guarding against thieves—is that appropriate?

The future belongs to young people, the world belongs to young people, and the world will also belong to young people. This batch of young people will grow up, and the world will get better and better, instead of being like a three-hundred-year dynasty, full of decay.

Minister Xie, you are a top scholar, your talent is beyond doubt. You know very well that what I said is right; although your butt is sitting in the position of the Secretariat, from a long-term perspective, why bother with a group of young people? You were also young once, and you were also hot-blooded and impulsive once; you shouldn't support them, but you shouldn't limit their development either. Am I wrong?" ===== CHAPTER 698 =====