EMHTC -Chapter 138 Risk and Investment

There was a vague sense among the Emperor and his ministers of the Da Xia Dynasty that today, more than one person might end up in tears.

Perhaps… perhaps we should just forget about this, Your Majesty? The Embroidered Uniform Guard is doing a fine job investigating! If the princess doesn’t want to marry, then she doesn’t have to! Surely, the royal family can afford to support a single princess!

The Emperor: Absolutely not!

The old emperor crossed his arms and coldly surveyed the scene.

I refuse to believe it! Out of so many people, is there really not a single decent one?

Xu Yanmiao lowered his head and looked at the next name on the list.

The moment he did, the officials felt their hearts tremble involuntarily.

But…

One glance at Liu Bingwen—who was practically seething with rage, glaring at his son-in-law with the intensity of a beast ready to tear him apart—and they couldn’t help but feel a lingering fear.

In truth, listening more wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. If Liu Bingwen hadn’t heard Xu Yanmiao’s inner thoughts, he wouldn’t have discovered that his youngest daughter had been coaxed into eloping. Though hearing it had been nerve-wracking, when trouble actually arose, it was better to be informed—

“Thank you, Little Baize!”

Xu Yanmiao was in a hurry to use the restroom but still couldn’t resist checking the system.

—It looked exactly like someone walking while scrolling through their phone.

As he skimmed through, his steps suddenly halted, his expression frozen in shock.

【No way…】

An official mumbled under his breath, “Could there be something even more absurd than before?”

That couldn’t be possible, right? “Killing the firstborn son” was shocking enough. Silently approving of one’s younger brother eloping with his sister-in-law was already outrageous. A mother tucking in her already-married son in the middle of the night? That was unheard of!

But even with all that, Little Baize hadn’t been this stunned before!

Before long, Xu Yanmiao moved again. He quickly dodged to the side, finding a spot where his figure was less visible, and then—

【HAHAHAHAHAHA—】

Loud laughter echoed in everyone’s ears.

The officials immediately perked up. One by one, they turned toward Xu Yanmiao, their eyes burning with anticipation.

That reaction—there was no doubt about it! This had to be pure entertainment! It had nothing to do with beheadings or clan extermination!

Many officials even requested wine, intending to drink as they listened.

—Unconsciously, a subtle divide formed between them and the newly appointed scholars.

Even the top three ranked scholars—Zhuangyuan, Bangyan, and Tanhua—who had received offers from numerous officials, now felt a strange sense of detachment.

“Strange…” The Zhuangyuan still maintained a smile, but inside, he was deeply unsettled. “Does having an official rank truly make such a difference?”

Gao He scratched his head.

For some reason, he felt like these officials weren’t just treating them differently—it was more like…

It reminded him of how, in the past, he would sit at family gatherings or among gossiping neighbors, listening to them discuss which house was getting demolished and rebuilt, who had caused trouble after drinking, why Li Ergou’s two sons got into a fight, how much money was saved up for marriage, and even… which woman was secretly seeing another man, or which seemingly honest man was actually a frequent visitor to brothels. They’d wave their hands animatedly, spit flying everywhere, peanut shells and melon seed husks scattered on the ground, all while taking swigs of wine, their faces flushed with excitement.

Gao He: “……”

He shook his head forcefully, trying to shake off the thought.

That couldn’t be right! These people were high-ranking officials! The Prime Minister and the Six Ministries’ heads controlled the fate of the nation!

【This year’s second-rank top scholar (Chuanlu) secretly accepted financial support from three different noble ladies—each of whom he hinted to that, once he made the list, he would return to marry her.】

—Chuanlu refers to the top scorer of the second tier of the imperial exam.

Oh-ho!

The officials sat up straighter, even more intrigued.

Three choices—so how was he going to deal with the remaining two? If he broke his promises, it would be a stain on his official record, a weapon his political enemies could use against him at any time!

Gao He: “……”

Why did it feel like they were just enjoying the drama?

It had to be an illusion! It must be!

【He has chosen one of the noble ladies and is now drafting letters to cut ties with the other two.】

【Tsk, shameless. And he’s not even returning the money.】

The Emperor and his ministers: Oh?

【LMAO, he thinks he’s the one making choices, but they’re picking too! HAHAHAHA!】

The Emperor and his ministers: Oh!!!

【The first lady is obsessed with looks. She recently found someone even more attractive and already regrets ever considering him. Since it was only an unspoken agreement, she can just deny everything.】

【The second lady is a merchant’s daughter who has recently become passionate about business. She plans to join the Merchant Council and now finds the idea of marriage premature. Hmm… so this is what they call “the first sword after reaching shore—cutting down the person you once longed for”?】

Although they didn’t quite understand the connection between “cutting off an old love” and “reaching the shore,” the Emperor and his ministers of Da Xia were thoroughly enjoying the drama.

And in their hearts, they thought: Wonderful! This will make a great story to tell our children and grandchildren in the future…

Hmm…

Officials have excellent memories. Even after thirty or fifty years, they could recall “old stories” with vivid clarity.

—Which was rather unfortunate for the people involved.

The good news, however, was that everyone had the chance to become one of those people. If everyone had a scandal, then no one was spared from being laughed at.

So, who cares! Ha, ha, ha!

“Huh? Scholar Liu, why aren’t you laughing?”

The last “main character,” Scholar Liu, twitched the muscles on his face slightly. Though he still couldn’t bring himself to smile, he managed to squeeze out a few words:

“Perhaps… I was simply born with a serious nature.”

【And now! The grand finale!】

Xu Yanmiao even added a dramatic “DUN DUN DUN DUN” sound effect in his head.

—Good thing he didn’t know that his inner thoughts could be heard by others. Otherwise, the Emperor’s mausoleum wouldn’t even need to be built—just let Xu Yanmiao stand on the construction site and nervously scratch his toes until a hole formed in the ground.

【Chuanlu, the noble lady you chose… in a way, you two are truly a match made in heaven!】

An impatient official nearly blurted out: “How so?!”

What did he mean by “a match made in heaven”?!

Could it be that the noble lady was especially virtuous and would remain devoted even after learning the truth?

Impossible! Absolutely impossible! If that were the case, where would the fun be?!

Xu Yanmiao wasted no time in revealing the answer—

—Because he was just as excited as everyone else!

【You thought having three ladies was a safe bet, but she thought investing in only one scholar was too risky—HAHAHAHAHA!】

【So over the years, she has funded SEVEN scholars heading to the capital for the imperial exam! Two disappeared without a trace, one took the money and broke his promise, one failed the exam and shamelessly tried to return to freeload but was kicked out, and another ranked too low—so the lady, still young, decided to keep looking. The remaining two are from this year’s batch!】

【Absolutely legendary!】

【And that other scholar? He’s just as amazing! Although he failed the exam, he managed to befriend a young marquis. Then—get this—he introduced the noble lady to the young marquis, and now they exchange letters every three days, deeply engrossed in conversation. Who even remembers who funded whom at this point?!】

【Hilarious! His reasoning? He felt guilty for failing the exam and disappointing the lady, meaning he couldn’t give her the life of an official’s wife.】

【Mainly, though, he had taken a lot of her money while eating and living off her, and he felt really bad about it. But after arriving in the capital, he was lucky enough to befriend the young marquis. After confirming that the marquis came from a respectable family, was still unmarried, and had good character, he told the lady about him and set them up.】

The Emperor and his ministers: (⊙o⊙)

Forgive them for being blunt, but they had only ever heard of scholars coming to the capital and either betraying a wealthy lady or marrying her in the end. The most dramatic cases involved scholars killing their lovers in desperation, only for the lady’s orphan to return eighteen years later to seek justice…

But a scholar romantically entangled with three noble ladies, a noble lady entangled with seven scholars, and even a failed scholar introducing his former sponsor to a young marquis?!

This was completely unheard of!

Truly astonishing!

This year’s imperial exam candidates—what other surprises do you have that we haven’t discovered yet?!

【WUHOOO!】

【The Surprise Box is here!】

【Opening—】

Xu Yanmiao was having a great time reading through the list and eagerly flipped to the next entry.

As for the previous candidate, while his mistakes weren’t severe enough to implicate his entire family, the old emperor still mentally crossed out his name.

Even if a man’s brother was virtuous, if the official himself committed a major crime, his relatives would be dragged down with him all the same.

No problem, though—there were still plenty of names left. Time to check out the next surprise box… Ahem! The next candidate!

【This time, it’s from the third-tier scholars. Rank 85… Oh ho, dead last!】

【The person under consideration is this scholar’s eldest brother.】

【As for his character… hmm. He has a strict daily routine—always sleeps at the hour of Hai (9-11 PM) and wakes up at the hour of Mao (5-7 AM).】

【He’s also honest—never keeps lost money he finds and never absentmindedly brushes people off in conversation.】

【He even studied medicine. Though not an expert, he can treat minor illnesses and even tends to the illnesses of pigs and cows in the neighborhood for free.】

【Hiss—】

【But the thing that tempts the emperor the most is… his ancestral home has excellent feng shui!】

Princess Xiangyang was fuming but dared not speak out: “If it’s so tempting, why don’t you marry him yourself?!”

—The emperor might not believe in fortune-telling, but he definitely believed in feng shui!

【Damn! This is tricky!】

Just arriving at the Qionglin Banquet, Princess Xiangyang looked absolutely exasperated and grumbled unhappily, “What’s so great about good feng shui? Maybe it’s good for him but bad for me!”

【Wait a minute! The emperor was actually worried that, despite the good feng shui, it might not be favorable for Xiangyang—so he secretly had the Imperial Astronomical Bureau check it?!】

Princess Xiangyang: “…”

Father! You really are my biological father!

She shot a sideways glance at her father, only to see him sitting up straight, listening intently. She couldn’t help but grit her teeth.

“He may not love money, but what if he’s a womanizer?! If I marry him, I’ll have to deal with a house full of mistresses!”

She paused for a moment, then suddenly smacked her forehead.

Her father had made her so angry that she had momentarily forgotten—princess consorts weren’t allowed to take concubines!

Even if a consort so much as held hands with a maidservant, as long as the princess wasn’t completely neglected, she could just go cry to her father, and he’d have the man thrown straight into prison!

—Take her sixth sister, for example. Her husband once drunkenly touched a maid’s hand, and her sister immediately reported it to their father. Without a second thought, the emperor had the man locked up, beaten, and kept in prison until her sister’s anger subsided. Once he was released, he behaved himself ever since.

—Of course, there were exceptions. If the princess herself allowed it, or if they had no children by the time the consort turned forty, then he could take concubines.

Princess Xiangyang thought it over and grew even more anxious. “No one is perfect! What if he’s just plain-looking?!”

She made up her mind—if he turned out to be unattractive, she would use that as an excuse to throw a tantrum at her father.

At that moment, Xu Yanmiao took a sharp breath.

【Hiss—】

【The old emperor not only evaluated character but also took looks into account. This man happens to be exactly Xiangyang’s type—fair-skinned, handsome, and not greasy.】

【He even worried that the consort might be too strong-willed and constantly argue with Xiangyang, but this man is gentle and docile. The emperor even complained to the empress that he’s as delicate as a young lady?】

Princess Xiangyang, who was just about to use “maybe he has a bad temper” as an excuse: “……”

She stomped her foot, almost exasperated beyond words. “I refuse to believe his family background is perfect too!”

【Wow. His family is known for strict discipline. For three generations, not a single man or woman has been irresponsible, cowardly, oppressive, or tyrannical.】

【Moreover, they never sacrifice their own family for the sake of outsiders—they only sacrifice themselves.】

【The household is also harmonious and full of warmth.】

Princess Xiangyang: “……”

【Oh no, what now?】

【The old emperor even checked their birth charts, so she can’t claim they’re astrologically incompatible!】

Princess Xiangyang: “……”

The old emperor leisurely adjusted his sleeves, a smug look appearing on his face.

Of course. He had carefully selected this match.

Xu Yanmiao was also growing anxious.

After all, this concerned his best friend.

But no matter how he searched, he couldn’t find any flaws. Sure, there’s no such thing as a perfect person, but finding a suitable husband for Princess Xiangyang wasn’t exactly a fantasy either.

【Still, we need to keep looking. Xiangyang can’t be this unlucky—what are the chances she’d run into him in this very imperial examination?】

Princess Xiangyang: “……”

Make up an excuse! Just make something up!

【Xiangyang did ask me to make up an excuse before… Let me think…】

【He has acne on his back—maybe that means he’s not in good health?】

Just then, a calm voice came from behind her:

“No problem. I can assign imperial physicians to be stationed at the princess’s residence permanently.”

Princess Xiangyang had been scheming internally, but on the surface, she immediately turned around with an innocent and obedient expression.

“Father.”

The setting was secluded—only the father and daughter were present, along with the hidden Jin Yiwei guards. No one else knew Princess Xiangyang was here.

The old emperor smiled at her, full of amusement. “Come, tell your father what concerns our dear Shengxian. I will handle them for you, one by one.”

After saying that, he ordered the Jin Yiwei, “Go summon Xu Yanmiao.”

Princess Xiangyang’s sense of crisis shot to the highest level.

She knew her father was giving her an ultimatum—if she couldn’t change his mind before Xu Yanmiao arrived, then her consort would be none other than this feng shui-blessed man.

She couldn’t rely on Xu Yanmiao now! She had to fight for herself!

“Father! I don’t like scholars! I like warriors!”

The old emperor smoothly responded, “Then I’ll issue an edict—he shall eat three catties of beef daily, lift iron weights for two hours, run half an hour in the morning, another half before bed, and train with the Jin Yiwei in the afternoon.”

“Ha!” Seeing Princess Xiangyang’s stunned and horrified expression, the emperor’s fatherly love overflowed. “My little girl is eager to marry, huh? If you really can’t wait, the martial examination is coming up soon. We can pick a husband from there—most families that send their sons to compete have them trained in martial arts from a young age.”

“Father! I don’t want children yet!”

“That’s fine. If the consort has no children by forty, he may take a concubine, and you can adopt the child as your own. If you’re in a hurry, he can take one earlier and have a child sooner.”

“I want a husband I can actually talk to!”

“You’re so sharp-tongued—who could you possibly not talk to?”

“I… I…” Princess Xiangyang blurted out desperately, “I like Xu Yanmiao!”

The old emperor: “?”

Right after she said it, a realization struck her like lightning.

Oh! Her father would never force Xiao Baize! If she insisted that she would marry no one but Xu Yanmiao, wouldn’t that mean… she’d never have to marry at all?!

【!!!】

Just then, Xu Yanmiao arrived and immediately shouted in horror:

“Your Majesty! I am unworthy!”

Each word was spoken with perfect clarity and absolute righteousness.

Princess Xiangyang: “……”

She silently turned to look at Xu Yanmiao.

I thought we were friends! Couldn’t you have at least covered for me? It’s not like I actually want you to marry me!

Xu Yanmiao—completely unaware of his special status—stood upright with a firm expression, as if he were submitting a party membership application.

【Are you kidding?! What if the old emperor had a moment of impulse and actually decreed the marriage?!】