Chapter 396: The Handsome Superintendent

Jin Chen's smile on his face vanished instantly.

He let go of Xuan Che in his arms, gave him a cold stare, and spoke sternly.

"Who is being insolent here?"

Those officials, hearing the voice, felt as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over their heads, and they sobered up considerably.

Upon seeing Jin Chen and Xuan Che's figures, everyone was stunned and immediately knelt to beg for mercy.

Only the official who had just started shouting remained standing, like a crane among chickens, swaying his head drunkenly among those kneeling.

"Your Highness… Superintendent, you see clearly, we officials truly don't know why Official Song would say such a thing!"

Xuan Che's smile faded, yet seeing Jin Chen stand up for him like this made him feel genuinely happy.

He briefly pressed his lips into a smile, then remained silent, glancing coolly at the drunken official, his phoenix eyes narrowing slightly.

"Hanlin Academy Reader Official Song Lian, you've certainly had plenty to drink tonight."

The kneeling officials, hearing Xuan Che's voice, buried their heads deeper in fear, their spines trembling.

Song Lian, whose name had been called, still showed no reaction, staggering toward them while holding an unfinished wine pot.

"I'll say it again! What's it to you? You're nothing but a eunuch… ah!"

Jin Chen cut him off: "Feng Zhu, slap him."

In an instant, Feng Zhu, who had been following behind, stepped forward without his usual grin, lunged forward and slapped Song Lian across the face, then twisted his arms behind his back and forced him to kneel.

【Host, this person seems a bit off……】

0731 spoke softly, then felt that he was overthinking.

If there were other systems in this palace, I should have sensed them on the first day; it's impossible to only notice them tonight.

【What's wrong?】

【Oh dear…… I just feel this person isn't simply drunk; there seems to be some residual system power inside him……】

The more 0731 spoke, the less certain he became; he had clearly felt it just moments ago, but before he could say a few more words, that power began to fade.

Could it be my own illusion?

Jin Chen didn't quite understand what "system power" meant, but he still let 0731 investigate carefully.

He showed no outward sign, putting an arm around Xuan Che as he approached the Official Song pinned to the ground.

"You may step back first," Jin Chen said in a flat tone.

The other kneeling people all breathed a sigh of relief, shifted back, hurriedly rose and left, while furtively glancing to see if Xuan Che was angry.

"Official Song probably isn't sober tonight; why not take him to the Eastern Depot to sober up?"

Xuan Che spoke lightly, his phoenix eyes slightly narrowed, yet his words were chilling.

He glanced at Yan An who had followed him up; the latter immediately understood and whistled toward the darkness.

In an instant, several individuals clad in the Eastern Depot's special night‑uniform dark guards emerged from the gloom, taking from Feng Zhu's hands a man whose eyes were vacant, incapable of struggle, only able to shout curses.

Even Xuan Che noticed something was off with that sight.

He frowned at Jin Chen and asked, "Your Highness, don't you feel that Song Lian is like a puppet, devoid of his own thoughts?"

As soon as he said that, Jin Chen clearly felt a faint, short breath behind him.

He turned his head sharply, but saw nothing.

Afraid that releasing his spiritual power would interfere with 0731's investigation, Jin Chen could only relent for now.

"Let's first take him to the Eastern Depot and lock him up; anyway, we won't find anything useful." Jin Chen suggested, then silently pulled his wife closer into his embrace, worried there might still be other dangers.

"Your Highness is absolutely right."

Xuan Che smiled briefly, but his pleasant expression vanished when facing the puppet‑like Song Lian.

That is, if Jin Chen were present today; otherwise, in the past, having been openly insulted as a eunuch, he would have skipped the Eastern Depot altogether and simply cut down any high‑ranking official with a single stroke.

The dark guards received the order, bound the man directly, and took him to the Eastern Depot.

Just then, the Eldest Prince and his entourage, who had been inside the hall moments ago, came marching over in great numbers.

And even Emperor Qian Yong appeared.

Xuan Che raised his brows in surprise, exchanged a glance with Jin Chen, and they both sensed that things were not simple.

How could disposing of a person silently draw such a crowd, when normally even killing Emperor Qian Yong would go unnoticed—only today is it special.

It really makes one think too much.

Jin Chen sensed their direction of approach, recalled the sudden breath he had just heard, narrowed his eyes in thought, and a glint of danger flashed in his peach‑blossom eyes.

"The night wind is cool; Your Majesty, why have you come out?"

Xuan Che gave a slight nod, yet still had no intention of letting the dark guards release Song Lian.

Even the dark guards in Eastern Depot uniforms did not kneel or pay respects to Emperor Qian Yong.

The other officials watched in astonishment, yet none dared to speak.

"I heard something happened outside, so I came out to see."

Emperor Qian Yong seemed indifferent; if it weren't for all these subjects present, he would have lost interest and left long ago.

Cui Chengping and Qi Yiqiu, amidst the crowd, subtly pointed at Jin Chen, indicating the Eldest Prince Jin Hua Xuan standing behind Emperor Qian Yong, signaling that it was he who had filed the complaint.

Having received the hint, Jin Chen turned his gaze to Jin Hua Xuan.

As expected, Jin Hua Xuan rushed forward and demanded that Xuan Che release the person.

"On such a beautiful, reunion‑filled Mid‑Autumn Festival day, Superintendent, what's wrong with you—actually dragging someone off to the Eastern Depot without even getting the father emperor's consent?"

His furious appearance actually surprised Xuan Che; after a moment's thought he realized that Song Lian was one of the few supporters of the Eldest Prince.

Today's events are far too coincidental.

Suppressing his inner surprise, Xuan Che spoke calmly: "It's merely punishing an official who can't keep his mouth shut; why is the Eldest Prince so agitated?"

"Then again, Eldest Prince, how could you possibly know so coincidentally that I, your subject, am outside?"

His gaze was sharp, making people dare not meet his eyes, let alone Jin Hua Xuan, who had once been frightened by him in the interrogation hall of the East Factory.

No matter how angry he felt inside, Jin Hua Xuan was so intimidated by his stare that he couldn't utter a single word.

The atmosphere stalemated for two seconds.

Jin Hua Xuan forcibly suppressed his inner fear and spoke in a wooden tone, "Naturally, a palace servant saw it and came to tell this palace and Father Emperor what he said that made you so angry."

"This has nothing to do with you, Your Majesty has specially granted me the authority to strike first and report later; I hope the Eldest Prince will not try to shield a subordinate who oversteps his bounds and speaks without restraint."

Xuan Che's face grew another degree colder, then he immediately sensed the warm proximity of Jin Chen leaning in, and his brows relaxed somewhat.

"Reporting to Father Emperor, the medicinal pill I presented you today cannot be stored for too long; you had better hurry back to the sleeping hall, take it, and rest early."

Emperor Qian Yong was lazily supported by a eunuch, feeling no interest in the scene before him; hearing Jin Chen's words, he finally came to his senses and hurriedly had the eunuch help him leave.

"Forget today's matter; it's just a useless fifth-rank civil official. Xuan'er, you may go with the Superintendent."

Having said that, he left only his back view for everyone.