It turned out to be the grandfather of that girl. No wonder he was so helpful, it was all for gratitude. Du Chen sneered in his heart. That act of kindness was worthwhile, not only did it improve the "The Lotus Treasure Mirror", but it also help a prime minister.

Antoine came to Du Chen's front, smiling as he looked him up and down. Du Chen was also observing Antoine. This old man had a well-built figure and a face covered in gray-white sideburns, even his lips were hidden. He must have been a sturdy man in his youth, but it was hard to imagine how he gave birth to such a beautiful granddaughter like Avril.

"Francis, our family hasn't thanked you since you saved Avril! That scoundrel, Frith, was so despicable last time. If it weren't for you, Avril would have been in danger..."

Du Chen quickly humbly said, "Prime Minister, it was just a small matter. Even if I didn't save Avril, there would have been others who would have stood up for her. You don't need to thank me for this matter." He bowed, "It is you who helped me greatly today, so I should be the one thanking you!"

"How could this be a small matter? Avril is my beloved granddaughter!" Antoine took Du Chen's hand and walked towards the palace gate, "Steve, I want to have a private conversation with your brother."

Steve gave Du Chen a meaningful glance and quietly left.

Antoine brought Du Chen to the square in front of the palace gate. It was quiet except for the warriors. He let go of Du Chen's hand, "Viscount Francis, today I am not speaking to you as the Imperial Prime Minister, but as a grandfather!"

His face was kind and he smiled.

But Du Chen had a bad feeling in his heart, especially when he recalled the suggestive glance from this old man in the hall earlier. He seemed to understand something.

Could it be that when he saved Avril that day, she fell in love at first sight?

Antoine sighed and said, "To be honest, Avril has been mentioning you a lot recently. As an old man in his sixties, I can naturally see her intentions. However... please forgive me, my granddaughter can only marry a powerful warrior, and unfortunately, you cannot cultivate Dou qi!"

Du Chen breathed a sigh of relief. Thankfully, it wasn't a proposal. As long as it wasn't about that, anything else was fine.

Damn "The Lotus Treasure Mirror"!

"So, I hope you understand what I mean today!" Antoine stared at Du Chen and held up three fingers, "Within three years, I guarantee that you will become a viscount and have a promising position within the Imperial government, and your wealth will reach ten thousand gold coins! As long as you no longer pursue Avril!"

Damn old man, are you kidding me!? Du Chen cursed in his heart.

Isn't that girl tempting him?

Can he seduce others?

Du Chen bit his lip and remained silent for a while. Antoine's proposal was very tempting. After all, nothing could happen between him and Avril, so why not take advantage of the situation? But why did Du Chen feel that accepting such conditions was humiliating?

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He was a thief, but not a beggar. He didn't need to use women to obtain charity from others!

Du Chen solemnly said, "Prime Minister, I decline your kind offer!"

In an instant, Antoine's benevolent expression disappeared, replaced by the authority of the Imperial Prime Minister!

"In addition, I will not see Avril anymore!" Du Chen smiled, "If the Prime Minister has no other matters, I will take my leave. The Emperor is still waiting for my plan!"

Antoine looked at Du Chen strangely, somewhat confused. He couldn't understand what Du Chen meant. "Alright, I hope you keep your word."

By this time, it was already lunchtime, and the debates in the palace had come to an end. The ministers walked out one after another.

The first one to come out was Francis' father, Angus. When he saw Du Chen with the Prime Minister, he was momentarily stunned, then came over to greet Antoine warmly. "Your Excellency, thank you for your support to the Saint-Kane family today!"

"No need to be polite. I really like this child, oh, Baron Francis! He is really good, smart and capable. I have high hopes for his future!" Antoine exchanged a few pleasantries before changing the subject. "Deputy Commander, the Sigru Legion has been stationed at the Border Area for a long time, and it is indeed too hard. I think the remaining seven thousand gold coins should be used to increase their military pay. What do you think?"

Angus had his own unique qualities that allowed him to become the Deputy Commander. He returned the favor with a smile. "Thank you, Your Excellency. As for the new candidate for the Minister of Finance, I would like to propose your eldest son. What do you think?"

The two men smiled at each other and said no more.

Angus bid farewell to Antoine, his face suddenly turning cold as he glanced at Du Chen. He said, "You are the first of my three sons to have a title. Now you have two choices: either continue living at the Saint-Kane Manor or establish your own household. Think carefully about it."

Du Chen responded just as coldly, "Understood, I will consider it seriously!"

Looking at the expressionless faces of the two men, it was hard to believe that they were father and son having a conversation.

"Ah, congratulations Duke Angus! Baron Francis being granted a title at the age of fifteen makes the glory of the Sigru Holy Radiance God even more dazzling!" A big round figure approached with a beaming smile. Du Chen took a look and saw that this guy was incredibly fat. While other ministers wore aristocratic attire with a bulky upper body and a tight lower body, he was too fat to wear tight pants, so he could only wear a dark blue robe.

Under his sky-blue hair, a big round face always had a smiling expression, resembling a genuine shrewd merchant. "Nephew Francis, do you remember Uncle Wideno? We met last year on the God's Peace Day!"

Naturally, Du Chen didn't recognize him.

Angus introduced, "This is Kaman's father, Duke Wideno, the descendant of the Storm Divine God Aruman, the Minister of Imperial Etiquette, and the head of the Kriesen family!"

When Kaman was mentioned, Du Chen remembered. The ram horn warhammer in his hand was stolen from their house. In addition, his eldest brother had mentioned that the Kriesen family's Hurricane Heavy Armor was one of the three elite forces of the Empire.

"Uncle Wideno, hello! Nice to meet you!" Du Chen smiled.

Wideno kindly patted Du Chen's shoulder, looking approving, but in his heart, he was thinking about Kaman, his son. Father promised you that he would give you a legitimate opportunity to kill Francis. Just wait patiently.

"Oh, Viscount Francis is truly outstanding at such a young age! By the way, Deputy Commander Angus, upon seeing your son, it reminded me of something important. It's something that requires your opinion!" Wideno said.

Angus replied, "go ahead!"

"It's like this, one month after God's Peace Day every year is the day of the enrollment exam for the Divine Academy. And as the Minister of Imperial Etiquette, it is my responsibility to arrange the exam!"

Angus chuckled, "My eldest son Steve hasn't been doing well. He failed twice, but this time will not. Also, Charles has turned eighteen and will participate in this year's exam. I have confidence in him!"

"Oh, I have confidence in both young masters as well. However, there are some changes to this year's exam!" Wideno glanced at Du Chen, smiling as if he was looking at his dearest nephew.