EMHTC -Chapter 136 From Start to Finish of the Son-in-Law Selection

Xu Yanmiao held the list of… assassination targets—no, the list of outstanding young men favored by the emperor—and asked Princess Xiangyang a crucial question:

“What if there’s actually a true gentleman among them?”

Princess Xiangyang made a circular gesture with her hand.

Xu Yanmiao was shocked. “Kill them?!”

“Huh?” Princess Xiangyang blurted out, “How could that be! I meant, find a way to smooth things over!”

“For example?”

“Oh, you’re so dense! Think about it this way: a true gentleman is someone who enjoys sacrificing himself and his family for the sake of others. My father would never let such a person become a prince consort!”

…Well, not necessarily.

But the way she put it made Xu Yanmiao understand.

Holding the list, Xu Yanmiao’s hands itched with excitement. “No problem, leave it to me!”

Princess Xiangyang said boldly, “Didn’t you say you didn’t want to clean your house? I’ll cover your household cleaning for a month!”

Of course, she wouldn’t clean it herself—she’d send servants to do it.

Xu Yanmiao immediately thought of the damp moss in the corners of his courtyard, the flying dust, and the murky water from scrubbing the floors and washing rags.

Without hesitation, he agreed, “Great! I’ll give you the keys later!”

Princess Xiangyang smiled.

If it were about money, Xu Yanmiao wouldn’t take it. But this playful, joking attitude was something he actually liked.

Still, she wouldn’t let this favor go unacknowledged.

—This debt of gratitude, Princess Xiangyang remembered well.

With something on her mind, she suddenly said, “Oh! I almost forgot—my father wants to see you.”

Xu Yanmiao was surprised to find that his audience with the emperor was at the Ministry of War Stables.

A loud whistle rang out from the stables, and before long, four powerful and robust horses trotted out in formation, all of them fine steeds.

“This year, the Ministry of War recorded a total of 26,000 horses. These four, while not the absolute best, are strong and swift. Each one could sell for five to eight taels of pure silver.”

The old emperor slowly emerged from behind the horses. Upon closer inspection, there was even a stool there.

With a smile, he said, “I’m docking half a year’s salary from you. In exchange, these four horses are yours. How about it?”

Xu Yanmiao instinctively replied, “I don’t have a courtyard to keep them in.”

The emperor gave him a sidelong glance. “Can’t you just keep them here at the stables and retrieve them when you need them?”

Xu Yanmiao was stunned. “That’s an option?”

The emperor: “Of course not.”

Xu Yanmiao: “…”

Even in his mind, he sounded aggrieved: 【Then why did you say that…】

On the surface, however, he remained the perfect subordinate, swallowing his complaints. “Your Majesty, please don’t tease me.”

The emperor couldn’t help but chuckle. “Who’s teasing you? Haven’t you heard of ‘imperial privilege’?”

Xu Yanmiao’s eyes lit up, immediately seizing the opportunity. “Thank you for Your Majesty’s grace!”

The emperor shot him a look and said, “Now that you have horses, you’ll also need a proper carriage. It’s etiquette for attending banquets. You’re a high-ranking official now—don’t let people look down on you.”

In ancient society, horses were equivalent to formal attire. At certain prestigious events, if someone arrived with a carriage drawn by mares instead of stallions, they’d be outright denied entry.

To Xu Yanmiao, however, this gift meant—

【Whoa—】

【Boss just gave me a car! And it’s a luxury car! Boss is so generous!】

The old emperor paused slightly.

…He had only gifted the horses, not a carriage. Did Xu Yanmiao misunderstand?

Never mind. He might as well give him one—otherwise, if this brat realized later that there was no carriage, he’d probably complain that the emperor was stingy.

The emperor coughed lightly and added, “There’s also a carriage. I’ll have one prepared for you as well. Everything will be kept at the stables. There are also some gold and miscellaneous items—take those with you too.”

【Woohoo!!!】

The old emperor’s gaze drifted toward the stack of papers in Xu Yanmiao’s hand, curiosity flickering in his eyes. “What’s that?”

Xu Yanmiao: “……”

【Crap, I forgot to have Gao Xiang hold onto this first!】

【The emperor wouldn’t just forcibly take something from a minister’s hands, right?】

【But if I hesitate, he’ll definitely want it—damn it, how do I get out of this?!】

【And he just gifted me a carriage… wouldn’t it be kind of rude to deceive him?】

The old emperor narrowed his eyes, staring fixedly at those papers, making Xu Yanmiao’s scalp tingle.

“Your Majesty…” Xu Yanmiao had a sudden stroke of inspiration. Lowering his gaze, he put on a somewhat embarrassed expression. “This is something the princess entrusted to me. As a young lady about to be married, she’s naturally worried about the character of her future husband, so she asked me to look into it.”

Xu Yanmiao: 【Thanks for the invitation. After three years in office, I’ve mastered the art of vague wording.】

—Not a single word was a lie!

The old emperor didn’t sense anything amiss. Instead, he found it rather amusing. “So Xiangyang actually has moments of girlish shyness? Is that true?”

Xu Yanmiao’s gaze involuntarily shifted to the side.

Clearing his throat, he said, “Your subject should not comment on whether the princess is delicate or not.”

The old emperor nodded in satisfaction.

【That should do it, right? No way the old emperor would guess that Gao Xiang’s real goal is to sabotage her own marriage!】

Halfway through his nod, the Supreme Emperor of the Realm suddenly froze.

“…Heh, heh.”

The next day, the palace examination proceeded as usual.

Xu Yanmiao discreetly glanced around the room. With the imperial censors pretending to be blind, he found it odd:

【Huh? Where’s Gao Xiang?】

The old emperor let out a cold chuckle.

Inside the palace.

“As expected, this is divine retribution for seeking help from that so-called miracle solution.”

Princess Xiangyang wiped nonexistent tears with the hem of her sleeve as she started copying The Admonitions for Women for the fifty-fifth time.

She still had 445 copies to go.

“Father totally did this on purpose! He knows I hate The Admonitions for Women the most!”

The old emperor: That’s right. I did it on purpose. 🙂

Xu Yanmiao subtly wriggled his toes—standing for too long had made them go numb.

Since he couldn’t find Princess Xiangyang, he didn’t dwell on it and instead turned his attention to the examinees in the palace examination.

He spotted Liang Youwen among them. It seemed he had passed the retest—Xu Yanmiao was happy for him.

Then he saw Gao He, who also noticed him and gave a friendly smile, looking to be in high spirits.

【Hope he doesn’t smash his brush when he sees the exam question later.】

【Well, I already threw mine once.】

This immediately piqued the curiosity of the ministers.

Just what kind of exam question had His Majesty set to make Xu Yanmiao say something like that?

—After all, wasn’t Little Baize someone with extensive knowledge and experience?

【At this timing, asking about the governance of emperors, the hearts of emperors, and the laws of emperors… Could it be that the old emperor, realizing his age, is starting to pave the way for the next ruler?】

Governance of emperors???

Hearts of emperors???

Laws of emperors???

Your Majesty, you really dare to ask that?! You must have great faith in these candidates’ courage.

Prime Minister Dou’s eyelid twitched slightly, once again amazed by his brother-in-law.

—No wonder he refused to hire any scholars for assistance this time and insisted on drafting the imperial exam question himself!

After that, the palace examination followed its standard procedures. Once the sound of the whip rang out, signaling the emperor’s departure, the civil and military officials also withdrew, leaving only the Ministry of Rites officials to distribute the exam papers to the candidates.

【I always thought it would be like in the TV dramas, where the emperor watches the exam in person, then stands behind some candidate, gets deeply engrossed in their essay, and is astonished by their brilliance, making the Six Ministries’ ministers itch with curiosity about what kind of genius they’re witnessing.】

【Turns out the emperor and non-invigilating officials don’t even stay on-site.】

Lian Hang, walking beside Xu Yanmiao, hesitated before speaking.

…What is a TV drama?

Could it be some kind of wicked object that misleads Baize? How else could it make Xu Lang develop such a major misunderstanding—since when would an emperor and his officials have so much free time to personally watch the examination of tribute students?

Xu Yanmiao turned to him excitedly, “Lian Lang! In a few days, let’s go try the famous chicken dumplings in the capital!”

Lian Hang snapped out of his thoughts and asked in surprise, “Didn’t you say that since you were fined half a year’s salary, you’d be eating plain buns for six months and wouldn’t go out to eat?”

Xu Yanmiao coughed lightly. “Well, I suddenly have money now. Are you coming or not?”

Lian Hang—and the surrounding officials—were all shrewd people. They instantly guessed the truth: the emperor must have used his personal treasury to subsidize Little Baize.

Prime Minister Dou suddenly chimed in with a smile, “Why go out and spend money? In a few days, I’ll be celebrating my 80th birthday, and I’ve invited that very restaurant to my residence to make chicken dumplings. Besides the food, I’ve also arranged for a lively performance—Kunqu opera, Pihuang, all very entertaining. Xu Lang, would you honor me with your presence?”

Xu Yanmiao naturally expressed his gratitude and accepted the invitation.

After walking a few more steps, he unexpectedly spotted Ji Sui still among the officials and was puzzled.

Prime Minister Dou noticed his confusion and explained with a smile, “Scholar Ji specifically requested this favor—he will leave the capital only after the palace exam rankings are announced.”

Xu Yanmiao’s confusion deepened.

Prime Minister Dou leaned in slightly and lowered his voice. “That former adopted son of his, whose ties have now been severed—Ji Sui needs to know his ranking.”

Ji Sui didn’t bother interfering with the other man’s imperial exam, but if he stepped into the officialdom, then he had no one to blame but himself.

—Since they were already enemies, he would make sure to suppress him to the very end.

Xu Yanmiao suddenly understood. He cast a few more glances at Ji Sui, staring so much that Ji Sui started feeling puzzled, wondering if he had done something recently that would cause gossip.

The palace examination lasted one day, grading and reviewing the papers took another, and on the third day, the results were announced.

Once the rankings were released, the tribute scholars attended the lively Qionglin Banquet, while many officials’ families were already gearing up for “capturing a son-in-law beneath the rankings.”

The zhuangyuan (top scorer) was Ji Sui’s former adopted son.

【Wow… I have to admit, Lord Ji has an excellent eye—just as long as you ignore the guy’s character.】

Ji Sui: ???

Sensing the strange gazes gathering around him once again, Ji Sui fell into a moment of subtle silence before asking his trusted people, “What did he say this time?”

—They all knew exactly who he referred to.

The questioned official silently gathered his courage and replied, “Lord Ji, Little Baize is complimenting your good judgment.”

Ji Sui: “…”

If this hadn’t come from Xu Yanmiao, he would have assumed the remark was meant as an insult, mocking him in secret.

Good judgment? So, picking a pretentious show-off as a support for his granddaughter was considered good judgment now?

😦

The group of officials who had been eyeing the top scorers as potential sons-in-law averted their gazes.

This year’s zhuangyuan was basically “useless” for marriage prospects. Whoever took him in would be openly declaring opposition to Ji Sui. Even for those who weren’t intimidated by Ji Sui’s power… there were still so many other outstanding young talents. Why make an unnecessary enemy over a single zhuangyuan?

This year’s tanhua (third-place scorer) was Liang Youwen.

Personally appointed by the old emperor.

Among the top three, the emperor simply preferred the look of a man with bronzed skin, thick phoenix-like eyebrows, and a sturdy physique.

As for literary talent…

【Old Liang is amazing.】 Xu Yanmiao, who had never seen anything like it before, was completely stunned. 【He actually predicted the exact exam topic?!】

Liang Rui smiled slightly.

At the moment, he was listening to some of the tribute scholars talk.

He was an excellent listener.

Even when these scholars spoke passionately about their political philosophies, comparing themselves to famous historical figures, he merely listened attentively, occasionally brushing off certain points with a faint smile.

If one were to marry their daughter into that family, having such a calm and composed father-in-law would make life much easier.

However! Liang Youwen already had someone in his heart!!!

And that person was none other than Matriarch Yuchi!

Prime Minister Dou’s friend teasingly remarked, “This Liang Youwen is certainly an accomplished young man. Minister Dou, are you really not tempted?”

Prime Minister Dou sneered, raising an eyebrow. “Do you want to get hit?”

His friend immediately shut his mouth, even glancing toward the door just in case. He feared that if Prime Minister Dou yelled out, a dozen Dou family officials would appear, each landing a punch on him.

The group of officials hoping to “capture a son-in-law” sighed in disappointment.

This one’s out too!

But that was fine—they still had the bangyan (second-place scorer)!

Though he was a bit overweight… he was still very talented!

Vice Minister of Revenue Cui Yi put on a friendly smile and walked up to the bangyan, enthusiastically addressing him as “young friend.”

—His daughter was now in her twenties, quite good-looking, but… she had inherited her mother’s personality—fierce!

And the bangyan in front of him, though chubby… was also broad-minded and easygoing! Most fat people were known for their good tempers—perfect for letting his daughter push him around!

The bangyan (second-place scorer) turned red with excitement when a high-ranking official greeted him, momentarily at a loss for words.

Xu Yanmiao glanced at the list given to him by Princess Xiangyang.

【Hmm… First, let’s take a look at this bangyan and the marriageable men in his family.】

【The old emperor really has sharp eyes. When he picked this guy, he wasn’t even the bangyan yet!】

His Majesty?

Cui Yi was stunned. What did this have to do with His Majesty?

Very quickly, he—and the other officials present—realized the truth: the emperor was looking for a consort prince (fuma)!

Cui Yi was absolutely delighted.

Though none of them wanted their own sons or nephews to become fuma, forming a marriage alliance with the imperial family was an opportunity they wouldn’t dare pass up!

He really had made the right choice! His wife would surely reward him for this when he returned home. She might even personally break off a piece of pastry and feed it to him!

Even as his thoughts wandered, Cui Yi maintained an elegant demeanor while chatting with the bangyan.

Meanwhile, several officials who were also searching for sons-in-law clenched their teeth in frustration, bitterly regretting that they hadn’t acted faster!

—These days, good sons-in-law and good daughters-in-law were rare resources. Once one was taken, there was one less to choose from!

Xu Yanmiao flipped through his system, trying to find a way to help Princess Xiangyang.

【Hmm, this man’s father died early, and before his body was even cold, his relatives swooped in to seize the family property. They tried to bully the widowed mother and orphaned children, and in her fury, his mother… became paralyzed from anger?】

【That’s so pitiful…】

The officials of Daxia: “…”

No offense, but they couldn’t help wondering: If the only able-bodied adult in the household was paralyzed, wouldn’t that just make it easier for the relatives to continue bullying them?

【All their money and land were taken by their relatives. The only reason he could afford to study was that kind neighbors scraped together funds for him. Every coin went toward buying ink, brushes, and paper, so he foraged for wild vegetables and boiled tree leaves to feed his mother. For over ten years, he and his brothers cared for her day in and day out.】

The old emperor was deeply moved, nearly breaking into applause.

A filial son! A truly devoted son! Every dynasty ruled under the principle of filial piety—how could someone this dedicated to his mother have poor character?

He couldn’t touch the bangyan himself, but he had set his sights on the man’s younger brother! Raised in the same household, surely the brother must have inherited at least seventy percent of his elder’s virtue!

As for his paralyzed mother after marriage… Naturally, the princess’s household had plenty of maids and servants to take care of her. Did anyone really think the emperor’s daughter would have to personally tend to her mother-in-law’s every need?

Cui Yi was thinking the same thing.

He felt like a wave of great fortune was washing over him!

But he wasn’t aiming for the bangyan’s brother—he wanted the bangyan himself! There was no guarantee that the younger brother shared the same noble character, but the bangyan had already been personally certified by Little Baize as upright and filial. Such a son-in-law could not be missed!

As for whether he was poor—Cui Yi was rich! Did he need to rely on a son-in-law’s money? As long as the man treated his daughter well, that was all that mattered!

With a refined smile, and under the envious and jealous gazes of the other officials, Cui Yi addressed the bangyan warmly:

“Young friend, I have read your policy essay. Your writing is gentle and refined, and your governance strategies are as mild and nourishing as a spring breeze—truly the mark of a benevolent man. You have earned my deep admiration.”

The bangyan was overwhelmed with shock and flattery. “Sir, you overpraise me. I…”

【Huh? So he never left the house to find work and just relied on the charity of neighbors? Three able-bodied young men and a paralyzed mother, all crammed into a dimly lit old house? And one of those men was fully focused on studying governance, completely unaware that local ruffians were harassing his family at home? He even swore that once he passed the imperial exam and became an official, he would reform society so that everyone had a place to live and work—so that no one would have to loiter in the streets, living as idle thugs?】

【At the same time, he carefully and attentively took care of his paralyzed mother, personally attending to her needs without delegating to others. When discussing marriage, he even said that he neither sought wealth nor beauty—he only hoped to find someone who would be filial to his mother.】

Good!

This was a man with great aspirations!

Moreover, despite being bullied, he didn’t spend his days complaining about fate. Instead, he thought about how to change the situation! With such pure character, he was certainly a good match for his daughter!

And most importantly—filial piety! Filial piety! Filial piety!

This was incredibly important in officialdom!

Having been in government for many years, Cui Yi’s face had long since been tempered to be as thick as the city walls. Without hesitation, he said eagerly, “No need to call me ‘Sir.’ I am of an older generation than you—why not call me ‘Uncle Cui’ instead?”

Just a moment ago, he had been addressing him as “young friend,” and now he was suddenly asking to be called “Uncle Cui.” A truly seamless transition.

The second-place scholar understood Cui Yi’s implication. Though still somewhat unsure, he was clearly excited, and he immediately responded, “Uncle Cui!”

Cui Yi responded with an enthusiastic “Ah!” and beamed with joy.

Meanwhile, several other officials slowly strolled over, clearly intending to intervene and “steal the food from Cui’s mouth.”

【Strange? Why does this feel a little off?】

Xu Yanmiao stared at the system panel. Before he could figure it out, his stomach growled loudly again. He felt like he was going to starve into a paper-thin figure.

So, he decided to think as he walked toward a place with flowing water.

There, a group was fishing. The freshly caught fish were being turned into sashimi, fish soup, braised fish, steamed fish… all kinds of dishes.

And for those who didn’t want to fish, they could still eat.

Xu Yanmiao didn’t dare eat raw fish in ancient times, but he was craving some fish soup.

As he passed by Cui Yi and the second-place scholar, he overheard them laughing and chatting. One moment it was “virtuous nephew,” the next it was “Uncle Cui.” He found it a little strange.

【Is this what they call ‘hitting it off at first sight’?】

Cui Yi smiled slightly.

No, this was keen-eyed talent scouting.

He smiled warmly at the second-place scholar. “My dear nephew, I have a daughter who is still unmarried…”

A surge of heat rushed through the second-place scholar’s chest. He clenched his fists, his eyes shining. His mind raced through countless joyous yet appropriate words, and the heartfelt ‘Father-in-law!’ was already on the tip of his tongue—

【Huh?】

Just as Xu Yanmiao had turned the page to a fresh piece of gossip, a sudden voice echoed in his mind:

【But after his older brother got married, his mother still often entered his brother’s room at night without knocking to tuck him in. And since she was paralyzed, she had to be pushed in by her youngest son—which meant the younger brother frequently went in and out of his sister-in-law’s room…】

【Moreover, on multiple occasions, he actually walked in on their marital activities…】

Cui Yi’s smile froze.

The second-place scholar was still looking at him eagerly, just waiting for that “Father-in-law” to be acknowledged.

With an unchanging expression, Cui Yi said, “She has always longed for an elder brother. I originally intended to take you in as my godson, but now that I think about it, that would be inappropriate. That was a reckless idea on my part—my apologies.”

Then he turned on his heel and briskly walked away.

The second-place scholar stood there, dumbfounded.

Had he… misunderstood?

Did this high-ranking official not intend to take him as a son-in-law, but rather as a godson?

And now… he suddenly changed his mind?

The second-place scholar was completely bewildered. He hadn’t yet processed what had happened when he suddenly noticed another official in robes standing before him.

And behind that official, several others who had been planning to “steal food from Cui’s mouth” quickly scattered like startled birds, as if they had just seen something they wanted to avoid at all costs.

The second-place scholar: “?”

The second-place scholar asked in confusion, “Sir…?”

The official, unable to escape in time, gave him an awkward smile.

“Excuse me, please step aside.”

The second-place scholar: “What?”

The official kept a straight face.

“Excuse me, please move—I like to walk in a straight line.”

The second-place scholar: “???”