SBCEJM -Chapter 73 Ultimate Boomerang! Minister Zhao Dug His Own Grave!

Six days later, the Golden Throne Hall.

Zhao Dequan had specially changed into a brand-new official robe. He stood proudly with his belly out and chin raised high.

He stepped forward in a wide, confident stride and bowed toward the dragon throne where Xiao Juechen sat.

“Your Majesty! This minister has fortunately not failed his mission. The newly implemented ‘official arranged marriage’ policy has been successfully trialed in my household! The results prove it is highly effective and has received an enthusiastic response! Everyone in my residence is deeply grateful for Your Majesty’s boundless grace!”

His voice was loud and spittle flew as he spoke.

“Now that the pilot has been a complete success, I humbly request Your Majesty to implement this policy across the realm to solve the marriage difficulties of the common people. This is truly a great deed for the present age and a blessing for future generations!”

After speaking, he glanced around at the officials, his eyes full of smug satisfaction.

The court officials’ hearts sank.

Many of them had unmarried daughters or sons yet to wed, and upon hearing this, their faces turned green.

Especially the Minister of Personnel—his precious daughter was already twenty and still unmarried!

This old man was really trying to force everyone to their deaths!

Just as the court simmered with anger but no one dared speak, a thin figure stepped out from the civil official ranks.

It was the Director of the Ministry of Rites, Qian Qian.

Holding his ceremonial tablet, Qian Qian bowed to the emperor and spoke clearly:

“Your Majesty, I have something to report.”

Xiao Juechen raised his hand slightly, signaling him to continue.

“I have heard Minister Zhao’s words and am deeply puzzled.”

Qian Qian spoke neither humbly nor arrogantly.

“According to Great Xia law, all marriages must be registered in the Ministry of Rites’ Household Registry Office to be considered valid.”

“However, yesterday I personally checked all marriage records from the past six days in the capital registry office—and found no entries related to Minister Zhao’s household.”

The moment these words fell, the court first went deathly silent—then erupted like a bomb.

All eyes turned toward Zhao Dequan—shocked, gleeful, or disbelieving.

The emperor’s heart lit up with joy.

Good! Excellent! Finally, someone has handed me a way out!

He feigned surprise.

“Oh?” he said, looking at Zhao Dequan. “Minister Zhao… what is going on here?”

Zhao Dequan’s smile froze.

His entire body went numb.

How was that possible?

He clearly remembered going to the registry office the day after his son’s marriage and registering everything in the household.

He had even bribed the officials there heavily to keep it quiet.

How could there be no record?

“Nonsense!” he shouted, his rationality collapsing. He pointed at Qian Qian angrily.

“You insignificant Director of the Ministry of Rites! How dare you slander me! Your Majesty! I swear on my life—I absolutely did register everything!”

“If you don’t believe me, send someone to retrieve the registry books and confront me in court!”

He looked utterly righteous, as if deeply wronged.

But Qian Qian was prepared. He calmly took out a thick ledger and presented it with both hands.

“Your Majesty, this is the original marriage registry from the Household Registry Office of the Ministry of Rites for the past month. Please inspect it.”

The eunuch Wang Dehai hurried forward, took the book, and respectfully placed it on the imperial desk.

Xiao Juechen flipped through it slowly—page by page.

His expression revealed nothing, but inwardly he was already delighted.

Well done! This performance is getting better and better!

He closed the book and said to Wang Dehai, “Take it to Minister Zhao.”

Wang Dehai carried the ledger over.

Zhao Dequan snatched it immediately and began flipping frantically.

His fingers turned white from force; the edges of the pages crumpled in his grip.

He flipped from back to front, then front to back again.

His small eyes widened, sweat pouring down his forehead.

Nothing…

Nothing at all!

Not a single name!

His blood felt like it was flowing backward, and all he could hear was his own pounding heartbeat.

“No… impossible… this is absolutely impossible!”

He muttered, his face turning from red to pale, then finally ashen.

At that moment, the previously silent officials suddenly came alive.

The Duke of Zhen Kingdom was the first to step out.

“Your Majesty! Zhao Dequan has deceived the emperor! Even his own household trial failed completely, yet he still tries to push this harmful policy across the realm—this is clearly malicious intent!”

The Minister of War followed immediately.

“Yes, Your Majesty! He is treating imperial decree as a joke and gambling with the life-long marriages of the people! If he is not punished, how can law and order be maintained?”

“Please punish Zhao Dequan!”

“Please abolish this absurd policy!”

The hall erupted with accusations, shaking the Golden Throne Hall.

Feng Zexuan stood in the crowd, already laughing internally.

【Hahahahaha! Amazing! Truly amazing! He set the fire himself and burned his own eyebrows! I hereby name this the—Ultimate Boomerang Technique!】

【You wanted to cause trouble? Now you’ve dug your own pit and have to bury yourself in it!】

Hearing this cheerful inner voice, the corners of Xiao Juechen’s mouth twitched upward.

He coughed lightly to hide his amusement, then slammed the imperial desk.

“Silence!”

The hall instantly quieted.

He looked coldly at Zhao Dequan.

“Minister Zhao, do you have anything to say?”

Zhao Dequan trembled, unable to speak, only shaking his head in despair.

“Good. Very good.”

The emperor gave a cold laugh.

“Since you so strongly support this policy, I shall fulfill your wish! I hereby declare: the Zhao household pilot has failed, and punishment shall be carried out according to the policy!”

“Zhao Dequan’s son, Zhao Tiansi, along with all eligible unmarried males of the Zhao family, shall be conscripted and exiled three thousand li to the northern border for military service. Without imperial decree, they shall never return to the capital!”

“All unmarried women of marriageable age in the Zhao household shall immediately be assigned marriages by the Ministry of Rites and must be wed within three days!”

Three thousand li of military exile?

Never returning to the capital?

His precious son—pampered, weak, unable to lift a finger—was to be sent to the freezing, war-torn northern frontier?

That was a death sentence!

“No! Your Majesty! Please, no!”

Zhao Dequan suddenly snapped back to reality and crawled forward, banging his head on the floor repeatedly until blood appeared.

“Your Majesty, have mercy! I only have one son!”

“I beg Your Majesty to withdraw the order! I will offer all my family wealth—everything—just spare Tiansi!”

He wept and sobbed, completely stripped of his dignity as a minister.

Xiao Juechen looked down at him expressionlessly.

“Minister Zhao, are you negotiating with me? These are the rules you yourself established.”

One sentence sealed all escape routes.

Zhao Dequan collapsed to the ground, completely broken.

He knew the emperor was determined to use his son as a warning to the court.

Family wealth… still not enough?

Then what did the emperor want?

Or rather—what did the emperor truly desire?