Chen Chao looked at the Left Guard officials present, his eyes showing little emotion, appearing very calm.
He had been away from the Divine Capital for a long time. Now that he returned, Chen Chao did not find it surprising to encounter such a situation.
"This..."
That official opened his mouth, originally wanting to retort, but at this moment, he found himself at a loss for words. Chen Chao had directly brought up the laws of Great Liang, putting them in the most difficult position to argue against.
If they admitted, it would mean not recognizing the laws of Great Liang. After all, the laws clearly stated that the highest position in the Left Guard was the commander. The commander could decide on everything within the Left Guard, and apart from the Commander, only the Lord Warden Commander and the Emperor himself had the authority to command the Left Guard's Commander. Any other official or person had no right to command the commander.
Now, both the Great Liang Emperor and Lord Warden Commander were coincidentally not in the Divine Capital.
"Now that this commander has asked you all to get out, what else do you guys have to say?"
Chen Chao slowly gripped the hilt of his saber, his expression calm, yet there was a solemn murderous aura emanating from him, as if the heavy snowfall in front of the Left Guard's office had suddenly stopped at this moment.
The guards felt this solemn killing intent and dared not say anything more. But soon, a distant voice echoed in the courtyard, cold and indifferent, "Turns out that Commander Chen has returned. Why haven't you guys made way for Commander Chen to enter?"
A slender middle-aged man appeared in the courtyard. He wore a black official robe, and there was a distinct air about him.
As he walked towards the gate, the Left Guard's officials who had been blocking the entrance dispersed to both sides, creating a path for the middle-aged man. Many lowered their heads and saluted, addressing him as "Commander Lin."[1.]
Only Weng Quan shouted at the top of his lungs. "Greetings, Deputy Commander Lin."
That man suddenly frowned. At this moment, the word 'deputy' was far from being a nice title to the man at all.
Many people looked at Weng Quan with a special meaning in their eyes. At this moment, no one would think that Weng Quan spoke casually. When he spoke, it must have been after careful consideration.
However, it seemed that many people chose to selectively forget something at this moment. That was, Weng Quan had always been known for his simplemindedness in the Left Guard.
Chen Chao remained silent. Except, there was a hint of a smile at the corner of his eye. He naturally knew that it was impossible that Weng Quan was intentionally upsetting Lin Shan in front of him. It was just how he always was. Just like when Chen Chao served as the Deputy Commander before, Weng Quan also kept addressing him as "Deputy Commander Chen."
Chen Chao waved his hand, making Weng Quan step aside. Step by step, he walked toward the Left Guard's office, looking at Lin Shan and smiling, "Deputy Commander Lin, you've worked hard during this period."
As he spoke, his hand reached out, the meaning clear.
The Left Guard's official seal was currently still in Lin Shan's possession.
Taking back the Left Guard's official seal meant returning the authority of the Left Guard to Chen Chao.
Presumably, if the Lord Warden Commander or the Great Liang Emperor were still in the Divine Capital, Lin Shan would hand over the Left Guard's official seal to Chen Chao without the slightest hesitation.
But now, the Lord Warden Commander was not in the Divine Capital, and neither was the Emperor.
But the official seal was in Lin Shan's hands.
The Great Liang's laws stated that the Left Guard's effective official was the commander. However, the Great Liang's laws also clearly stated that the commander needed to hold the official seal to exercise authority.
Chen Chao was the commander, but the official seal was in Lin Shan's hands.
In a certain sense, the Left Guard's officials here were facing a difficult choice.
Lin Shan had been serving in the Left Guard for many years. He had a deep foundation and an extensive network of connections within the Left Guard. Therefore, even though he was currently only a deputy commander, having the official seal in hand meant that many Left Guard officials were willing to follow his orders.
On the other hand, Chen Chao had just joined the Left Guard recently. Despite now holding the position of commander and gaining recognition at the Myriad Willow Convention, his foundation was ultimately still lacking. Most likely, apart from Weng Quan, there were probably few Left Guard officials willing to wholeheartedly believe in Chen Chao and steadfastly follow him.
Choosing to seize power upon his return to the Divine Capital might not have been a wise decision, but Chen Chao had reasons that forced him to make this choice.
Lin Shan looked at Chen Chao and said with a faint smile, "Lord Commander is tired from your long journey. Now that you returned to the Left Guard's office, why not have a warm cup of tea and rest for a few days? This lowly official will naturally take care of the Left Guard's matters for Your Excellency."
Chen Chao's hand was still suspended in mid-air, but Lin Shan did not hand over what Chen Chao wanted. So for a moment, it appeared very awkward. The entire entrance of the Left Guard's office was rather quiet.
Chen Chao slowly withdrew his hand and smiled, "Deputy Commander Lin must have been even more exhausted during this period. Now that this commander has returned, I got to take over the responsibilities. Otherwise, how can I live up to the expectations of Commander Song, the instructions of Lord Warden Commander, and the trust of His Majesty?"
Verbal sparring might be the most unfamiliar thing for all cultivators in the world. But to Chen Chao, it was a regular occurrence.
The three people that his one sentence mentioned, from the first one, already shook these guards. If there was one person they would revere as a deity in the Left Guard, it would be Song Lian. Serving as the Commander of the Left Guard for so many years, he never did anything to chill the hearts of these guards. His status in the Left Guard was unmatched by any.
Following Song Lian, that Lord Warden Commander and that Emperor, who would not think highly of these prominent figures?
Lin Shan smiled slightly and said, "The Lord Warden Commander is currently absent from the Divine Capital, and His Majesty is also in seclusion, if they were to know that Commander Chen has returned, they would surely be delighted."
Hearing this, Chen Chao raised an eyebrow.
The fact that the Great Liang Emperor was not in the Divine Capital was not a secret now, but those who were aware of it certainly would not include these guards.
Therefore, Lin Shan was saying it for them to hear.
Chen Chao did not expect this deputy commander with a martial artist background to be so meticulous in his thinking too. But, he did not panic. After a moment, he asked bluntly, "Deputy Commander Lin, have you heard of the Great Liang's laws?"
This question had already been posed outside the office, and Lin Shan definitely knew what this meant.
In the earlier back-and-forth, both of them were still considered restrained. However, now that both sides spoke up, there was truly no restraint left.
This was going straight to the point.
Lin Shan looked at Chen Chao, his eyes devoid of any emotion. In his view, it was only natural for Chen Chao to be unable to contain his impatience. After all, no matter how mature the young man before him appeared, he was still just a teenager.
Lin Shan sighed, "Commander Chen's dedication to serving the country is truly palpable, and this lowly official truly feels it too. But..."
Chen Chao raised an eyebrow.
Lin Shan smiled, "It's just that, I'm afraid I can't hand over the Left Guard's official seal to Commander Chen just yet."
