SBCEJM -Chapter 76 The Perfect Son-in-Law?

Xiao Juechen’s gaze swept across the grand imperial hall, passing over a sea of black official hats, before finally settling in a corner half-hidden behind a gilded dragon pillar.

There stood a thin-framed official. His robes were slightly faded from washing, yet his collar and cuffs were impeccably neat.

It was Chu Heng.

Chu Heng, upon hearing Little Lord Feng’s inner thoughts, was first stunned—then overwhelmed with gratitude.

He never expected that his insignificant, trivial efforts would ever be noticed, let alone praised so highly.

When Chu Heng felt the Emperor’s gaze upon him, he understood—his twenty years of obscurity had finally come to an end.

“Vice Minister of Revenue, Chu Heng.”

Xiao Juechen’s voice was not loud, yet it struck every heart in the hall with clarity.

Chu Heng’s body trembled slightly. He stepped out from behind the dragon pillar, his movements somewhat stiff, clearly unaccustomed to being the center of attention.

He walked to the center of the hall and knelt in salute.

“This subject is here.”

His voice was steady and neither humble nor arrogant—just like his twenty years of work.

Looking at the long-overlooked capable official below him, the Emperor had already made his decision.

“I…”

Just as he was about to speak, a voice suddenly exploded through the hall.

“Your Majesty! Please reconsider!”

Left Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, He Jingnian, stepped forward quickly.

He was famous for his uprightness and strictness, never hesitating to impeach officials, and held great prestige in court.

“Your Majesty, Lord Chu is known for his noble character. However, the position of Minister of Revenue concerns the very lifeblood of the nation—virtue alone is not enough!”

He Jingnian’s voice was loud and firm, his chest held high.

“Lord Chu is over fifty—he may lack the energy required for the role! I have another candidate!”

Xiao Juechen calmly looked at him.

“Oh? Let me hear it.”

A hint of pride flashed across He Jingnian’s face as his voice grew even louder.

“I recommend Assistant Minister of Rites—Wen Ruoyu!”

“This man is my son-in-law. In his prime, exceptionally talented, and will surely relieve Your Majesty’s burdens!”

No sooner had he spoken than a young man in a cyan official robe stepped out from the ranks.

He stood tall and straight, skin as fair as snow, his brows carrying a refined scholarly aura. The moment he appeared, he brightened the otherwise solemn hall.

What a truly elegant young gentleman.

Wen Ruoyu stepped forward and bowed deeply.

His movements were so precise they looked like they could be engraved into textbooks.

“Father-in-law overpraises me. Your son-in-law is still inexperienced and unworthy of such responsibility.”

His voice was warm and jade-like, polite and flawless.

Compared to the gambling official Wang Song from before, he was on an entirely different level.

The Emperor’s fingers paused on the armrest.

Young. Ambitious. Energetic.

Even his appearance was a plus.

On the surface, he indeed seemed like an excellent choice.

【Oh my, a handsome guy has arrived!】

Feng Zexuan became interested.

【System, scan him! Let’s see what secrets this so-called perfect son-in-law is hiding!】

【Host, please wait… scanning in progress… Preliminary report: top-tier appearance, excellent professional ability, recognized workaholic in the Ministry of Rites, flawless reputation among colleagues!】

【So perfect? I don’t believe it!】

Xiao Juechen also felt a trace of doubt as he looked at that impeccable face.

He spoke calmly, testing him:

“Wen Aiqing, you are quite young.”

“I hear your handling of documents in the Ministry of Rites has always been flawless, with no mistakes?”

Wen Ruoyu felt a surge of joy—his chance had come.

Maintaining his humble posture, he replied:

“Reporting to Your Majesty, I merely do my duty. No man is a sage; how could one avoid all mistakes? I too have had oversights.”

A textbook-perfect answer—flawless.

【Ah! Big reveal incoming!】

The system suddenly raised its voice.

【This guy appears gentle and refined, but in reality he is an extreme perfectionist!】

Feng Zexuan froze.

【Perfectionist? That’s it?】

【Heh heh, listen closely.】

The system let out a strange laugh.

【Every night at the hour of Hai, he locks himself in his study and reviews everything he did that day. If he finds even the slightest flaw—like not smiling sincerely enough at colleagues, or using the wrong word in a document…】

The system dragged its tone.

【He removes his hair tie, stands in front of a bronze mirror… and slaps himself hard across the face!】

The entire court, including Xiao Juechen, froze.

Slapping… himself?

Everyone’s gaze unconsciously drifted toward Wen Ruoyu’s flawless face, searching for any trace of bruising.

【Why doesn’t he have marks?】

【I don’t believe it,】 Feng Zexuan questioned.

【The host doesn’t know this,】 the system replied.

【He controls his strength and even powders his face with high-quality makeup before leaving the house—enough to hide redness while maintaining his perfect image.】

【What kind of weird habit is that?!】

【Exactly. He cannot tolerate any imperfection. If he makes a mistake in court, he punishes himself at home. If he doesn’t smile sincerely at his father-in-law, he punishes himself too.】

【The first time he accidentally hit himself, he found it relieved his anxiety. After that, he couldn’t stop.】

Xiao Juechen’s mind stirred.

A minister who maintains perfection through self-harm…

This was not a pillar of the state.

It was a double-edged blade—sharp, but fragile.

He Jingnian was horrified.

His son-in-law… had such a habit?

He had no idea.

But looking at Wen Ruoyu’s flawless face, it didn’t seem real.

Even if it were true, it only proved he was strict with himself!

Grinding his teeth, he continued:

“Your Majesty! My son-in-law is also a model of filial piety!”

“He treats me better than a biological son—visiting every month, caring for everything at home!”

【Filial piety?】

【Poor old man… being sold and still counting money for others.】

The system sighed sympathetically.

He Jingnian’s words abruptly stopped.

His smile froze on his face.

Xiao Juechen caught every detail of his expression and turned his cold gaze back to Wen Ruoyu.

Wen Ruoyu still wore that gentle, perfect smile.

But no one saw the nails digging deeply into his palm inside his sleeve.

Why did the father-in-law stop speaking?

At such a crucial moment, how could he lose momentum?

【Of course he has to act filial—otherwise how can he maintain the perfect son-in-law persona?】

【In reality he’s thinking: ‘This old man is so noisy… when will he finally die?’】

【And every time he thinks that, he goes home and slaps himself dozens of times for being “unfilial.”】

Feng Zexuan was stunned.

The entire hall went silent.

Everyone’s gaze shifted toward He Jingnian—pity, sympathy, or schadenfreude.

It was a silent, merciless public execution.