Without money, what is the point of being a traitor?

Chapter 630 I laugh at Yang Yiqing's lack of strategy and Bian Xian's lack of wisdom
Pei Yuan looked at the hot-blooded young man and really wanted to ask him why the Right Vice Censor-in-Chief of the Embroidered Uniform Guard had changed his mind upon hearing that he was Yang Tinghe's accomplice.

What kind of pretentious prejudice and worthless arrogance is this?

Pei Yuan chuckled and followed the young man into Xiao Chong's residence.

This time, Lu Yong was much more sensible and stayed in the gatehouse with Xiao Tong, obediently keeping an eye on what was happening inside.

The young man matured quickly, already understanding which people were more useful to because of his status as a relative of a eunuch, and which people he still had to cower in front of.

Xiao Tong was quite afraid of Pei Yuan before, and he always avoided Pei Yuan when his father first assigned him to the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

Later, he married into the family and became a servant, so he had no choice but to bite the bullet and take on the job.

After a few days, Xiao Tong finally came to his senses.

Gradually, my mindset became much more peaceful.

Seeing Lu Yong standing under the eaves of the gatehouse looking into the mansion with a melancholy expression, Xiao Tong first looked around for a small stool to sit down and rest.

Pei Yuan followed the young man around to the back.

Once they reached a slightly secluded meeting place, the young man said, "Then please wait a moment, Commander Pei. My father will be here shortly."

Pei Yuan nodded and sat down comfortably.

If his guess is correct, Xiao Chong will most likely have to meet with various people before leaving the capital this time.

Commander Pei is a man of principle; he needs to give people some time.

It wasn't until the tea was changed again that a man in his forties entered the hall, scrutinizing Pei Yuan with a critical look.

This person was Xiao Chong, who was in charge of the Zhang Feng case in Shandong.

Pei Yuan, after all, had some sense of propriety. He stood up and respectfully said to Xiao Chong, "This humble officer is Pei Yuan, commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, greetings to the Right Vice Censor-in-Chief."

Xiao Chong was unmoved by Pei Yuan's flattery and calmly replied, "The matter of the Right Vice Censor-in-Chief has not yet been officially announced, so Commander Pei should be careful with his words."

As he spoke, he stepped forward and sat in the main seat.

Pei Yuan knew that Xiao Chong was being self-respecting and waiting for him to explain his purpose.

He cut to the chase, saying, "I heard that the Right Vice Censor-in-Chief is going to investigate the case of Zhang Feng, the Director-General of the Waterways. I wanted to ask if the Right Vice Censor-in-Chief has any leads?"

Xiao Chong glanced at Pei Yuan with displeasure, "How could you possibly concern yourself with such important matters of the court?"

After saying that, he remembered the question he had been wondering about earlier and asked, "Did you tell my son before that you were an accomplice of Grand Secretary Yang?"

After asking the question, Xiao Chong added with political acumen, "Because it involves the Grand Secretary, I, as the Right Vice Censor-in-Chief, cannot ignore it."

Faced with Yang Tinghe's true accomplice, Pei Yuan, the fake accomplice, was not so easily fooled.

Fortunately, Pei Yuan was thick-skinned and just kept trying to get close to him.

"During the Han Dynasty's 'Party Prohibitions,' General Huangfu Gui admired the partisans but regretted not being included in their list. He beat his chest in frustration and wrote a letter to the emperor, requesting to be considered a partisan as well. This story has been passed down as a beautiful tale throughout the ages."

"Although I don't understand the profound meaning behind these words, I still yearn for them."

"Now I greatly admire Grand Secretary Yang and often secretly study his words and actions. I have long regarded myself as Grand Secretary Yang's accomplice."

Xiao Chong's face darkened.

He stood up, flicked his sleeves, and shouted, "Absurd!"

Saying that, he was about to leave.

Unexpectedly, Xiao Chong became angry, but Pei Yuan remained calm. Seeing that Xiao Chong had reached the door, he slowly said, "This humble servant is somewhat confused. We are both Right Vice Censors-in-Chief, so why does Bian Xian admit that this humble servant is a member of Grand Secretary Yang's faction?"

Upon hearing Bian Xian's name, Xiao Chong stopped in his tracks as if he had been forcibly restrained.

Then, he looked at Pei Yuan with a cold gaze.

Pei Yuan's words were plain, seemingly referring to the matter between Xiao Chong and Bian Xian.

But it actually hints at a deeper threat.

According to Pei Yuan's words, this accomplice of Yang Tinghe, whom Xiao Chong did not acknowledge, was recognized elsewhere!

Moreover, Pei Yuan specifically named Bian Xian.

You should know that Bian Xian is currently jumping up and down in a frenzy, trying to impeach Yang Tinghe because of the cheating in the imperial examinations.

Although Grand Secretary Yang was upright and had a clear conscience, he couldn't resist that wicked Bian Xian, who insisted on getting Pei Yuan, who had caused the "Qingqian Case," involved.

Pei Yuan demonstrated his value with just one sentence.

Xiao Chong's expression changed several times, but he finally calmed down, turned around, and sat back down at the table.

Then, he said with disdain, "The people over there confuse right and wrong and have no shame whatsoever, so why bother talking about them?"

The relationship between Xiao Chong and Bian Xian is rather complicated.

Both men served as governors at the same time; during their tenure, they both performed poorly under the attack of the Bazhou army; after the Bazhou army destroyed their prefectures and counties, they were both arrested and imprisoned by He Jian.

Later, because the "Great Discussion of Merits" touched on the non-war crimes of local officials, He Jian was forced to resign, thus ending the cause and effect, and both of them were reinstated at the same time.

After going through so much, the two should have become close comrades-in-arms, but unfortunately, the labels attached to them prevented it.

Xiao Chong was a fellow villager of Yang Tinghe, and Bian Xian was a student of Yang Yiqing.

The situation in the struggle between Yang Tinghe and Yang Yiqing has gradually become clear, and the Censorate, acting as the swift and decisive force, is at the forefront of the confrontation between the two sides.

While Bian Xian was launching a fierce attack on Yang Tinghe, Xiao Chong was also doing his best to hinder Bian Xian.

Pei Yuan's purpose in coming here was very clear. Therefore, although he was the one who brought up the topic, he did not take the bait at all. Instead, he continued with his previous topic, saying, "As a fellow member of the same faction, I would like to ask if the Right Vice Censor-in-Chief has any leads on the case of Zhang Feng, the Governor-General of the Waterways?"

Xiao Chong felt the veins on his forehead throbbing.

How dare he?

How dare a mere fifth-rank officer speak to me like that when I was about to be promoted to Right Vice Censor-in-Chief?

However, considering the implied threat, Xiao Chong couldn't bring himself to tell the other party to get lost.

This feeling of being forced to accept something is really uncomfortable.

Xiao Chong didn't want to explain too much to this guy, and said indifferently, "The court has already ordered me to go with the thirteen censors to investigate. We'll only know the truth after we've investigated."

Pei Yuan laughed and said, "If I'm not mistaken, Grand Secretary Yang must have given us some pointers on how to handle this case, right?"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Chong angrily retorted, "How dare you slander the Grand Secretary and Chief Minister of the court? How could Grand Secretary Yang have an accomplice like you?"

Pei Yuan said calmly and unhurriedly.

"Zhang Feng was a classmate of Grand Secretary Yang's father. When he requested funds from the court, it was rejected by Yang Tan, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue. It was the cabinet that stepped in to resolve the matter."

"It can be said that as long as Zhang Feng's case is verified, it will be equivalent to slapping Grand Secretary Yang in the face."

"Given Grand Secretary Yang's strong personality, he probably cares more about winning or losing than about how much Zhang Feng embezzled." Pei Yuan's words were not unjust to Yang Tinghe.

After all, even a corrupt official like Jin Xianmin, whose case was proven beyond redress, could be exonerated due to political correctness, let alone a case that hasn't even been investigated yet.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Chong once again seemed ready to turn and leave.

Fortunately, Pei Yuan got to the point in time, "The reason I came here this time is because I was worried that Grand Secretary Yang might make a mistake and fall into someone else's scheme."

As he spoke, he placed the file from his sleeve onto the table.

Seeing this, Xiao Chong asked suspiciously, "What is this?"

Pei Yuan looked at Xiao Chong and said solemnly, "These are some files that I accidentally intercepted from someone else. They contain a lot of evidence of Zhang Feng's corruption."

Xiao Chong was taken aback and quickly bowed to take the file into his hands. He then began to flip through it rapidly by candlelight.

Xiao Chong skimmed through a few pages, tossed the file back onto the table, and said casually, "Anyone who can read can write these things, so what can they prove?"

Pei Yuan smiled upon hearing this, took the file back, lit it directly over the candle, and watched it slowly burn.

Xiao Chong looked at Pei Yuan with surprise and suspicion, "What's this?"

Xiao Chong had initially thought Pei Yuan had taken these things and was coming to negotiate some terms, but this move made it difficult for Xiao Chong to discern his true intentions.

Seeing that the dossier was burning quickly, Pei Yuan threw it on the ground and ignored it. He then turned to Xiao Chong and said, "This thing is not important. I am not going to use it to blackmail the Right Vice Censor-in-Chief or Grand Secretary Yang."

"What I want to remind you is, how could such a thing appear out of nowhere? And is what I have all of it?"

Xiao Chong was also quickly alarmed by Pei Yuan's point.

"You mean someone has already set up a trap around Zhang Feng, just waiting for Grand Secretary Yang to fall into it?"

Pei Yuan shook his head, "Well, this humble servant can't explain it either."

"I've just been getting tired of being scolded by Bian Xian these past few days, so I might as well become an accomplice of Grand Secretary Yang."

"It just so happens that I heard that Vice Censor-in-Chief Xiao is going south to Shandong to investigate a case, so I'm taking this intercepted item and offering it to him."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Chong broke out in a cold sweat.

Because Yang Tinghe's instructions to him were indeed to protect Zhang Feng.

Even if Zhang Feng is indeed not innocent, it would be best to let Zhang Feng have a dignified ending, just like He Jian who landed safely before.

Unexpectedly, this seemingly simple corruption case turned out to be incredibly complex.

Now that Xiao Chong has thought about it, he suddenly realizes that what Pei Yuan just reminded him of made a lot of sense.

The files Pei Yuan just brought mostly concern Zhang Feng's time as governor of Suzhou and Songjiang, with only a small portion relating to events after Zhang Feng took office in Shandong.

However, the Shandong Provincial Surveillance Commission's impeachment this time mainly focused on Zhang Feng's actions in Shandong.

This suggests that there's more juicy news to come.

Maybe others were already prepared, just waiting for Yang Tinghe to jump.

From this perspective, Pei Yuan's arrival today is comparable to that of Xu You and Xu Ziyuan, who came to pledge allegiance with crucial intelligence before the Battle of Guandu.

If it weren't for Yang Yiqing's lack of strategy and Bian Xian's lack of wisdom, clinging to the Qingqian case and forcing Pei Yuan to side with Grand Secretary Yang, Grand Secretary Yang would likely have suffered a hidden loss in this power struggle.

It's alright that Grand Secretary Yang is tough and resilient, but if things go wrong, the one who ends up taking the blame is Xiao Chong, the person who directly handled the matter.

Thinking of this, Xiao Chong couldn't help but change his attitude towards Pei Yuan and said to him gratefully, "Ziyuan, you've come at just the right time!"

Pei Yuan: "?"

Before Pei Yuan could react, Xiao Chong asked again, "What are your thoughts on this, Ziyuan?"

Pei Yuan was a little confused. "Is there a mistake in the name of the Right Vice Censor-in-Chief? My name is Pei Yuan."

"Oh, right, right." Xiao Chong quickly patted his head.

He then asked, "What are your thoughts on this, Commander Pei?"

Pei Yuan instinctively wanted to start a conversation, but then suddenly realized that he wasn't there to do that.

So all I could say was, “What brilliant ideas do I have? I’ve only come here to offer my humble opinion and do the Right Vice Censor-in-Chief a favor.”

Xiao Chong was clearly grateful and accepted Pei Yuan's good intention in coming to warn him. He immediately promised, "When I return from Shandong, I will definitely repay Commander Pei."

Upon hearing this, Pei Yuan immediately checked his system.

Then, from a series of "99+" prompts, I found the one I wanted to see.

Debts of gratitude:
Accounts Receivable (0/1): Xiao Chong owes you a favor. The other party will repay you based on the results of his trip to Shandong. (The favor will take effect when Xiao Chong returns from Shandong.)
Pei Yuan couldn't help but click on the string of "99+" to take a look at the various prompts.

For a while, Pei Yuan was obsessed with drawing passive items and spent a lot of energy adjusting various debt combinations.

Although a few more passive abilities were tested, their effects were quite disappointing.

Pei Yuan had many important things to do these days and dared not waste his time, so he adjusted his debt portfolio to the most stable "more debt, less worry" approach.

—Special state: You are not worried about being in debt (you are currently in a state of inexplicable calm).

Pei Yuan saw the result he wanted and was very satisfied with the effectiveness of his trip.

Xiao Chong probed several more times, trying to find out where Pei Yuan had obtained these files.

Pei Yuan naturally pushed the road ahead clean.

Seeing that he couldn't get any other information, Xiao Chong had no choice but to accept Pei Yuan's explanation that he had obtained the document by chance.

Xiao Chong pondered for a moment and felt that this matter was of great importance. He needed to discuss it thoroughly with Grand Secretary Yang before leaving.

Since Pei Yuan, the person in charge of the matter, happened to be there, Xiao Chong took the opportunity to ask about the imperial examination corruption case that was giving Yang Tinghe a headache.

This cheating in the imperial examinations was simply outrageous.

It's astonishing that someone could predict a top-ranking candidate before the imperial examinations even began, and the final result was exactly as predicted.

Afterwards, Pei Yuan argued that he was simply trying to encourage the scholars, which is why he spoke carelessly.

But not only did others not believe it, even Xiao Chong himself didn't believe it.

At first, Xiao Chong even thought that Yang Tinghe was playing a grand game, deliberately creating this situation.

It wasn't until Xiao Chong saw Yang Tinghe's embarrassment and inability to defend himself when dealing with the impeachments that he became somewhat surprised. Could it really be a coincidence?
With Pei Yuan right in front of him, Xiao Chong was naturally very interested in asking him about it.

When Xiao Chong asked about the corruption in the imperial examinations, Pei Yuan thought for a moment and replied sincerely, "Some things are too complicated for me to say anything about."

"However, since Vice Censor-in-Chief Xiao has asked, I will definitely satisfy his curiosity in a few days and tell him the truth in detail."

(End of this chapter)