Xu Wan laughed and nodded: "Exactly, that's what I told him in the palace too—the age gap is just too big. I can hardly imagine it. But then again, there have been emperors who married with even larger age differences."
Zong Zhao smirked and said, "You think too much. Just give him a son, and he’ll settle down."
Xu Wan relayed the message: "Oh, and he also said if we don’t have a daughter, we should just keep trying until we do."
After witnessing the little tyrant’s shameless remarks, Zong Zhao fell silent for a long moment before suggesting, "Maybe we should just beat him up. That ought to teach him some manners?"
Xu Wan: "..."
Beating up the current emperor? You really dare to think big.
But then Xu Wan suddenly realized, "We haven’t been using contraception lately. What if we really do conceive a daughter? Won’t he pester us day and night for his little bride?"
Zong Zhao calmly removed his clothes: "Then let’s make a bet."
"Huh? Bet on what?" Xu Wan was confused.
"Bet on having a son."
With that, Zong Zhao threw back the covers, abandoning his earlier composure, and pounced on his wife to begin their baby-making plan.
"Ah—Zong Zhao!"
Somehow, the father and son had entered into a silent competition.
One wanted a little empress.
The other wanted an heir.
Jin Cheng was manageable—at most, he’d just nag her.
But Zong Zhao was the real problem. His energy was boundless, keeping her up all night in a haze of passion, leaving Xu Wan to sleep in until noon every day.
After the national mourning period ended, Jin Cheng attended his first morning court session. All three grand councilors were present, worried he might make a misstep.
That day, two major events occurred.
The first was Censor Wei being impeached. The accusations ranged from his conduct to his work style—nothing particularly serious, but the sheer number of critics made the situation tense, leaving Censor Wei red-faced and flustered.
Finally, one official stepped forward and declared, "Your Majesty, if Censor Wei’s conduct remains unchecked, the integrity of the censorate will suffer. If you are unsure how to proceed, simply follow the Former Emperor’s method of handling such matters."
Censor Wei’s expression darkened, and he immediately retorted, "Your Majesty, I have served the court with unwavering loyalty. This man is clearly harboring ill intent, seeking revenge against the censorate. I beg Your Majesty to see through his schemes!"
The ministers mentally calculated Censor Wei’s likely fate.
The conservatives thought: Under the Former Emperor, Censor Wei would’ve already been punished by now. But with a new emperor on the throne, perhaps he’d be spared for a while longer.
The radicals believed: The new emperor is just a child—what does he know about governance? He’ll probably follow the Former Emperor’s methods to avoid mistakes. Censor Wei’s punishment is inevitable!
Luo Jingfeng, worried his nephew wouldn’t know how to handle this, was about to intervene—
When Jin Cheng spoke: "I don’t see any wrongdoing on Censor Wei’s part. But all of you seem eager to tear him down over trivial matters—as if any official who isn’t penniless must be corrupt. If you have nothing better to do, copy Han Feizi’s 'Five Vermin' a hundred times. Come back to court only after you’ve figured out what it means to be an official."
The court fell into stunned silence.
Censor Wei: Heaven has sent us a wise ruler!! My time has come!!
He excitedly cried out, "Your Majesty is wise and just!"
The other officials, now sentenced to a hundred copies of "Five Vermin," turned pale. The essay was nearly five thousand characters long—this punishment would take months to complete, barring them from political affairs. It seemed mild, but it was worse than a beating!
Some recalled that "Five Vermin" discussed the five parasites of the state. The emperor was clearly telling them to reflect on their own conduct and realign their priorities.
The choice of text wasn’t random—either someone had advised the young emperor, or his own knowledge was remarkably deep. But how could a child know so much?
"And you," Jin Cheng said, turning to the official who had suggested following the Former Emperor’s methods, tilting his chin up. "Since you’re so fond of corporal punishment, why don’t you experience it firsthand? Guards, take him away—fifty military lashes."
"Yes." Eunuch Huang acknowledged the order and directed the guards to carry it out.
Seeing this, Luo Jingfeng held back, exchanging a glance with Prime Minister Shen.
Prime Minister Shen stepped forward and praised, "Your Majesty truly lives up to being the second-ranked scholar in the imperial exams. Your understanding of literature puts even seasoned officials to shame. This decision neither alienates loyal ministers nor neglects discipline—a masterstroke."
The officials: "???"
Who’s calling this a masterstroke??
Who wants both a beating and a copying assignment??
This was a total disaster for them!
But the matter was settled. The new emperor had asserted his authority, backed by the three grand councilors. The officials had no choice but to tread carefully and reassess their approach to the young ruler.
The little tyrant watched Censor Wei’s elation with satisfaction. He was glad that the upright censor had held firm—and even gladder that he, as emperor, could now shield him from injustice.
He was growing stronger.
He would become Qin Ye’s support, Censor Wei’s support, the support of all righteous officials in the realm!
The spirited young emperor lifted his head and asked eagerly, "Any other matters to report?"
After a morning of bickering over Censor Wei, he was starting to wonder if the empire was truly at peace.
Then, Vice Minister Shao of the Ministry of Rites stepped forward nervously. "Your Majesty, this humble official has another report."
"Speak."
Vice Minister Shao hesitated before saying, "Six days have passed since the palace exam results were announced. The public initially questioned the young age of the top candidate, but after seeing the examination essays displayed across the provinces, most doubts have faded. However… however…"
"However what?" Jin Cheng pressed.
Vice Minister Shao dropped to his knees in fear. "However, the people are now fixated on you, Your Majesty! They claim your second-place ranking in the exams was… was bought by the Duke of State Protection. They say your ascension was illegitimate, that it was all… all due to the Duke’s influence…"
The court erupted in panic—both at Vice Minister Shao’s boldness and the implications of his words. The officials collectively knelt and pleaded, "Your Majesty, please calm your anger!"
Jin Cheng: "???"
I’m not even angry yet?
But he soon understood why, because Luo Jingfeng was furious.
The Duke of State Protection roared, "Who dares spread such lies?"
Vice Minister Shao stammered, "The rumors are being fueled most aggressively by a few candidates who failed the exams. They claim Your Majesty stole their essays, causing their failure and your own success…"
Luo Jingfeng fumed, "Nonsense! What makes them think the emperor would stoop to stealing their work? They’re not even worthy of such consideration!"
