Chapter 14
“Bang!”
The Jingtai Emperor suddenly kicked the desk in front of him. Plates and bowls jumped and rolled across the table, clanging loudly. Everyone hurriedly fell to their knees, silent as if frozen by fear.
For a long moment, the only sound in the air was the emperor’s angry breathing!
[It’s over, it’s over! I knew I shouldn’t have said anything! But does the emperor care so much about his ministers? Does his love extend even to their associates? Still, Yu Lang is truly disgusting. Just because he encountered some noble girls while parading as a newly minted Jinshi, he treated them so shamelessly. Disgusting! Luckily, he’s dead. If he weren’t, I’d have to stab him myself! Scum!]
[Do people in this era care so much about a girl’s reputation? And he treats even his concubine like that—truly disgusting! Wait! That damned thing isn’t planning to use such pictures to threaten others, is it? Especially the wives and daughters of noble families…]
The Jingtai Emperor, who had been slightly relaxing, suddenly felt as if he were on a roller coaster of emotions, up and down in an instant. At this moment, restraining himself from raging further was already his greatest patience.
And that body of Yu Lang? “I’ll tear him to pieces!” he thought.
The surroundings fell silent. Everyone cautiously observed the emperor’s reaction, weighed down by the oppressive tension.
Finally, the Jingtai Emperor regained his composure and slammed the table violently!
“Impudent!”
Crash!
Those already kneeling properly now almost prostrated themselves completely. The emperor, like a master of clearing tables, swept everything off the desk to the floor—utterly disastrous.
“Yu Lang is lawless, perverse, vicious, a beast in human form! He deserves death!”
Relief washed over Jiu Que. At least the innocent girls wouldn’t be implicated by Yu Lang.
Once the emperor calmed down, he sent everyone to the side hall to stay. Although slightly inconvenient, at a time like this, who would dare say anything? Thus, Jiu Que and the others were able to sleep comfortably. The only one who couldn’t rest that night was Wei Yuan.
After the three left, Wei Yuan was secretly summoned back and recounted everything he had seen that day, which left the Jingtai Emperor in prolonged silence.
Though not present, the emperor could reconstruct the scene through Wei Yuan’s words. He already knew the rest, but hearing Jiu Que’s words comforting the neighbors in Tonghua Alley still shocked him a little.
The fact that Jiu Que returned without even dwelling on the matter showed that it was a simple, natural act for her—not surprising at all. But the crucial point: in this world, there are no officials who can truly remain separate from ordinary people. It’s fine in peaceful times, but before he became emperor, soldiers killing civilians for merit was not uncommon. Even during his struggle for the throne, one rebel army never worried about food shortages because they treated captured civilians as sustenance.
Regular work, then straight into the pot at mealtime!
Therefore, back then, ordinary people feared seeing soldiers and officials above all. Over the years, the Jingtai Emperor often wondered: whose world is this, really? Scholars always said the emperor is the Son of Heaven, acting as Heaven’s will. But if the world truly belongs to the emperor, why were the people he encountered in youth so irredeemably corrupt? At that time, the last emperor indulged himself in pleasure in the palace—couldn’t he see the nation was in chaos and the people suffering?
What about the ministers who assisted the emperor in governing the country? Why didn’t they see it either?
Although his thirteen years as emperor allowed him a comfortable life with real power—few dared to oppose him—he still shivered thinking of the misery of the previous emperor’s reign, often feeling trapped in helpless constraints.
So the question arises: why does Jiu Que, who has always lived in such a world, have such a different understanding? Could it be that living in a manor and never venturing outside would somehow make her more perceptive of the world’s cruelty?
Yet, Jiu Que, though often showing a resolute spirit, behaved unusually. Combined with that strange inner voice only she could hear, it seemed… it seemed like…
She is not from this world?
Then she must come from a world far better than this one—so good that a girl of marriageable age could still retain a pure, childlike heart. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have tucked away that picture so quickly.
Could it be that the paradisiacal realms spoken of by Taoist priests and monks actually exist?
Lost in these thoughts, the Jingtai Emperor felt his mind troubled and, seeing Wei Yuan kneeling properly, told him to leave for now.
“Continue the investigation tomorrow. Uncover all the dirty deeds Yu Lang committed!”
Wei Yuan hesitated to speak but said nothing, turning to leave.
However, Jiu Fu couldn’t resist speaking up while carefully serving the emperor tea.
“Your Majesty, Yu Lang is indeed vile, and hearing about him makes one furious. But he was ultimately the top scholar chosen through selection. If his misdeeds are made public, wouldn’t it tarnish the court’s reputation?”
The emperor rubbed his temple, dismissing the concern.
“Reputation? The court has no damned reputation! The only ones who suffer are a few examiners! And the Ministry of Rites! How could such a man be chosen? Are there no other talented scholars in this world?”
The Jingtai Emperor was pragmatic; he cared little about appearances. And how could innocent girls be denied justice for the sake of some supposed reputation?
Yu Lang should count himself lucky to be dead. Otherwise, the emperor would have torn him apart!
Calming down, the emperor glanced at the files uncovered by the Golden Armored Guards, particularly at Jiu Que’s deeds today, and couldn’t help but smile.
“This child did well indeed.”
Jiu Fu quietly took note of the name Jiu Que. Few people caught the emperor’s attention, and this little girl seemed remarkably fortunate. As the emperor’s chief eunuch, he had to keep close watch on the emperor’s likes and dislikes.
That night:
Though there had been commotion during the day, by late night, Tonghua Alley had mostly extinguished its lights. Yun Niang was one of the few who stayed awake, constantly glancing toward the door, her face marked by worry and tension unseen during the day. She paced back and forth, massaging her long, fair hands until they were red.
Previously, she had never noticed how responsible the official could be—still working late at night without rest…
Suddenly, in the dim light, a pair of hands held hers.
