Prince Jing'an's birthday banquet was a resounding success, and the reason was undoubtedly Li Chen's arrival.
Pang Jin, the Minister of Justice, followed Li Chen around like a lackey, shielding him from all sorts of trouble.
The sight left many court officials green with envy.
Who among them didn't want to be Li Chen's loyal dog? Unfortunately, Pang Jin had seized that opportunity.
Pang Jin hadn't thought much of it at first, but the envious, jealous looks from his colleagues soon went to his head.
He gradually began to understand that anyone close to Li Chen would be someone others dared not provoke, regardless of their rank.
Constable Lin, who had recently become famous throughout the Imperial Capital, was a perfect example. Even Pang Jin had heard of her reputation.
She had hauled in plenty of powerful nobles. Word was that she had even arrested the Second Prince yesterday.
In terms of rank, Lin Yue'e held a lowly position. Everyone present had more power than her, often far more, yet no one dared provoke her.
When that woman made an arrest, she really didn't care who you were.
Wasn't it all because she held Li Chen's Insignia Plaque, making her one of his trusted aides in everyone's eyes?
And that was indeed the case, not merely idle speculation from the officials.
Now that Pang Jin had grown fairly close to Li Chen, everyone probably considered him a trusted aide as well.
After all, the Ministry of Justice was an important department that had always been under the emperor's control. It was perfectly natural for the Minister of Justice to be utterly loyal to him.
Li Chen hadn't actually given it much thought. He had simply called over a familiar face to fend people off.
During the birthday banquet, Li Chen