How can I bow my head and serve the powerful officials?

Xie Chengze looked over.

Shen Yuan was wearing a gorgeous moon-silver robe, the hems of which were embellished with a slightly dull rich indigo silk, and a green jade belt tied around his waist, which made his slender figure look like a beautiful woman in the moonlight.

Half of her ink-black long hair was tied up high by a green jade crown, and the other half was draped lightly over her long shoulders and back like a gauze. It was neither too monotonous nor boring, but added a sense of elegance, which was just right.

When he heard someone coming in, the man turned his head slightly, revealing an extremely handsome young face.

Shen Yuan was born with a very noble appearance, with two thin curved eyebrows as black as lacquer, and a pair of bright eyes under the lacquer like shining stars, extremely bright and lively. His slightly thin lips contained a faint smile, which could not hide his romantic and unrestrained temperament.

However, that smile disappeared in the next second. Xie Chengze keenly noticed that when Shen Yuan saw that the person coming was him, a trace of disgust flashed in his eyes.

disgust?

Xie Chengze was somewhat confused as to how he had offended Shen Yuan.

"Ze'er." Seeing Xie Chengze, Emperor Jian smiled kindly and pointed at Shen Yuan and said, "This is the grandson of the Grand Tutor, Shen Yuan. You should have seen him when you were young."

When the prince was young, he liked to stick to Xie Chengze, and the tutor was the prince's teacher. Shen Yuan followed the prince, so naturally he had met Xie Chengze once or twice.

Shen Yuan put away his smile, lowered his head slightly, and said calmly, "Shen Yuan greets the Second Prince."

Xie Chengze looked at Shen Yuan in surprise again.

That's not right. He remembered that during this stage, Shen Yuan always called himself Cao Min and Shen Mou. Why did he call himself Shen Yuan now?

In the original book, the change in Shen Yuan's self-proclaimed name was also a manifestation of his rising power. From a commoner to a minor official, and from an official to Shen Yuan, it was his change from an unofficial person to a powerful official.

However, Xie Chengze was too lazy to care about these things. In his opinion, as long as he kept his head down and stopped doing those corrupt and lawless things and no longer coveted the throne of the emperor, he could sit back and relax and enjoy wealth and glory as the second generation of the emperor for the rest of his life.

And Shen Yuan naturally had no reason to kill him again.

Therefore, his most important task now is to finish his get off work quickly, go home and have a good sleep.

He nodded as a greeting, and recalled the original owner's temperament when facing Emperor Jian. He happily sat down at the desk, poured himself a cup of tea, took a gulp, and then shouted, "Father! The minister who donated the least silver is here!"

Hearing this, Shen Yuan raised his eyelids.

Donate silver?

Emperor Jian enthusiastically recounted today's court events to Shen Yuan, and praised him, "Zer and the Crown Prince's cooperation was truly brilliant. With just two sentences, they saved a lot of money for the national treasury and helped me solve a lot of problems!"

Shen Yuan's heart sank slightly.

At this time in the previous life, there was no donation of silver. Only the prince raised the issue of additional questions for the Spring Examination in the court. Xie Chengze tried to usurp the throne and rushed to the Imperial Study after the court session to ask His Majesty for the position of supervisor of the Spring Examination.

No wonder he didn't meet Xie Chengze on the way here. He thought something had happened and it turned out that he had gone to the Ministry of Revenue to do some business.

However, even though these things are slightly different from his previous life, Xie Chengze's decision to come to His Majesty to ask for the position of supervisor of the Spring Examination will definitely not change.

Shen Yuan knew Xie Chengze's character too well. He was ambitious, vicious, and unrealistic, and it would be difficult for him to achieve great things.

Even if Emperor Jian indulged him and allowed him to perform well today with the help of the crown prince, isn't it the crown prince who benefits, and it is Xie Chengze who offends all the officials?

Still so stupid and unaware.

Although he was sarcastic in his heart, Shen Yuan's expression did not change. He raised his hand and congratulated, "Your Majesty has two talented princes to help you. This is a blessing for your Majesty, the Jian'an Dynasty, and the people of the world."

Xie Chengze glanced at Shen Yuan secretly.

Hey, the protagonist is praising himself.

So, his first impression of Shen Yuan was pretty good?

"Tell me, who donated the least silver?" Emperor Jian put away his smile, his face became a little more serious, and he seemed to attach great importance to the answer.

"Hmm..." Xie Chengze seemed a little hesitant, "I don't know what to say."

"What's wrong?" Emperor Jian asked patiently, but he actually had the answer in his heart.

Naturally, corrupt officials would not dare to donate the least. The only ones who could make up the bottom were probably the truly honest officials, and such honest officials would certainly stand on the opposite side of Xie Chengze.

Emperor Jian knew exactly what Xie Chengze would say.

However, the next moment, the name Xie Chengze said surprised Emperor Jian.

"If we go by the amount of silver donated, the one who donated the least is your son." Xie Chengze blushed, seeming a little embarrassed, "Your son donated thirty-nine taels, nine cents, and ninety-nine coins."

Emperor Jian looked at Xie Chengze in disbelief, and instantly understood that the honest official probably only donated forty taels.

Kezer, when did you become such a human being?

It is said that no one knows a son better than his father, but Emperor Jian never thought that Xie Chengze, who was a little stupid, had such a way to comfort officials and ministers.

This would have been absolutely impossible under normal circumstances.

Could it be that the prince taught him secretly out of consideration for their old friendship?

However, given Ze'er's petty temper, even if she would rather offend the civil and military officials, she would never be willing to accept the prince's help. Emperor Jian was very sure of this.

Emperor Jian couldn't help but secretly look at Xie Chengze. He knew very well how capable those stupid retainers in Chenghuan Palace were. Could it be that he recruited new retainers in his palace to give Xie Chengze such a brilliant idea?

When he mentioned the matter of property confiscation in the court today, it also surprised Emperor Jian. After all, although Xie Chengze acted ruthlessly in private, he would not expose it in public.

If he is really a new retainer, he is a good candidate and may be able to lead Ze'er back to the right path. However, this is...

Just as he was thinking about it, he heard Xie Chengze beside him stammering again, "But... Father..."

Seeing him hesitating and hesitating, Emperor Jian instantly felt that the useless Xiao Ze'er had returned, and he couldn't help but ask, "What's wrong?"

"If we look at the people who donated silver, it is indeed me, your son, who donated the least, but..." Xie Chengze considered and secretly glanced at Emperor Jian, imitating the original owner's appearance of following the emperor's instructions perfectly.

It was just that his eyes were too clear, which added a bit of cute cunningness. "But in the court, it is said that all civil and military officials need to donate silver. Those who did not donate are the ones who donated the least."

As soon as he said this, the meaning he wanted to express was instantly seen through by the other two people present.

Shen Yuan sneered in his heart. He knew that Xie Chengze had nothing good to say. The minister who didn't donate silver out of hope was discovered by Xie Chengze and deserved to be in trouble.

Emperor Jian already showed a look of understanding.

Shen Yuan was just about to hear who was so unlucky when he heard Xie Chengze chuckle and say, "The prince didn't donate silver."

"Cough——" Shen Yuan choked and looked at Xie Chengze in shock.

Can the prince be blamed for this?

Then I felt that it was reasonable.

Yes, this is Xie Chengze, who likes to keep an eye on the prince's tail. Once he gets what he wants, he will mock and ridicule him, and he wants to spread the word that the prince is not worthy of the position.

He had been fighting with Xie Chengze for too long, a full ten years, and he had even forgotten that Xie Chengze during this period was still a villain who could only secretly target the prince, instead of the vicious wolf and poisonous snake who later formed a clique for personal gain and came to the open to directly confront the prince's forces.

Shen Yuan was feeling contemptuous in his heart when he heard Xie Chengze continue to chuckle, "Fourth brother didn't donate silver either."

Shen Yuan:?

Shen Yuan was really stunned this time.

In his previous life, Xie Chengze simply disdained to regard the naive Fourth Prince as an enemy and ignored him as if he were dust. The Crown Prince always valued his brothers, and therefore never involved the Fourth Prince in the fight for the throne, to prevent him from ending up like the eldest prince who held military power.

But what happened today? Why did Xie Chengze suddenly target the Fourth Prince?

No... Shen Yuan thought for a moment and understood his intention.

Bringing the two of them out together is both a way of impeaching the Crown Prince for not being sympathetic to the victims, but it does not seem like he is deliberately targeting them. Xie Chengze is still targeting the Crown Prince, and the Fourth Prince is just unlucky and a poor guy who was implicated.

I have to say that Xie Chengze's brain has indeed improved a bit.

No, wait...

Shen Yuan narrowed his eyes, thinking about the differences between today and his previous life, an absurd idea came to his mind.

Could it be... Xie Chengze was also reborn?

His right hand subconsciously reached for the green sword at his waist, then he remembered that all the weapons on his body had been taken away by the palace guards before entering the palace. He looked at Xie Chengze solemnly, murderous intent suddenly arose in his heart.

In his previous life, he was able to overcome all difficulties and kill Xie Chengze, so he can still do it in this life.

He would not let the tragedies of his previous life happen again.