Some things in the world were this unreasonable. Some people worked hard all their lives and might find it impossible to climb up even one step. But, some people might be valued highly by an important person just because they said something that was pretty decent and would henceforth be promoted quickly in their career, their future limitless.
The present Chen Chao seemed to be the latter.
But, he was very clear that he was not.
Without what he did for several years in Tianqing County, if he did not kill those qi refiners, if he did not have the means to come to the Divine Capital previously, then even if he said such words ten thousand times at the South Lake, this Warden would not care either.
"I know that you didn't kill those qi refiners in Tianqing County in order to protect my Great Liang's dragon vein either."
The Warden's eyes were looking at Chen Chao as if he could see through all of his thoughts clearly.
Chen Chao said, "This lowly official did it for Great Liang."
The situation on that day was like that. In fact, if they said that they were willing to let him go, the story might not have necessarily played out like this.
But, the process was not important, the result was always the most important thing.
The Warden looked at Chen Chao and said rather puzzledly, "You don't deny what happened at South Lake, why this matter?"
Chen Chao just repeated, "Those qi refiners wanted to destroy our Great Liang's dragon vein. As the local warden, this lowly official should naturally have acted so."
The Warden smiled and said, "Then, if I reinstate your official rank at this moment, will you continue to be a warden in Tianqing County?"
It was unclear whether was this a threat or not, because as the Great Liang Dynasty's Warden, he really had this ability. He could decide Chen Chao's life and death with a word.
"Lord Warden won't do this." There was no fearful expression on Chen Chao's face at all. Even if he was very clear that he would die if he went to Tianqing County at this moment.
"Your case has already been concluded, the imperial court didn't forsake you in front of the common people too, you're innocent. But, how would the foreign cultivators think? The imperial court can transfer you out of the Divine Capital in order to appease them and they can kill you to moderate the relationship between both parties." The Warden looked at Chen Chao and said calmly, "My Great Liang Dynasty has to pay such a great price for you alone, do you think that it's worth it?"
Chen Chao repeated calmly, "You won't."
Looking at the Warden, Chen Chao slowly said, "At least you won't right now. If this lowly official were to die right now, how will the general populace view the imperial court? How will the civil and military officials of the imperial court view the imperial court? If this is the outcome of selling your soul to the imperial court, who would still dare to work themselves to death for the imperial court in the future?"
The Warden looked at him rather appreciatively and said, "Previously, when I looked through your file, it said that you're level-headed and have a meticulous mind. I had some doubts about it, but looking at you like this, you indeed far surpass ordinary people. Not bad."
"Thank you for your praise, Your Excellency."
Chen Chao saluted again.
The Warden asked once more, "Many people in the Divine Capital currently want to know your identity."
It was not Chen Chao's first time facing this question anymore. But, he still kept silent at this moment.
This time, it was a question. But, he still did not want to answer.
The Warden said, "Do you think that I can't find out if you don't say it?"
Chen Chao was calm and just remained silent.
Suddenly, the Warden laughed mockingly at himself, "I really can't uncover the final result. I can roughly confirm that you're the descendant of one of those impoverished families."
Chen Chao shook his head and said, "No."
The Warden started laughing, his voice hearty. This time, it was not like the autumn wind, there was just some pure joy, "What do you think about your lie?"
Chen Chao just said somewhat woodenly, "I dare not deceive Your Excellency."
The Warden said softly, "I'm actually not worried about your identity. There are many double agents in my Great Liang Dynasty, I only care if you're one of them or not."
Chen Chao said, "Commander Song previously said that there are only two places in our Great Liang Dynasty without spies."
The Warden did not hide it and said frankly, "My warden faction was established by the founding emperor. Now, it's been more than 200 years. The current warden faction is naturally inferior to back then. It's naturally my warden faction's fault that demons run rampant in the Great Liang Dynasty and the civilians at the bottom are suffering."
Chen Chao was stunned, not expecting that the Warden in front of him would actually be so frank.
He wanted to say something, but was quickly interrupted by the Warden, "Your official position of warden was also bought with money."
Chen Chao was silent. He was unable to refute this matter.
If say that the warden faction had a major problem, that would undoubtedly be this. But, he was also a part of the problem.
"It's just that what Song Lian said is right, even though there are useless people in my warden faction, we don't tolerate spies."
The Warden said calmly, "The files of each warden are currently in my manor. There are records of how they attained the position of warden. I know all about who's behind them and who they have ties with, other than... you."
Without waiting for Chen Chao to speak, the Warden said, "That guy who helped you orchestrate things a few years back is currently in the Court of Judicial Review's jail. I don't know if you've met him before or heard him scream miserably day after day."
Chen Chao still remained silent.
"I also never expected that those impoverished families would actually think of planting such a person in the most inconspicuous place in my Great Liang Dynasty." The Warden felt somewhat emotional. But, there was an imperceptible hint of fierceness in his eyes.
Chen Chao said blankly, "This lowly official doesn't know what Your Excellency is talking about."
The Warden did not speak, he just looked at him like this.
Chen Chao suddenly asked, "Are they not people of the Great Liang Dynasty?"
His words were a little strange, making even the Warden feel somewhat absentminded for some time.
The Warden replied with a question, "Are they citizens of the Great Liang Dynasty?"
Chen Chao shook his head and smiled, "This lowly official doesn't know, but this lowly official is one."
Chen Chao's attitude was extremely relaxed when he said this, as if he said something very ordinary. There were no fluctuations in emotions. Hence, it also appeared incomparably sincere.
He had told countless lies in his life and could appear incredibly sincere every time. But this time, no one could tell if he was sincere or not.
Meaning that one also could not tell if he was lying or telling the truth.
The Warden suddenly looked at Chen Chao, his eyes surging with tidal water, making Chen Chao's mind go into a trance, "I don't need to know your identity, but I have to know whether you're a spy or not!"
His gaze was like a sword, making people very uncomfortable.
Even for a Divine Trove martial artist like Chen Chao, his complexion turned deathly pale at this moment too and he had a splitting headache. That sentence fell into his mind and was repeatedly questioning.
Chen Chao felt an even more intense pressure than before. That tremendous pressure made him very uncomfortable at this moment.
"I'm waiting for an answer."
The Warden was very calm. But at this moment, he was like a black mountain right in front of Chen Chao. If the answer was not satisfactory, perhaps this mountain would press down and crush Chen Chao into minced meat.
Chen Chao opened his mouth with great difficulty and spat out that answer.
"NO!"
……
……
There was a courtyard in the southeastern corner of the imperial palace. There was also a lake. It was just that the lake was much, much smaller than the South Lake.
There were many willow trees planted by the lake too. Presently, it was quite sunny. When it shone down, the lake was mottled.
The dean slowly walked past this lake.
There was no one around him.
Nobody knew about this visit to the palace.
Everyone in the imperial city knew that no one was allowed to enter the vicinity of this lake without His Majesty's open directive. Of course, that dean was not included.
The dean who was dressed in a long shirt slowly walked toward the front. He finally arrived in front of another man before stopping.
"I pay respects to Your Majesty."
The dean bowed slowly, his expression indifferent.
The emperor was only wearing a set of long robes today and not emperor robes. Only after the dean spoke, did this emperor say, "It's been so many years, We still don't really like this place. It's too humid."
The dean smiled slightly and said, "The Great Liang Dynasty's lineage of emperors all stayed here. How can Your Majesty be an exception?"
The Great Liang emperor furrowed his brows. Although he was still unhappy, he did not refute it. He just looked at that lake and said emotionally, "If so many things never happened back then, We also won't be this exhausted."
The dean deeply felt that way too and said, "That's true. Without those things, Your Majesty would already be a corpse now. Perhaps your bones would have long rotted away, how could you be tired?"
The Great Liang emperor said angrily, "What nonsense are you talking about, Old Fogey. With Our martial arts realm, even if we die, how can Our bones be easy to decay?"
The dean did not care about His Majesty's fury at all. He just said to himself, "If Your Majesty were to die, is it important whether your corpse will decay or not?"
The Great Liang emperor gave a cold snort, "We don't want to argue about this warped reasoning with an old fogey like you."
"Don't, Your Majesty. Putting other things aside, who in this world is more skilled than me at reasoning things out?" The dean raised his brows and had a smug look.
"Old fogey, do you think that your reputation is excellent?" The Great Liang emperor laughed coldly.
But a moment later, he waved his sleeve, "Forget it, We wanted to talk to you today about official business."
The dean said "oh" and seemed rather unconcerned.
Foreign cultivators had sublime cultivation realms and might be able to slight the Great Liang emperor. The dean's "oh" seemed to be the same. But in reality, the reason why he was so casual had nothing to do with cultivation realm, but because he was very close friends with the emperor.
They had already been friends for many years. The two were already friends as early as when this emperor in front of him was just a teenager.
Because they were friends, he could pay it no heed.
If one even had to abide by the propriety between monarch and subject and appear so cautious between friends, then what were they friends for?
The Great Liang emperor suddenly said with a straight face, "That boy caused some trouble today at South Lake. Do you know about it?"
"I was in the small pavilion at the lake when that child was arguing. It felt very interesting hearing those voices." The dean said softly, "If not for that I've already taken in my last disciple, I'd want to take him in as a disciple."
He had already said these words before at South Lake.
Now, he said it again.
The Great Liang emperor frowned and said, "Do you know that boy's identity?"
The dean said indifferently, "If Your Majesty can't uncover it, isn't just it those few families?"
The Great Liang emperor said calmly, "Those few families are fine. What I'm afraid of is that it's not those few families."
The dean pondered briefly and had an answer. Smiling, he said, "If it's that family, it seems a little too simple."
The Great Liang emperor looked at the surface of the lake and said calmly, "We have a sore point."
The dean said, "That has nothing to do with a child too."
The Great Liang emperor said, "We want to meet him."
The dean said, "I heard that the Warden has already summoned him to his mansion."
The Great Liang emperor was silent and stopped talking.
