46: Although the official rank was low, the status was not low.

"Have you heard about Shen Xian taking on the concurrent post of governor-general of liangjiang?"

In Zhou Chutian's study, Marquis Anding, Xu Zhengyun, sat on a chair in a broad, imposing manner. Although his hair and beard were already somewhat gray, he still looked awe-inspiring.

"Naturally, I know. I even consented to it." Zhou Chutian set down his brush and looked up at Xu Zhengyun. "Marquis, you didn't come to me just to ask about Minister Shen going to the Jiangsu and Zhejiang region, did you?"

"Heh, you certainly know how to keep your cool." Xu Zhengyun stroked his beard. "Now that my son has been caned by the Empress and is still lying in bed, and your nephew has been crippled, this is clearly The Emperor trying to intimidate us! You, Grand Chancellor Zhou, have Disciples all over the world and power that shakes the court—are you just going to swallow this?"

"What else can I do? Marquis, you must understand that this world ultimately belongs to the Luo family." Zhou Chutian appeared calm and collected. "Although I am at odds with the current Emperor, I have never thought about rebelling, and besides... I don't have the ability to do so."

Xu Zhengyun did not refute this. Since his son had been injured, The Emperor, mindful of his ancestors' merits and his own contributions over the years, had allowed Xu Fengzhang to recuperate, with the matter to be discussed again after he recovered.

However, this matter was not truly over. The Emperor had issued an imperial decree ordering him to remain in the capital temporarily, and the Ministry of War would arrange for others to manage all military affairs for the time being. It went without saying that this was a move to seize their military power; even if it wasn't someone from the Shen Family, it would be someone the Shen Family trusted to take over his troops.

"Don't bother trying to send messages to your confidants anymore. You've sent out three, haven't you? Have you received any replies?" Zhou Chutian watched the deep-in-thought Xu Zhengyun and spoke suddenly. "The Pacification Bureau's agents have been watching closely, and although Jiguang is currently suppressed, it hasn't truly been crippled. And as for the absurd things your son has done... Old Xu, it's not that I want to lecture you, but to indulge a son is to kill him!"

"Then what can I do? In my generation of the Xu Family, Xu Fengzhang is the only rebellious son I have left!" Although he scolded him as a rebellious son, Xu Zhengyun's eyes were filled with reluctance and heartache. "I have poor fortune; I couldn't save my first two sons. My wife was understanding and allowed me to take a concubine, but they only bore daughters. It was only with great difficulty that my wife conceived at an advanced age and gave birth to this one and only seedling—how can I not protect him?"

"As you wish, but The Emperor has no intention of stopping now." Zhou Chutian gave a light, mocking laugh. "I've had the Censorate suppress it, and although The Emperor hasn't granted Mo Yingqi a title, he still allowed him to marry two Legitimate Princesses. While it's unlikely he'll be promoted to Commander in one leap, becoming a Centurion, a chiliarch, or even a Pacification Commissioner is only a matter of time."

Mentioning this made Xu Zhengyun even angrier. Xu Fengzhang being beaten was, in all likelihood, the intention of those two. Although he hadn't expected his infamous rebellious son to marry a Legitimate Princess, among all the noble families in the city, wouldn't it be easy to find someone better than Mo Yingqi in terms of status and background?

They lowered their own status to let two women serve one husband, and even deliberately struck from the shadows to beat his son so badly he still couldn't get out of bed. How could Xu Zhengyun possibly remain calm?

"You don't need to be unconvinced, and don't think that just because Mo Yingqi comes from a low background, he is currently just a seventh-rank official." Zhou Chutian picked up his teacup and took a sip. "Status and identity can be acquired later in life. Old Xu, let me say something you won't like: if your ancestors hadn't followed the founding Emperor to rise up, I fear there wouldn't be a Marquis of Anding like you today."

"Furthermore, while you see him as just a seventh-rank Captain, his status is not low. With two Legitimate Princesses backing him, The Emperor, the Empress, and two Princes protecting him, not to mention the Shen Family... You know the nature of that family; they are extremely protective of their own. I fear my good son-in-law has already received a harsh lesson from Minister Shen."

Zhou Chutian spoke with airy indifference, as if nothing could affect him. But Xu Zhengyun was different; Xu Fengzhang had a fiery temper, partly because his family had spoiled him lawlessly, and partly because this Old Marquis's own temper wasn't much better.

"You can still stay calm? The Emperor is clearly out to deal with you and me, so how can I have the heart to care about these things?" Xu Zhengyun's voice suddenly rose significantly. "Whether Mo Yingqi lives or dies has nothing to do with me. I only care about how to protect my son and the title of my Xu Family. If I am completely stripped of my military power, Old Zhou, you won't fare any better!"

"Do you really think your military power is still important now?" Zhou Chutian couldn't help but gently rub his forehead. "Old Xu, from the time the founding Emperor ascended the throne to the current Emperor's reign, how many war merits has the Shen Family accumulated? To say nothing else, Duke Shen and Shen Xian—do you know how the late Emperor evaluated them?"

"The Daxing Dynasty cannot go a single day without the Shen Family, and even less so without these two brothers. Look at the children of the Shen Family; which one of them is not an outstanding talent? They have close ties to the royal family and have now even become the in-laws of The Emperor. They continue to act as they always have. Old Xu... if you keep lying on your ancestors' merits, don't complain that The Emperor doesn't trust you."

Upon hearing this, Xu Zhengyun suddenly slapped the table hard and then couldn't help but sneer: "When it comes to leading troops and fighting battles, I don't think I'm inferior to the Shen Family! The late Emperor relied heavily on the Shen Family during his reign, but it's not me bragging—if it were really left to me, I might not do any worse than the Shen Family!"

"Perhaps. But being able to earn the trust of the late Emperor—that is a skill in itself." Zhou Chutian slowly leaned back in his wooden chair. "In the current situation, I am like a clay bodhisattva crossing the river; I can barely save myself. With Shen Xian going to the Jiangsu and Zhejiang region, I can generally glimpse The Emperor's intentions. The Two Jiangs are wealthy; The Emperor cannot allow my people to control them. The previous governor-general was dismissed by the late Emperor, and that vacancy has remained unfilled."

"The position of Commander of the Pacification Bureau is the same. The late Emperor had long since prepared to pave the way for The Emperor; he was just waiting for The Emperor to ascend the throne and stabilize his position before letting him install his own people. If not for the late Emperor's poor health back then, I fear I, this Grand Secretary... would have long since been replaced by Ning Wuya."

Xu Zhengyun's expression grew increasingly ugly. He then looked at Zhou Chutian, his voice tinged with a hint of resentment: "During the Struggle for succession among the seven sons, I advised you to act sooner, but you insisted on playing hard to get..."

"It wasn't playing hard to get. Do you really think that if I didn't have this conflict with The Emperor, we wouldn't have reached this point?" Zhou Chutian sneered. "The late Emperor was already wary of me, but he had no choice. Otherwise, why would the matter of supporting the new monarch have been handed over to Ning Wuya without consulting me?"

Xu Zhengyun sighed; there were some things he wanted to say but ultimately didn't. He truly didn't understand what Zhou Chutian was thinking. He wanted to persuade him to stop, but thinking about it, he realized how ridiculous it would sound coming from him.

Only those who have enjoyed the pleasure brought by power find it even harder to let go. Yet, Zhou Chutian's current actions left Xu Zhengyun truly unable to see through him.

Usurp the throne? He didn't want to, and he really didn't have that intention. Was it just to coerce The Emperor, to sit in the position of Grand Secretary and Grand Chancellor until the day he died?

"Forget it, I won't ask you about these things, but now we are grasshoppers on the same rope." Xu Zhengyun was, after all, a military man by background and didn't have so many twists and turns in his thinking. "I only care about my son and the honor and disgrace of my Xu Family. With The Emperor fixated on Fengzhang, I certainly won't give up my only son so easily..."

"I understand. You want to protect your son, but you don't want to hand over the military power." Zhou Chutian nodded. "Especially not to the Shen Family, right?"

Xu Zhengyun couldn't understand him, but in his heart, he only found Xu Zhengyun laughable. It was clearly jealousy of the Shen Family's current status and power. Why, when everyone fought the world with the founding Emperor, were they Dukes, while he could only be a Marquis?

People always feel that they are unrecognized talents lacking opportunities; this is true. But some people, perhaps, really just don't have the ability of others. One can see this just by looking at how they educate their descendants: the Shen Family produces talent after talent, while the Xu Family... each generation is worse than the last.

"Rest assured, since I promised you, I will naturally fulfill it." Zhou Chutian clapped his hands, and two maids walked in carrying tea and refreshments. "Since The Emperor wants to play a game of wits with me, I will accompany The Emperor and play along..."

"It is time to let The Emperor know that this position of Grand Chancellor can only be occupied by me!"