EMHTC -Chapter 105 The Emperor of Da Xia and His Ministers: If I Lock Two People Together, Can They Change Genders?

The Daoist: “???”

Wait a minute, this is not how things were supposed to go! Weren’t they supposed to trigger the emperor’s wrath by accusing the Crown Prince? When did the target change?!

The Minister of the Imperial Sacrifices glanced at the Daoist, whose expression was slightly stiff. Guessing what the man was thinking, he couldn’t help but let out a chuckle.

Surprising, wasn’t it? The emperor’s “reverse scale” had not shifted, but it was far easier for both the emperor and the court to deal with an attack aimed at the Crown Prince rather than Baize.

If Baize were involved, it could easily turn into a conflict over religious incense offerings or a dispute among the divine and celestial beings. But targeting the Crown Prince? Now that was straightforward political strife.

— Comfort zone unlocked.jpg

Moreover, while the Crown Prince was the emperor’s reverse scale, Xu Yanmiao (the protagonist) was more like a bone spur lodged deep in his ribs.

【Hiss—】 【With this reaction… could the emperor have an illegitimate son? Like some ‘Hidden Prince’ trope?】 【And this illegitimate son seems to hold a higher place in his heart than the Crown Prince? Could it be he had a ‘first love’ or some unfulfilled romance? No way, right? His past records don’t show any signs of this. Let me double-check!】

The Minister of the Imperial Sacrifices: “…”

He stole a glance at the emperor’s expression, his thoughts swirling with one peculiar phrase: Sometimes, a bone spur might just grow in reverse.

The emperor swiftly shifted focus, pulling his legitimate son into the fray to divert Xu Yanmiao’s attention.

“So you’re saying the Crown Prince is some evil spirit? That he’s angered the heavens, causing hens to turn into roosters?”

The emperor adjusted his position, propping his head on one hand as he looked at the Daoist. “Go ahead, tell me—what’s so demonic about my son? Perfect timing too, since he’s currently out on official duties and can’t defend himself. You all can smear his name as much as you like.”

Xu Yanmiao’s attention was indeed diverted.

He nudged Lian Hang, who, though maintaining a straight gaze, subtly gestured in response. Matching the serious demeanor, Xu Yanmiao murmured, “Hens turning into roosters is typically attributed to women usurping power. What does that have to do with the Crown Prince? Unless… they’re suggesting he’s a woman disguised as a man?”

Lian Hang replied in a low voice, “It’s not just about women seizing power. During the Chu Dynasty, there was an instance of a rooster laying eggs. At that time, there was no indication of women ruling. Instead, on the third day of the tenth month, the capital experienced three earthquakes in one day—an omen of disaster. Similarly, during the Zhou Dynasty, hens turning into roosters occurred, followed by months of earthquakes, hailstorms, and famine, all within the same year. The political arena was in turmoil, and people blamed the disaster on the emperor’s two sons, leading him to execute them.”

Xu Yanmiao nodded thoughtfully. “Ah, so I was being narrow-minded…”

【Phew, close call. Luckily, this whole ‘hens turning into roosters’ phenomenon didn’t implicate the two princesses. If it had, they’d be the easiest scapegoats.】

Princess Wanshou and Princess Xiangyang froze.

Already worried about their brother, they suddenly realized this situation could directly impact their current official positions. Their resolve to suppress the matter grew even stronger.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Works, reminded of his own wife and children who held official positions, cast a cold glance at the Daoist. His eyes were sharp with suspicion.

What a vicious scheme—he had to find out who was behind this attempt to harm the Crown Prince!

The Daoist, oblivious to these undercurrents, stepped forward and answered the emperor’s question.

First, the Daoist accused the Crown Prince of misconduct, claiming he was unfit to be a ruler.

Before the words had fully settled, Princess Xiangyang stormed forward, angrily shouting, “You charlatan!”

The Daoist, startled, was taken aback by the sight of a woman in the court. “?!”

In shock, his pupils trembled as he processed the scene: Why was there a woman in the imperial court?!

Princess Xiangyang glared at him, her clear voice ringing through the hall. “You fraud, how dare you spout nonsense! In what way does the Crown Prince appear unworthy to rule?”

She continued, her tone resolute. “Between the 20th and 25th years of the Tian Tong era, the Jianghuai region suffered six consecutive years of drought. The lamps in the Crown Prince’s Eastern Palace barely went out during that time, as he personally oversaw all disaster relief efforts. To prevent corruption and negligence among officials during the crisis, the Crown Prince took on the role of censor-in-chief and visited the affected areas in person, traveling to 18 different locations in just three months!”

【Yes, exactly!】

【Not only that! The Crown Prince also worried about the long-term effects of the disaster and potential future crises. He even proposed large-scale irrigation projects and the construction of reservoirs to the emperor!】

Princess Xiangyang smiled confidently. It turned out Xu Yanmiao was well aware of these details too.

She raised a single hand and extended four fingers. “Additionally, the Crown Prince constructed numerous water reservoirs in various locations. For instance, in the Taihang Mountains of Hebei alone, he oversaw the construction of four reservoirs.”

【Oh, there’s more!】

【In eastern Hebei, eight reservoirs were initially built. After inspecting the area himself, the Crown Prince concluded that they weren’t enough. He supervised the construction of two more, bringing the total to ten. Ever since then, eastern Hebei hasn’t faced water shortages during peak agricultural seasons!】

Princess Xiangyang pressed on. “In regions like Sichuan, Hubei, and Anhui, where droughts are frequent—especially in eastern and central Sichuan, where summer droughts are an annual occurrence—the Crown Prince took charge. Over six years, he initiated 19 canal projects, excavated 2,907 ponds, built 10 dams, and constructed countless aqueducts, reservoirs, deep pools, and water pits. Not only has water been secured during drought years, but agricultural output has also increased!”

【There’s still more—】

One after another, Princess Xiangyang and Xu Yanmiao listed the Crown Prince’s accomplishments. In addition to his contributions to water management, they recounted his achievements in other areas of governance.

Although the Daoist couldn’t hear Xu Yanmiao’s inner thoughts, Princess Xiangyang seamlessly wove his comments into her own speech, making it appear as if she had meticulously prepared and researched all these facts herself.

【Wait a second!】

Xu Yanmiao suddenly realized something. 【Isn’t Xiangyang inadvertently making things harder for the Crown Prince?】

“Hm?” Princess Xiangyang let out a soft sound, clearly displeased. She firmly believed she was defending her elder brother. How could she possibly be causing him trouble?

The old emperor: “!!!”

Suddenly understanding her intentions, the emperor slapped his dragon throne and burst into hearty laughter. “Xiangyang, my dear Xiangyang, repeat all your brother’s achievements in detail. Ministers, I also want the Six Ministries to compile a record of the Crown Prince’s accomplishments and present it to me.”

Before anyone could speculate on his motives, the emperor joyfully added, “What use is it for only the court to know of these achievements? They must be proclaimed to the entire empire!”

The entire court praised the Crown Prince, and the people eagerly awaited his ascension to the throne. What use was the Crown Prince’s resistance?

Hurry!

The old emperor signaled to the Jinyiwei with his eyes:

While the Crown Prince is away from the capital, act quickly and make it an irreversible fact!

In ancient courts, it was customary not to publicize the individuals responsible for implementing policies on a large scale. Only officials were typically aware of who spearheaded certain initiatives.

Moreover, if enough time had passed, newly appointed officials might not even know who was behind the policies.

As a result, many officials present were utterly stunned.

“So, the Crown Prince has actually done real work?”

They had assumed his stable position was purely due to the emperor’s favoritism.

Meanwhile, in distant Yangzhou.

The Crown Prince sneezed.

His reserved aide promptly removed his outer robe and held it out to the Crown Prince.

The Crown Prince waved it off. “I’m not cold.”

The aide, without a word, slowly put the robe back on.

The Crown Prince glanced around, then had an epiphany. “Why would I sneeze out of nowhere? It must be my father coming up with new ways to torment me!”

The aide stayed silent.

The Crown Prince nudged him. “Don’t you agree?”

At last, the aide spoke earnestly. “His Majesty deeply cares for Your Highness. Furthermore, His Majesty only hopes that Your Highness will fulfill the duties of the Crown Prince at all times, strategizing for the nation. It is not torment.”

The Crown Prince, skilled at ignoring such remarks, changed the topic. “Once I’m done with this round of work, I can go back to lounging around. If I’d known it would be this troublesome, I wouldn’t have taken on this responsibility in the first place.”

The aide glanced at him, confusion flickering in his eyes. “Your Highness, your words and actions don’t align. If you don’t want to be the Crown Prince, why do you constantly take on responsibilities?”

The Crown Prince’s mouth twitched. “Just because I don’t want to be the Crown Prince doesn’t mean I’m some heartless villain. Life-and-death matters aren’t something I can ignore.”

It’s just that over the span of thirty-plus years, the accumulation of responsibilities had made it seem like he was taking on a lot… that’s all.

Still, it wasn’t a big deal.

The Crown Prince reasoned to himself that aside from final evaluations of a reign, Chinese history never gave detailed credit for individual achievements. Besides, as the Crown Prince, handling these matters was simply his duty.

“Thinking of it that way, there’s absolutely no issue!”

The Crown Prince turned to his aide. “Let’s go! I’m in a good mood today, so I’ll treat you to authentic Yangzhou cuisine!”

Seeing the aide’s puzzled expression, the Crown Prince laughed even more heartily. Draping an arm around the aide’s shoulder, he teased, “I knew it! You’re such a stiff that you’ve probably never even noticed how beautiful Yangzhou is.”

The aide raised his hand and slowly removed the Crown Prince’s arm from his shoulder, responding in a serious tone, “Your Highness, I do admire Yangzhou’s beauty. Slender West Lake is exquisite, and the Qiong flowers are also…”

“No, no, no, that’s not what I meant. Although those things are beautiful too.”

The Crown Prince paused, lost in thought, and slowly began to speak:

“Do you see the street behind our residence? Every morning, there’s an old man who sets up a stall there selling pancakes. The pancakes are thin and golden, and a long line forms early in the morning. They must taste amazing.”

“At the end of the street, there’s a pickle shop. You can tell right away that they make their pickles in-house. You should see the cabbage leaves and spicy radish strips—perfectly pickled, not soggy at all. Toss them with chili powder or five-spice seasoning, pair them with steamed buns, and you could eat several in one sitting.”

“And those strings of dried beans, soy-cured chicken, marinated duck, and pig ears hanging from the walls of the local homes… You don’t get it. Those things aren’t fragrant if roasted in an oven—they have to be sun-dried, hanging out in the open! If you could buy a few pounds of those, it would be the best thing ever.”

As they walked, the Crown Prince casually described his observations from recent days. His eyes lit up when he saw steaming buns fresh out of the oven. He immediately pulled out some money, bought two, and tossed one to his aide. “Anyway! I’ll treat you next time!”

He then smiled at the bun-seller and asked, “Madam, have you visited the new money exchange shops that have sprung up these past few months?”

Confronted with the Crown Prince’s impressive achievements, the Daoist priest remained silent throughout, seemingly lost in thought. Then, at the conclusion, he suddenly blurted out:

“This perfectly aligns with the omen of the hen turning into a rooster.”

The officials: “?”

The Minister of Works: “How does it align? Please explain.”

The Daoist priest, recalling the Prince Fu’s instructions, steeled himself, gritted his teeth, and boldly repeated:

“The hen transforms into a rooster to usurp the role of crowing, which symbolizes the Crown Prince’s actions as mere pretense! His only goal is to secure the position of Crown Prince! Once he ascends to the throne, he will cast off his mask and rule tyrannically!”

【Nonsense!!!】

【What kind of omen is a hen turning into a rooster?!】

Xu Lang was indignant: 【If you confine two hens together for a year, one of them will naturally turn into a rooster. Conversely, the same happens with roosters.】

【If that’s the case, I could transform a million hens into roosters!】

【This is outrageous! I need to find a way to reveal the truth. The Crown Prince is such a good person; he must not be falsely accused!】

The court of Daxia: (⊙o⊙)

Wait, this sort of thing exists???

Some officials couldn’t help but wonder: Could this apply to humans? Should we experiment with two people?

If it worked, wouldn’t this mean we could always have enough men or women as needed?!

Beside them, the emperor’s eyes suddenly sparkled.