I can only beat noobs.

Chapter 285: Ginger is still spicier when old

"Thank you for your grace."

Chen Ming was about to kneel down. The emperor himself had come to help him up; such respect for a scholar was certainly something he should do, and he should act accordingly.

Halfway through the prayers, I realized I couldn't continue.

The old eunuch who had been following behind the emperor said in a high-pitched voice, "His Majesty's word is law, and he has granted you the privilege of being exempt from the kneeling ceremony. Do not repeat this mistake in the future."

Although it was a reprimand, the tone was not harsh; it was more like a reminder.

Is this for real?

Chen Ming was somewhat surprised, thinking it was just for show.

Politicians are all actors; can you really take what they say seriously?
"Yes."

He lowered his head and responded with a sound of agreement.

The emperor was even more pleased to see that he neither appeared overwhelmed by the favor nor trembled or walked on thin ice. Instead, he remained calm and cautious in his words and actions.

Chen Ming felt a little uneasy under his burning gaze. Could it be that His Majesty the Emperor had a fetish for that kind of thing?
This was the first time a man had ever stared at him like that. If the man before him hadn't been the emperor, he would have already drawn his sword and killed him.

The emperor was unaware of his thoughts. At this time, he was eager to find talented people, and now that he had encountered such a peerless general, he naturally had to show kindness and compassion.

"You have won first place in this trial. According to tradition, you may ask me for a reward, such as a divine skill manual or a peerless weapon. Alternatively, if you have someone you love, I may grant you a marriage."

He didn't make this statement without reason.

When Gu Xianyu reached the seventh floor, he secretly asked the eunuch to check the person's information, and he actually found out quite a lot.

This includes Gu Xianyu's past refusal to marry, which most likely means he had someone he liked.

The emperor thought he could take this opportunity to do someone a favor, and that this exceptional military talent would surely be grateful to him for it.

At that moment, Chen Ming suddenly remembered the princess's suggestion and hesitated.

To be honest, he hadn't really thought about getting first place; that would be too flashy. Getting third place would be enough to satisfy the Gu family.

Once the Gu family's surveillance of him loosens somewhat, he'll immediately level up his cultivation to reach the first rank, then make a hasty escape. He'll change his appearance so the Gu family can never find him again.

However, plans can't keep up with changes.

Who knew that so many things would happen during the trial, he was actually given a free pass and cleared the level directly.

This was quite a show of force; the emperor himself came over to help him up, looking at him as if he were a priceless treasure.

At this moment, in front of so many nobles and high-ranking officials, to say to His Majesty that I have already had our wedding ceremony with your betrothed concubine—I really don't know how the emperor will react.

The promising young talent I just set my sights on has been cheated on?

For a supreme emperor, this would likely be an indelible disgrace, and he might even be so enraged that he secretly sends someone to kill him.

Chen Mingcai wouldn't do something that would offend people.

There's no need for him to bring this up. He'll surely be reminded of it by someone close to the emperor after the banquet.

Chen Ming pondered for a moment, then an idea came to him. "Your Majesty," he said, "I have always enjoyed interacting with people—"

Before he could utter the words "exchange of skills," a voice interrupted him, "This humble subject has something to report to Your Majesty."

Xia Shaowen?
Chen Ming immediately recognized the voice, his heart tightened, and he turned his head to look. Sure enough, he saw Xia Shaowen stand up and bow in their direction.

broken!

He already guessed what his cheap father-in-law was going to say.

The emperor turned to look at the speaker, as if listening intently, and smiled, "So it's Chief Xia. Come to think of it, I should call you uncle. No need for formalities. We can discuss this matter after it's settled."

Xia Shaowen said loudly, "Your Majesty, what I want to say is related to this Gu Qilang."

"Oh?"

The emperor glanced at Chen Ming beside him and said, "In that case, it is approved."

Chen Ming couldn't help but want to cover his face. This emperor really didn't have even the most basic sense of vigilance.

At the very least, we should wait until everyone else has left before talking about it privately.

Now, among the many ministers present, I wonder how many are waiting to see us make a fool of ourselves.

Xia Shaowen was determined to escalate the situation, so he spoke loudly without any restraint, "Your Majesty, my daughter—"

"Cough cough!"

At that very moment, two soft coughs came from behind the curtain of the dragon throne.

Suddenly, the scene became so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

All the ministers looked behind the curtain and lowered their heads.

Xia Shaowen swallowed his words.

This shows the imposing presence of the person behind the curtain.

A woman's voice rang out, "Your Majesty, it is getting late. Today's banquet ends here. Let all the ministers and nobles go back to rest as soon as possible. I am tired. We can talk after everyone has left."

"I will obey the Empress Dowager's decree."

The emperor answered respectfully and saw the Empress Dowager off behind the curtain.

Then, the old eunuch beside him announced the end of the banquet for the day, and that the rewards for the trial and the imperial decrees would soon be delivered to their respective residences.

……

Chen Ming never expected that it would be the Empress Dowager who helped the Emperor out of his predicament. This was different from the rumors.

I heard that the Emperor's faction and the Empress Dowager's faction were fighting fiercely in the court, almost to the point of life and death. But at this critical moment, the Empress Dowager not only did not kick the Emperor while he was down, but also took the initiative to protect his face.

At least from the outset, the two truly appeared to be a loving mother and filial son.

It can only be said that this empress dowager had an extraordinary vision; she fought political battles, but still managed to maintain the dignity of the royal family.

After all, once the matter was brought to light in public, not only would the emperor lose face, but the entire Jin royal family would also lose face.

In the end, only the emperor, Chen Ming, and Xia Shaowen's family remained in the main hall.

Even the eldest princess has left.

There was a clear hint of regret on her face when she left.

Chen Ming noticed this and thought to himself, the rumors are really unreliable. His sister, who should be of one mind with him, is hoping that her brother will lose face.

Ironically, it was his stepmother, who was his apparent enemy, who helped him out.

Even the emperor, who might be slow to notice, had sensed something was amiss. His expression changed from relaxed to serious. "Chief Xia, you can speak now."

Xia Shaowen said in a deep voice, "Your Majesty, my daughter and the seventh son of the Gu family have already completed their wedding ceremony several months ago. Therefore, I humbly request Your Majesty to grant my daughter's blessing and bestow a marriage upon them!"

The emperor's face twitched violently, and his hands trembled slightly beneath his sleeves. Even though he was mentally prepared, the news still shocked him greatly.

The concubine he was about to marry had actually gone through a wedding ceremony with someone else?

The man she married was a brilliant military talent he had just chosen. He planned to give him important responsibilities and train him well, so that he could use him to clean up the mess in the northern frontier in the future.
The others watched the reaction of this supreme man of the Great Jin Dynasty.

Mrs. Xia was filled with anxiety and held her daughter's hand tightly.

At that moment, Xia Mudan had no thoughts in her mind; she simply stared blankly at Chen Ming. She had thought she would never see him again in this lifetime.

Unexpectedly, things took a turn for the better, and a new opportunity arose.

When the moment came, she wasn't afraid anymore; at worst, it would just be death. On the road to the underworld, she would be with her father and mother, and he would be there too—what was there to fear?
Xia Shaowen was the most certain, because he understood men. He was gambling: for a ruler of a country, was the granddaughter of the Prince of Yan more important, or a peerless military talent?

What Chen Ming was thinking about was, what if the emperor turned against him? How could he escape?

He wasn't worried that the emperor would immediately have them executed; the emperor always had some sense of shame. At most, he would wait until the storm had passed before letting them disappear quietly...

"Is there such a thing?"

The emperor tried his best to remain calm, but his slightly trembling voice betrayed him, revealing that he was extremely agitated. "Why didn't anyone tell me?"

His voice was somewhat cold; at this moment, he finally possessed the imposing aura of an emperor.

"It is my dereliction of duty, Your Majesty, please punish me!"

The old eunuch behind him knelt down and lay prostrate on the ground, not daring to argue.

The emperor felt like tearing him apart.

The chief attendant beside me certainly knew about this, yet he kept it from me. Today, I almost lost all face in front of the court officials.

Do not--

The emperor knew he had completely lost face. Even if they weren't present, did they not know about this?

He probably already looked like a joke to those officials.

Upon thinking of this, the emperor's vision went black, and in his anger and anxiety, he fainted.

"His Majesty!"

With an agility beyond his years, the old eunuch grabbed the emperor and cried out, "Quickly, summon the imperial physician!"

Then, he disappeared from the spot while holding the emperor.

Only Chen Ming and Xia Shaowen's family remained, staring at each other in the empty hall.

No, he just fainted like that?
That's incredibly poor mental fortitude!

Chen Ming was at a loss for words.

Then it occurred to me that it might be an act, since I hadn't figured out how to handle the situation yet, so I decided to pretend to faint.

This is really hard to judge.

The emperor may have been wearing some kind of artifact that blocked divine sense, making it impossible to determine his physical condition.

Furthermore, using one's divine sense to spy on the emperor is itself a highly disrespectful act.

Chen Ming looked at Xia Shaowen and said, "Isn't Chief Xia's move a bit too risky?"

Xia Shaowen said quietly, "Seventh Brother, the emperor's heart is hard to fathom. If we don't take this opportunity to bring things to light, who knows if His Majesty will have other ideas? For example, he might pretend not to know and bring Yan'er down to the palace to use her to control you?"

What the hell!

Chen Ming was slightly startled after hearing his analysis.

Believe it or not, it's not impossible.

It's not surprising that an emperor would do anything; that's the nature of imperial power, where there's no room for human sentiment.

Older gingers are more spicy.

Xia Shaowen brought the matter to light, leaving the emperor no room to pretend ignorance.

(End of this chapter)