My father ordered me to kill the emperor, but His Majesty bestowed a princess upon me instead.

At the beginning of the hour of Chen (7-9 AM), I stood outside the Xuanzheng Hall.

Ah Liu was unable to come in.

He was left outside the palace gates. Before leaving, he clutched my sleeve and whispered, "Young Master, don't stand out."

I was very pleased at the time.

After following me for so many years, he finally said something that sounded like a human being.

That's exactly what I think too.

Today I enter the palace not seeking recognition, nor appreciation, nor a meteoric rise in rank; I only ask that the Emperor not look at me, the court officials not remember me, and the imperial guards not stop me.

Ideally, I should come out the same way I came in.

An ordinary candidate for official.

A nobody whose name no one remembers.

I was standing in the fourth row, on the right.

This is a great location.

It's neither in the front nor the back, neither on the edge nor in the center. It's the kind of place that the emperor would most easily overlook when he glances over it.

I am very satisfied.

If you want to live a long life, you can't stand in the brightest spot.

Especially for someone like me whose background isn't exactly clean.

The bluestone pavement in front of the Xuanzheng Hall was polished to a high shine, so bright that it reflected one's image. The imperial guards on either side, clad in armor and holding swords, stood like a row of iron stakes. The wind in the palace was a bit chilly; it circled around from the end of the long corridor, brushing against one's neck like someone gently scraping it with the back of a knife.

I couldn't resist counting them out of the corner of my eye.

There were twenty-four guards in front of the palace.

There are six people on each side of the steps.

There were still shadows inside the palace gate, making it impossible to see the number of people.

As I counted up to this point, I cursed myself in my heart.

It shouldn't be counted.

The note my dad sent me last night is still echoing in my mind.

Tomorrow, when entering the palace, remember the route.

He makes it sound so easy.

I don't even know how I survived to leave the palace, yet I'm supposed to remember his route?

I turned my gaze back to the tips of my boots.

dont see.

Not recorded.

In no mood.

Do only one thing today.

kowtow.

At that moment, the palace doors opened.

A eunuch came out from inside and shouted in a shrill voice, "Prospective official, enter the hall for an audience."

The person in front moved.

I followed the crowd, step by step, up the stairs.

The Xuanzheng Hall is very tall.

Upon entering, the first thing you smell is a faint scent of sandalwood. The fragrance is not strong, but it overpowers all other odors in the hall. The floor tiles are cold, the pillars are thick, and the dome is so high that it feels as if your voice has to float upwards for a moment before falling back into your ears.

Both sides were filled with court officials.

Purple robes, scarlet robes, and blue robes were arranged neatly according to rank.

I didn't dare to look closely.

But some things can be felt even without seeing them.

Those gazes swept over us, the group of candidates for official positions, quickly and indifferently. Like a manager in a grand restaurant seeing a basket of freshly delivered radishes, not picking through them one by one, but simply knowing that there were more things in the kitchen today.

We are that basket of radishes.

This is good.

Radishes are not easily beheaded.

The eunuch led us to stand in the hall.

Following the rules I had memorized last night, I lowered my head, let my hands hang down, and hunched my shoulders, trying my best to stand as someone without any sharp edges.

Then, I finally heard the voice from the dragon throne.

"Let's begin."

The voice was not loud.

It's not heavy either.

It lacks the overwhelming power that makes people tremble with fear the moment a character opens their mouth in a play.

Everyone in the hall fell silent in that instant.

The sound was like a small copper coin falling into a deep well. The sound wasn't loud, but it told you how deep the well was.

This is Xiao Jingheng.

The person I'm going to kill on this trip.

I didn't look up.

Because I was afraid I wouldn't be able to resist looking at him.

I was also afraid he would see me watching him.

The roster announcement begins.

"First place on the list: Zhao Wenyuan."

The first person stepped forward, knelt down, and kowtowed.

"Your subject Zhao Wenyuan pays his respects to Your Majesty."

"Rise."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Step down.

soon.

It's fast enough to put your mind at ease.

The second, third, and fourth are all the same.

Call out names, step forward, kneel, kowtow, rise, and step back.

The emperor didn't ask a single question.

The tension in my heart slowly eased a little.

Manager Chen didn't lie to me.

It was just a formality after all.

What could possibly go wrong with a mere scene?

I'm ranked twenty-third.

As the first twenty-two people passed by, the hall was as still as a stagnant pool. A young man from a poor family in the middle, so nervous, kowtowed with a loud thud on his forehead. Some of the courtiers on either side chuckled softly, but quickly stopped themselves.

Apart from that, there were no other developments.

I even started thinking about whether I should have a bowl of hot soup noodles first thing after I go out.

I didn't eat much before entering the palace this morning.

It's not that I'm nervous.

The main problem was that Ah Liu ate too many pancakes.

Just as I was seriously considering whether or not to add scallions to the soup dumplings, the eunuch called out my name.

"Twenty-third on the waiting list, Shen An."

I took a step forward.

His steps were very steady.

At least it looks stable.

Upon reaching my seat in the hall, I knelt down, lifted my robe, and kowtowed.

"Your subject Shen An pays his respects to Your Majesty."

The sound was neither too loud nor too soft.

His tone was neither humble nor arrogant.

The manners should be correct.

My forehead was pressed against the cold floor tiles as I quietly waited for the words "Rise."

I didn't get to see it.

The hall suddenly fell silent.

The silence was subtle, like someone gently making a cut on a taut sheet of paper. The sound wasn't loud, but everyone heard it.

Sweat slowly seeped from my back.

Something went wrong?

That shouldn't be the case.

I practiced it more than ten times last night, and I remember exactly where to put my hands.

Or is there a problem with the book recommendation?

That shouldn't be the case either.

If there's a problem with the recommendation letter, I won't be allowed into the hall at all.

Then why didn't you tell me to rise?

As I was thinking, the emperor's voice came from above.

"Raise your head."

My heart skipped a beat.

broken.

Of the first twenty-two, not one was asked to look up.

Why is there this extra step when it's my turn?

I had no choice but to lift it.

So I slowly raised my head.

This is the first time I've seen Xiao Jingheng clearly.

He's not quite what I imagined.

I thought that someone who could sit on the dragon throne would either have a majestic appearance or be full of dragon aura; in any case, they should make people feel at first glance that this person is not to be trifled with.

Xiao Jingheng certainly doesn't look like someone to be trifled with.

But not the kind that's overtly aggressive or intimidating.

He was in his early forties, not particularly tall or burly, and his face wasn't exactly fierce. What was most memorable about him were his eyes.

It's not lit.

Not sharp.

not cold.

It's very heavy.

Like an old well.

You look inside, but you can't see the bottom. Yet you always feel like something is watching you from below.

He sat on the dragon throne, holding a folded book in his hand. The book was not closed, his fingertips pressing on the edge of the paper, as if he had been interrupted by my name just now.

He looked at me.

All I could do was watch him.

Those three breaths felt like three years.

Then he smiled.

I don't want to see that smile at all.

Because it wasn't the smile of seeing a talented person, nor the smile of seeing an old friend. The smile was very faint, just a fleeting glimpse at the corner of the mouth, like someone finally receiving something they knew would come.

He said, "Shen An."

I bowed my head and replied, "Your subject is here."

"I have seen your files."

My fingers tightened slightly inside my sleeve.

file?

What's so interesting about my case file?

A half-true, half-false place of origin, a letter of recommendation from an old friend of the former vice minister, plus a few polite words about "having a reputation for talent from a young age" and "having upright character".

I don't even believe these things myself.

Xiao Jingheng, however, seemed to have actually seen it, and had looked at it very carefully.

He said slowly, "Descendants of loyal and virtuous officials."

His gaze remained fixed as those four words were spoken.

The string that had just relaxed in my heart snapped tight again.

Descendants of loyal and virtuous officials.

My father, Shen Lie, is still on the imperial court's wanted list.

Traitor, ringleader, rebellious minister, culprit.

None of these words have anything to do with loyalty and integrity.

If the emperor was simply reading from the documents, he shouldn't have stopped at those four words.

But he stopped.

The stop was so soft that even the entire court might not have heard it.

But I could tell.

Because I am the one who should least hear "descendants of loyal and virtuous people".

I don't know if he did it intentionally or unintentionally.

We have no idea how much he actually knows.

All I know is that I am kneeling in the center of Xuanzheng Hall, surrounded by civil and military officials, and guards outside the hall.

If someone were to shout "Take it down" right now, I wouldn't even have a chance to run to the door.

Xiao Jingheng continued, "He was renowned for his talent from a young age and possessed a calm and composed temperament."

I really want to ask, who wrote this?

I have no reputation for talent.

His composure was all an act.

But the emperor clearly didn't need my answer.

He closed the folding book and suddenly stood up from the dragon throne.

There was a slight movement inside the hall.

No one moved it.

It's a change in breath.

The fact that the emperor stood up was enough to silence the entire court.

I heard someone behind me rustling their sleeves, as if an adult couldn't help but shift their posture. Someone else took a breath, then abruptly stopped halfway through.

I knelt on the ground and suddenly had a very absurd feeling.

It seems I didn't come here for an audience.

I am a fish that has been served on the chopping board.

The person wielding the knife was stepping down from the dragon throne.

Xiao Jingheng did not actually walk up to me.

He only went down three steps.

Third order is enough.

He stood on the steps, looking down at me, his tone as calm as if he were talking about a trivial matter that had been decided long ago.

"Of all the officials in the court, I only trust you."

The hall fell completely silent.

My mind went blank for a moment.

Trust me?

Believe me of what?

Trust me, I won't kill you.

This is so outrageous that my first reaction wasn't fear, but rather to turn around and see if there was another Shen An kneeling behind me.

But I didn't turn back.

Because I know, no.

In the entire Xuanzheng Hall, I was the only unlucky guy named Shen An.

The emperor's words were like pouring boiling water into a pot of oil.

No one dared to utter a sound, but the suppressed tremors were more terrifying than a real explosion.

I knelt on the ground, and I could even feel the gazes of the court officials on both sides fixed on me.

We were radishes just now.

I am not anymore.

Now I am that radish that the emperor picked out of the basket and placed on the dragon table.

It was even edged with gold.

My throat feels a little dry.

According to custom, at this time I should kowtow to express my gratitude, or say something like "Your subject is terrified" or "Your subject dares not accept such an honor."

But the emperor didn't give me a chance to speak.

He turned back to the dragon throne and said, "Shen Anzheng is hereby appointed as a seventh-rank supervising censor, to serve in the Censorate, and shall assume his post immediately."

The eunuch immediately presented the imperial edict and sang the words in a high-pitched and bright voice.

"Shen Anzheng was appointed as a seventh-rank supervising censor and entered the Censorate to take up his post immediately."

Rank 7.

Censor.

On my first day in the capital, before I even touched an official robe, I was appointed as an imperial censor by the emperor himself.

If this gets back to the Southwest, my father will probably remain silent for a long time.

Then sharpen the knife.

The eunuch reminded me, "Lord Shen, thank you for your kindness."

Lord Shen.

Those three words sent chills down my spine.

I kowtowed, my forehead touching the floor tiles.

"Your Majesty, I thank you for your great kindness."

The sound was very steady.

I was so steady that I'm almost impressed with myself.

If my palms hadn't been sweaty, I almost would have believed I was a flattered new official.

I didn't hear a single word of the subsequent court assembly.

The eunuch called out a few more names, and several ministers stepped forward to present their reports. The emperor asked a few questions, and some people in the hall responded, some remained silent, and some were reprimanded.

These sounds all sound as if they were coming from behind a layer of water.

All I remember is the look in Xiao Jingheng's eyes when he looked at me just now.

And then there's the phrase "descendants of loyal and virtuous people".

Was he just reading from the fake case file, or did he deliberately read those four words to me?

If he doesn't know who I am, then this whole thing is absurd.

If he knew, it would be even more absurd.

If a normal emperor discovers that the son of a rebel has infiltrated the capital, the most appropriate thing to do is not to appoint him as an imperial censor.

Instead, they dragged him out and beheaded him.

When the court session ended, I followed the crowd out.

The way the other candidates looked at me had changed.

When we arrived, everyone brought a basket of radishes.

When I left, I became the one personally picked by the emperor.

Someone came up and bowed, saying, "Congratulations, Lord Shen."

I returned the greeting: "Congratulations to you too."

The man paused for a moment.

He probably didn't even know where his joy came from.

Someone else said with a smile, "Lord Shen is young and promising; his future is limitless."

I smiled and said, "Thank you for your kind words."

I don't know what the future holds.

Suddenly, several more dead ends appeared.

Once I stepped out of the palace gates and the sunlight shone down, I realized that the back of my undergarment was completely soaked.

Ah Liu was waiting anxiously outside the palace gates, scratching his head in frustration. As soon as he saw me, he ran over immediately.

"Young Master, how are you? Are you alright?"

I looked at him.

For a moment, I didn't know how to answer.

Tell me what happened; I'm still alive.

If I say nothing happened, I'm now an imperial censor.

Seeing that I didn't speak, Ah Liu's face turned even paler: "Young Master?"

I sighed.

"He's not dead."

Ah Liu breathed a sigh of relief: "That's good."

"But he got promoted."

He had just breathed a sigh of relief, but then he felt a surge of relief again.

"what?"

"A seventh-rank official, a supervising censor."

Ah Liu looked at me, his eyes shifting from blankness to surprise, then from surprise to terror, and finally to a complex blankness.

He lowered his voice and asked a very simple question.

"Young master, weren't we here to assassinate the emperor? How come we've become officials first?"

I glanced at the palace behind me.

The glazed tiles shone brightly under the sun.

It shone like a newly closed golden cage.

"I want to know too."

Ah Liu swallowed hard: "So what do we do now?"

"Let's go back first."

"Back to the pharmacy?"

"Um."

We had only taken a few steps when we suddenly heard a series of hurried footsteps behind us.

A young eunuch came running out, panting, carrying a roll of yellow silk in his hands.

"Lord Shen, stay!"

I stopped.

Ah Liu also stopped.

The little eunuch ran up to me, panting, but with a smile on his face.

"His Majesty has other imperial decrees."

Looking at the rolled-up yellow silk, I suddenly felt a little reluctant to take it.

Really.

When someone is down on their luck, even an imperial edict can feel like a death warrant.

The young eunuch unfurled the yellow silk and read in a shrill voice, "His Majesty, out of consideration for Lord Shen's new arrival in the capital and lack of residence, has specially bestowed upon him a residence in Chengping Ward, which he may move into tomorrow."

I knelt down to express my gratitude.

After expressing my gratitude, I stood up, holding an imperial edict in my hand, and felt a chill in my heart.

To confer an official title.

He was granted a residence.

The emperor met me for the first time today, yet it was as if he had already planned every step of my future.

Ah Liu leaned closer and whispered, "Young Master, is this a good thing?"

I held the rolled-up yellow silk ribbon, gazing at the long, seemingly bottomless passageway inside the palace gates.

"Calculate."

"Then why are you unhappy?"

"Because good things don't come so quickly."

I put the imperial edict into my sleeve and turned to leave.

He took two steps, then stopped.

Inside the palace gates, a gaze fell upon my back.

I didn't turn around.

But I know someone is watching me.

That gaze was neither the curiosity of an ordinary courtier nor the scrutiny of a palace guard.

It was cold and steady, like a sword yet to be drawn.

I continued walking forward.

Only after emerging from the shadows of the palace walls did Ah Liu dare to speak: "Young Master, what happened to you just now?"

"It's nothing."

"Really nothing?"

"Someone is watching me."

Ah Liu immediately turned around.

I grabbed his head and pressed it down.

"Don't look."

Ah Liu froze: "Who is it?"

I recalled that gaze and let out a soft breath.

"have no idea."

But I have a feeling.

You'll find out soon.

That noon, the sun shone brightly in the capital.

It was so good that even the old man selling sugar figurines on the street was smiling.

Holding the official position and mansion bestowed upon me by the emperor, I walked down the bustling street, yet I felt as if I were being publicly bound with two ropes.

One of them was called the Censor.

There is a courtyard called Chengpingfang.

The other end of the rope was held in the hand of the person I should least have gotten close to on this trip.