til Chen Tong slapped him awake."Take them away, don't kill them."Li Chen glanced at Duan Changmian lying motionless in the snowdrift, said something indifferent after that, and closed the window.Foot...Chapter 275: Xu Wei

Soon, Xu Wei, the commander of the Imperial Guards, rushed to pay his respects.

As a eunuch guard and also the head of a hundred households, Xu Wei could be considered a powerful figure within the palace. His official rank was low, only the ninth grade, but one's power shouldn't be judged solely by their rank, but rather by the influence they wield.

A junior editor at the Imperial Academy, a position starting at the seventh rank, wouldn't hold as much power as a ninth-rank county magistrate in terms of actual authority.

And Xu Wei, who had recently grasped the real power of Shenwumen's security, was living a life of ease and contentment. Therefore, when facing Li Chen, who had given him all this, his respect and gratitude were overflowing.

"I, Xu Wei, pay my respects to Your Highness the Prince. Your Highness, a thousand years! A thousand years! A thousand thousand years!"

Looking at Xu Wei, who was kneeling on the ground with respect and bowing deeply, Li Chen felt quite satisfied.

The man I casually mentioned earlier has been under the Dongchang's surveillance for some time now. According to their reports, Xu Wei seems to be a valuable asset.

However, before using him, Li Chen still needed to give him a good beating.

"These days you've been on duty, how are you doing"

Li Chen's casual question immediately made Xu Wei rack his brains.

He didn't know what Li Chen meant by asking that.

Perhaps it was just a random question.

Or perhaps some other information is hidden.

This is the difference between superiors and inferiors. A superior's casual words can make an inferior tremble with anxiety.

Xu Wei licked his lips and replied, "To Your Highness, after being supported by Your Highness, I dare not say that I have been loyal to my duty, but I have always been diligent and never slacked off, for fear of disappointing Your Highness's grace."

Li Chen said with a smile that wasn't quite a smile: "It's true that I don't dare to be negligent, but to say that I'm diligent and hardworking is not necessarily so. You've only been in office for three days, and you found an excuse to dismiss two general flags who had offended you before, from the inner guard. Two prominent generals were reduced to a gatekeeper at the city gate and another was sent to feed the horses directly."

Not only that, but you also mentioned the position of commander to your senior who has shown you kindness, even though he is aware that his military achievements are insufficient and he is too old. According to military regulations, he should have been removed from service and returned to civilian life at the beginning of spring. Yet, you still used your power to arrange for him.

Li Chen's words instantly drenched Xu Wei in a cold sweat.

He thought he had done a flawless job, but unexpectedly, the Crown Prince saw through everything like an open book.

These things are not uncommon; almost every person in power will do them, suppressing their opponents and promoting their own people.

To put it on the table would be illegal.

At best, you'll be demoted and assigned elsewhere. At worst, you'll end up in prison.

In his panic, Xu Wei dared not harbor any more wishful thinking. He immediately slammed his head on the ground and trembled, saying: "I am guilty of a thousand deaths. Please, Your Majesty, show mercy!"

"If this palace wanted to punish you, would you still have the chance to speak before me"

Li Chen said faintly, "Throughout history, those who accomplish great things don't dwell on trivial matters. This palace needs someone who can get things done, not a sycophant who blindly follows orders."

Upon hearing this, Xu Wei's face lit up with excitement and surprise. He immediately said, "I, humble servant, am willing to give my life for your Highness!"

Waving his hand to stop Xu Wei's words of loyalty, Li Chen said: "I've heard similar things so many times that my ears are worn out. You know the things you did, someone in the shadows has helped clean up your mess, otherwise do you think it would be this easy"

"You offended two powerful men, didn't you One is the nephew of the Five Armies General Staff Right Counselor, and the other is the cousin of the Ministry of War Armament Bureau Member. Which one do you think you could afford to offend If it weren't for me, you would have been dead long ago."atter how much we linger, you will eventually have to leave."Saying that, he bowed deeply to Zhao Qinglan behind the beaded curtain. Raising his head, his eyes were brimming with tears, but a smile pl...