EMHTC -Chapter 6 Yikes! The Emperor’s Question was too much for the Prince Consort to answer!

The old emperor ground his teeth in frustration.

This little bastard, relying on the fact that he is speaking his mind, dares to say anything.

The other ministers: “…”

They kept their eyes on their noses and their noses on their hearts, pretending they hadn’t heard anything.

Prime Minister Dou quickly glanced at Princess Wanshou, noticing that although she remained silent, the thoughtful expression on her face clearly indicated that she had taken Xu Yanmiao’s words to heart.

“…”

So, this is why His Majesty wanted to grant Princess Wanshou an official position?

Did he want Xu Yanmiao to wake her up?

Prime Minister Dou thought for a moment and felt…

It’s really something! Xu Yanmiao’s unfiltered words, even if others understood the reasoning, would never dare to speak them out loud to try and convince the princess. Only Xu Yanmiao could say such things…

【And the princess is too naïve and sweet. Duke Song is the founding Duke, the emperor’s right-hand man. The emperor would have to be crazy to force the Duke’s son to give up his bright future just for the princess’s marriage! This isn’t an alliance; it’s creating enmity.】

【If your Prince Consort is really so stubborn, the old emperor would just offer him gifts to placate him, and reassure Duke Song that this won’t affect their loyal relationship.】

【Only when he agrees will the emperor grant the marriage!】

The old emperor’s expression suddenly brightened.

That’s right. He had specifically asked Duke Song, and there had been no rejection of the princess, nor any mention of another love interest. That’s why he gave his decree for the marriage. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be so foolish as to create tension among his important ministers just for a princess.

Princess Wanshou was stunned for a moment, then turned to look at her father. Her trust in him made her accept Xu Yanmiao’s words without hesitation.

When her father was conquering the world, for a period of time, he had only one son, the current crown prince. The crown prince, young and inexperienced, once led an army into battle, and in an act of overconfidence, he caused three generals to be injured and killed while saving him. Her father almost killed the crown prince in a fit of rage—although he didn’t die, the prince’s leg was crippled, and he still limps today.

So…

Princess Wanshou suddenly realized.

What could she force from Duke Song’s second son? Could she really match the status of the crown prince?

Her mind wandered back to the moment when she had thought she was forcing the Prince Consort into marrying her.

Eight years ago, in the Da Bao Pavilion, beside the antique shelves, she was only sixteen. Disguised as a man, she secretly left the palace and cornered the second son of Duke Song, who had not yet married at the time.

The slender porcelain vase reflected the young woman’s fair and glowing face.

“Will you… marry me?”

Before this, they had met two or three times and had some conversations. The princess thought he had feelings for her. But she hadn’t seen the disgust in his eyes, only hearing him coldly reply, “I, of course, am willing,” and she happily ran off to ask her father for the marriage.

After marriage, the Prince Consort remained cold and distant. The princess, feeling hurt, reflected on it—perhaps it was her attitude and approach when she asked him that made him feel pressured?

But… what if that wasn’t the case?

With complicated emotions, the princess looked at Xu Yanmiao.

Could this person give her an answer?

Xu Yanmiao, coincidentally, had finished watching this backstory.

Afterward, he couldn’t help but let out a sarcastic comment.

【Oh, come on. He’s neither proactive nor rejecting, and definitely not responsible—this Prince Consort has mastered the art of indecision.】

【I thought the princess had directly asked the emperor to grant the marriage. Turns out she even asked the Prince Consort for his consent beforehand! I can’t stand people who are inwardly resentful but say “it’s fine, no problem” on the surface, making others think they’re happy about it, only to later stir up trouble and make the other person question if the issue is with them…】

【What’s wrong with him!】

Prime Minister Dou listened eagerly, his gaze subtly drifting toward the Prince Consort, internally urging: Curse more! Curse more!

Although Xu Yanmiao couldn’t hear anyone’s thoughts, Prime Minister Dou pretended to cheer him on in public.

The Prince Consort’s actions reminded him of a certain matter involving the Prince, which made him furious all over again!

Princess Wanshou was also struggling to catch her breath, feeling as though everything she had believed for the past eight years was being turned upside down.

So it wasn’t her fault?

She didn’t speak, but her dazed expression sent a chilling sensation through the Prince Consort.

Though no one in the room had said anything directly against him, the cold feeling that seeped into his heart triggered panic, and he felt as if he had fallen into an ice cavern.

It felt like something had changed.

The Prince Consort no longer appeared confident. He couldn’t hold back and weakly called, “Princess…” but then fell silent. He simply said her name, standing stubbornly with his back straight, as firm as bamboo.

The princess particularly liked his stubbornness. It tugged at her heart, and she bit her lip. The next moment—

“Father.” The princess quietly said, “No matter what, if he hadn’t become the Prince Consort, he could have had a great career in the government. I’ve ruined him…”

“You still want to plead for this beast?!”

“Yes…”

The old emperor was so furious that… he looked at Xu Yanmiao.

Go ahead, keep talking!

Xu Yanmiao was confused by the stare. He didn’t have much political experience, so he could only guess.

【The old emperor wants to save face and doesn’t want today’s events to spread. But a group of second-rank officials can’t just kill someone, so they might plan to kill a small official like me as a warning to others?】

The second-rank officials: “…”

Killing a ninth-rank official, does that even have any deterrent effect?

The old emperor was so angry he almost tilted backwards. He just wanted to poke Xu Yanmiao on the forehead and tell him: Stop overthinking political matters. With your scheming, you won’t survive three days in the court!

After getting angry, he immediately turned his head to the other side, pretending to casually look around.

【Eh? Looking at the Prime Minister again? Maybe he was just casually glancing earlier.】

The old emperor relaxed his expression but still felt uncomfortable.

Having been the supreme emperor for so long, he was now mentally unsettled by a mere small official.

But…

He still couldn’t bring himself to really kill Xu Yanmiao.

Xu Yanmiao could die, but if the artifact “system” that recognized him as its master sought revenge for him, could it bring about a disaster for the Great Xia?

Would Xu Yanmiao survive, manage to escape, and use the artifact to spread royal secrets, making the royal family a laughingstock?

Would there be other consequences that he couldn’t bear to see?

It might be better to maintain the current balance—though Xu Yanmiao might ruin their social reputation, his thoughts also brought them a fair amount of benefit!

The old emperor secretly persuaded himself, muttering a low “hmph” as he decided to be a broad-minded emperor and not argue with the younger generation.

He then sighed, thinking: “I wonder if Xu Yanmiao is still targeting the Prince Consort. My daughter’s naive brain really needed him to shake some sense into her.”

And Xu Yanmiao was indeed interested in the Prince Consort.

【Great potential?】

The rising tone made Princess Wanshou’s heart tremble. She had never been so afraid of one person before.

She almost wanted to raise her voice and question: “What are you trying to say with all this smooth talk?”

The old emperor tried not to appear too gleeful, but the corners of his lips just wouldn’t stay down.

Xu Yanmiao’s tone was puzzled—

【Is being good at writing, painting, and poetry really linked to achieving success in the political world?】

【And, becoming the Prince Consort prevents him from entering officialdom, but it doesn’t stop him from writing essays or discussing national policies. If he truly had political talent, wouldn’t his position as Prince Consort allow him closer access to the emperor and give him a chance to pass on his ideas?】

【Then it’s strange, isn’t it? After all these years, he hasn’t presented a single useful national policy. Why does he think that not being a Prince Consort would automatically lead to success?】

“Ha—”

The old emperor swore he wasn’t trying to laugh, but he just couldn’t hold it in.

That kid from the Xu family…

Princess Wanshou pressed her red lips together even tighter.

She searched desperately for something to rebut, but the more she searched, the more uneasy she felt.

There was no way—she couldn’t refute it! The Prince Consort hadn’t proposed a single policy in all these years.

He always spent his time with friends sightseeing and traveling. Others praised his calligraphy as exquisite, his poetry as free and open, his paintings as realistic… they even praised his height, looks, and character. But there was never any mention of his views on national governance!

“That guy?” The old emperor turned to look at the Prince Consort, giving a light hum. “Wanshou says you’re a talented person with no opportunity? I’m giving you a chance today. If you can answer my question, I’ll even consider lifting the rule that Prince Consorts can’t hold official positions.”

The Prince Consort smiled, full of confidence. “Your Majesty, please ask your question.”

Princess Wanshou’s eyes sparkled as she looked at her beloved.

The old emperor pondered, “I won’t ask you anything too difficult. Tell me, if I appointed you as the governor of a region, when should the mulberry, jujube, persimmon, and cotton be planted?”

The Prince Consort froze.

He thought.

Sweat began to bead on his forehead.

Princess Wanshou, once full of hope, now grew confused and suspicious. She bit her lip and couldn’t hold back, asking softly, “Prince Consort?”

The old emperor coldly remarked, “What’s this? You can’t even answer such a simple question, and you still dare to say becoming a Prince Consort has held you back?”

The Prince Consort’s throat moved, and he tried to argue, “Your Majesty, asking a scholar about farming… naturally, you won’t get an answer!”

“Is that so?” The old emperor didn’t even turn around, casually pointing toward the group of officials. “Come, tell him why I asked this question.”

“Oh…”

The old emperor heard a voice he couldn’t ignore and turned his head: “Xu…” He glanced at his finger and wished he could chop it off.

How did he end up pointing at this unfortunate soul? If he couldn’t answer, not only would he lose face, but all the hard-earned momentum would be lost!