EMHTC -Chapter 3 Vegetables in winter are treasures!

What could they do about it? Since they couldn’t stop hearing the thoughts, all they could do was adapt. But seriously—how on earth did Qin Guiren manage to entangle herself with the Crown Grandson and end up as a consort in the palace? Spill it already!

The court officials thought in unison: This suspense is killing us!

Even the most formidable officials, who could make the court tremble with a single stomp, were left helpless, waiting for this minor ninth-ranked official to slowly finish his steamed bun, leisurely wipe his mouth and hands, and finally open the “artifact” he possessed.

【Damn it, why doesn’t the system provide images or videos? I’d kill to know how stunning Qin Guiren really is.】

Xu Yanmiao stared intently at the juicy gossip revealed by the artifact in his hands, his face full of regret.

The system had used elaborate words to describe how delicate and beautiful Qin Guiren was. Yet, where visuals were expected, there was only a blank space, leaving him to rely on his imagination.

【No family background, no power, no means to make a living—no wonder the Crown Grandson, while confessing his feelings, arrogantly assumed she had nowhere to go. Such a pity, though. Qin Guiren’s resolve to escape from him was so strong back then that she directly relied on her looks to enter the residence of the Grand Princess as a dancer. Later, she caught the Emperor’s eye when he visited the residence.】

【Feeling that, since she had already left her beloved, it didn’t matter who she ended up with, she chose to enter the palace with the Emperor.】

【When the Crown Grandson finally tracked her down again, he discovered his grandfather had swooped in and stolen her away. Out of his mind with rage, he stormed into the palace during morning court like a lunatic! Tsk tsk, what a reckless move.】

The officials thought: This isn’t lunacy; it’s full-blown madness.

What was he relying on? His status as the Crown grandson? Did he think that was enough to protect his entire family from annihilation?

The court officials couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed by the drama.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Rites overheard some colleagues whispering: “I always thought the Emperor forcibly took the Crown Grandson’s mistress, but it turns out Qin Guiren entered the palace willingly?”

“Yeah, who would’ve thought? I assumed the Emperor was just being a player at sixty-something years old.”

The murmurs went on and on.

The Minister of Rites thought: …Ever since we started hearing that low-ranking official’s inner thoughts, the tone of court discussions has completely shifted, as if it’s being dragged somewhere uncontrollable.

“Infuriating! Absolutely infuriating!”

The old Emperor’s voice echoed angrily through the palace halls as he stormed into a chamber, the courtiers keeping their heads down, terrified of being the target of his wrath.

The Emperor flopped into a cushioned chair opposite the Empress.

“Empress, you wouldn’t believe the nonsense our troublesome grandson has caused! He dared to barge into the inner palace and consort with one of my women!”

“And now! The entire court knows about it!” His voice rose to a furious pitch, practically shaking the hall.

Empress Dou raised an eyebrow and asked calmly, “Could it be that Xu…”

The Emperor snapped, “It’s him! The man can’t even focus during court sessions, only paying attention to gossip and scandals! If I catch him slacking off again, I’ll have him flogged thirty times!”

The Empress, with her hair slightly disheveled and the dangling pearl earrings swaying gently, walked over to massage the Emperor’s temples. His furrowed brows gradually smoothed out, and he leaned back in the chair, his anger slowly dissipating.

After a moment of silence, the Emperor suddenly said, “I’ve thrown Qi’er in the dungeon.”

The Empress’s face showed a trace of reluctance, but she still said, “Qi’er has indeed been spoiled; it’s good to temper his character lest he causes even greater trouble in the future.”

The Emperor hummed in agreement and added, “As for that wretched woman, once she gives birth to the great-grandson, I’ll have her executed. Considering her contribution to the royal lineage, I won’t let her suffer the pain of being flogged to death.”

The hand massaging his temples froze, and even the faint fragrance from her attire seemed to retreat.

The Emperor straightened up, perplexed. “Empress?”

The Empress’s expression softened, but the hint of unease in her eyes deepened.

“Your Majesty, Qin Guiren is also pitiable. Could you spare her life and have her shave her head and become a nun at Tianzhen Temple, spending her days praying for the royal family?”

The Emperor blinked, incredulous. “Pitiful? She dared to disgrace the inner palace! She must pay the price!”

The Empress maintained her serene tone. “If Qi’er hadn’t pursued her in the first place, if he had sought to make her his legitimate wife, or if he had let go after she entered the palace, would she have ended up in this situation? In my opinion, though she was at fault, her crime does not warrant death.”

The Emperor, now livid, shouted, “Am I at fault for being cuckolded?”

The term “cuckolded” originated from a tale in the previous dynasty. A foolish emperor, enamored with a minister’s wife, would visit her whenever her husband was away. The gatekeeper would wear a green hat as a signal that the coast was clear. When the affair was exposed, “green hat” became synonymous with a man being cheated on.

The Empress met his gaze, her tone unwavering. “So, for the sake of the royal family’s reputation, she will live out her days as a nun, devoid of any joy or pleasure.”

The Emperor grumbled, “A temple provides food and shelter—hardly a punishment.”

But the Empress remained firm, even instructing a senior maid to bring Qin Guiren to a side chamber for protection. Furious, the Emperor stormed off, bellowing, “You’ve gone too far!”

When he returned to court, his anger exploded at the slightest mistake from any official.

Xu Yanmiao quietly minimized his presence, relieved once more that he was only a minor official at the back of the assembly, unlikely to catch the Emperor’s ire.

【What’s gotten into him? Did he swallow a bomb?】

【We didn’t make you a cuckold, so why take it out on us?】

All the officials silently nodded in agreement.

After realizing what had happened, the officials avoided eye contact, looking at the sky or the ground but never at the Emperor sitting on the golden platform.

The old Emperor: “…?”

The chief eunuch beside him noticed the Emperor’s expression and nearly stumbled in fear.

What’s going on? Why did the Emperor’s temples suddenly bulge with veins? Who made him this angry? The last time the Emperor caught someone in the act of infidelity, he didn’t look this furious.

…Speaking of which, how did the Emperor suddenly learn about the Prince’s and Qin Guiren’s affair in the rockery?

The chief eunuch was confused.

The old Emperor took a deep breath.

I’m not angry, I’m not angry, I’m not angry… I won’t stoop to the level of the previous dynasty’s emperors, secretly convicting people for my own twisted purposes!

And…

The old Emperor silently thought of the name “Xu Yanmiao,” furrowing his brows as he remembered the solemn court session from half a year ago, when Xu Yanmiao’s thoughts had first been exposed.

It was the revelation of a fraudulent drought in Shandong.

For years, the Emperor and some central officials had believed that Shandong had been suffering from droughts, which prompted the court to send relief supplies. Shandong officials reported droughts, and scholars from Shandong attending the imperial examinations spoke of it as well. No one questioned it until Xu Yanmiao’s voice pierced through:

【Shandong officials have been pocketing disaster relief funds for over a decade! Shandong’s officials are truly something else! They’re usually so quiet, but when they make a move, it’s a huge one!】

The court and the public were shocked.

The Emperor sent spies to investigate…

Well, after the investigation, the officials from Shandong were found guilty, and the entire region was swept clean. During that time, anyone who passed the imperial examination could be sent to Shandong as an official, as many positions had opened up after the purge.

This was also when the Jinyiwei (Embroidered Uniform Guard) was established. This department was tasked with gathering intelligence for the Emperor and keeping an eye on the officials.

Over the past half year, the Emperor had learned a bit about Xu Yanmiao.

It seemed Xu Yanmiao was an ordinary man, but he had the rare fortune of being chosen by the artifact “System” to view the world, like the mythical beast Baize. However, the artifact seemed damaged, allowing Xu Yanmiao’s thoughts to be overheard.

But not everyone could hear him—only those with an official seal or the Imperial Seal could hear Xu Yanmiao’s thoughts. Even the Prince, without an official seal, could not hear them.

Xu Yanmiao was uncontrollable and would reveal many dark secrets.

A fleeting flash of killing intent passed through the old Emperor’s eyes.

Meanwhile, Xu Yanmiao, oblivious to the danger approaching, happily continued flipping through gossip.

【Ah, the King of Nanyue plans to rebel against our Great Xia? He’s contacting Minyue and Dongyue about it?】

【Has he lost his mind? So eager? He should at least wait until the old founding generation dies out before making a move.】

The old Emperor shifted uncomfortably on his throne.

The chief eunuch leaned in: “Your Majesty?”

The Emperor cleared his throat. “As the year end approaches, the officials have worked hard. To show my appreciation, each of you will receive two taels of winter vegetables. May you continue to serve diligently and not slack off.”

The chief eunuch’s pupils contracted, swallowing nervously.

Winter vegetables? Such a rare delicacy! They were only grown in the special plots near the hot springs, and usually only the Emperor, Empress, and Crown Prince could enjoy them. On rare occasions, they were given to high-ranking ministers, but now they were being distributed to minor officials from the ninth rank?

And two taels for each of them?!

The chief eunuch ordered a junior eunuch to carry out the task, his heart sour with envy.

He had served the Emperor for decades and never received any winter vegetables. Yet, these low-ranking officials—what did they do to deserve such a gift?

Soon, the winter vegetables were distributed to the officials, and waves of gratitude filled the air.

Xu Yanmiao, after kneeling to receive the gift, stood up and stared at the slightly yellowed, wilted vegetables in his hands. For once, he had no thoughts to share.

Beside him, the Minister of the Army, whose face was streaked with dried tears, sniffled and even dared to speak to Xu Yanmiao.

“Xu Lang,” the Minister of the Army said, with a pointed look. “The Emperor’s favor is truly great. This winter, only Prime Minister Dou received the Emperor’s reward of winter vegetables, and even then, it was only half a jin…”

Above, the old Emperor had yet to hear Xu Yanmiao’s thoughts. However, he had his own suspicions.

“Are you so moved that words fail you?”

The Emperor looked toward Xu Yanmiao’s position, raising his brow with a smug smile.

“Moved, aren’t you? You should be! The winter vegetables that even I can barely bring myself to eat—aren’t you grateful enough to serve me with your life?”

At that moment, another basket of winter vegetables passed in front of the Emperor.

Usually, such rewards would be sent to the officials’ residences after the court session, but the Emperor, having risen from the lower ranks, knew better than anyone the value of “honoring someone’s face” and “bestowing glory.”

Handing the reward directly in front of all the officials, instead of delivering it later, would make it far more meaningful!

Didn’t you see that some officials were so moved they almost fainted?!

The Emperor, feeling a mix of pride and pain, watched the scene unfold.

He didn’t want to give away so many winter vegetables, but…

The things Xu Yanmiao revealed in his thoughts… were truly a delight.