How can I bow my head and serve the powerful officials?

It is actually quite difficult to be a powerful official.

Strictly speaking, Shen Yuan is not a powerful official who is good at plotting and scheming. When it comes to manipulating people's hearts, he is not as good as Sheng Shihuai, and when it comes to checks and balances, he is not as good as Xie Jinyu.

However, he has a sincere temperament and a kind and righteous heart. Whether in the martial arts world or in the court, anyone who has a clear mind and a sense of justice is willing to serve him.

Others relied on dirty tricks to get to high positions, but he relied on sacrificing the lives of countless people who followed him, and was pushed by fate onto the path of becoming a powerful official.

It doesn't feel good.

However, he was able to survive to the end not only because of these, but also because of Emperor Jian’s secret support, and -

Shen Yuan is one of the rare martial arts masters in the court.

Most of the civil and military officials are ordinary people who cannot use internal force. In his previous life, Shen Yuan rarely threatened and intimidated them with force. But after living a new life, Shen Yuan’s patience is not as good as before, so he will use such shameless means to achieve his goals.

For example, after returning to the capital from Yizhou with Xie Chengze, the Second Prince gave an impassioned speech in the Golden Palace, using the saying "counselors put themselves in the game" to bring down the Minister of Revenue. He fooled the simple-minded military generals, but could not fool those veteran counselors who had been immersed in the court for decades.

The fall of the Minister of Revenue involved serious consequences, especially since the Censorate was impartial and ruthless. All the ministers were busy destroying evidence, and people were in a panic. Even though Shen Yuan became an obvious target, some people knew that the Second Prince was not "innocent" in it.

"I see that the Second Prince is clearly trying to use the so-called corrupt officials as a gift to win the Emperor's favor and then plot to become the Crown Prince!"

In a courtyard somewhere, the imperial lieutenant sneered at his colleagues, "He and Shen Yuan are now playing the good cop and the bad cop, and they just got rid of the Minister of Revenue when they came back from Yizhou. Who knows who these two will target next?"

Another minister couldn't help but ask, "Did the emperor give instructions for this?"

"Oh! The emperor has always favored the second prince, how could this be without the emperor's permission? It's just that these two young fools don't know the rules at all, and they actually want to uproot the lineage of the Minister of Revenue!" The general sneered, "These two rookies must be taught a lesson."

"How to say?"

The general shook the teacup in his hand and said, "Let someone trip up Shen Yuan. As for the second prince..."

The captain sneered, "That idiot is so easy to deal with. He embezzled so much money before, and we have the evidence in our hands..."

Emperor Jian doted on the Second Prince and always chose to turn a blind eye to his mistakes. At most he would put him in solitary confinement for a few days. Then, in order to quell the dissatisfaction of his ministers towards his partiality, he would choose to tolerate some of their deliberate targeting of the Second Prince.

They could take this opportunity to chop off a few of the Second Prince's arms in the court...

Or he could fabricate a story about the Second Prince framing the Crown Prince for involvement in the Minister of Revenue's corruption, then have the Censorate investigate and bring the Second Prince to ruin... that would be enough to make the Second Prince feel bad for a while.

Or arrange for someone to deliberately discuss some sensitive topics in front of the second prince, such as treason or something... Well, I feel that this doesn't seem to be a good idea. What if Emperor Jian is so happy that he really gives the throne to the second prince?

The lieutenant rubbed his chin and thought of another plan. "Find some people inside and outside the palace to spread negative news about the second prince, saying that he is addicted to alcohol and sex, cruel and heartless, that he bullied palace maids and got them pregnant but still didn't take responsibility, that he pretends to hate men but is actually attracted to both men and women, and that he fell in love with Shen Yuan at first sight, and that the two of them were in cahoots with each other—"

"How could I not know that the Second Prince fell in love with me at first sight and was in collusion with me?"

A cold voice suddenly sounded from behind him. The general was startled and turned around to meet Shen Yuan's eyes, which seemed gentle and noble but were actually as cold as iron.

"Why are you here?! Who let you in? Where are the guards?"

The commander let out a sharp explosion.

"If I'm not here, how can I hear the great general's speech?" Shen Yuan avoided the question calmly. He picked up the teapot and poured himself a cup of tea like the master of the house. His eyes were dark and unclear. "I just don't know how the general will deal with it if I report it to His Majesty?"

"Oh! Arrogant boy!" The general said disdainfully, "You have only been in the court for a few days! Do you really think that your one-sided statement will convince His Majesty?"

The say of a small assistant minister of the Ministry of Justice cannot be compared to that of a second-rank general!

Shen Yuan looked at the general in silence, then suddenly smiled faintly, "Shen was just joking, why did the general take it seriously? Just like what the general said just now, it's just talk, it won't be put into practice, right?"

The general snorted coldly.

Since Shen Yuan had heard it, he naturally could not do it again, otherwise wouldn't Shen Yuan have caught him?

Shen Yuan blew away the hot air in the teacup, his eyes drooping slightly. The imperial generals in the court loved to spread rumors and slander behind people's backs, and most of these rumors were unbearable to hear. If the Second Prince heard them...

It’s not hard to imagine how angry that guy would be.

"I heard that the Grand Marshal has been targeted by Duke Ren recently, and he seems to be feeling a bit uncomfortable." Shen Yuan glanced at the ministers present, and finally stopped at the Grand Marshal's face, and smiled faintly, "Shen has a plan, I wonder if the Grand Marshal would be so kind as to listen to it?"

"Oh?" The lieutenant sneered, "Go ahead, I want to see what you can say."

After a few sticks of incense, Shen Yuan flicked the nonexistent dust off his robe, stood up and said to the general, "Then I will take my leave."

He was also busy going to several other houses, persuading (threatening) those ministers who were not stupid enough not to target the Second Prince too much in the court, otherwise he would use the memories of his previous life to pull out all the little tricks he knew and expose them to the public.

I also hope that the Second Prince will confiscate less property in the future, otherwise he will be regarded as a thorn in the flesh by the ministers, and they will have to clean up the mess behind the scenes.

The general stood up and looked at Shen Yuan with a complicated expression. After the conversation just now, he no longer felt that Shen Yuan was a young man who had just entered the court. Instead, he looked more like a veteran who had been immersed in the court for a long time and had a clear understanding of the situation in the court.

But he is obviously so gifted... and now he is visiting the Grand Marshal's Mansion not to win him over or seek his support, but simply to prevent him from targeting the Second Prince too much.

Although he didn't say it explicitly, his attitude showed his intention: Second Prince, I, Shen, am here to protect you. If you have anything to say, come to me, don't make Second Prince angry.

Gee tut.

Could it be that Shen Yuan has fallen in love with the beautiful Second Prince?

On that day alone, Shen Yuan visited the mansions of twelve ministers, either explaining things to them with reason or appealing to their emotions, or using a combination of coercion, inducement, and soft and hard tactics, in order to eliminate their resentment towards the Second Prince for his involvement in the fall of the Minister of Revenue, and to make them think twice before targeting the Second Prince in the future.

In fact, Shen Yuan didn't have to do all this.

But during the six months they spent together in Yizhou, Shen Yuan could see that the young man today had a simple and clear mind, a passionate and kind heart, like a child who was well protected by a gentle and safe environment.

In Shen Yuan's heart, he couldn't help but want to create a court environment for him that was not so dark and disappointing.

Even if it's just an appearance.

But it can allow him to go to court happily and not have his mind polluted by dirty power politics...it doesn't matter if it's a bit tiring.

Shen Quanchen, who had broken a stone table in a minister's house with one hand and was threatening the other party that anyone who dared to target the second prince would be just like this table, thought silently.