In the grand hall of the Northern Censorship Department, Zhao Jing Zhong sat upright alongside a middle-aged official clad in a crimson brocade robe. Left Qian Hu stood below with Chen Ran and the others.
"This is the newly appointed Chief Grand Secretary Han Kuang, Lord Han. He has been entrusted by His Majesty to personally verify the true identity of the traitor Wei!"
After introducing the identity of Lord Han to everyone, Zhao Jing Zhong turned to Chen Ran.
Chen Ran stepped forward, placed the package he was carrying on the ground, and slowly untied it.
Wei Zhong Xian's head was immediately revealed to everyone.
Han Kuang and the others all recognized Wei Zhong Xian. Seeing his head, they all showed slight shock on their faces, followed by a slow spread of smiles.
"Indeed, it is the traitor Wei!"
Unlike the original plot where Shen Lian presented a charred and blackened corpse of a young servant to take the blame, this time Chen Ran brought back the real, genuine head of the eunuch Wei.
Even Han Kuang and Zhao Jing Zhong couldn't find any fault with it!
"Well done!"
Han Kuang stood up and circled Wei Zhong Xian's head, laughing: "This eunuch Wei has corrupted the government for many years. His Majesty yearns to personally execute him, but due to the pressure from the remnants of the eunuch's faction in the court, he was sent to Fengyang!"
"To think that our Northern Censorship Department, with only four of us, has managed to kill the eunuch Wei. Such heroes are truly a blessing to the Ming Dynasty!"
Zhao Jing Zhong was once Wei Zhong Xian's adopted son, and in his heart, he actually hoped for Wei Zhong Xian's death sooner rather than later, to avoid being implicated.
Seeing Wei Zhong Xian truly dead, he felt a sense of relief.
"Chen Ran, you have done well. I will personally commend you when I return!"
With that, Zhao Jing Zhong instructed several of his attendants to place Wei Zhong Xian's head in a wooden box and then left the Northern Censorship Department.
Here, Han Kuang saw Zhao Jing Zhong directly taking Wei Zhong Xian's head and a flash of displeasure crossed his eyes. He then rose to his feet.
He had just been appointed as the Chief Grand Secretary, his foundation still unstable, with only the support of the Donglin Party backing him.
But this matter was planned entirely by Zhao Jing Zhong. He was merely ordered to verify the authenticity of the eunuch Wei's identity, so naturally, he wouldn't receive any credit.
Thinking about this, he also prepared to leave the Northern Censorship Department.
At this moment, Chen Ran walked over:
"Chief Grand Secretary, this time, I beheaded the eunuch Wei. This victory was due to your brilliant strategy. Therefore, I thank you!"
Han Kuang was slightly taken aback.
He hadn't contributed anything at all this time, how could he claim to have strategized?
Chen Ran gave a faint smile: "This time, there were only four of us, while the eunuch Wei had nearly a hundred loyal warriors by his side. How could we have killed so many people?"
"It was thanks to the fact that you have a secret force in Fucheng, so I could kill the eunuch Wei and the others. This shows that your brilliance in strategy is undeniable!"
Hearing this, Han Kuang instantly revealed a smile. His expression toward Chen Ran instantly became more amiable.
Chen Ran was offering him a great merit!
This was far more valuable than tens of thousands of silver taels in bribes.
At this time, Chongzhen hated Wei Zhong Xian to the point of wanting to eat his flesh and sleep on his skin. If Han Kuang could claim a part in the strategy, he would naturally be able to please the Emperor!
"Captain Chen, you are very capable. Write a report and deliver it to my residence, and I will personally present it to His Majesty!"
Having said this, Han Kuang looked deeply at Chen Ran once more before turning around with a smile and leaving the Northern Censorship Department.
Meanwhile, Lu Jian Xing, Shen Lian, and Jin Yi Chuan looked at each other in confusion and walked over.
Lu Jian Xing furrowed his brows and said: "Brother Chen, why did you offer the credit to Lord Han?"
Chen Ran smiled faintly: "This victory is great, but we cannot claim it alone. We cannot be sure whether we will actually receive this credit in the end."
"We have no influence in the Northern Censorship Department, and we cannot simply be at the mercy of Zhao Gong Gong. We must find a powerful figure like Lord Han in the court to support us."
"This killing of Wei Zhong Xian was essentially serving as a blade for Zhao Jing Zhong! If he wished, he could easily abandon us!"
"By giving a portion of the credit to Han Kuang, it's like offering a token of loyalty. We'll be under his wing, and if Zhao Jing Zhong wants to kill the rabbit after the hunt, he will have to consider the consequences!"
After listening, Lu Jian Xing and the others suddenly understood, and their admiration for Chen Ran grew.
But there were still some things that Chen Ran did not say.
As a time traveler, he knew that Zhao Jing Zhong was actually secretly collaborating with the Jin Dynasty!
Whether or not Zhao Jing Zhong would abandon them, Chen Ran couldn't rely on this adopted son of Wei Zhong Xian. He needed to find another patron in the court.
Chen Ran returned to the capital to retrieve the gold and silver that Wei Zhong Xian had hidden within the city. He planned to then seek a local official position in a less politically volatile area, and then develop his own power quietly.
(This book does not involve mindlessly pushing forward with tens of thousands of troops. This book does not involve mindlessly pushing forward with tens of thousands of troops. This book does not involve mindlessly pushing forward with tens of thousands of troops. It's important to say this three times!)
At present, the world is still ruled by the Ming Dynasty. He cannot casually amass tens of thousands of troops without attracting the attention of the court!
A local official, or a garrison commander, would be the best cover.
To obtain such a position, he needed to rely on someone like Han Kuang, a Chief Grand Secretary with immense power in the court!
This is why Chen Ran chose to give Han Kuang the credit!
After briefly explaining things to Shen Lian and the others, Chen Ran left the Northern Censorship Department.
Zhou Miao Tong had already been sent to Tianjiazhuang outside the city, to live with Lu Jian Xing's mother. She was also protected by a hundred elite Qi Family Army swordsmen, so he didn't need to worry about her.
He wrote a report at home, specifically mentioning Han Kuang's brilliant strategy and the decisive role his men played in killing Wei Zhong Xian.
The credit wasn't something that Chen Ran, a mere captain, could claim entirely!
He had to distribute the credit as much as possible, ensuring Han Kuang received a significant portion, so he could truly be considered a close associate of the Chief Grand Secretary!
After writing the report, Chen Ran immediately rode to Han Kuang's mansion.
The guards at the gate seemed to have received instructions from Han Kuang, so when they learned that Chen Ran was a captain of the Northern Censorship Department, they treated him with utmost respect and invited him into the mansion.
Upon seeing Chen Ran's report, Han Kuang's face was filled with another satisfied smile, and he invited Chen Ran to sit down for tea.
The Chief Grand Secretary was the most powerful official in the Ming Dynasty, second only to Emperor Chongzhen!
For someone like Chen Ran, a captain, to have a seat and drink tea in the Chief Grand Secretary's mansion, would have been a dream in normal circumstances!
But today, Chen Ran had handed Han Kuang a great merit, which made the Chief Grand Secretary take a special notice of him.