“Long live Her Majesty!”
It was Shen Lang’s first time experiencing what it felt like to sit in front of the dragon throne—it was undeniably majestic.
He watched as the entire court of civil and military officials bowed in unison—not to him, of course, but to Jiang Mengxuan behind him. Still, the sheer sight of it made him feel like a fox pretending to be a tiger. It was exhilarating.
“Rise,” Jiang Mengxuan’s voice came from behind the beaded curtain draping the dragon throne—clear, melodious, yet laced with quiet authority.
After the officials straightened up, Ye Mo was the first to step forward and said, “Your Majesty, the auspicious hour has arrived. Shall we begin the selection of a consort?”
“Begin,” Jiang Mengxuan responded calmly.
Ye Mo turned around and shouted toward the entrance of the hall, “By decree of Her Majesty, the Consort Selection Ceremony shall now commence. All young talents, enter the hall in order.”
His voice was passed along through the inner eunuchs until it reached the sunlit palace square outside.
The hundred or so young candidates kneeling in the square immediately rose and began entering the Tai Chi Hall in an orderly manner.
Watching the young men walking in, Shen Lang whispered to Jiang Shangxian, “I mean, is all this really necessary? Why go through so much trouble? Wouldn’t it be easier to just take them all in? Not a single one looks bad.”
Jiang Shangxian leaned in and replied, “What do you know? Royal marriage alliances aren’t that simple. The first priority is always political benefit. Preferences and feelings—those things come only after gaining real power.”
“So being an emperor is kind of miserable then. I thought you could pick any concubine you liked, three palaces and six courtyards and all that.”
“What nonsense are you thinking? That’s completely unrealistic. Right now, what Her Majesty needs is a husband who can help her stabilize her imperial power. Being good-looking isn’t enough. Look at me—I’m such a dashing and refined man, but even I had to marry a fierce woman because of a match arranged by the late Emperor. But hey, don’t repeat that outside. If I suffer for saying this, you won’t benefit either. Just have each other’s backs, yeah?”
“Got it. Seems like your Empress isn’t having it easy either.”
“Exactly. Brother, why not give it a try yourself? I actually think you have potential. You’ve got the skills Her Majesty needs right now. If you step up there, I’d bet you’d be chosen. And if you give her a few imperial heirs down the line, you could end up as a sort of Grand Emperor. Hehehe, think about it.”
“You’re dreaming. Why would I trade a peaceful life for one where I’d have to look at people’s faces every day? Just the thought of it feels like a horror show.”
Though their conversation was quiet, Jiang Mengxuan heard every single word clearly.
She glanced at Shen Lang’s back, a faint glimmer of curiosity flickering in her clear eyes.
At that moment, Ye Mo spoke again, “Your Majesty, all candidates have arrived. May we begin the first phase?”
“Proceed,” Jiang Mengxuan replied softly.
Soon, a group of palace maids entered and handed a pristine sheet of white xuan paper to each man participating in the selection.
After that, several eunuchs moved through the hall carrying Guardian Yang Sha and vermilion brushes, marking each man’s arm or wrist with a red dot the size of a broad bean.
Seeing the Guardian Yang Sha, Shen Lang suddenly remembered the mark he accidentally received earlier when playing around with Jiang Shangxian. Instinctively, he tried to wipe it off. But when he looked again, the red mark had already fused with his skin—it couldn’t be removed at all.
“Damn it,” Shen Lang cursed in frustration. What the hell is going on?
Shen Lang nearly exploded. He’d rather be known as a playboy than mocked as an untouched virgin. He couldn’t afford that kind of humiliation.
“No other way to remove it?”
“None that I know of,” Jiang Shangxian replied.
“Fine. I’ll just hit up a brothel after I leave the palace and erase this thing myself.”
Jiang Shangxian rolled his eyes. “Wishful thinking. Once marked, no brothel will accept you. Give up on that idea.”
“What do you mean?”
“That mark is a royal gift. It represents honor bestowed by the Empress herself. You think any woman of the night would dare sully someone who could be her consort?”
“Even if I’m not chosen?”
“Unless Her Majesty officially marries someone, the Guardian Yang Sha stays. That mark doesn’t go anywhere.”
Shen Lang was stunned. He hadn’t expected things to be so complicated.
Still, after examining the spot on his wrist, he realized a gentle pull of his sleeve was enough to cover it. That eased his mind a little—it wouldn’t be easy for others to notice this ‘shameful’ secret.
“Forget it. Let’s hope your Empress gets married soon and cuts the crap. I already regret coming to watch this circus.”
“Can’t say for sure. Our royal niece has high standards. Honestly, I doubt any of these men will impress her. Just wait and see,” Jiang Shangxian said, then waddled to his seat, leaving Shen Lang to stand at the foot of the steps and continue guarding.
And everything they said had been clearly heard by Jiang Mengxuan.
“This Shen Lang…” she murmured, shaking her head slightly.
Just then, a series of light chimes from the bronze bell echoed through the hall. Each chime signaled that another candidate had been eliminated.
Shen Lang watched as, one by one, the red Guardian Yang Sha marks began to dissolve from some of the men’s arms, falling like dust onto the clean white paper and leaving behind a red dot.
Over eighty percent of the men were eliminated in this phase alone.
Seeing their dejected expressions, Shen Lang sneered, “Tch, and here I thought they were all so pure. Bunch of hypocrites. They look like a flock of sheep, but they’re really just wild dogs. Disgusting.”
Ye Mo glanced back at Shen Lang when he heard that. “This Shen Lang—he’s got the looks, but no sense of decorum.”
What Ye Mo didn’t know was that as he observed Shen Lang, Shen Lang was watching him just as carefully.
“This old fox is sharp. It’s no wonder he’s managed to keep the entire court under control.”
Suddenly, a loud cry broke the silence in the hall.
“I object!”
From the crowd, a fair-faced youth whose Guardian Yang Sha had just disintegrated leapt up, emotions surging.
Ignoring the eunuchs trying to stop him, he crawled and scrambled toward the imperial throne.
“Your Majesty, have mercy! Please give me another chance! It was an accident—I didn’t mean to sleep with someone! Your Majesty, you can’t cast aside a loyal man who truly adores you! I’ve given everything for today—please, give me another chance! I’ll cherish and protect you with all my heart! Please…”
The boy was already delirious. Pushing aside every eunuch in his path, he charged straight toward the dragon steps.
Ye Mo and Jiang Shangxian both shouted at once, “Stop him! Do not disturb Her Majesty!”
The young man didn’t listen, still shouting as he ran, “I didn’t mean it! I’m talented, educated! I can help you! I’m useful, really! Please…”
“Your Majesty, watch out!” Mu Changge and Shu Yingwen stood up simultaneously, ready to intercept.
Just as the youth’s foot was about to land on the first step of the dragon dais, the clear sound of wind chimes echoed through the hall.
In the next second, a strong arm locked around his neck.
“Trying to ruin my gig? In your next life maybe.”
Bang—
With a smooth over-the-shoulder throw, Shen Lang slammed the youth to the ground.
Before the boy could even react, Shen Lang had grabbed his arm again.
Crack—
“Ahhhh—!”
A brutal joint lock dislocated the youth’s entire arm. He let out a blood-curdling scream from the pain.
Only after Shen Lang had completely subdued him did the palace guards finally rush in and take control.
Once everything was settled, Ye Mo was the first to step forward, bowing to Jiang Mengxuan, “Your Majesty, this was my failure. I let you be frightened.”
As he bowed, the entire court dropped to their knees on the floor of the hall.
Mu Changge and Shu Yingwen also knelt beside Ye Mo, eyes filled with worry.
But Jiang Mengxuan remained composed. Behind the beaded curtain, her beautiful eyes remained fixed on Shen Lang.
Feeling the weight of her imperial gaze, Shen Lang could only pinch his nose, bow, and clasp his hands toward Jiang Mengxuan, silently awaiting her command.