Chapter 113 Jealous Again
In the morning, after Princess Huachao had eaten breakfast, she was secretly settled in an imperial manor in the outskirts.
Ying Xi didn’t pay much attention to properties. This imperial manor had no special features; the mountain where it was located was poor and broken, hard to sell, and didn’t have a single advantage.
Ying Xi gave earnest instructions before his sister moved in: “The residents on the mountain make a living by quarrying stone. Itâs said to be clanking all day long. They are doing hard labor, after all; though itâs autumn, most of the men are still shirtless.”
“You can see them on the mountain, and you might encounter them during an occasional stroll.”
“I know you don’t stick to small conventions, and your brother is not stubborn and fossilized either.”
“If you see them, you see them. You don’t need to take responsibility.”
[System: Pfftâ]
[System: You are so strange!]
Ying Xi was still not at ease and had Yu Lianjing fill five or six pastry boxes for the Princessâs maids to carry.
Ying Xi dispatched several guards to follow the Princess to the imperial manor for protection. The guards moved the luggage in large and small bags.
Ying Xi gave subtle instructions: “These young men are from clean family backgrounds and have cheerful temperaments. All are unmarried. If you find one you like, endure it until you return to the capital to report to me. You must not take them for yourself in advance.”
The Sweetie System clutched its non-existent stomach and almost cried from laughing.
[System: His Majestyâs ‘sex education’ is so subtle: what the hell do you mean ‘take them for yourself’???]
Even though Huachao was unrestrained at heart, her face heated up. “I know, Brother Emperor.”
Huachao boarded the carriage and said goodbye to Ying Xi at the corner gate of the palace.
She was so reluctant to leave Ying Xi that she jumped a few times on the carriage floor, waving her hand while her dress and hair all swayed fluffily.
She gradually disappeared from sight. Ying Xi shook his head.
[System: If you had patted her head just now, she would have been even happier.]
Ying Xi: “She was harmed by me.”
The Sweetie System was dazed. [System: Wasn’t that from your past life???]
Ying Xi: “Just last night.”
“A brave hero saves a beauty, fends off over twenty barbarian soldiers, but is scared away by five or six barbarian soldiersâthere is definitely a trick.”
The Sweetie System was used to it. [System: Oh.]
“Lang Xun.”
“Yes!”
“Go find out who saved the Princess last night and secretly follow that person. Don’t let yourself be discovered.”
Lang Xun left.
Yu Lianjing served Ying Xi as they walked back to the study from the corner gate.
Yu Lianjing was the best at reading expressions; he had already noticed that the Emperor had changed from being meticulous toward his imperial sister just now to being as cold as ice.
The reason was none other than the fact that His Majesty was still arguing with his ministers.
As long as His Majesty sat in the Weiyang Palace study, countless censors would come to offer advice.
Such a brilliant Emperor had also stirred up a hornet’s nest!
Yu Lianjing didn’t dare say much.
But he couldn’t just watch the Emperor being uncomfortable.
“Master led troops in the south and awed the world; military power is the most stable thing in your hand.”
“There are fifty thousand Dragon Martial Guards stationed in Chang’an and hundreds of thousands of Imperial Guards. To put it bluntly, those in court are just a group of scholars with no strength to truss a chicken. Even if they are noisy, what kind of waves can they stir up?”
Yu Lianjing rarely interfered in politics. Since he wanted to speak, it had to have an effect.
“This servant boldly jokes: please have the British Duke tie up the censors outside the study and give them each a few hundred whips.”
Ying Xiâs gaze narrowed slightly, and a faint smile appeared, vanishing in an instant.
He suppressed his emotions and deliberately put on a stiff face. “The campaign must still have a name.”
Yu Lianjing: “Although itâs nameless, itâs satisfying.”
â”Iâll kill them for you.”
A silhouette in the lantern market, tall and a bit foolish.
He was currently at odds with all the civil officials who held the power of personnel appointment; the thunderous army was the courage for all his decisions.
This servant will be loyal to Your Majesty forever.
Weâll share the osmanthus cake half-and-half.
Xiao Xi.
You are a faint-hearted ruler.
Xiao Xi.
Faint-hearted ruler.
When something started toward the good, Ying Xi would always consider its worst-case scenario.
He remembered the warmth in the lantern market.
He also thought of the sharpness of the Floating Dragon Sword.
Ying Xi lowered his eyes.
Yu Lianjing laughed at this time, “How many adventures have the British Duke and Your Majesty gone through together? Guarding Your Majesty alone to the new capital for negotiationsâitâs still talked about with great interest in the Imperial City.”
Yes, Ju-er was docile in this life.
Ying Xi felt slightly more at ease. “Do you think the British Duke is fierce?”
“The British Duke is very gentle.”
Ying Xi raised his eyebrows. “Is he gentle to you too?”
Yu Lianjing was scared to death. Being an enemy of the Emperor and being a love rival of the Emperor would both result in a miserable death.
Yu Lianjing didn’t want to be an imaginary enemy. “This servant is guessing. They say people who have the patience to raise small animals don’t have bad tempers.”
They returned to the study while talking. Early in the morning, a group of officials was kneeling outside the door.
What they said was the same old story. They said in unison, “âPlease Your Majesty reconsider whether the reform will shake the foundation of the country.”
“I know. Each of you go about your business.” Ying Xi entered the room.
Lang Xun returned earlier than expected.
After just a short while, he had investigated and returned to report: “In response to Your Majesty, it was Lu Zhuo. The son of Master Lu of the Ministry of Justice.”
Ying Xi had studied that list.
Who was on it was memorized in his heart.
He just felt it was as expected. “The Minister of Justice’s son is indeed a credit to his father; he hasn’t become an official yet, but heâs already learned how to frame someone.”
“It might not be entirely Master Lu’s fault.”
Lang Xun said mindlessly, “That trash ran to the brothel early this morning and called for wine as soon as he got inside. As he drank, he lost his sense of proportion. Before I could interrogate him, all kinds of words were coming out of his mouth.”
“What did he say?”
“He said he was scared to death last night. Those barbarians were truly savage. Fortunately, he has a good uncle-in-law who helped him pull strings, so now no one knows he deliberately had a chance encounter with the Princess last night.”
Yu Lianjing saw that the Emperor’s expression was very ugly.
Not to mention that Princess Huachao was the Emperor’s beloved sister, but just take Lu Zhuo’s actions.
The Princess was a young girl. If it were spread that she had been intercepted by dozens of barbarians, her reputation would be damaged, and she wouldn’t be able to avoid marrying the Barbarian King even if she wanted to.
Lu Zhuo was rotten to the core, Yu Lianjing thought.
Ying Xi said chillingly, “Who is his uncle-in-law?”
“Su Bei!”
Lang Xun said firmly, “He was showing off to the courtesansâthe former Prime Minister Su Bei.”
There was a long silence, and the name Su Bei was once again carved deeply into Ying Xi’s mind.
The noble families were all linked together.
Even if this person was no longer in the court, the interest group behind him was still there, and the opposition still looked to him as their leader.
To catch the thief, one must catch the leader firstâSu Bei must be eradicated!
Ying Xi wanted to “kill a chicken to warn the monkeys.”
“Command me. I will sacrifice the Su family to love you.”
Thinking of Su Xueyi’s words, it turned out the son had long since been rebellious.
Su Xueyi had a way to uproot the Su family; he was just waiting for him to compromise.
Ying Xi drew a big ‘X’ in his heart.
This kind of exchange was even more detestable.
Whatever ability they had, let the opposition bring it all out. Ying Xi thought stubbornly, My realm won’t fall into chaos yet.
“Extraordinary news! The Emperor has opened the Grace Exams to select scholars!”
“The list of recommendations circulating in the city is everywhere, but His Majesty didn’t appoint a single one.”
“From now on, everyone who wants to enter officialdom must participate in the imperial examinations. The chief examiner for the imperial examinations has also been determined.”
“The Emperor is truly a brilliant and divine Emperor. In this way, we also have the opportunity to enter court as officials.”
“Why aren’t you hurrying home to study?”
“…”
The imperial decree was issued from the Weiyang Palace study, igniting public opinion throughout the city.
During the review period, court ministers opposed it, but it didn’t pass; the Emperor firmly implemented it.
The Emperor no longer engaged in a tug-of-war with anyone. If standard methods didn’t work, he used non-standard methods.
When the Emperor completely declared war on the original official selection system, the court ministers realized they were now faced with two choices: cooperate or continue to oppose.
Either cooperate and participate in the imperial examination arrangements.
Or oppose and continue to offer advice to the Emperor.
The once blurred situation had to be split in two. Ying Xi assigned tasks to every department.
The timid court ministers, officials with weak backgrounds, and officials who truly came from humble backgrounds… one by one, they began working on the upcoming examinations.
The number of people coming to Weiyang Palace every day to express their refusal to cooperate became increasingly stable.
A shocking secret about the censor, He Lou, was discovered by Ying Xi.
The story of the filial son whose crying at a funeral drew birds was actually because every time before he cried loudly, he would tuck a handful of birdseed in his sleeve.
He would scatter it while crying, and the birds formed a habit. As soon as he started howling, birds would circle over his house.
He Lou came from a recommended background; the truth was so unbearable.
A large part of the censors felt they had been greatly deceived!
Bullshit ‘recommended’ candidates were all people of high moral character!
Perhaps on the contrary, it was those with corrupt morals and no learning who wanted to find a loophole to become minor officials that craved the path of recommendation.
Many censors flicked their sleeves and left after learning the truth.
The remaining stubborn opposition was only the noble families who did not want to lose their right to speak in court.
These people were all acquaintances. They looked at each other and knelt outside the Weiyang Palace study, and only then realized they had been peeled like a bamboo shoot by Ying Xi. In the end, their outer skins were stripped clean, leaving them completely exposed.
Ying Xi stood with his hands behind his back in the autumn sun and had Yu Lianjing read out the backgrounds and origins of the remaining stubborn faction in their presence:
“Lu Qianrun, from the Lu clan of Fanyang, recommended into the court. The recommender was the former Prime Minister Su Bei.”
“Wang Botong, of the Wang clan of Taiyuan, son of Wang Wan. Entered office through hereditary privilege and already holds a high position. His father was a student of the former Prime Minister Su Bei; he himself is a student of the current Prime Minister Su Xueyi.”
“He Nian, recommended background.”
“Su Qingtan, a disciple of the Su clan, ranked tenth in the sixth generation of the Su family.”
“Among his peers are Su Chiling and Su Baiyu, all of whom are among those offering advice daily.”
“…”
No explanation was needed after the reading.
It seemed as though invisible threads linked them together, finally forming an airtight net.
The big net trapped everyone.
Ying Xi stood outside the net coldly, watching the large fish thrashing about.
The fish resisted with all their might, yet they were trembling with fear, their intentions clear as day.
In a state where the Emperor had not deployed a single soldier, outside the imperial study, the remonstrating officials began to tear into each other.
“Reporting to His Majesty, this official was completely bewitched by others!”
“This official was not the leader either; the one who egged me on was Master Wang!”
Master Wangâs liver and gallbladder were nearly split with fear, and he hurriedly cleared himself:
“Your Majesty, we once gathered at the Su family residence to discuss how to prevent the cancellation of public recommendations. This official was just one of them.”
“Nonsense, when did my Su family ever host you all?”
“This official can testify!”
“This official also testifies!”
“Testify your mother.”
“How can such foul language be used before the throne?”
The remonstrating officials outside the imperial study turned from biting each other into a brawl. The supposedly refined ministers were scuffling together, and every now and then, someoneâs jade pendant or shoe would come flying out.
Lang Xun hurriedly blocked the Emperor. “Your Majesty, be careful.”
The Emperor watched with great interest. Not only did he have Yu Lianjing bring him a stool, but he also handled court affairs right outside the study, letting the officials coming and going see such ugly behavior.
It wasn’t enough.
This was far from enough.
Ying Xi thought that the crime Su Bei was currently committing was at most slandering court politics.
Moreover, a gathered discussion, relying solely on human testimony without a formal document or a mutual interest contract, did not constitute a chain of evidence for a serious crime.
To “beat the mountain to shake the tiger” or “kill a chicken to warn the monkeys,” using him as a sacrifice wasn’t quite enough to make the cut.
At most, heâd be beaten with a few dozen clubs and exiled for a thousand miles, which was quite boring.
Ying Xi often thought with regret: Why doesn’t Great Qin have surveillance?
It was a plot point that often appeared in ‘Overbearing CEO’ novelsâchecking the surveillance to distinguish right from wrong, like an eye hanging in the sky.
He needed this eye to hand him a murderous sword!
Ying Xi murmured cruelly:
“If surveillance were installed in the home of every official, I, as the Emperor, would feel a bit more at ease.”
[Ding-dong,] the Sweetie System corrected him. [Thatâs not allowed. Your Majesty would be violating their right to privacy.]
The Sweetie System had to explain the law to Ying Xi.
It was afraid that since Ying Xi was so powerful, if he really got surveillance from their system, would all the officials of Great Qin even be able to live???
The Sweetie System said seriously, [Except for the intelligence already disclosed by this System, please obtain confidential information in a reasonable manner. This System does not support the sale of cameras, surreptitious filming, or the recording of ‘bedroom’ DVs, and dissemination is strictly forbidden. Please use the System in a healthy manner.]
“What intelligence have you disclosed?” Ying Xi asked.
The actual situation was that some intelligence had already been downloaded during Ying Xi’s southern campaign.
The Sweetie System retrieved the data and displayedâ
[Su Xueyi: Full collection, full background story, bonus voice lines.]
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