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But she didn't care at all: "That's it? Not to mention whether anyone would know that you did it. Even if someone knew, you are a marquis, how many people would dare to talk about you casually?"

Zhou Chen breathed a sigh of relief and said with a smile: "It's OK as long as you don't care. As long as you don't care, it's a small matter for me."

Not to mention Song Yinzhang, a courtesan who was not even considered the most beautiful lady in the Imperial Music Bureau, even if it was Zhang Haohao, it would be a very easy thing for him to get Zhang Haohao out as long as he wanted.

Such an era background is sometimes really pathological, and the gap between the people and the officials is really too big.

Just like Chi Yanei in the plot, he is rich enough. It is a bit exaggerated to say that he is the richest man in Tokyo, but his assets are definitely among the most valuable in Tokyo.

But look at what happened to him in the plot. He had such a good relationship with Zhang Haohao, but he couldn't redeem Zhang Haohao from the Jiaofangsi.

Also, he was bullied by a group of yamen runners who were in charge of the river and port and had to kneel down. If Zhao Pan'er had not appeared in the end, who knows what kind of humiliation he would have suffered.

Although such scenes were somewhat deliberate in order to highlight the heroine's aura and halo, they were still somewhat believable.

In ancient feudal society, if one did not have the protection of an official, even if one had a fortune, he would be like a fish on the chopping board, at the mercy of others.

If this happened in modern society, even if it did happen, it would never be so exaggerated. Money makes the world go round, and this is more evident in modern society than in ancient times.

"My Lord, thank you. Thank you for doing so much for me." Zhao Pan'er hugged Zhou Chen tightly and expressed her gratitude.

Zhou Chen said with a smile: "If you really want to thank me, then wait until we get married and serve me well."

Zhao Pan'er responded obediently: "Yes."

She didn't know how big a marquis's mansion was, but as long as Zhou Chen was willing to trust her, she would do her best to help and serve Zhou Chen.

Zhou Chen acted very quickly and called someone over when he was on duty the next day.

"Master Hou, are you looking for me?"

"Well, Tao Xin, I heard that you have a relative working in the Ministry of Rites, is that right?"

Tao Xin was a member of the Imperial Guard Cavalry, but he was only one level higher than the ordinary guards. Normally, he had no chance to meet and talk with Zhou Chen. This time, Zhou Chen took the initiative to ask someone to call him over. He was very excited and felt that this was his chance.

Hearing Zhou Chen's question, he answered without hesitation: "Yes, Lord, one of my cousins ​​is a doctor in the Ministry of Rites."

Zhou Chen nodded, and then asked: "I remember that the Jiaofangsi is under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Rites, right? I want to redeem a prostitute from the Jiaofangsi and help her get rid of her status. Can your uncle help me?"

"what?"

Tao Xin was very surprised. He didn't expect that Zhou Chen called him for this matter. He didn't know how to answer for a moment.

Zhou Chen raised his eyebrows and asked, "Why, no?"

"Oh, no, no, Lord, you misunderstood. It's just that my relationship with my uncle is not very close, but my father is familiar with him. I will go back and ask my father for help. If it's just to redeem someone, I don't think it will be a big problem."

After Tao Xin came to his senses, he agreed without hesitation. After all, his cousin was a Langzhong of the Ministry of Rites, a fifth-rank official, and he was in direct charge of the Jiaofang Bureau. Redeeming a prostitute was just a matter of redeeming a prostitute.

Zhou Chen said: "Okay, recently there is a vacancy for the commander of the Dragon Guard Left Wing Army stationed in Tokyo. If you can handle this matter well, you can fill that vacancy when the time comes."

Tao Xin was overjoyed. The imperial guards were the emperor's personal troops, and even a commander was something many people would fight for. Now, he only had to do such a small thing and he could get the commanding position. It was simply pie in the sky.

"My Lord, I will definitely fulfill my mission."

Zhou Chen reminded again: "Remember, keep it secret."

Tao Qin showed an expression that all men understand, and replied, "Yes, Lord, I will never let anyone other than my father and uncle know that it has anything to do with you."

"Very good, then go ahead."

Not long after Tao Xin left, another person was called in by Zhou Chen.

"Master Hou, are you looking for me?"

Liang Yuan bowed respectfully to Zhou Chen. He was the second son of the Earl of Zhongqin. Although he was the legitimate son, he was not eligible to inherit the title of Earl of Zhongqin because he was the second child. So he was sent to the Imperial Guard by his father at an early age and worked in the Cavalry Division for several years.

Because they are from the same noble family, Zhou Chen's attitude towards Liang Yuan is naturally much better than that towards Tao Xin.

"Zi Han, come here."

Zhou Chen waved at Liang Yuan, and when he got closer, he said, "I asked you to come here because I have something for you to do. It's not an official business of the company, but my personal matter."

When Liang Yuan heard that Zhou Chen wanted him to do something, and it was a private matter, not a business matter, he was not dissatisfied, but felt even happier.

Your boss asks you to help him with private matters, which means he trusts you and values ​​you. What's more, Zhou Chen is the representative of the nobles in Tokyo City and a role model and goal for many noble children. If you can be valued by Zhou Chen, or even have a good relationship with him, it will be a great thing for him and their Earl's Mansion.

"My Lord, please give me your orders. No matter what it is, I will do my best to get it done for you."

Zhou Chen said: "It's not a big deal. It's just that someone has made me very uncomfortable recently. However, he is just a small person who can't be on the stage. I don't have to target him, but I don't like him. After thinking about it, I decided to teach him a lesson."

Liang Yuan was furious and asked, "Who is this villain who is so blind as to dare to displease you, Lord? Tell me and I will help you deal with him."

It seems that he is taking on too much responsibility, but in fact he already has some guesses in his mind. Zhou Chen has said that the other party is a small figure who cannot be on the stage. Since he has asked him to come, it means that he can definitely deal with it. So if he doesn't show his loyalty now, when will he show his loyalty?

"I'm glad you have this intention, but I won't let you do it in vain."

"My Lord, what you said is true. I do things for you not for rewards, but purely because I want to do things for you, my Lord."

Although I know that Liang Yuan is just flattering me, what he says sounds nice.

"I remember your kindness. By the way, the person I told you about was a writer in the Jiaofang Department. His name seemed to be Shen, Shen Ruzhuo."

When Liang Yuan heard that the person they were going to deal with was just a writer from the Jiaofang Bureau, he felt a little relieved instantly.

It was just a small Jiaofangsi, and he was just a Zuozhelang with no real power. It was something he could control.

"My Lord, don't worry, there is absolutely no problem with this matter. I just don't know to what extent you want to achieve it?"

A sinister look flashed across Liang Yuan's face. As the son of a noble family, he had been involved in many mischiefs since childhood. Fighting and making trouble were commonplace. He didn't even need to mobilize his family's power for this matter. He could just find a few good brothers to deal with the other party.

"He's just a nobody. Do whatever you want with him."

Liang Yuan knew what was going on: "My Lord, in three days at most, you will hear about the fate of Shen Ruzhuo."

"Okay, Zihan, I'll leave it to you then,"

"No matter what the final outcome of this matter is, it has nothing to do with you, Lord Marquis, and we have never mentioned this person."

Seeing that Liang Yuan was so sensible, Zhou Chen stood up, walked in front of him and patted him on the shoulder.

"That's right. After this is over, you can follow me. Although I cannot give you a title, as long as you work hard for me, I can guarantee that you will have a bright future."

He likes people like Liang Yuan who are sensible and understanding. As for Liang Yuan's ability, it is not particularly important. There are many capable people, but there are not many who are sensible and understanding, and who can understand their superiors' thoughts.

Of course, if Liang Yuan was the eldest son of the Earl of Zhongqin, he would definitely not recruit him in this way, but since Liang Yuan was the second son, he could recruit him with confidence.

Liang Yuan excitedly bowed deeply to Zhou Chen.

"I pay my respects to you, Lord. From now on, I will follow your lead. I will do whatever you ask me to do."

Zhou Chen patted him again and said in a deep voice: "I know, go ahead."

Zhou Chen stayed in the Ma Junsi Yamen until the end of his shift. After he left the palace, a carriage stopped in front of him. The drivers were Zhou Huai and Qin Yi.

"Master Hou."

Zhou Chen nodded and was about to get in the car, but at this moment, someone suddenly walked over quickly.

"Lord Zhou, please stay."

Zhou Chen paused and looked sternly at the person who was walking towards him. The man was dressed like an official, about forty years old, and walked very steadily.

"who are you?"

"Greetings, Lord Zhou. I am the servant of Lord Xiao. I am here to invite Lord Zhou to have a chat on Lord Xiao's orders."

"Prime Minister Xiao wants to talk to me? I remember that Prime Minister Xiao and I don't seem to be that familiar with each other. Besides, Prime Minister Ke is my mentor."

Xiao Qinyan's housekeeper, Uncle Zhong, said calmly, "I just followed the orders of the Prime Minister. As for why the Prime Minister wanted to meet with the Marquis, I have no right to know. I hope the Marquis will forgive me."

Zhou Chen did not answer immediately, but instead racked his brain to guess what Xiao Qinyan meant.

But it only took a few breaths for him to respond quickly.

"Okay, lead the way."

"Lord Zhou, please." Uncle Zhong immediately and respectfully led the way for Zhou Chen.

As soon as Zhou Chen took a step, Qin Yi nervously caught up with him and whispered, "My Lord, be careful, there may be a scam."

Zhou Chen chuckled and said, "Is it a trick? Mr. Xiao is so smart, how could it be a trick? You and Zhou Huai follow behind."

After saying that, he started again, and Uncle Zhong heard their conversation, but he had no expression at all, like a robot.

Soon, Zhou Chen was taken to a carriage, and then the carriage started and drove for about a quarter of an hour before stopping.

As soon as Zhou Chen got off the car, Uncle Zhong pointed to the gate of the mansion in front of him and said, "This is one of the residences of our Prime Minister. The Prime Minister is waiting for you inside. Lord Zhou, please come in."

Zhou Chen was a skilled and courageous man. He asked Qin Yi and Zhou Huai to wait outside while he followed Uncle Zhong into the mansion alone.

Under the guidance of Guan Jiazhongshu, Zhou Chen came to the main hall in the courtyard, and then saw that the banquet had been set up in the hall, but there was only one person sitting there.

Before he could say anything, the man stood up first, laughing.

"Lord Zhou's presence here truly brings honor to my humble abode, hahahaha..."

Zhou Chen politely cupped his hands and said, "Hello, Lord Xiang. I didn't expect that my first meeting with Lord Xiang after so many years would be here."

Xiao Qinyan was also a prominent figure many years ago, and Zhou Chen had met him, but their statuses were very different at the time, so they had never spoken to each other, let alone communicated.

Therefore, this meeting can be regarded as the first meeting in the true sense.

Xiao Qinyan came over and shook Zhou Chen's hand enthusiastically with a very nice attitude.

"Looking back to the past, I was familiar with Brother Zhou and I admired him very much. It's a pity that I didn't get to see Brother Zhou for the last time. I'm so ashamed, so ashamed."

Xiao Qinyan had a look of sadness on his face. People who didn't know him would think that he had a very close relationship with Old Marquis Zhou. But in fact, they were not familiar with each other at all.

"But Brother Zhou must be very pleased to have a son like you, Lord Hou."

"Prince Xiao is in serious condition. If my father knew that he was so sad, he would definitely be very happy."

Zhou Chen also started to flatter each other. He didn't know why Xiao Qinyan asked him to come here today, but he was not in a hurry and responded to all changes with the same attitude.

Xiao Qinyan put away his sad expression and enthusiastically pulled Zhou Chen to the table.

"Lord Zhou, please take a seat."

"You don't have to do this, Lord Prime Minister. Just call me Ziheng."

Ziheng is Zhou Chen's courtesy name, but usually no one calls him by that name.

Xiao Qinyan laughed and said, "Okay, then I'll be generous and call you Ziheng. Ziheng, you don't have to call me that. If you don't mind, just call me uncle."

Zhou Chen said: "Then I will respectfully obey your orders, Uncle Xiao."

"Okay, okay." Xiao Qinyan seemed very happy.

"Actually, when I first came to Tokyo, I really wanted to meet you, Ziheng. Unfortunately, I never had the chance. Today, I finally got my wish. Ziheng, you must accompany me for a few more drinks later."

"Of course, I have admired Uncle Xiao for a long time."

(End of this chapter)

Chapter 989 Conspiracy

Xiao Qinyan's sudden invitation was indeed beyond Zhou Chen's expectations, because he had no interaction with Xiao Qinyan in the past.

However, Zhou Chen could also guess several reasons. Either it was because of Gu Qianfan, or Xiao Qinyan wanted to have a good relationship with him for the future.

But no matter what, it shouldn't be targeted at him.

Xiao Qinyan's words sounded nice and his attitude was enthusiastic, but Zhou Chen remained vigilant and did not relax.

Xiao Qinyan is an old fox. As one of the leading figures of the Hou Party, Xiao Qinyan was able to defeat Prime Minister Ke, and later he was able to bring down Qi Mu. His power over the government and the country is enough to show what a powerful figure he is.

Faced with such a shrewd guy, Zhou Chen was not afraid of him, but he also had to be vigilant, because he was a real villain who could do anything.

As the host, Xiao Qinyan kept smiling throughout the whole process and toasted with Zhou Chen, but he never told his purpose.

Zhou Chen also remained expressionless. Since Xiao Qinyan didn't say anything, he pretended to know nothing and just came to drink with Xiao Qinyan.

Xiao Qinyan had been observing Zhou Chen the whole time. Seeing that so much time had passed and Zhou Chen still showed no sign of impatience, he began to think more highly of Zhou Chen.

He originally thought that Zhou Chen was young, and even if he became famous at a young age, he should not be very cunning.

But now, he knew that he was wrong. Although Zhou Chen was young, he was really able to keep his composure and remained as steady as a rock. He was not affected by his aura or words.

In the end, Xiao Qinyan couldn't help it. He took the initiative to find Zhou Chen, but it was not to flirt with Zhou Chen.

"Ziheng, I heard from my subordinates that you went to Qiantang, Hangzhou a few months ago. I was working there at the time. It's a pity that I didn't meet Ziheng."

Zhou Chen chuckled and said, "It's my fault. I didn't dare to disturb Uncle Xiao because he was busy with his work. But I did make a good friend in Qiantang. He is a Jinshi in the same year as me. His name is Gu Qianfan, and he is now the deputy envoy of the Imperial City Department. Uncle Xiao should know him, right?"

Xiao Qinyan's eyes sparkled, and he still said with a smile: "Deputy Envoy Gu, of course I know him. It is said that he is highly valued by the government. Although he cannot be compared with you, Ziheng, he is also a very promising young man."