Chapter 1079: Conferment of the Title "Wuding Hou"Chapter 1166: The Hu Brothers

"Given the circumstances, that you can still shout out means you're truly in a bind."

Li Chen looked at Tong Guanjia, indifferently finished speaking, raised his leg and kicked him onto the ground.

Looking down at Tong shopkeeper with a cold smile, Li Chen said: "I really want to see, who is so powerful that just by saying his name we all have to die"

"Liu Sichun, say, what is the origin of that Hu family"

Liu Sichun stopped hesitating and said directly, "The former Minister of Rites who was just promoted to the Minister of Important Affairs in the Ministry of Personnel, Hu Pi."

The moment those words were uttered, both inside and outside the rice shop fell silent.

Everyone was silent.

And lying on the ground, Tong shopkeeper looked at Li Chen with a gleeful gaze, seeming to anticipate seeing an expression of terror and regret appear on Li Chen's face.

But he didn't see a single reaction from Li Chen.

It was like a pebble dropped into an abyss. Tong, the shopkeeper, had expected it to cause a huge splash, but this abyss didn't even ripple.

Under the Ministry of Civil Affairs, there were four positions for important ministers. These officials held the rank of Second Rank and, according to Li Chen's design, could either hold real power or be titular posts. The specific arrangement would depend on the circumstances of the time and the monarch's control over his subordinates.

And now, the first batch of important ministers after this new policy has been confirmed, and Hu Pi is the first one. This proves that Li Chen intends to use these positions to allow those elderly officials in the court to retire with peace of mind.

The Minister of Personnel was an extremely important position. Initially, Li Chen and Zhao Xuanji fought fiercely for it, neither willing to compromise. As a result, they each took a step back, allowing Hu Pi, who belonged to a third party, to become the Minister of Personnel.

This reflects both Hu Pi's relatively neutral political stance and his consideration of his age, as he wouldn't be able to hold the post of Minister of Personnel for much longer. After a brief buffer period, he could retire.

But originally, as Li Chen and Zhao Xuanji's contest had a winner, Hu Pi should have also stepped down. However, just at this critical moment, something went wrong again.

"Hu Pi is such an old man, and he's still doing this"

Li Chen raised an eyebrow and turned to Chen Tong, asking, "What's the situation with the Hu family"

Liu Sichun might be familiar with the environment, but for intelligence matters, it's best to ask Chen Tong.

It's still the same principle, professional things should be done by professionals.

Chen Tong answered as if he knew everything by heart: "Hu Pi had three sons and two daughters. The eldest son and youngest daughter died young, the second son was named Hu Ganwei, and the third son was named Hu Gandang. They both had established families. Hu Ganwei got most of the Hu family's land, while Hu Gandang has been taking exams for official positions. In the last imperial examination, he ranked fifteenth among the successful candidates, jinshi, and was assigned to work in the Department of Government as a government clerk. The other daughter was already married, but she still kept in touch with the Hu family."

After a moment's hesitation, Chen Tong lowered his voice and said: "Hu Gangwei and Hu Gandang, the two brothers, are quite capable. They have a good reputation among the Donggong faction. However, these are all matters at the lower levels, rarely reaching Your Highness's ears."

Li Chen understood immediately.

To be among the top fifteen jinshi, certainly counts as having achieved something. However, such an achievement wouldn't even be enough to secure a position as a compiler in the Hanlin Academy, let alone a more powerful and influential department like the Tongzheng Si. There must be Hu Pi's influence at work here.

It's only natural for Li Chen to seek benefits for his children, as is the case with many officials. If this were prohibited, it would be considered inhumane and could easily lead to official backlash.Chapter 1117 Confronting Su Zhetong