Chapter 9: Whoa! Actually Spitting Blood from Anger!

【The eldest of the Wen family is the Crown Prince’s attendant. The second is a censor. The third… oh, right! The third was once a bandit who later joined the Xia army. During the war, he claimed to protect the Mausoleums of the previous dynasty but actually looted them and sold off the treasures.】

【I remember the Mausoleums that were looted…】

The Minister of Rites placed great importance on the desecration of these Mausoleums.

—It was because of the third Wen brother that he later strived so hard to advance in the Ministry of Rites.

Hearing about it again, his face still showed a look of indignation. Syncing with the inner voice, he whispered, “The Tai Mausoleum of Emperor Taizu of Zhou, the Xiao Mausoleum of Emperor Gaozong of Zhou, and the Royal Mausoleum of King Yuan of Zhou and his concubine Lady Jiugu.”

The Minister of Personnel, usually timid, joined the discussion, his face turned an angry orange by the morning sun.

“Five hundred years ago, the Chu royal family was weak, hiding in the South while foreign tribes ruled the Central Plains. The Five Barbarians ravaged China, and the six tribes of the Western Barbarians took over the nine provinces, plunging us into three hundred years of chaos and darkness. It was Emperor Taizu of Zhou who rose from obscurity, expelled the barbarians, and restored China. Wen Xingai’s desecration of the Tai Mausoleum is truly hateful!”

“And Lady Jiugu,” the Minister of Rites said, feeling deeply saddened. “She was an extraordinary woman. In the final years of the Zhou dynasty, when the country was in turmoil and bandits were rampant, she persuaded King Yuan to form an army to protect the people. When the bandits were about to invade the city, she wielded an iron staff to fight them off, causing the enemy to flee in disarray. She later sacrificed herself for the city, leaving only a plea to spare the people. The citizens later collected her remains. Eventually, the rebels who occupied the area restored Lady Jiugu’s Mausoleum to win over the people and even added some burial items for her. Yet, none of this escaped the greed of that beast.”

【Unexpected, right? Wen Xingyi, the third son of the Wen family, has an only son, his precious treasure! Surprisingly, this son is deeply resentful of his father’s actions. He gave up a promising future to travel around, repairing tombs, and willingly became a tomb guardian.】

【Tsk, tsk, how the wheel of fortune turns! Heaven spares no one!】

Digging deeper into such matters often reveals the unexpected. Wen Xingyi’s son paid for these repairs out of his own pocket and never sought recognition for his efforts.

This was the first time the officials learned that the young master of the Wen family had been quietly doing such commendable work.

“A bad tree produces good fruit!” the Minister of Revenue quipped. “Imagine the determination it took for the young master of the Wen family to go against his ancestors.”

The comment was cutting.

In an instant, the officials burst into subdued laughter.

Someone added, “Is the Wen family intent on being enemies of tombs?”

The laughter grew louder.

Though it didn’t reach Xu Yanmiao, it was more than enough for Censor Wen to hear.

The best gossip is always about people you know. The smaller the place, the faster rumors spread. The widow from the east side of the village is involved with the fool from the west side. The scholar from the south is secretly with the butcher from the north… This is far more thrilling than tales of unknown emperors or generals in tragic love stories. Villagers love to sit under the big banyan tree and gossip.

The officials in the court weren’t much different. Discovering their colleagues’ scandals made them even more enthusiastic.

However, for the one being gossiped about, it was far from pleasant.

Censor Wen could no longer maintain his stern and upright demeanor, his face full of anxiety.

He mentally noted the faces of the officials whispering and gnashed his teeth.

Just wait, I don’t believe any of you are flawless!

【Wow, there’s more…】

Xu Yanmiao’s inner excitement was palpable.

Censor Wen was extremely agitated.

Can you stop already? Why are you so fixated on other people’s families? Can’t you respect others’ privacy?

What my family does is none of your business!

But Xu Yanmiao couldn’t hear his thoughts.

【Wow, wow! Their fourth son actually…】

All the civil and military officials craned their necks, instinctively looking toward Xu Yanmiao.

The vein on Censor Wen’s forehead throbbed, a surge of blood rose from his chest, and he…

“Pfft—”

＊

Xu Yanmiao’s inner voice paused.

He looked up in confusion, seeing a commotion in the front but not knowing what had happened.

So he nudged the secretary from the Ministry of War, “What’s going on up there? I spaced out for a moment and missed it.”

Xu Yanmiao suddenly became excited, “Could it be the legendary death remonstration? Is Censor Wen planning to crash his head and threaten the emperor to make the princess submit to her husband?”

A major scandal!

The secretary from the Ministry of War had a complex expression that Xu Yanmiao couldn’t decipher.

Fortunately, the secretary was a kind person and patiently explained, “Censor Wen spat blood. Maybe an old ailment flared up.”

“Oh.” Xu Yanmiao believed it. He nodded, then belatedly asked, “So, about the husband-wife hierarchy…?”

The secretary from the Ministry of War paused briefly before saying, “Probably, no one will stand up for that anymore.”

Dying for the country is noble, but dying for some irrelevant ex-husband is not worth it.

For example, Censor Cui.

He glanced fearfully at the unconscious Censor Wen on the ground, his lips curled in a superior smile.

Fool, going head-to-head with Xu Yanmiao? Don’t you know he has loads of intel? He knows everything, even what you don’t. If you don’t want to become a laughingstock, you’d better keep quiet.

Luckily, I chose to protect myself. Otherwise, it might be two people lying on the ground, spitting blood.

Suddenly, the emperor asked from the throne, “Cui Yi, what do you think of my handling of Liu Yi?”

Cui Yi shivered and quickly replied, “Your Majesty’s decision is fair and just. The former concubine insulted the princess, thus insulting the royal family. Claiming he intended to rebel is not unfounded.”

The emperor continued, “But I see some merit in Censor Wen’s argument. The husband-wife hierarchy is a societal norm. Is my interference not a sign of tyranny?”

Cui Yi forced a smile, “In a common household, a wife destroying her husband’s family is a significant matter. But in the court and the royal family, this is trivial. Is it worth bringing to the court to argue over?”

The emperor raised an eyebrow slightly.

Cui Yi continued, “Moreover, we are your Majesty’s subjects, high officials supported by the military and the people, receiving imperial favor. If we don’t consider how to relieve the emperor’s burdens and serve the people, but instead get entangled in whether a family adheres to the husband-wife hierarchy, it’s absurd!”

He took a step forward, his voice booming, “If the court’s daily discussions are all about this, what a joke we would be! We would become worthless people, mere parasites!”

Xu Yanmiao almost slapped his thigh.

Brilliant! Cui Yi is really good at talking, expertly saving himself.

I wish I could learn to speak like that. If I could, maybe I’d win the emperor’s favor too.

The emperor was pleased and waved his hand, cutting off Cui Yi’s continued expressions of loyalty. “Since that’s the case, the original verdict on the Duke of Song’s family will stand. Report to the Ministry of Revenue later. You will be an assistant minister. Coincidentally, Princess Wanshou is also at the Ministry of Revenue, serving as a secretary.”

Cui Yi hadn’t noticed that Princess Wanshou was also present at the court today. Hearing the emperor’s words, he suppressed his urge to criticize a woman in office and cautiously said, “Thank you, Your Majesty, for your kindness.”

He added, “So the princess is a secretary, managing the entry and exit of documents.”

Afterwards, Cui Yi respectfully saluted Princess Wanshou from afar, saying, “I look forward to your guidance in the days to come, Your Highness.”

Cui Yi was no naïve university graduate; he fully understood the emperor’s underlying message.

— It was simply an order to support Princess Wanshou in the Ministry of Revenue. Fine! Support her he would!

The emperor was even more pleased.

Meanwhile, Xu Yanmiao, the university graduate, continued to pester his good colleague: “What rank is an Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Revenue?”

The secretary from the Ministry of War replied dully, “From Fifth Rank.”

Xu Yanmiao, in his clear but foolish way, remarked, “Being demoted from Regular Fourth Rank to From Fifth Rank isn’t much of a drop.”

The secretary from the Ministry of War explained, “Well, it’s not that simple. Censors hold a unique position with the privilege of submitting unsubstantiated reports based solely on rumors. However, an Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Revenue is much less glamorous.”

Xu Yanmiao nodded eagerly like a pecking chicken. “I get it! From heaven to earth.”

The secretary from the Ministry of War was speechless.

Well, that wasn’t entirely wrong.

There wasn’t much else of importance in the court session, so it soon adjourned.

— Many officials were somewhat disappointed, having hoped Xu Yanmiao would reveal more juicy details.

The emperor, feeling victorious, rode his palanquin to the Wuying Palace to review documents. He was in a great mood.

Without lifting his head, his eyes glued to the documents, he said to the chief eunuch, “Why haven’t you brought the empress’s soup yet?”

After an awkward silence, the chief eunuch stammered, “Your Majesty, there is no… no soup.”

The emperor abruptly looked up, eyes wide in disbelief. “Impossible! The empress sends soup every day after court.”

The chief eunuch hesitated, then braced himself and said, “Your Majesty, there really is no soup.”

The emperor raised his voice, insisting, “Impossible! It must be on its way. You lazy old servant, go and check.”

The chief eunuch hurriedly obeyed and tiptoed out. The emperor, satisfied, continued reviewing documents. After a while, the hall door opened again, and the emperor looked up to see the chief eunuch returning empty-handed.

“Where’s the soup?”

“Your Majesty, I went to the empress’s chambers, and she said…” The chief eunuch was too scared to wipe his sweat and could only stiffly repeat, “She said if Your Majesty wants soup, you can ask the kitchen to make some.”

The emperor slammed the table, his face full of indignation. “How dare she!”

“All this for an unfaithful maid? The nerve!”

The emperor fumed, “I’ve been too lenient with her!”

He clenched his pen, “I’ll see if she can stay calm if I don’t visit her palace!”

He continued reviewing documents. An hour later, he looked up, “Has the empress come to apologize?”

“No, Your Majesty.”

“Very well.” The emperor nodded calmly and continued with his work.

Two hours later.

“Has the empress come to apologize?”

“No, Your Majesty.”

“Mm…” The emperor fidgeted, stretching his legs and hands, glancing at the window.

Three hours later.

“Has the empress come to…” The emperor paused, slammed his pen down, and stood up, pushing his chair back with a loud scrape. “Prepare my carriage for Jiao Fang Palace! I want to see if she really defies the heavens!”

…

Princess Wanshou, holding her official seal, entered the palace, intending to discuss her new position with her father. Finding him absent from Wuying Palace, she nervously asked a guard, “Where is my father? Hmm? Jiao Fang Palace? I’ll go there; you needn’t follow.”

She walked to Jiao Fang Palace, puzzled by the lack of guards at the entrance.

As she approached, she overheard her father’s faint voice inside.

“Don’t be mad. If you don’t want her killed, how about exile?”

“Fine, fine, no exile. We won’t exile her. She can enter the palace…”

“Alright, alright, she won’t enter the palace either! Whatever you want. Once she gives birth, she can retire to a life of seclusion. We won’t hold it against her!”