Chapter 486: Thorough InvestigationChapter 646: Employing People

Faced with He Kun's 'deep confession', Li Chen remained noncommittal.

He just tapped the guest list in his palm repeatedly, as if weighing how to deal with He Kun.

And He Kun dared not speak again, even his breathing was suppressed in volume and rhythm, afraid of angering the prince before him.

Time passed slowly amidst this dull and silent pressure, until Chen Tong's arrival broke the silence.

"Your Highness, your servant has conducted the investigation."

Chen Tong, after entering the warehouse, first bowed to Li Chen. After receiving a nod of acknowledgement from Li Chen, he didn't even glance at He Kun on the ground and said: "He Kun has served as the weaver of the Suhang Weaving Bureau for over four years. According to the regulations of the Ministry of Officials, this year should be a year for an assessment to determine whether He Kun will continue to serve, be transferred, promoted, or demoted."

Months ago, He Kun's fellow villager Zhou Rui, then serving as a Langzhong in the Jiangzhe Qingli Division of the Ministry of Personnel, was a follower of the Inner Cabinet faction. He was arrested by the Dongchang Jinyiwei after being denounced by Xu Changqing, an official from the Ministry of Revenue, and is now under legal punishment. After Zhou Rui's downfall, He Kun lost his support in court. Before I came here, I inquired about his assessment from the Ministry of Personnel and discovered that his evaluation was "inferior." According to the rules, he should have been demoted and assigned to another position.

“As for other details about He Kun's performance during his tenure in Suzhou and Hangzhou, this humble servant has ordered the Dongchang branch in Suzhou to send the relevant files to Beijing. They should arrive within the next one or two days.”

Chen Tong's words sent a shiver down He Kun's spine.

He knew the Dongchang was powerful, and the Jinyiwei were said to be able to eavesdrop on everything under heaven. There was no news they couldn't find out.

But he had never provoked the Jinyiwei, so he only heard these rumors.

Now he truly saw the power of this royal weapon.

From giving gifts to myself to being summoned by the prince, how much time has passed

Moreover, the prince wasn't even in the palace when he sent the gifts. From the moment the prince learned about this to summoning me and now, it wouldn't have been more than two hours at most.

It was precisely during these two hours that the Jinyiwei had thoroughly investigated his circumstances.

Under such terrifying intelligence capabilities, if one were to play tricks, how terrible the consequences would be

And these pieces of information, when they reached Li Chen's ears, he didn't find anything particularly surprising.

I think that's actually normal.

Anyone with common sense would know that being the first to act is a huge risk, especially when you're sending six trucks full of gifts. Anyone who has better options wouldn't take such a big risk.

Ke He Kun still did it.

The reason is just in the information the Jinyiwei investigated a while ago.

When his old patron fell, the cabinet faction no longer looked favorably upon him, such a small figure in the Suzhou and Hangzhou textile industry. Naturally, he had to find another way out.

Otherwise, such a lucrative position would be ignored by the cabinet, but many people below would covet it. This can be seen from the Ministry of Civil Affairs' evaluation of him.

When the Ministry of Personnel conducts assessments, it always takes practical circumstances into account. Therefore, it is very difficult for most officials to receive a top rating, and obtaining an average rating is also challenging. Unless an official commits a major error during their tenure that leads to severe consequences, they are unlikely to receive the lowest rating.

He Kun did not make any major mistakes, nor did he cause any serious consequences. He was just downgraded for some reason.

He Kun must have realized something himself, which is why he took the risk and came closer to me.

But... could this person be used How would he be used Li Chen decided to give it another try..But he was a battle-hardened prince, no fool. He immediately retorted, "Even if this weapon is powerful, at worst we lose some cavalry. At fifty paces, our cavalry charge will be over in a heartbeat....