SBCEJM -Chapter 62 Official Forced Marriage Edict in the Golden Court — My Father Protects His Daughter with Authority!

【This time, Concubine Liu finally couldn’t hold back.】

【She grabbed the broom from the corner of the wall and swung it straight at Wu Zhifeng.】

【As she hit him, she cried and cursed: “You ungrateful wolf! I was blind back then! I never should’ve raised you all these years!”】

【Wu Zhifeng kept shouting “ow ow,” but his body didn’t dodge properly at all.】

【The system quietly remarked that in places Concubine Liu couldn’t see, he was being hit—but instead of pain, he actually let out a relieved breath, even the corners of his mouth curling into a satisfied smile.】

Feng Zexuan staggered while holding a basket of persimmons. The “silence fee” in her arms nearly spilled everywhere.

【I… I really can’t understand this.】

【What is wrong with this world? Someone is desperately taking revenge, and the target actually enjoys it.】

【Someone is trying hard to make amends, but the so-called son feels uncomfortable instead—he only feels at ease after a beating.】

【To put it bluntly, he’s just a useless, depraved fool.】

Feng Zexuan steadied herself and continued walking with the persimmons.

【If he were actually capable, successfully usurping the identity and becoming the young master of the Grand Commandant’s mansion—with power and wealth—he’d probably end up turning around and torturing Concubine Liu to death instead.】

【Unfortunately, right now he has nothing at all. He can’t even keep a place to live without relying on Concubine Liu.】

【Sigh, this world really is a giant shabby stage play.】

She looked up at the moon in the sky, only feeling its light was filled with absurdity.

……

The next day, Golden Court.

All officials stood with heads lowered, forcing themselves to stay awake through the long and tedious reports.

On the dragon throne, Emperor Xiao Juechen’s fingers tapped absentmindedly against the golden armrest, showing faint irritation.

His gaze drifted over the ministers and landed on a figure at the very end of the line.

A court editor—“Feng Zexuan’s elder brother,” Feng Zekai’s name was written in the roster as Feng Zexuan.

At this moment, that little head was bobbing up and down, already drifting off into some unknown dream, his soul clearly wandering somewhere in a melon field.

A faint smile appeared on Xiao Juechen’s lips.

In this dull hall, only this kid could provide a bit of entertainment.

【Host, wake up! Stop sleeping! Big news is about to drop!】

Feng Zexuan jolted upright instantly.

At that moment, a plump official squeezed out from the civil official ranks, wheezing as he stepped forward.

Every step made his second-rank official robe strain tightly, fat shaking as if about to burst through the fabric.

Minister of Revenue—Zhao Defu.

【Oh, the empire’s money bag has arrived.】

【Look at that body—he can barely walk a few steps without panting. Did he treat the national treasury like his private kitchen and have midnight snacks every night?】

Hearing this lively inner voice, Xiao Juechen’s irritation faded, and his tapping fingers stopped.

Something interesting was about to begin.

“Your Majesty! This minister has a memorial to present!”

Zhao Defu’s voice was heavy and loud, his multiple chins trembling violently with every word.

“Speak,” Xiao Juechen replied calmly.

Zhao Defu cleared his throat and adopted a righteous expression.

“Your Majesty! Population is the foundation of the nation! With population comes taxes, and with taxes comes soldiers! This is the greatest national priority!”

“However, in recent years, women’s willingness to marry has declined. Many women of marriageable age remain unmarried in the capital, showing no intent to wed. This trend must not continue! If it does, the nation will collapse!”

Feng Zexuan’s eyelid twitched.

【Here it comes—official forced marriage policy has escalated all the way to the Golden Court?! You even made marriage into a KPI?】

【Whether girls marry or not—how is it any of your business? Do you live by the sea? Why are your hands in everything?】

On the dragon throne, Xiao Juechen remained still, waiting for the continuation.

Zhao Defu suddenly raised his voice, spitting as he grew emotional.

“I believe merely imposing heavier taxes is far from enough! It is like scratching an itch through boots!”

“For the sake of the nation and its future, I request Your Majesty issue an edict: the government shall directly intervene in women’s marriages!”

He paused, scanning the hall, then dropped the real bombshell.

“All women aged seventeen and above who are not yet married must be registered by the state and assigned husbands! Government-arranged marriages are natural law—no refusal, no excuses allowed!”

Silence fell over the Golden Court.

Clang!

A sharp sound echoed through the hall.

Someone’s jade tablet slipped from their hand and hit the floor.

That sound became the trigger—instantly igniting the entire court.

“Absurd!”

A furious roar came from General Zhen’guo, Liu Yancheng.

His eyes were wide with rage, beard trembling as he glared at Zhao Defu like he wanted to devour him on the spot.

“How dare you treat the women of our dynasty like livestock for breeding?!”

The general’s daughter had just turned seventeen—he was genuinely enraged.

“That’s right!”

“My daughter’s marriage is not for you to dictate!”

Several generals with daughters of marriageable age immediately echoed him, all furious, hands already gripping their sabers.

“Minister Zhao, you are overstepping!”

Feng Huai’an stepped forward as well, holding his jade tablet, expression stern.

“Forced marriages lead to discord! Marriage is about mutual affection and consent. This violates moral teaching and human ethics, and will surely cause public outrage and destabilize the nation! Your Majesty must reconsider!”

In his heart, Feng Huai’an was already cursing Zhao Defu a thousand times over.

If this fat pig succeeded, wouldn’t his own daughter Feng Zexuan be forcibly assigned a husband too?!

【Well said! My father is 2.8 meters tall today!】

【Isn’t this just treating people like livestock for breeding? Government-assigned marriage? What if you get a hideous brute, a domestic abuser, a pervert, or even some eighty-year-old dying man? That’s a life ruined instantly! This isn’t marriage policy—it’s pushing people into a dead end!】

Xiao Juechen observed the court coldly as the ministers argued fiercely.

Zhao Defu, however, showed no fear. He even sneered, his bulky body radiating arrogance.

“General Liu, Lord Feng, you are only thinking of your own interests! Where is the national interest?!”

He straightened his neck.

“It is precisely because of people like you that women today grow increasingly willful and refuse marriage, corrupting social values! My proposal is not for myself—it is for the dynasty’s century-long stability!”

The atmosphere in the court shifted.

Some officials without daughters—or those happy to see rivals suffer—began whispering.

Finally, officials aligned with Zhao Defu stepped forward sarcastically.

“I think Minister Zhao’s words, though extreme, are not without reason. Extraordinary times require extraordinary measures. Some personal sacrifice is reasonable.”

“Yes, if it benefits the nation, why not implement it?”

With voices joining in, the situation reached a stalemate.

Xiao Juechen remained silent.

He was waiting—for that voice that always brought him surprises.

Feng Zexuan was furious enough to explode.

【This fat bastard! All wrinkles and rotten ideas, yet acting so righteous! He doesn’t look like anything good!】

【A Minister of Revenue pushing population quotas shouldn’t come up with such vicious, immoral ideas! There’s definitely something wrong here!】

【System! Dig into him! Dig deep! I want to see what filthy motive is hidden under that hypocritical skin!】

【Understood! Initiating deep scan… Beep! Target locked!】

All officials who could hear the voice subconsciously held their breath.

Even the emperor straightened slightly, eyes locked sharply onto Zhao Defu.

【Host, this Zhao Defu is so eager to package and distribute unmarried women because…】

The system deliberately dragged out its tone.

【Ah, it’s because of a very… very personal reason.】