“Could it be that in Lord Huang’s eyes, this Prince is a fool?”
When Sima Huayao spoke, his eyes were curved in a smile. That pair of affectionate peach-blossom eyes brimmed with amusement, enough to make anyone feel as though they were basking in a spring breeze. Yet none of the officials present dared to lift their heads. A single sentence was enough to make their hearts leap into their throats, as if a blade were suspended right above their heads the slightest movement upwards and their heads would roll.
Huang Yao panicked inwardly at these words and hastily replied, “This subject wouldn’t dare! May Your Highness appease your wrath. If my words just now were in any way improper, I beg Your Highness to spare my life.”
Sima Huayao let out a cold laugh. “Lord Huang’s trick of borrowing a knife to kill played out splendidly. Untalented as I am, to think I would ever be used as someone’s pawn truly a delightful honor!”
Huang Yao’s heart abruptly constricted. The triumphant look on his face vanished, replaced by sheer terror. He hurriedly threw himself flat onto the ground and kowtowed, stammering, “May Your Highness appease your wrath! This subject would never dare, this subject…”
“Drag him away!”
Sima Huayao impatiently cut Huang Yao off. A petty villain who brought ruin to the country deserved to die anyway.
“Understood, Your Highness.”
Hu (Hu Yi) summoned two imperial guards, who hoisted Huang Yao up by his arms and dragged him out.
Huang Yao struggled frantically, shouting, “Your Highness! This subject has been utterly loyal to Your Highness, shining as bright as the sun and moon! Please discern the truth, Your Highness! Please discern the truth!”
Sima Huayao ignored Huang Yao as he was dragged out of the grand hall, turning his attention elsewhere. “Do not forget Lord Chang.”
In the original plot, Chang Shan had exhibited quick wits, exposing Huang Yao’s plot to use a borrowed knife, which threw the original owner into a towering rage and resulted in Huang Yao being executed right on the spot during court, while Chang Shan himself escaped unscathed. From that moment on, Chang Shan became even more steadfast in his support of Zhao Hanqing, secretly helping him cultivate a faction and turning into a major pillar for his eventual comeback. Since Sima Huayao knew the plot, there was zero possibility of letting a tiger back into the mountains. It was best to throw Chang Shan into the imperial prison for a spell to receive a proper “education” first.
Hu Yi acknowledged the order and replied, “If Your Highness has no further instructions, this subject will take his leave.”
Sima Huayao waved a hand, and Hu Yi led Chang Shan out of the grand hall.
“This Prince has yet to reach the age of thirty; my ears and eyes remain sharp and clear.” Sima Huayao swept a cool glance across the remaining officials before continuing, “All of you lords are sensible men. You know well what should be done and what should not; otherwise, do not blame this Prince for being ruthless.”
“This subject and the others are terrified!”
The unexpected outcome left the assembled officials trembling with even greater fear, completely stripping away any lingering thoughts of rebellion.
Catching Sima Huayao’s signal, Chun Hai raised his voice and announced, “If there are memorials to present, step forward; if none, court is dismissed.”
As the words fell, a figure stepped out from the crowd and said, “Your Majesty, Your Highness, this subject has a memorial.”
Zhao Hanqing glanced at Sima Huayao. Seeing that he had no intention of speaking, Zhao Hanqing said, “Speak.”
“An urgent report arrived yesterday stating that Henan has suffered continuous heavy rain, resulting in destroyed farmland across multiple regions and a total crop failure. People’s homes have collapsed and they are left wandering in destitution. I ask that Your Majesty and Your Highness make a decision.”
Sima Huayao’s brows knitted tightly together. “Why was such a major matter not reported earlier?”
“May Your Highness appease your wrath! This subject deserves death!”
Sima Huayao paid him no further heed. “Order the local authorities to open the granaries for disaster relief, and requisition grain from the government storehouses of surrounding prefectures and counties to aid the afflicted. Ensure that the food reaches the hands of the disaster victims without fail. Junior Vice Minister of Works Yang Han, Junior Vice Minister of Revenue Gao Qi, and Marquis of Ningyuan Sun Zhen.”
As Sima Huayao called out their names, the three individuals stepped forward from the crowd and spoke in unison, “This subject is here.”
“Disaster relief brooks no delay. The three of you will set out immediately to ensure this relief effort goes smoothly.”
“Understood, Your Highness.”
“Remember this: if this Prince learns that any of you dared to play tricks during this disaster relief, I will wipe out your entire clan down to the last dog and chicken, leaving none alive!”
“Understood! This subject and the others will strictly obey Your Highness’s command!”
Without delay, the three men bowed and backed out of the Fengtian Hall.
The morning court session lasted for two full hours, finally adjourning at midday. Looking at Zhao Hanqing’s flushed complexion and his slightly awkward, stiff gait, Sima Huayao felt an indescribable sense of embarrassment.
As they stepped out of Fengtian Hall, Sima Huayao halted his steps and glanced over at Chun Hai. Understanding the silent cue, Chun Hai bowed and stepped back to a respectful distance.
Turning to Zhao Hanqing, Sima Huayao said, “This Prince is returning to the Prince’s Manor. That item, take it out.”
Zhao Hanqing’s expression froze. Panic instantly surged within him as he stepped forward, clutching at Sima Huayao’s sleeve and pleading, “Your Highness, did Your Servant do something wrong? If so, Your Servant will ask for Your Highness’s punishment. Your Servant will do whatever Your Highness wishes only I beg Your Highness not to cast me aside.”
Though Zhao Hanqing loathed him to the core, he forced himself to fawn and please Sima Huayao out of sheer terror that he would be cast aside and replaced by someone else. If that ever happened, death would be his only outcome.
Seeing the reddened rims of Zhao Hanqing’s eyes, Sima Huayao felt a faint trace of empathy stir, managing a sliver of pity as he said, “As long as you obediently obey, you will remain the lofty Emperor in the eyes of others.”
“Your Servant will be obedient. Whatever Your Highness says, Your Servant will do,” Zhao Hanqing nodded eagerly, a pair of phoenix eyes looking up with timid vulnerability. “Please don’t leave, Your Highness, all right?”
For the first time, Sima Huayao discovered that a man looking tearful and pitiful could pack such a formidable punch. He privately wondered if he was being influenced by the original owner’s lingering imprint, starting to take an interest in men?
At this thought, Sima Huayao frowned, shaking off Zhao Hanqing’s grip on his sleeve. “This Prince has matters to attend to.”
Refusing to entangle himself any further with Zhao Hanqing, Sima Huayao turned and strode away. Seeing this, Chun Hai cast a glance at San Xi and hurriedly followed in Sima Huayao’s footsteps.
After walking about ten paces, Sima Huayao suddenly remembered that, having just arrived in this world, he didn’t even know the way around. He stopped in his tracks, turned to Chun Hai, and commanded, “Prepare the carriage. This Prince is returning to the manor.”
Chun Hai hurriedly acknowledged the order and called for the attendants to ready the conveyance.
“Your Highness, Consort Xian’s personal maid Cui’er has confessed. The child in Consort Xian’s belly is not His Majesty’s.”
Sima Huayao paused, instantly searching his memory for the plot. The injuries on Zhao Hanqing’s body had been inflicted by the original owner, and the reason was precisely because Consort Xian, Lin Ling’er, had fallen pregnant, leading the original owner to suspect that Zhao Hanqing had been seeing women behind his back. Despite Zhao Hanqing’s desperate denials, the original owner had subjected him to brutal torment and humiliation simply to drill it into his head that his body belonged to no one else cross that line, and everyone involved would die.
Looking back, Sima Huayao saw that Zhao Hanqing was still standing in the exact same spot, his eyes fixed unblinkingly in his direction, and asked offhandedly, “Whose is it?”
“Gao Da, commander of the Imperial Guard.”
Sima Huayao pondered for a moment before replying, “Hand her over to His Majesty to deal with.”
Since he had come into this world, he had to abide by its rules. Sima Huayao was no savior; he had no grand ambitions to rescue the world, only a desire to survive properly and find a way back to his own reality.
Climbing aboard the carriage, Sima Huayao suddenly felt an itch in his throat and broke into an unstoppable fit of coughing. Hastily unfastening his embroidered pouch, he fished out a white jade porcelain bottle, tipped a pill into his mouth, and swallowed it. Only as the medicinal properties took effect did the coughing gradually subside, easing the suffocating tightness in his chest. Glancing at the bright red smear staining his palm, he couldn’t help offering a self-deprecating smile, silently mocking himself: “Is this the retribution for doing too many bad things?”
In truth, there was a specific reason why the original owner had ended up in this frail state. His original name was not Sima Huayao, but Sima Nanyao, an orphaned descendant of the previous dynasty’s imperial family. Zhao Hanqing’s grandfather, Zhao Qizhen, had originally been a minister of the Sima-Nan state, holding the post of Commander of the Central Military Governor’s Office, and was later created the Duke of Anguo. His eldest daughter had been a consort to Emperor Sima Zhao, granting their family power that blotted out the sun. That overwhelming influence stoked Zhao Qizhen’s ambitions further and further, ultimately culminating in a rebellion that nearly wiped out the entire Sima-Nan imperial clan.
Sima Huayao’s mother, Hua Lian’er, had been a secondary consort to Crown Prince Sima Yu. When Zhao Qizhen’s forces surrounded the imperial palace, Sima Yu, determined to preserve the bloodline of the Sima-Nan house, dispatched the Shadow Guard Commander, Jiye, to escort Hua Lian’er out of the palace while he himself stayed behind to draw the rebel forces’ attention.
Jiye fulfilled his mission, rescuing Hua Lian’er and fleeing the capital overnight. Accustomed to a life of pampered luxury, Hua Lian’er suffered greatly during their constant hiding. As her pregnancy progressed, her health deteriorated steadily, and she passed away shortly after giving birth to Sima Nanyao.
From early childhood, Sima Nanyao carried the heavy burden of a destroyed nation and a blood feud. Jiye, trained in the brutal methods of the shadow guard camps, raised Sima Nanyao using the exact same regimen. While the training yielded impressive results initially, it was pushed far too harshly, completely ruining Sima Nanyao’s constitution. Though his martial arts were formidable, his body remained frail, prone to falling ill and coughing up blood at regular intervals.
Yet Sima Nanyao was nothing short of a genius: he learned to read at three, mastered historical texts by five, passed the metropolitan examination at fifteen to rank as the top scholar (zhuangyuan), and was appointed as a compiler in the Hanlin Academy. At sixteen, he served as a Hanlin historiographer; at seventeen, as a bureau director in the Ministry of Personnel; at twenty, as a vice minister in the Ministry of War; at twenty-four, he was created an honorary prince by virtue of military exploits; and at twenty-six, he ascended to the position of Regent to assist Zhao Hanqing in taking the throne. It was a life straight out of an overpowered cheat-code.
Sima Huayao’s torment of the Zhao imperial clan was his way of exacting revenge for the destruction of his country, proving the old adage true: “The river flows east for thirty years, then west for thirty years.”
After Sima Huayao departed, Zhao Hanqing returned to the Qiankun Palace. As an emperor existing in name only, he was never permitted by Sima Huayao to participate in state affairs; the memorials submitted by officials were all sent directly to the Regent’s Manor, while he was expected to simply stay quietly within the Qiankun Palace and await his “imperial favor.”
Enduring his physical discomfort, Zhao Hanqing made his way back to his bedchamber and turned to San Xi. “Prepare the water. I wish to bathe.”
In Sima Huayao’s presence, he was forced to humble himself as a lowly “servant”; only once Sima Huayao had left could he reclaim the title of “Emperor” how utterly absurd.
“Understood, Your Majesty.” San Xi acknowledged the command and turned to exit the hall.
With no one else in the room, Zhao Hanqing finally dropped his facade, humiliation burning his eyes red. For two solid hours, sitting upon that hard, unyielding dragon throne felt as though he were perched upon the edge of a blade, every single second serving as a stark reminder of the degradation he was forced to endure.
“Sima Huayao!”
Zhao Hanqing clenched his fists tightly, repeating Sima Huayao’s name in his heart as he swore that one day, he would return every ounce of humiliation he suffered today a thousandfold.
Shortly thereafter, the bathwater was prepared. Zhao Hanqing glanced at San Xi, who stood like a statue. “Do you intend to stay and watch?”
San Xi bowed slightly. “Your Majesty, we never know when the Regent might re-enter the palace. The proper adornments must still be worn so as not to displease His Highness and bring trouble upon Your Majesty.”
“Get out!” Zhao Hanqing snapped in a fury, his pale complexion turning leaden.
Ignoring his anger, San Xi replied impassively, “May Your Majesty appease your wrath. This servant takes his leave.”
Glaring daggers at San Xi’s retreating back, Zhao Hanqing knew full well that none of these people had ever regarded him as their master. To them, he was merely a plaything in the palm of Sima Huayao’s hand to be discarded whenever the Regent grew tired of him, not requiring a single ounce of genuine care.
Long after, Zhao Hanqing finally managed to calm his roiling emotions, stripped away his dragon robe, and stepped into the steaming wooden tub.