Chapter 7: Yay! The Protagonist Answers!

Xu Yanmiao never expected the old emperor to have so little confidence in him.

A relaxed smile appeared on the young man’s face.

“As a prefect, one must understand how to encourage farming and mulberry cultivation, balance taxes and labor, conduct fair taxation, perform respectful sacrifices, administer justice with leniency, honor filial piety, care for orphans and widows, and promote talented individuals.”

Encouraging farming and mulberry cultivation is one of the assessment goals for a prefect, but if one does not even know when to plant crops, how can one encourage farmers to cultivate?

The Prince concubine’s chest heaved a few times, his eyes red with humiliation.

These trivial matters could be handled with the help of a knowledgeable subordinate; why must he, the prefect, understand them? The emperor was clearly making things difficult for him for the sake of his daughter!

The young man’s eyelashes fluttered slightly as he continued in a cheerful tone, “Moreover, His Majesty believes that mulberry, jujube, persimmon, and cotton are vital to the people’s survival. As early as the fourth year of Tiantong, on the day Jiachen of the first month, he decreed that any mulberry and jujube trees planted after the first year of Tiantong would be exempt from taxes, demonstrating His Majesty’s emphasis on agriculture. You aspire to be an official but are unaware of such decrees and have not familiarized yourself with His Majesty’s preferences. Yet you still think you’re a talent gone unnoticed?”

Not satisfied with just speaking, he continued his internal monologue.

【Besides, to be an undiscovered talent, one must first have talent.】

【Talent is like pregnancy; it can’t be hidden.】

The old emperor favored Xu Yanmiao’s outspokenness!

A quick glance from the young man to the accompanying chief eunuch was all it took. The chief eunuch took note: upon returning to the palace, remind the master that this person deserves a reward!

The more the old emperor looked at Xu Yanmiao, the more pleased he became, and he also breathed a sigh of relief.

He was overthinking it. Xu Yanmiao, being an official in the Ministry of Personnel responsible for issuing documents, should naturally be well aware of any decrees, whether new or old.

Relaxed, he drifted off for a moment.

“Xu Yanmiao, randomly select a region and tell him when to plant mulberries, jujubes, persimmons, and cotton.”

Xu Yanmiao: “…”

The old emperor: (smiling)

Xu Yanmiao: “…”

The old emperor: (starting to panic)

Could it be… he doesn’t know either?

The old emperor mentally slapped himself: Why did you have to open your mouth!

The next moment, Xu Yanmiao calmly said, “January, March, May, July.”

Minister of Revenue: “Huh?”

No way, how did he remember it differently…

At the same time, the Prince concubine looked skeptically at Xu Yanmiao, “Is that right?”

Though he didn’t know much about farming seasons, those times sounded off.

“Is there a problem?” Xu Yanmiao’s question was smooth and confident.

And without any mental hesitation—

【Luckily, although I don’t know when to plant mulberries, jujubes, persimmons, and cotton, the Prince concubine doesn’t either! As long as I can fool him, it’s fine.】

Others: “…”

So you’re just making things up?

Seeing Xu Yanmiao’s confidence, the Prince concubine began doubting himself.

Could it really be that way, and he was just ignorant?

Xu Yanmiao maintained his composure and even nodded slightly.

Yes, it’s your ignorance!

He wasn’t afraid of being exposed. After all—

【No way, no way, there wouldn’t really be a minister who’d embarrass the emperor by pointing out my mistake, right?】

Minister of Revenue: “…”

He had already stepped forward and bowed, making such a large gesture that he couldn’t pretend nothing had happened.

But, no worries.

Without pausing, he raised his voice, “Your Majesty! I believe the Prince concubine, who doesn’t even understand farming seasons, shamelessly claimed that the princess delayed him. This is… extremely shameless! Blaming the princess unjustly, I believe the Prince concubine should be severely punished!”

The Prince concubine swallowed dryly, looking at the Minister of Revenue, feeling both infuriated and inexplicably aggrieved.

What did I do to offend you? Why are you so eager to step on me?

＊

With a nod from the old emperor, the guards pressed the Prince concubine to his knees. The old emperor suppressed his impatience and turned to Princess Wanshou, “What do you think?”

This was the last chance.

The old emperor thought, if this daughter remained stubborn and insisted on pleading for Liu Yi, he’d lock them up together and let them be a pair of mandarin ducks.

Princess Wanshou was silent for a moment, then lightly closed her eyes and said, “The Prince concubine deceived me, I ask father to make the decision.”

The old emperor burst into laughter.

Liu Yi’s face turned pale with shock, almost blurting out, “Princess, you—weren’t you always going to like me?”

Princess Wanshou chuckled, suddenly finding it ridiculous.

So, he knew she liked him. As Xu Yanmiao had said, knowing she was infatuated with him, he acted with impunity.

The claim of unrecognized talent was false, his high moral character was false, enduring humiliation was false! Everything was false! Then what had she been silently enduring and feeling guilty for all these years?

“Father, I am tired and wish to return to the palace to rest for a few days.”

With permission, Princess Wanshou turned and left. As her skirt swayed, a jade pendant fell from her waist, unnoticed by her but noticed by the Prince concubine.

Later, she vaguely heard the Prince concubine seemingly picking up something and shouting something about “It’s you,” “Lantern Festival night,” “Little girl,” “Ten years ago,” “Mistaken identity”… but as she walked further away, she could no longer hear clearly.

＊

The next day at court, Xu Yanmiao and Princess Wanshou faced each other.

Princess Wanshou, dressed in official attire, looked bewildered and uneasy.

Xu Yanmiao was stunned, “Princess Wanshou?”

What was she doing here?

Princess Wanshou slightly lowered her head, half covering her face with her sleeve, and helplessly said, “Father said that the emperor’s word is golden. Since he appointed me as a clerk in the Ministry of Revenue yesterday, I should at least visit the office for a few days. So, he had people wake me up at dawn.”

Dawn, between three and five in the morning.

Xu Yanmiao looked at her sympathetically.

Congratulations, welcome to the working class!

Noticing she didn’t look well, he asked, “Did the princess not rest well last night?”

Princess Wanshou pressed her somewhat sore eyes and nodded, “I didn’t sleep at all.”

Speaking of which, she was full of grievances.

Even if she was disappointed in the Prince concubine, she had still just experienced a real heartbreak. Initially, she had been grieving, sad, and upset in her palace, gazing at the moon and crying, unable to sleep. Suddenly, a group of palace maids burst in, saying, “Your Highness! His Majesty wants you to attend court!” She was completely caught off guard.

After a chaotic half-day of putting on official attire, tying her hair, and wearing a hat, she hurried through most of the rear palace, barely catching her breath, arriving just in time for assembly.

All her melancholy was gone; she was just very sleepy and wanted to lie down and sleep well.

Xu Yanmiao sympathized even more but said nothing, simply bowing silently.

When the court session began, Xu Yanmiao glanced over and saw Princess Wanshou struggling to stay awake but not daring to sleep.

【This princess is quite earnest, actually forcing herself to stay awake.】

Xu Yanmiao couldn’t help but admire her.

【We’re at the back of the lineup, relatively hidden. If you’re really exhausted, closing your eyes briefly won’t get noticed. And there’s no need to worry about missing anything important; these court sessions are meaningless for minor officials like us. In earlier dynasties, officials below the fifth rank didn’t even have to attend regular court sessions. The old emperor just couldn’t stand officials sleeping in, so he expanded the attendance!】

Princess Wanshou glanced at him with tears in her eyes, thinking: you really are a good person.

Not only did he help her resolve her issues with the Prince concubine, but he also taught her how to slack off!

However, with everyone at court hearing this, she didn’t dare to sleep at all!

Thus, during the court session, Princess Wanshou struggled to keep her eyelids open. As for the Prince concubine… sleeping was completely out of the question now.

Although Xu Yanmiao didn’t sleep, he was adept at daydreaming, waiting for the eunuch to announce the end of the session.

Then, they were both startled awake by the same voice—

“I heard that His Majesty imprisoned Prince concubine Liu yesterday on charges of treason. I have something to say.”

“First, as the husband, the Prince concubine is the head of the household. If the Prince concubine deceived and mistreated his own wife, how can he be charged with treason?”

“Second, if it wasn’t treason, then the case of the Duke of Song’s family should be reconsidered. They shouldn’t be stripped of their titles and exiled. This is a light crime with a heavy punishment, disrupting justice.”

“Third…”

Several other officials also stood up, addressing the emperor, elaborating at length. Their main point was that since the princess was married to the Prince concubine, she should fulfill her wifely duties by being gentle and obedient, treating her husband as supreme. She shouldn’t seek her family’s help at the first sign of conflict, causing her husband to be imprisoned and her in-laws to be demoted to commoners, which was against ethical norms.

Xu Yanmiao was astounded.

He elbowed the clerk from the Ministry of War, who silently turned his body and moved a few steps away.

Xu Yanmiao didn’t give up and continued to nudge him until the clerk had no choice but to whisper, “What do you want?”

Didn’t he see that the emperor was on the verge of exploding after hearing those officials?

Xu Yanmiao whispered back, “Do you know who those stubborn old men speaking up are?”

The clerk from the Ministry of War didn’t want to answer. He wanted nothing to do with these matters.

But Xu Yanmiao’s relentless pestering finally made him speak—

“Those men are censors from the Censorate…”

The clerk squinted towards the first one who spoke, pointing him out.

“He is Cui Yi, the Right Vice Vice-Minister of the fourth rank. He’s quite a legend, truly a farmer’s son, who often had no food at home during his studies, surviving thanks to neighbors’ help. He’s different from those who call themselves farmers’ sons but come from families that hire tenant farmers.”

“Cui Yi… Cui Yi…” Xu Yanmiao muttered, “This name, I should have seen it somewhere.”

The clerk’s eyes widened in shock, squeezing out a frightened whisper, “Why… why not… just forget it…”

But it was too late.

After a moment of contemplation, Xu Yanmiao’s face lit up with realization.

Thus, the furious emperor, the impassioned Cui Yi, and the ministers trying to avoid the emperor’s wrath heard a loud thought—

【Cui Yi! Isn’t he the one who’s henpecked? Half a month ago, he got drunk and didn’t come home at night. His wife was furious and declared that he went out to mess around and threatened to kill him. Cui Yi was so scared he didn’t dare go home, fearing his wife would ambush him outside the office. He pretended to be sick, took sick leave, and hid in the nearby mountains, living like a wild man for several days.】

【No wonder he’s shouting about the husband being the head of the household so loudly…】

【People always crave what they lack.】