EMHTC -Chapter 116 Now This Is a High-Level Way to Acknowledge Ancestors!

After knocking on the door, the old emperor thought there wouldn’t be any further issues.

It had been almost three years now. Even if Xiao Baize didn’t feel reverence for imperial authority, shouldn’t there at least be some basic courtesy?

“Xu…”

【Heh! The true ancestor who ‘outshines all others’ has arrived! Ji Sui’s adopted son should kowtow properly to the old emperor!】

The old emperor’s brow twitched slightly.

It’s fine. Baize’s nature is pure, playful, and carefree—being a bit unruly is no big deal.

After all, he is a wise and magnanimous ruler! He would never punish someone for mere words.

The Minister of War stepped forward to greet him, “Your Majesty honors us with your presence…”

The old emperor’s tone was cold: “Minister of War, Li Qian, your choice of words is inappropriate. As punishment, copy the phrase ‘Your Majesty graces us with your presence’ one hundred times.”

“???”

Wasn’t this phrase commonly used before? And honestly, the latter phrase feels even less appropriate for such a minor occasion!

Suppressing his confusion, the Minister of War bowed again. “Your servant obeys.”

He then glanced subtly at Xu Yanmiao.

Ah, got it. The emperor was in a bad mood and needed someone to vent on.

As the old emperor turned and walked into the room to sit on the main seat, the Minister of War noticed the emperor wasn’t paying attention to him. Quickly, he used his foot to nudge the leftover candy wrappers under another table.

“Your Majesty has graced us—do you have any instructions for us?”

He also casually closed the door behind him.

“I’m here to see how your essay topics for the policy debate are coming along,” the old emperor said as he sat down, his gaze locking onto the Minister of War. “But when I arrived at the door, it seemed like I heard you discussing my ancestors?”

【Tsk tsk. Truly worthy of an emperor—knowing full well that’s not his actual ancestor but still saying ‘my ancestors’ with a straight face.】

The old emperor’s inner thoughts remained calm, even allowing for a moment of disdain.

His ancestors? Please. A farmer like him was lucky to know the name of his great-grandfather, let alone trace his true lineage.

It didn’t matter. Ancestors were ancestors—burning incense for them during festivals was no big deal anyway.

So, he fixed his gaze on the Minister of War and asked, “What exactly happened?”

Xu Yanmiao, for his part, had no interest in the emperor’s ancestors unless someone brought it up first. If it weren’t for that, he wouldn’t have even bothered to glance at the matter.

【Li Qian, you’d better have a good reason for bringing this up!】

The Minister of War hesitated for a brief moment, caught between speaking subtly and being direct, but ultimately chose the latter.

“Your Majesty, in this year’s imperial examination, it is rumored that one of the candidates is a descendant of the Crown Prince of Yu Kingdom, with genealogical records and historical documents to back it up.”

In other words, there was a possibility that this person was truly a descendant of the Yu royal family.

According to the Minister of War’s report, the current investigation revealed that the candidate likely had no idea the old emperor had adopted his ancestor as part of the imperial lineage. After all, it wasn’t common knowledge who the emperor claimed as his ancestors. As for the genealogical records, the candidate’s family had supposedly kept them meticulously across generations. Although their family never grew into a prominent clan, and many branches had incomplete names, they had safeguarded the records even during times of famine and displacement.

Xu Yanmiao was stunned.

The old emperor was equally stunned.

This was… awkward, wasn’t it? They couldn’t very well declare this candidate a member of the royal family, could they?

Xu Yanmiao hesitated and asked, “So, does the Minister mean to suggest that I should…”

The Minister of War’s expression turned serious and stern in an instant. “Xu Lang, you must investigate the authenticity of this genealogical record.”

If it turned out to be false, everyone could relax.

If it turned out to be true… well, there was no such “if.”

The royal family couldn’t simply sprout new households and dozens of additional relatives. At most, they could quietly offer some financial compensation.

Xu Yanmiao: “…”

【You want me to investigate???】

【What do you think I am, a deity?】

【Even if you assigned this to the Jinyiwei, they might not be able to determine its authenticity!】

【And! I already have two major tasks on my plate—compiling the official history and drafting the examination topics! You want to add a third? Even a donkey needs a break!】

The Minister of War felt a slight pang of guilt, but it passed quickly. He pressed down on Xu Yanmiao’s shoulder and smiled, the expression uncannily resembling that of a modern capitalist. “Xu Lang, I am aware that you’ve been busy lately, carrying heavy responsibilities…”

【You know, yet you still give me more work?! Can’t you assign this to the Jinyiwei instead?】

Without missing a beat, the Minister of War lied with a straight face: “But this matter is of utmost importance, and the Jinyiwei might not be able to uncover the truth. We’ll need to rely on the former Jin Prince’s covert agents. Each of them is fiercely loyal and only recognizes you as their leader now. They’re not entirely unwilling to work under others, but they are far more effective under your command.”

The old emperor’s lips pressed together to suppress a grin, lest Xu Yanmiao notice his amusement.

Brilliantly done!

This way, the covert agents could be seamlessly transferred under Xu Yanmiao’s control.

【!!!】

【They only recognize me?!】

【That makes it even worse! I’ll handle this task, but once it’s done, I’m returning those agents immediately!】

The old emperor’s fingertips tightened sharply around the armrest of his chair.

No way!

Do you know what the Jinyiwei is? Even their Commander has never made me feel uneasy!

The old emperor tentatively said, “Xu Yanmiao, have you ever considered taking control of covert agents, just like the Commander of the Jinyiwei?”

Xu Yanmiao’s eyes widened. “Your Majesty! Absolutely not!”

The old emperor decided to pressure him further. “Oh? Why not? Could it be that you think I lack the capacity to tolerate others?”

Xu Yanmiao instinctively thought: 【That’s not it, but human nature isn’t something to be tested.】

The emperor froze slightly at this response.

Whatever reasons Xu Yanmiao gave afterward, the emperor didn’t really listen. He was still mulling over that inner thought.

After a while, the emperor’s fingers moved slightly on the armrest.

“Very well,” he finally said with a slight smile. “Once you finish investigating that genealogical record, you may return the covert agents. In the future, I’ll take charge of them myself.”

【Yes!!!】

Though his inner voice was lively, Xu Yanmiao maintained his usual composed and elegant demeanor. With a graceful movement of his sleeves, he saluted properly and said, “Thank you for Your Majesty’s kindness.”

“Do a good job,” the old emperor said with a smile. “Once this task is done, I’ll have you deal with a tiger.”

Though Xu Yanmiao wasn’t a deity, he had a system.

At home, he sat by a brazier, flipping through the genealogical record name by name.

The windows were covered with animal skins to keep the cold wind out, and he wrapped himself in a fluffy goose-down quilt. Sitting by the fire for two or three hours made him feel warm and cozy, ensuring a good night’s sleep.

Inside the winter room, clotheslines were strung up to dry the washed garments. Water dripped steadily into the basin below.

“Mmm, no one from the common folk would dare forge something like this, right?” Xu Yanmiao muttered to himself. The genealogical record rested on his upright knees as he absentmindedly touched it. Meanwhile, he scooped cooked pumpkin from the fire and started eating it spoon by spoon.

“Pfft—!”

“Cough, cough, cough!”

Xu Yanmiao turned his head quickly in panic. Thankfully, the pumpkin hadn’t splattered onto the genealogical record.

【This… this is absolutely absurd?!】

This thought, like a bolt of lightning, echoed all around Xu Yanmiao’s house.

Whether it was the Marquis of Yongchang returning from Japan, the Left Army Assistant Commander who had just finished his duties, or other officials, all of them shuddered at the sound and froze in their tracks. Their ears perked up.

What?

What’s absurd?

—After two years, they had come to understand that “absurd” meant ridiculous or preposterous.

The officials had already heard some inside information: someone had a genealogical conflict with the emperor! Given the context, Xu Yanmiao’s reaction… could it be that there was something fishy about the genealogical record? But it couldn’t be someone plotting something malicious, or Xu Yanmiao wouldn’t have called it “absurd.”

The Marquis of Yongchang ventured a bold guess: “Could it be that the Crown Prince ran out of money and sold his family’s genealogical record?”

At home, the Minister of Revenue, having just finished eating a roast chicken and wiping his mouth with a damp cloth, burst into laughter, only to have the sound muffled by thick fabric.

After moving the towel away, he suppressed his laughter and said, “The Crown Prince hasn’t fallen into such financial straits.”

The Marquis of Yongchang waved his hand with a laugh. “Of course, I know that! Just joking around. Anyway, the Crown Prince isn’t here to complain.”

The Minister of Revenue laughed again, this time unable to hold back at all, tossing his damp towel aside. Laughing as he joined the fun, he said, “Xiao Baize once said, ‘Stories will make things sound logical, but reality doesn’t need to care about logic at all.’ I bet this scholar and His Majesty aren’t descendants of the Great Prince of Yu, but they might actually be blood-related somehow!”

The Marquis of Yongchang sharply inhaled. This time, he was genuinely shocked. “That sounds scarily plausible. Could it really be true?”

The Minister of Revenue’s pupils dilated in astonishment. After a long moment, he opened his mouth and heard himself say, “It’s definitely possible…”

The Marquis stroked the rough stubble on his chin and suddenly grinned mischievously. “No matter what Xu Yanmiao discovers, there’s no way it’ll outdo the wild guesses we’ve just made! He won’t scare us this time!”

The Minister of Revenue chuckled. “Absolutely right! Come on, let’s eat!”

The Marquis kicked him lightly. “You’re eating at my house, so serve me! Peel some garlic for your master!”

The Minister of Revenue immediately put on a show, peeling the garlic in the most uneven and clumsy way possible.

The Marquis didn’t mind. He placed the garlic on the fire to roast, watching white steam rise from it, and commented leisurely, “This is pretty average.”

Just then, Xu Yanmiao’s inner thoughts reached them, full of surprise: 【I was wondering how a commoner’s genealogical record could trace back several dynasties. Turns out, it’s all fabricated!】

The Marquis relaxedly watched the garlic roast, not forgetting to add his own commentary. “Indeed, that’s about right.”

【Someone in this man’s lineage, about eight generations back, took advantage of their position to forge records in The Annals, claiming their grandfather was a descendant of the Yu royal family. They even cited The Historical Records as proof. Then, in The Historical Records, they wrote the same claim, but cited The Annals.】

【Hahahahaha! They’re just playing ping-pong with their own lies!】

The Marquis, in the middle of eating a garlic clove, was caught completely off guard by the spiciness that shot straight up his nose. Tears instantly welled up in his eyes, and snot began to drip from his nose.

“Cough, cough, cough!”

“Water! Water!”The Marquis groped for a cup on the table as he choked, all while cursing in his mind: What kind of genius is this?! Truly a master of creative nonsense!