Zuo Shiwen, who couldn't stop chewing, was currently nibbling in his office room. He was writing something down quickly with his other hand. Suddenly he heard someone calling him, and he looked up from a pile of paperwork.

"Mr. Zuo, your servant wants to talk to you about something."

Zuo Shiwen swallowed what was in his mouth, thanked the visitor, stood up and walked out.

He was stunned for a moment when he saw a fair young man standing at the door of the ceremony.

This is not his servant.

"Why are you pretending to be my servant to find me?"

The servant clasped his fists towards Zuo Shiwen and said, "Master Zuo, please calm down. This servant is following the orders of my master. Please move to the teahouse next to you to reminisce about old times."

"Who is your master?" Zuo Shiwen asked with a frown.

"Eighth Prince."

Zuo Shiwen: "..."

Can he refuse?

Chu Jin wanted to meet Zuo Shiwen at the banquet, so naturally he had to come quietly, so the teahouse he chose was also a very ordinary one.

The wing room was very simple, and the rooms on the left and right of the one he was in were also booked by him. The sound insulation was not good, and I was afraid that the partition walls would have ears.

Sheng Xian stood guard at the door to prevent anyone from eavesdropping.

Zuo Shiwen stood at the door of the wing, still feeling unreal.

"Master Zuo, please." Sheng Xian made a gesture of invitation and opened the door for him.

Zuo Shiwen took a deep breath and walked into the side room.

After he entered, Sheng Xian closed the door again.

In front of an ordinary round table, Chu Jinyan sat there casually, with a cup of tea in front of him and several plates of snacks on the table.

"I am here to see His Highness the Eighth Prince."

Zuo Shiwen raised his hands and bowed towards Chu Jinyan.

"Master Zuo, there is no need to be polite, sit down." Chu Jinyan raised his hand and said.

The rich and luxurious color of the purple robe embroidered with gold cannot suppress the boundless nobility inherent in the man. A deep purple girdle is inlaid with various gemstones, shining with gorgeous luster in the sun.

She has an extremely handsome face, with sharp edges and corners on her smooth and white face. Under her eyebrows as thick as black ink, she has a pair of brilliant eyes, clear yet elegant.

Zuo Shiwen couldn't help but sigh in his heart that he was uniquely blessed by nature.

"Thank you, Your Highness. I wonder what your Highness is talking about with this minister?"

He was not familiar with the Eighth Prince at all. It could be said that he was not familiar with all the princes.

Zuo Shiwen never thought that he would fall in the eyes of any prince one day. After all, his stubborn character was really unpleasant. He had been an official in the court for so many years and he could not count how many people he had offended.

Even his wife, who had a deep relationship with him, sometimes hated him so much that she gritted her teeth.

As for the fact that he is still an official in the court, Zuo Shiwen thinks it is because of his ability.

No rebuttal will be accepted.

In fact, to put it bluntly, he, the doctor of the Ministry of Etiquette, is dispensable to others, and he has made no big mistakes and has no reputation to pull him down. Fortunately, I just don't have any contact with him.

Otherwise, why is it that more than ten years have passed, and those who entered the court later than him have all been promoted, and he is still standing still?

"Have you heard about what happened in the Criminal Department?" Chu Jinyan poured a cup of tea and handed it to Zuo Shiwen.

Zuo Shiwen was so shocked that he almost fell off the stool. He stood up and took it in a hurry.

"I heard about it."

The story of the poisoning in the prison of the Ministry of Punishment was not known to everyone in the capital, but everyone who was an official in the government heard about it.

He was not qualified to go to court, so I don't know how the emperor handled the matter in the end.

"Do you want the position of Minister of the Ministry of Justice?" Chu Jinyan asked directly.

When Zuo Shiwen heard this, he was completely stunned.

He stared blankly at Chu Jinyan, forgetting to return to his senses for a moment.

After a while, he found his voice and looked at Chu Jinyan with a horrified expression: "I don't understand what your Highness is saying."

"You are said to be as upright and as smelly and hard as a stone in a latrine, so why are you pretending to be confused with me again?"

Zuo Shiwen: "..."

So, Your Highness, are you praising me or scolding me?

Zuo Shiwen took a sip of tea and suppressed the shock in his heart.

It wasn't that he was pretending to be ignorant, but the eighth prince's words were too shocking.

It was as casual as asking him if he wanted to buy cabbage.

That's the Ministry of Justice.

"Your Highness, although Mr. Cui has made a mistake, the emperor's punishment for him has not yet come down." Zuo Shiwen said with trembling lips.

Chu Jinyan laughed casually: "As long as he makes a mistake, the Ministry of Punishment will never fall into his hands again. Mr. Zuo, I heard that you have great experience in legal punishment and prison, don't you want to take it to the next level?"

Zuo Shiwen looked at Chu Jinyan blankly.

The Eighth Prince didn't just say it casually.

But why choose him?

"Your Highness, a minor minister has no power or influence in the court. If you choose a minor minister, you may have made the wrong move."

Zuo Shiwen bowed his head and said.

Of course he wants to join the Ministry of Criminal Justice.

But as soon as he accepted this offer, he joined the Eighth Prince's camp. From then on, he couldn't help himself. The success of the Eighth Prince was the defeat of the Eighth Prince.

Chu Jinyan sighed quietly: "Oh, who says it's not the case, but who asked for someone to recommend you? Even if it's a wrong move, I'll admit it."

Zuo Shiwen: "..."

Why doesn't His Highness act according to common sense?

Before Zuo Shiwen could speak, Chu Jinyan suddenly said seriously: "Master Zuo, I have already handed the memorial recommending you to be the Minister of the Ministry of Punishment to my father. I believe there will be an official document issued in the near future. I do not ask for immediate surrender."

I, might as well do it like this

He, before I become the prince, you will continue to be a mere minister. Once I am established as the prince, you will have no choice. I will sit on the throne safely and you will be an important minister. I will be dragged down... then

Just take care of yourself."

"ah?"

Zuo Shiwen was stunned by Chu Jinyan's series of operations.

The Eighth Prince asked him to take the position of the Ministry of Justice, but he didn't ask him to do anything. Instead, he waited until the Eighth Prince became the Crown Prince before he leaned on him. This was tantamount to taking advantage of the situation.

"This... Weichen is taking advantage of His Highness, isn't it good?"

"Then how about you express your loyalty to me now?" Chu Jinyan said expressionlessly.

Zuo Shiwen looked confused: "Your Highness, I am a minister..."

As soon as he started speaking, Chu Jinyan stretched out his hand to interrupt him: "I, the one who was taken advantage of, have no objection. What's wrong with you, the one who took advantage of it? I just want to ask you, Ministry of Justice, do you want it?"

Zuo Shiwen stood up and bowed deeply to Chu Jinyan: "Thank you, Your Highness, for giving me this opportunity."

He is stubborn, but not stupid.

This is obviously an opportunity that will benefit him and allow him to go further. He would be a fool not to seize it.

Although after taking over the Ministry of Punishment, he may not really be able to be a pure minister before the Eighth Prince becomes the Crown Prince, but the Eighth Prince said that he could do whatever he wanted, and this respect was even more valuable to Zuo Shiwen.

But what surprised Zuo Shiwen even more was Chu Jinyan's handling style.

He said that by making himself the Minister of Punishment, he could be sure that the emperor would agree to the memorial submitted.

I knew that the emperor loved the eighth prince, but I didn't know that he loved him to such an extent that the emperor would agree to use whomever the eighth prince wanted.
Chapter completed!