Chapter 7: Life Hanging by a Thread Inside the Hall of Supreme Harmony

On September 10, the Frost's Descent had arrived; it was now deep autumn.

It remained resplendent in gold and jade, with yellow chrysanthemums blooming everywhere, a scene of prosperity.

Yet before the Taihe Hall, a group of civil officials in court robes were waiting to audience the Emperor.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu and thirty-one fellow successful candidates from the imperial examination, accompanied by officials from the Ministry of Rites, arrived at Daotaihedian to pay respects to the Emperor. Having completed their Xinguan Sect education, from the moment they stepped into the imperial palace, they had been utterly respectful, performing every ritual with proper form.

As the top scholar, Jiang Jiang Mingyu stood at the head of the line; yet the glory of being the top scholar brought him no sense of honor at this moment, only a surge of anxiety in his heart.

As the newly appointed top scholar, this was his first audience with the Emperor; knowing clearly that the Emperor surely held high expectations for him, Jiang Jiang Mingyu felt as if walking on thin ice, deeply fearing that a single careless mistake would disappoint the Emperor.

Though noise still buzzed all around and civil and military officials were still holding court inside Daodian, Jiang Jiang Mingyu was deaf and blind to it all, his entire mind focused on the impending audience with the Emperor.

He stood stiffly in the center of the hall, his head forever bowed, having rehearsed in his mind a thousand times how to answer the Emperor's inquiries, terrified of making a single error through carelessness.

The second-place and third-place scholars beside him were the same.

Although all three came from powerful clans and knew deeply that imperial authority must not be offended, as the top scholar, second-place scholar, and third-place scholar meeting the Emperor for the first time, they could not help but feel apprehensive, deeply fearing they would fail to meet the Emperor's expectations for the new successful candidates.

This left the three of them with troubled and uneasy hearts; even the grand ceremonies and rituals they were usually accustomed to now felt utterly unfamiliar.

At this moment, Jiang Jiang Mingyu and the others felt as if walking on cotton; their feet felt soft and yielding, making it impossible to steady their minds.

They eagerly awaited the summons from within Daotaihedian, yet also felt deeply apprehensive, completely clueless about the situation they were about to face.

After the Nine-Thousand-Year entered the hall, he immediately shouted loudly: "His Majesty the Emperor arrives!"

Upon hearing this, the civil and military officials inside the hall knelt in unison, kowtowing to the ground, and shouted together: "Long live our Emperor, ten thousand times ten thousand years!"

Only after hearing the Emperor say, "All ministers, rise," did they respond in unison, "We thank Your Majesty," whereupon Jiang Jiang Mingyu rose together with the entire court of civil and military officials.

The main purpose of today's court session was to summon the new successful candidates from the imperial examination to audience the Sacred Presence and to proclaim the Imperial Grace; no state affairs were to be discussed.

Following the procedures outlined earlier by the officials of the Ministry of Rites, once the imperial edict was read aloud, the court could have been dismissed; yet plans always fall short of changes, for the Emperor suddenly had a whim and specifically called out the new top scholar for an oral examination!

At this moment, Jiang Jiang Mingyu, despite it being deep autumn, broke out in a cold sweat from fright!

Seeing this, he quickly stepped out of the line and, following the steps, speed, and path instructed by the Ministry of Rites, proceeded in an orderly and rule-abiding manner to the front of the hall to pay respects to the Emperor according to ritual.

The Emperor felt somewhat uneasy about this newly appointed Tutor to the Crown Prince before him, so he wished to pose a question in person to test him and see if he was up to the task.

"As the old saying goes, loyalty and filial piety are hard to fulfill simultaneously; if both I and your father were to fall into the water at the same time, whom would you save?" the Emperor asked.

The Emperor's opening question was so tricky, yet Jiang Jiang Mingyu was no simpleton; within a split second, his mind instantly calculated the answer.

He replied: "Replying to Your Majesty, your subject would certainly save Your Majesty first!"

The Emperor laughed; he had not expected Jiang Jiang Mingyu to fall into the trap so quickly! He asked again: "To leave your father drowning without saving him, would you rather be unfilial?"

Without hesitation, Jiang Jiang Mingyu replied: "Replying to Your Majesty, your subject is from Dongzhou; Dongzhou borders the sea, where everyone is skilled in swimming, including my father; if need be, my father could also rescue Your Majesty from the water!"

These words amused the Emperor! He asked again: "Suppose... it were I and the Crown Prince falling into the water at the same time, how would you save us?"

Jiang Jiang Mingyu slightly raised his head and glanced at the Crown Prince seated to the Emperor's right, attending court and listening to governance; this was his first time seeing the Crown Prince.

The Crown Prince was about the same age as Jiang Jiang Mingyu, perhaps even slightly younger, roughly in his early twenties.

With delicate eyebrows and clear eyes, possessing an extraordinary bearing, sporting a small goatee, and dressed in an orange five-clawed golden python robe befitting the Crown Prince, he sat upright and solemn. He too was waiting to see how Jiang Jiang Mingyu would respond to the difficult question posed by the Emperor.

The atmosphere in the court was very solemn; both sovereign and ministers were waiting for Jiang Jiang Mingyu to answer, and time did not allow him to think for too long.

After pondering for a while, Jiang Jiang Mingyu replied: "Replying to Your Majesty, the monarch of a nation and the heir apparent should not simultaneously stand in peril; this is a great taboo for the state! As a minister, I must prevent this; should it occur, I am guilty and cannot shirk the blame."

The Emperor burst into loud laughter; he was even more amused by Jiang Jiang Mingyu's argument!

He then continued to set a trap, asking again: "Whether it must or must not is irrelevant... I just want to ask, if I and the Crown Prince both fell into the water, whom would you save first?"

Jiang Jiang Mingyu said: "Replying to Your Majesty, I would save both."

The Emperor said: "You must choose one!"

Jiang Jiang Mingyu said: "Replying to Your Majesty, whichever one is closer to your subject, I will rescue first."

The Emperor's face showed slight displeasure, and he asked again: "What if they are equally far?"

Jiang Jiang Mingyu suddenly thumped to the ground, kneeling prostrate; after kowtowing three times with loud knocks, he answered: "Replying to Your Majesty, forgive your subject's boldness in speaking plainly... if the situation is extreme and a choice must be made, for the sake of the state, I ought to save the Crown Prince first!"

At these words, a stir rippled through the assembly of ministers; the entire hall was instantly enveloped in an atmosphere that was both awkward and terrifying!

Not only did the Emperor look astonished, but even Prime Minister Crane stared wide-eyed, his tongue hanging down, appearing utterly stunned!

Prime Minister Plum and Prime Minister Rabbit exchanged glances, remaining silent. Only the Crown Prince's expression was most intriguing, for the corners of his mouth seemed to be twitching slightly!

"For the sake of the state..."

With a drooping face and showing slight displeasure, the Emperor said: "Where does this leave Me?"

"Forgive your subject's boldness in speaking plainly..."

Kneeling on the ground with head bowed, without raising his head, Jiang Jiang Mingyu continued: "The Crown Prince is young, thus his survival rate is greater! I weigh this by probability."

At these words, ten thousand alpacas galloped through the Emperor's heart; for a moment, he was furious beyond measure!

Although Jiang Jiang Mingyu was somewhat panicked and speaking recklessly at this moment, he still managed to hold the bottom line, not daring to speak his true thoughts aloud!

If expressed in his own meaning using vernacular language, the gist would be: The Emperor is advanced in years; even if saved, it might be in vain! It is better to save the Crown Prince directly.

After all, the Emperor had seen countless people and possessed sufficient political training; keeping joy and anger off one's face was a basic skill.

He suppressed his anger for the moment, first calmly observing the expressions between the Crown Prince and the assembly of ministers, then glancing once more at Jiang Jiang Mingyu, who was kneeling prostrate on the ground.

He thought: This person dares to speak frankly and remonstrate; perhaps I can use him to warn the ministers and serve as a counterbalance!

Thus, the Emperor restrained his temper and said: "If the Crown Prince falls ill, he can be replaced; but if the nation lacks a sovereign, chaos will surely engulf the world!"

The Emperor intended these words to retort Jiang Jiang Mingyu and simultaneously inform the ministers that if the Crown Prince were gone, other princely brothers were lined up to take his place; but if the world were without Me, that absolutely could not happen!

Unexpectedly, Jiang Jiang Mingyu actually replied: "I beg Your Majesty to retract those words!"

The Emperor: "..."

Jiang Jiang Mingyu: "Speaking lightly of deposing and establishing the Crown Prince may provoke a calamity of the various princes fighting for the succession!"

The Emperor was once again thoroughly slapped in the face by Jiang Jiang Mingyu, so angry that he could barely remain seated!

He had never expected that, originally intending to use a hypothetical question to test the new top scholar's reaction,

he would also deliver a warning shot!

Yet at this very moment, it was the Emperor himself who found himself riding a tiger with no way down!

"What you just said was for the sake of the state..."

The Emperor used Jiang Jiang Mingyu's own words to counter: "Then between the Emperor and the state, which is heavier and which is lighter?"

Jiang Jiang Mingyu still dared not raise his head, pressing his face to the ground, and replied: "The people are most precious, the state comes next, and the ruler is the lightest."

By now, the Emperor had been so cornered by Jiang Jiang Mingyu that he could no longer tell east from west, south from north!

He truly never expected that this newly crowned Zhuangyuan before him would, like a young calf unafraid of a tiger, use a famous quote from the Second Sage Mencius to refute him!

Had it not been for over thirty years of deep political cultivation, if this had happened twenty years earlier, Jiang Jiang Mingyu would have long since been seized and charged!

At this moment, Prime Minister He quickly saw that the Emperor urgently needed a way to save face.

Not only Prime Minister He, but also Prime Minister Mei, Prime Minister Tu, and any veteran ministers in the hall with a bit of political experience could see it.

"I have something to say." Left Censor-in-Chief "Shu Tong" bravely stepped forward at this moment!

But he did not want to find a way for the Emperor to save face; rather, he pitied this newly crowned Zhuangyuan before him, who, before even being appointed to office, had already placed his life in mortal danger!

Emperor: "Censor Shu, what is your high opinion? Speak freely."

"I congratulate the Emperor first!"

Shu Tong continued: "An honest official is hard to find, a remonstrating official is hard to seek. Today in the court, having tested one remonstrating official is a great fortune for the Great Feng state."

"I second this." Minister of Justice "Yu Yu Dian" also stepped forward to express his agreement.

Seeing the Emperor silent and speechless, Prime Minister He took heart; he knew that at this moment, only one final push was needed.

So he too stepped forward and said: "I believe that today's inquiry and examination lie in the testing, not in the questioning."

The Emperor immediately understood; Prime Minister He was truly the one helping him extricate himself!

So he quickly echoed: "What Prime Minister Weng says is most correct; today's inquiry and examination lie in the testing, not in the questioning..."

The Emperor quickly took the opportunity to climb down, saying that today he had merely asked casually, with no real intention of debating a great right or wrong; at the same time, he did not forget to praise Jiang Jiang Mingyu, commending him for speaking frankly and daring to tell the truth!

Prime Minister Mei and Prime Minister Tu, seeing that Prime Minister He had, together with Shu Tong and Yu Yu Dian—whom he had always been at odds with—joined forces to stabilize the atmosphere, also stepped forward to echo in unison!

Finally, amidst the main melody of congratulations from all civil and military officials, Nine Thousand Years announced the dismissal of court, and only then did Jiang Jiang Mingyu confirm that he could leave safely.