EMHTC -Chapter 107 Survival Comes First!

After the old emperor announced Prince Jin’s sentence, Xu Yanmiao suddenly recalled something—

【Wait, what about the princess consort? She’s innocent! And what about the twin babies who aren’t even a year old yet? Sending them to a desolate place like Guizhou—they won’t survive!】

At the same time, Prince Jin unexpectedly mustered an unusual burst of energy. For once, his intelligence seemed to align with the situation. He began fervently pleading with the emperor, highlighting how uninvolved his wife was and how skilled she was as a healer. He emphasized her potential contributions to the Great Xia dynasty.

The core argument was: “Brother Emperor, please show mercy. My wife was entirely unaware of these matters from beginning to end. Furthermore, her medical skills are extraordinary and can serve both Great Xia and the royal family.”

The emperor chuckled coldly. “Her husband and children will be exiled to the impoverished, treacherous mountains of Guizhou. Her family will be destroyed. How can I be sure she won’t harbor resentment toward the royal family? How could I trust her to serve us with loyalty?”

Prince Jin, desperate, used every ounce of his wits for one final attempt: “Brother Emperor! I promise she will never resent the royal family. I will personally convince her! I beg you, show her mercy!”

But when he looked up, teary-eyed, he only saw the emperor’s cold and piercing gaze fixed on him.

Prince Jin’s heart sank, and he fell silent.

Indeed, what could he possibly offer as a guarantee?

His breathing grew heavier, and a faint ache spread in his chest. If only he had betrayed Prince Jibei earlier, earned merit, then perhaps now…

The figure on the dragon throne loomed like a terrifying shadow, enveloping Prince Jin, suffocating him with its oppressive weight.

But suddenly, that shadow moved away.

“…Brother Emperor?”

Prince Jin’s call failed to draw the emperor’s attention. He realized the emperor was gazing into the distance, seemingly lost in thought.

【The princess consort really is innocent.】

【If the sins of one person bring ruin to their family, then it should also be true that one’s blessings benefit their loved ones. Prince Jin was overly cautious, rejecting even the benefits Prince Jibei tried to offer him. The princess consort gained nothing and now might lose her life for no reason—it’s so unfair.】

【But the emperor wouldn’t care if she’s innocent or not…】

【If even the immense benefit of a divine healer’s skills can’t sway him, what possibly could?】

Even Xiao Baize’s usually bright fur seemed to have dulled from disappointment.

The old emperor turned back to look at Prince Jin and suddenly let out a cold snort. “Rebellion warrants the death of the entire household. However… it seems your princess consort has gained the favor of a noble benefactor.”

This meant…

Prince Jin’s eyes lit up instantly. Amid the intense joy, a faint thread of doubt crept into his heart.

The princess consort… had she formed some connection with an influential figure powerful enough to change his imperial brother’s mind?

Meanwhile, the officials, who better understood the emperor’s intentions…

Prime Minister Dou took a deep breath.

The expressions of the six ministers were filled with surprise and intrigue.

Lian Hang’s eyes widened in astonishment.

Xu Yanmiao scooted closer to his good friend and exclaimed, “I can’t believe there’s someone capable of influencing His Majesty’s decision. How incredible! I really want to know who it is!”

Lian Hang: “…Indeed. It’s truly unexpected.”

Xu Yanmiao guessed with great interest, “Lian Lang, do you think it could be Her Majesty the Empress? Or perhaps the Crown Prince? Maybe the princess consort jin crossed paths with them while practicing medicine, and that’s why His Majesty…”

Lian Hang: “…I don’t think so.”

Xu Yanmiao was greatly surprised. “There’s no one else in this world who could make the old… I mean, His Majesty, change his mind, is there?”

Lian Hang’s expression shifted subtly. “Now that you say it like that, it does seem plausible.”

“Right! I feel like it must be…”

Just then, a JinyYiwei officer jogged over and coughed lightly. “Xu Lang, His Majesty summons you.”

Xu Lang, who had been happily chatting, froze in fear.

【The old emperor wouldn’t have noticed me slacking off, would he?】

【He shouldn’t be that free, right?】

The very free old emperor leaned back in his chair, crossed his arms, and gazed at Xu Yanmiao with a half-smile when the latter arrived. Leisurely, he said, “Xu Yanmiao, you should know that I’m in a terrible mood right now.”

Xu Yanmiao hesitantly looked at him. “…Yes?”

“Come, say something interesting to cheer me up.”

Xu Yanmiao blinked in confusion. “As you wish.”

【Something interesting… Does the story of Prince Jin digging an escape tunnel for three days after being scared by a minor historian surnamed Huang and named Taizi count?】

Huang Taizi? The Crown Prince?!

The old emperor had been sitting with his arms crossed, but upon hearing this, he subtly straightened his posture.

Ordinary commoners—when they were timid, they were truly timid, shutting their doors at the slightest disturbance and trembling in fear behind them.

But when they were bold, they were audacious beyond belief. Someone dared to name themselves “Huang Taizi” (Crown Prince Huang)?

And that wasn’t all—they even dared to hold such a name while working as a minor historian?

The old emperor shot a subtle glance at his troublesome younger brother.

Honestly, being frightened by something like that… was not surprising.

His troublesome younger brother was also staring at him.

Prince Jin was utterly stunned.

Sitting close to the old emperor, he could clearly sense every shift in his brother’s aura.

The moment that handsome young man surnamed Xu stepped forward, with only a few words exchanged, the emperor’s agitation immediately calmed down. It was as though an irritable lion had suddenly had its fur smoothed, returning to a state of peace.

Who in the world was this person?

Prince Jin couldn’t resist sneaking a few more glances at Xu Yanmiao.

For now, he couldn’t discern anything particularly extraordinary about him. The only thing he could say was… he was very good-looking. His appearance radiated a kind of pure clarity.

Xu Yanmiao pondered for a moment before carefully selecting a piece of information he might plausibly have heard about in his position. “Does His Majesty recall the ‘Paragon of Filial Piety’ from Dingyuan County in Fengyang Prefecture?”

Seeing His Majesty’s face filled with a “does this person even exist?” expression, the old censor helpfully reminded him:

“Your Majesty, this man is renowned for his filial piety. After his parents passed away, he was so grief-stricken that he couldn’t bear to leave them. He moved into the tomb and has been mourning there for twenty years.”

The old emperor pondered this for a moment, then smiled. “Ah, a dutiful son indeed. Xu Yanmiao, you…”

Before he could finish the sentence with “have a keen eye,” Xu Yanmiao’s next words spilled out uncontrollably:

“He drank wine, ate meat, and even fathered five chubby children in that tomb!”

After speaking, Xu Yanmiao immediately shut his mouth, not daring to say another word.

The old emperor: “…”

Do you think this is the kind of thing that will make me happy?

What am I supposed to be happy about? That this “paragon of filial piety” held out for twenty years, only to have his image utterly ruined by you?

“…Ahem.” The old emperor, contemplating the absurdity of the situation, suddenly burst into hearty laughter. The mild smile he had worn upon first hearing of the filial son couldn’t compare to this unrestrained amusement.

It turned out that seeing someone else’s misfortune really could brighten your own bad day.

——The censors were already documenting the story. As for the so-called “paragon of filial piety” hoping to gain an official post? Forget about it. Soon, he would be punished instead—for “unfilial conduct.”

The old emperor motioned for Xu Yanmiao to step forward and patted him on the shoulder. “Well done. I feel much better now.”

【Huh? That’s all it took?】

Xu Yanmiao blinked, and after confirming he hadn’t misheard, he quietly exhaled in relief.

“Thank you, Your Majesty.”

【Phew! No trouble this time.】

【Ah… I only wanted to live like a salted fish in the corner. Being summoned by the emperor so often is so dangerous—one misstep and I could lose my life. Is there any way to make him stop calling on me so frequently?】

The ministers: “…”

Did you hear that?!

Can you spare a thought for us, those who sharpen their heads just to climb up the ranks?

Unfortunately, the ministers’ collective grievances couldn’t reach Xu Yanmiao’s ears.

Xu Yanmiao was still fretting internally: 【Maybe I could commit a minor mistake and get demoted out of the capital? Would that work?】

The ministers of Daxia: “!!!”

Absolutely not!

Who knows how that divine artifact of his works? If Xu Yanmiao became a local official and all local officials could hear his inner thoughts, what would happen to their secrets?

What if the whole country found out the emperor had been cuckolded by his grandson? Or that the Minister of War never bathes?

【Never mind. Too risky. I could be killed by bandits on the road. Even if I made it safely, what if a tiger wandered into the county or prefecture? It’s much safer to stay nestled in the capital.】

The ministers of Daxia collectively sighed in relief.

Yes, yes! The capital is very safe! The emperor is here—there’s no place safer in the entire world.

“Prince Jin…” The old emperor swiftly changed the topic, cutting off Xu Yanmiao’s train of thought before he wandered into dangerous territory again.

Prince Jin’s heart skipped a beat, and a torrent of negative thoughts surged through his mind.

—Could it be that my royal brother is toying with me?

Then he heard his brother’s words, laced with deeper meaning: “I had secretly made a decision earlier. I left everything to fate. If Xu Yanmiao couldn’t cheer me up, no matter how influential the benefactor, I wouldn’t have spared your wife.”

Prince Jin blurted, “What—?!”

【What?!】

【Something this important was riding on me without my knowledge?!】

Xu Yanmiao and Prince Jin—one’s hand trembled faintly with lingering fear, and the other’s forehead broke out in cold sweat. Both of their eyes were wide with shock.

The emperor leaned back in his chair again, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. “It seems the heavens have spoken.” With a wave of his hand, he declared, “Release your wife and those two children.”

Prince Jin’s arms gave out, and his upper body collapsed back to the ground, his breath coming in short gasps.

—Even in this moment, he hadn’t forgotten to maintain his persona as a cripple.

With his face still swollen from the emperor’s earlier beating, he spoke with some difficulty: “Th-thank you, Your Majesty, for your great mercy.”

The emperor raised an eyebrow. “Seems like you’ve met a true benefactor.”

Hearing this, Prince Jin’s perspective on Xu Yanmiao shifted instantly.

Indeed, if not for Xu Yanmiao successfully lifting his brother’s mood, who knows what fate might have befallen his wife?

Perhaps… the inns, gambling houses, and moneylenders he had secretly set up as spy networks could also…

Prince Jin feared death.

Xu Yanmiao now had a clear understanding of just how much.

In every province across the country, Prince Jin had secret operatives gathering information. Yet he never sold this intelligence. Instead, he hoarded it like a hamster stockpiling food for the winter, clutching it tightly and only glancing at it occasionally for peace of mind.

—The fact that he even knew the name of a minor scribe in the neighboring prefecture was thanks to these operatives.

Now, all of these operatives were handed over to Xu Yanmiao as a “thank you gift.”

Xu Yanmiao promptly turned around and handed them to the court.

The court’s response was straightforward: “Since these were Prince Jin’s private assets, and he gave them to you, you may keep them. The court isn’t so impoverished as to confiscate a minister’s property.”

The officials in Daxia clattered their abacuses enthusiastically.

With these operatives, Xu Yanmiao—nicknamed “Xiao Baize”—would have a legitimate source of intelligence. This meant that in the future, they could…

The old emperor’s face lit up with anticipation.

The court officials’ expressions brimmed with hope.

The risks were greater, yes, but so were the rewards! To put it plainly, they could now ask things like, “Where’s the nearest gold mine?”

【No, no, no! I absolutely can’t accept these operatives!】

The officials of Daxia: Wait! Why not?! Tell us your reasoning so we can immediately refute it.

【I’m not stupid. There’s no way the emperor would allow one of his ministers to control such a powerful intelligence network.】

The old emperor grew frantic: I do allow it!!!

【If the court insists on not accepting them and insists on standing firm, then I… I will… hmm, I’ll find a way to destroy those intelligence sources right in front of the entire court, and dismiss everyone… No, what if the old emperor suspects that I’m dividing them up into smaller groups? I’ve got it! Send them to the army, spread them across various camps, and forbid them from leaving unless ordered. If I keep them under the emperor’s nose, he should feel reassured, right?】

【But still, saving my life comes first.】

The officials of Daxia: No, please, don’t!