NOVEL NEXT Chapter 85 - No Bearing of a Sovereign
Xia Chen cast a deep, probing look at the black-clad figure, then glanced eastward—that was the direction of the Eastern Palace.
He had long anticipated such an event and had hinted as much to Chen Song, yet he hadn’t expected the Eastern Palace to be so impatient as to seek an execution—and to approach him, no less.
But upon reflection, it seemed quite reasonable. The Crown Prince was clearly a shrewd man, aware that Xia Chen was merely a blade wielded by His Majesty to sever their reach into the Lamplighters. This realization emboldened him to approach Xia Chen directly, asking him to eliminate the loose ends.
“The Division Head shares a close bond with my master—we’re family. One day, my master will invite you for drinks!”
“No need for drinks. Though our ties are close, you know my current position is delicate, fraught with constraints. But what you’ve proposed poses no great issue. They’re my captives, and I’m handling their case—rest assured, it won’t implicate your master. Go back and report as much!”
Xia Chen replied with a smile. He understood Emperor Wen’s stance: the emperor sought to curb the Crown Prince and Third Prince’s influence without causing a major uproar. Should the court and public learn that the Crown Prince and Third Prince had infiltrated the Lamplighters, it would spark yet another tumult.
Emperor Wen intended for the Crown Prince and Third Prince to vie with each other, viewing their rivalry as an internal royal matter. If the court misconstrued it as treasonous ambition, it would not only embarrass him but also tarnish the imperial family with scandal!
Confident in his control over the situation, Emperor Wen remained unperturbed even by their meddling in the sensitive Lamplighters organization. Chopping off their hands was, to him, a minor reprimand—nothing more.
Given this, Xia Chen decided to go with the flow and grant the Crown Prince a favor.
The Crown Prince, however, was evidently unaware of Emperor Wen’s mindset, fearing that someone might seize this opportunity to escalate the matter and attack the Eastern Palace.
The black-clad figure brightened at Xia Chen’s words. He’d expected to expend considerable effort—perhaps even resort to coercion—to secure this outcome, yet Xia Chen agreed with surprising swiftness.
“Then we’ll trouble you with this, Lord Xia. For your actions today, my master will surely repay you in the future!”
The black-clad figure clasped his hands, then turned and departed.
“That black-clad figure just now was from the Eastern Palace, asking me to silence Chen Song!”
Atop his horse, Xia Chen spoke slowly, concealing nothing from the group.
A jolt ran through everyone’s hearts. As astute individuals, they quickly grasped why the Eastern Palace would turn so ruthlessly against its own.
“Ruthless though it may be, it shows resolve—yet it lacks the bearing of a sovereign!”
Xu Xingchen spoke in a grave tone. His bold assessment startled the others anew; they hadn’t expected him to dare critique the Eastern Palace—the Crown Prince himself—so openly!
Yu Shaoqian gave Xu Xingchen a deep, appraising look. This fellow alumnus had quite the audacity!
Xia Chen’s expression remained unchanged, though he refrained from responding to Xu Xingchen’s remark. He well understood the virtue of discretion.
Xu Xingchen glanced at Xia Chen, a hint of disappointment flickering within. His earlier boldness had been a deliberate probe; suspecting Xia Chen harbored disloyal ambitions, he sought to test him—yet Xia Chen’s depths eluded him still.
“Wait and see—tonight, we may yet have a second visitor!”
Xia Chen, still mounted, spoke aloud.
“Division Head, do you mean the Third Prince will also send someone, seeking to eliminate loose ends?”
Yu Shaoqian chimed in. That afternoon, through Xu Xingchen, he’d learned of their superior’s origins—hailing from the illustrious Marquis of Zhendong’s household and now the Imperial Son-in-Law to Princess Yaoguang, a status of unparalleled prestige.
He’d also come to understand what Xia Chen had accomplished that day.
“The Crown Prince, renowned for his benevolence, displays such decisiveness—how could the Third Prince lag behind?”
Xia Chen laughed heartily, cracking his whip to spur his horse faster!
That evening, as expected, another visitor arrived. Though they didn’t reveal their identity, their opening request was clear: Xia Chen was to dispose of Li Yue, ensuring he vanished from the dungeon without a trace.
Xia Chen nodded with a smile, granting the Third Prince a favor as well!
“The Division Head truly predicts events with uncanny precision!”
In the courtyard, as Xia Chen and his six companions sipped tea and chatted, Yu Shaoqian remarked with a smile.
“It’s merely human nature!”
Xia Chen shook his head, taking no pride in it.
Addressing the group, he said, “This courtyard’s getting cramped. Once our commercial ventures take off in a while, we’ll buy up the surrounding properties and renovate them—then each of you can have your own courtyard!”
“Haha, that’ll be thanks to Mr. Shen’s hard work! Still, we don’t find it crowded—this place is a thousand, nay, ten thousand times better than our old prison cells!”
Yu Shaoqian laughed, offering a salute to Shen Xueyan.
Shen Xueyan hurriedly returned the gesture.
“Mr. Yu, I’m but a lowly merchant—hardly worthy of the title ‘Mister’!”
“Hahaha, no need for modesty, Mr. Shen! What’s wrong with being a merchant? A nation’s governance relies on commerce—without it, a country cannot prosper. The Division Head values you highly; managing commerce in the future, you’ll oversee logistics. Our food, clothing, and supplies will all depend on you—don’t belittle yourself, Mr. Shen!”
Xu Xingchen smiled, raising his tea in lieu of wine to toast Shen Xueyan.
Once a man of vast wealth, Shen Xueyan had still been inwardly scorned by scholars. Now, receiving such respect from two prideful sons of the Imperial Academy, he felt a surge of emotion.
Xia Chen observed this scene with a faint smile. This was precisely why he’d gathered them under one roof—bonds are forged over time. Living together under the same eaves, sharing daily life, naturally fostered camaraderie among colleagues!
The Following Day!
Xia Chen led his group to the government office!
The morning was bustling—not with case files, which Xu Xingchen and Yu Shaoqian, two brilliant minds, now handled, sparing Xia Chen much effort.
Instead, he focused on reviewing lists. Having apprehended nearly all the Hundred Households and Thousand Households officers from two halls, he now needed to rebuild them.
Thus, he sought to promote talent—his own trusted allies.
In any organization, one must have loyal confidants—people under your command who are truly yours. Only then can power flow from top to bottom; otherwise, no matter how high your rank, it’s an empty title.
Loyalty, obedience, and the ability to command others—that’s what constitutes power!
Power operates in this top-down fashion!
“Forming factions for personal gain has been an intractable dilemma since ancient times. No matter how advanced a civilization becomes, as long as humans exist—as long as human nature persists—factionalism will endure, manifesting in different forms, its organizational structure eternally preserved!”
Xia Chen sighed. The former Commander-in-Chief of the Lamplighters, Lu Li, had fallen due to such factionalism.
Now, Xia Chen was engaging in something similar—though far from full-fledged factionalism, the essence was the same: placing his people in key positions.
But there was no alternative. To accomplish anything, to secure his position, he needed his own men beneath him.
Xia Chen meticulously reviewed the lists, treating the task with utmost seriousness and handling it personally. While Xu Xingchen and Yu Shaoqian could assist with documents and files, the authority to appoint personnel had to remain firmly in his grasp—a fundamental tenet of leadership.
He worked tirelessly until the afternoon, finally compiling a personnel list.
Just then, a crisp “ding-dong” sounded in his mind!
“System upgrade to Dynasty Contention version completed. New system functions added—please check, player!”