Chapter 16

PS: During the new book ranking period, I humbly request all the support I can get. I hope my fellow readers won't be stingy! Additionally, I am deeply grateful to everyone who has collected and voted for the book. I bow in thanks!

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Zhao Chen looked at the appointment document in his hand, his mind struggling to process what had just happened. Was he really about to embark on a career in the Tang Dynasty's bureaucracy?

However, the black ink on the white paper was clear: he had indeed become an official of the Tang Dynasty. The document was personally issued by Li Er, and it bore the seal of the Ministry of Works, making it as real as it could be!

The only thing was that the document did not specify a rank. Old Qin explained that he was not yet of age to serve in office, and he would have to wait until he had undergone the capping ceremony to be considered of age.

Could it really be like this? Zhao Chen felt that Old Qin's eyes were somewhat evasive when he said this, clearly indicating that there was something he did not understand.

With the appointment document, he naturally had to take up his post. However, it was not yet time to leave. The old eunuch's surgery had just been completed, and it would be best to wait until he had recovered sufficiently before leaving.

The surgery was quite successful, even though he had forgotten to give the old eunuch an anesthetic at the time, and his technique was rather clumsy, almost causing the old eunuch to die from the pain. But it was successful, wasn't it?

In just two days, the old eunuch was already able to walk, a testament to his remarkable physical strength. Although his complexion still looked somewhat poor, this was due to excessive blood loss. With some nourishment, he would be fine.

Old Qin's room was now occupied by the old eunuch, so Zhao Chen's bed was taken over by Old Qin. Zhao Chen, who had been injured by a stray bullet, had to further spread his injuries to He San.

He ordered He San to make another bed and place it opposite Old Qin's. Since there were only a few more days to stay, he did not intend to trouble He San any further.

The reason Old Qin moved into his room was that the steel-making diagrams and materials had already been sent to Chang'an. However, they were submitted under the name of the Institute of Practical Knowledge. This was the first memorial Zhao Chen, as an official of the Tang Dynasty, submitted to Li Er.

The memorial was a lengthy piece, starting from the current backward state of steel-making technology in the Tang Dynasty, rising to the fundamental basis of a nation, and finally discussing how the new steel-making technology would change the Tang Dynasty. It concluded with a simple statement: the new steel-making technology is very good! Extremely good! Unbelievably good!

Old Qin, reading the lengthy memorial written by Zhao Chen, nodded in approval. Although it was written in a straightforward manner, it was logical and well-reasoned, making it a good memorial.

However, when he saw that Zhao Chen had subtly asked the emperor for a golden token of immunity, Old Qin was so angry that his whole body trembled. He pointed at Zhao Chen's nose and kept calling him a scoundrel, ordering him to rewrite it immediately.

No way! Absolutely not rewriting it, even if he were beaten to death!

It was a joke. He had spent a lot of time writing it, and the purpose was to get the golden token of immunity! If not for this, he would have written the memorial and sent it directly to Li Er.

Seeing Zhao Chen's firm attitude, Old Qin, thinking that this was the first time the brat had written a memorial to the emperor, had no choice but to accept it. He sealed the memorial and handed it over to be sent to Chang'an.

There were only a few more days to stay here, so Zhao Chen made the most of the tranquility. Once he left for Chang'an, it would be a long time before he could return. He had to enjoy it while he could, or he might never have the chance again.

Since the day he learned that Li Er had renamed the place to Jinma Mountain, Zhao Chen couldn't stop laughing. Just from the name "Jinma Mountain," Li Er's nature as a landlord was clearly revealed.

For over ten days, Zhao Chen spent his time hunting and cooking, indulging in the remaining time.

The old eunuch's wound was healing well, although it looked like a huge, ugly centipede. Carefully removing the stitches and reapplying the medicine, he bandaged it up and told the old eunuch that in ten days, even the bandages could be removed.

"You owe me a life!" The old eunuch, seeing the terrifying sword wound on his chest and abdomen heal, was very excited. When people get excited, their heads heat up, and the old eunuch, opening his mouth, said something Zhao Chen had been hoping to hear for days.

"What are you talking about, sir? I just know a bit of medical knowledge, and I'm not very proficient. I made you suffer so much, and every time I think about it, I feel very guilty. If you say such things, it really makes me feel unworthy!"

His words were very grand and full of a doctor's benevolence, but unfortunately, he had never learned acting. If he had, with a guilty look, the old eunuch might have said something like, "A drop of water deserves a spring of gratitude."

"I finally understand why Duke Qin likes this boy!" The old eunuch, lying on the reclining chair made by He San, watched Zhao Chen's departing back and said, "I actually like this boy a bit!"

"Is it because he called you 'sir'?" Old Qin, sitting opposite the old eunuch, fiddled with the chessboard without looking up, not giving the old eunuch any face.

"Would I be because of that?" The old eunuch, feeling both angry and embarrassed, glared at Old Qin and shouted in a fit of rage.

"Shouting won't help!" Old Qin, with a cool look, said disdainfully, "Win a game against me first!"

The old eunuch, hearing this, immediately wilted. These few days, staying here to recover, he had nothing to do, so Old Qin taught him to play chess, but he was brutally defeated by Old Qin.

Old Qin, a master of military strategy, naturally disdained Zhao Chen's obsession with capturing all the opponent's pieces. As a master of military strategy, he enjoyed setting up formations, and the old eunuch suffered as a result.

Often, by the end of the game, the old eunuch would be surprised to find his pieces spread across the board, but each one was tightly guarded by Old Qin's pieces. Move one, and one dies; move another, and another dies. What was the point of playing? He would just surrender!

The old eunuch clearly hadn't learned Old Qin's self-created tactics, such as the straight-legged horse and the corner cannon.

The person Li Er sent to take over the gold mine finally arrived, and it turned out to be Xu Jingzong, the notorious schemer. However, with Xu Jingzong, a schemer, being sent away from the court, Li Er's political intentions were clear.

With the year Wu De 9 about to end, the new year would bring a fresh start, and everyone would be harmonious. Therefore, a schemer like Xu Jingzong had to be kept far from the court.

This alone showed that Li Er was indeed a wise ruler, not just a figurehead. Even if Xu Jingzong was an old hand from the Qin王府, he still had to be dismissed, with no sentimentality.

Perhaps in the entire camp, only Zhao Chen was particularly excited about the arrival of Xu Jingzong and his entourage. The reason was simple: Xu Jingzong brought him a golden token of immunity, a golden token.

This was something he had longed for, and he never thought Li Er would really grant him one. Holding the pure gold token, he examined it from all angles, finding it increasingly precious.

The token, about the size of a palm, had a five-clawed dragon engraved on the front, with the words "免死" (immunity) in the center. The back listed all of Zhao Chen's achievements, such as finding the gold mine and contributing the steel-making technique, all engraved in small seal script, making Zhao Chen's heart bloom with joy.

Although the token could only be used three times, meaning that as long as Zhao Chen did not commit a heinous crime, he could use it to avoid death three times.

Three times was better than none!

With this token, he could walk confidently in Chang'an in the future. Zhao Chen held the token, his face showing a despicable expression of "with the token in hand, the world is mine."

Old Qin, seeing the token for the first time, almost fell out of his chair in shock. Such an absurd thing had actually happened right before his eyes, and he couldn't understand Li Er's intentions.

Xu Jingzong, watching Zhao Chen's smug face, felt increasingly sorry for himself. He was talented, knowledgeable, and had been diligent in the Qin王府, yet he ended up worse off than this inexperienced mountain boy.

"Master, you are a young talent. Now that you have received such great favor from His Majesty, you should work hard to repay His Majesty's kindness!" Unable to bear Zhao Chen's shameless expression, Xu Jingzong could only say this half-heartedly and walked away, dejected.

"Uncle Qin, look, I'm a man with a token now. If you have any problems you can't solve, just tell me. I can't really help much, but I'll try!"

Zhao Chen didn't care about Xu Jingzong's dejected appearance. This guy still didn't understand where he had gone wrong, which was why Li Er had sent him to dig gold in Jinma Mountain.

Old Qin gave Zhao Chen a heavy slap on the head, but it was clear that he was genuinely happy for him. After the slap, he immediately told Zhao Chen to store the token carefully. Xu Jingzong was right; this was indeed a great favor.

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"Your Majesty, how can you so easily grant that boy a golden token of immunity?" At this moment, in the palace in Chang'an, the most powerful couple in the Tang Dynasty was sitting in the bedroom. While rubbing Li Er's head, Changsun complained about his rashness.

"It's fine, Guanyinabi!" Li Er reached out and held Changsun's soft hand, comforting her. "To be honest, when I saw this boy ask for a golden token of immunity, I was also very angry. But then I thought, let's see what a traitor of a secret sect will do once he has a golden token of immunity!"

As Li Er spoke, his eyes flashed with a cold light!

Changsun, hearing this, sighed inwardly, knowing that once her husband made a decision, it was unchangeable. She could only remain silent.

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