The three Cabinet officials approached Chen Tang. Xia Canghai paid his respects and said, "Mr. Chen, the Xia Family does not intend to be your enemy, but our family business is so extensive that there are always areas we cannot supervise effectively. I hope you can understand, brother."
Chen Tang remained expressionless and returned the gesture, "I dare not."
Gao Quan approached, laughing heartily, "Mr. Chen has managed the Ministry of Revenue well, and he raises his children well too. Like father, like son, like father, like son!"
Chen Tang bowed slightly and responded, "Mr. Gao flatters ."
Yan Shuhe ca up to him and said, "About today’s incident, you are magnanimous, please do not take it to heart. I will discipline our family mbers myself."
Chen Tang replied, "I am deeply apprehensive and uneasy."
The three officials left.
Chen Tang watched them leave, quite puzzled, and just as he was about to ask Chen Shi, a voice said, "Mr. Chen, shall we have a walk?"
He followed the sound and saw a carriage not far away with its window open, revealing the side profile of Cabinet Chief Minister Zhang Fuzheng.
Chen Tang walked over, and the servant had already opened the door of the carriage. Zhang Fuzheng didn’t co out, and Chen Tang hesitated for a mont before entering the carriage.
Zhang Fuzheng beckoned him to sit down, and the carriage started moving.
All the way from the Guangji Storehouse to the Ministry of Revenue, Zhang Fuzheng sat silently, just quietly sitting there.
Chen Tang, sitting opposite him, also didn’t initiate any conversation.
When they arrived in front of the Ministry of Revenue’s office, the carriage stopped.
Zhang Fuzheng spoke up, "A lot of people are just looking for my stance."
Chen Tang was slightly startled, then understood and said, "Chief Minister, your sharing this carriage with and escorting to the Ministry of Revenue is a clear indication to others of your stance."
Zhang Fuzheng nodded lightly and said, "It’s still not enough."
He stood up, opened the carriage door for Chen Tang.
Chen Tang looked deeply at him, bowed slightly, and stepped down from the carriage.
"Mr. Chen," Zhang Fuzheng said.
Chen Tang turned around, and Zhang Fuzheng revealed a smile.
Chen Tang returned the smile.
Zhang Fuzheng got back inside the carriage, restrained his smile, closed the door, and the carriage drove away from the Ministry of Revenue’s office.
He didn’t need to say much, just a few small gestures, a smile, a call were enough to make his stance clear to all powers in the Western Capital.
As a mber of a noble family, he had to strive not only for the greatest benefit for his family but also for himself.
His junior status made contending for the position of Chief Minister with the forr Chief Minister Yan Xianzhi impossible. If he wanted to secure his place, he would have to find a different path.
Before Creation Little Five arrived, Yan Xianzhi had left the Chief Minister position, forcing Zhang Fuzheng to step in and take the heat.
Now, with the Grand Elders of the Thirteen Families grievously injuring Creation Little Five and both factions mutually restraining each other, Yan Xianzhi seed poised to reclaim the prestigious position, but having sacrificed so much, Zhang Fuzheng would not easily give him that opportunity.
Soon after, from the head officer down to trainers and inspectors, everyone in Gongtian Prefecture was arrested on charges of corruption, to be interrogated by the Eastern Factory and Dali Temple. The governor, Xia Jiuge, took responsibility and retired, returning to his hotown.
For a ti, the court and the public were shaken, causing a huge uproar.
On the third day after Child Scholar entered the capital, Gongtian Prefecture fell apart like a tree collapsing under monkeys, creating an even bigger shock than the Demon Transformation in Gongzhou, and the tales of Child Scholar gained an added layer of mystery.
The Demon Transformation was rely a local governnt disaster, but this was a catastrophe for the capital’s officials in Gongtian Prefecture, a group not to be ntioned in the sa breath as those in Gongzhou.
Gongtian Prefecture managed the capital region’s finances, justice, societal orders, village and Imperial Examination, holding vast power. It governed all matters both political and otherwise, for the Western Capital and its nearby regions.
The governor of Gongtian Prefecture had to be soone the court trusted.
Now that Xia Jiuge of the Xia Family among the Thirteen Families had retired to his hotown, the successor would inevitably be from the Thirteen Families, but the shift of power among them was not sothing outsiders could comprehend.
After a busy day, Chen Shi returned ho to find Chen Tang already waiting at ho, who said, "The al is prepared."
Chen Shi washed his hands and face, glanced at the fully set table, and asked, "Was it made by Black Pot?"
"How did you know?" Chen Tang asked, puzzled.
Chen Shi sat down, smiling, "Black Pot thinks I’m still growing, so he made a lot."
Chen Tang fell silent for a mont, feeling that his cooking was not as good as Black Pot’s.
"How do you like it at Guangji Storehouse?" he asked.
"It’s wonderful, everyone is very friendly."
Chen Tang nodded and asked, "What about the few tied to the rocket?"
"Don’t worry about them, they have been dismissed and are under investigation."
Chen Shi said, "Their families ca to the Guangji Storehouse, apologized to ."
Chen Tang was silent.
After a while, Chen Tang asked, "Do you know what made them fear you? Today, a few senior officials from the Cabinet ca to , showing much respect because of you. It wasn’t like that before."
Chen Shi thought for a mont and said, "There might be two reasons. One could be the corpse cloud over the Western Capital."
Chen Tang nodded slightly; the corpse cloud was the doing of Creation Little Five, a move to pressure the Western Capital to hand over whoever hard Chen Shi’s Divine Embryo. The Thirteen Families must have known the reason, hence they tread carefully around Chen Shi, fearing to provoke Creation Little Five’s wrath.
"The other reason is that there could be sothing inside ."
Chen Shi continued, "When Grandfather saved from the underworld, sothing might have followed in, hiding inside . During the Demon Transformation in Gongzhou, I was killed by a beggar, and whatever is inside acted out, causing another transformation. This might be why the Western Capital hesitates to harm , fearing to trigger these forces."
Chen Tang asked, "What is it?"
Chen Shi hesitated, then said, "It could be several demons."
Chen Tang’s heart skipped a beat, asking, "How could they have entered your body?"
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