Chapter 4 Spineless

Chapter 4: Spineless

At dawn, as the sun just began to peek over the horizon, the assembled ministers stood neatly in rows within the Hall of Diligent Governance.

On the high platform's imperial throne, a figure dressed in bright yellow sat upright, without uttering a word.

The beaded tassels of the crown obscured his vision, making the emperor's expression unreadable, projecting an air of inscrutable authority.

Bullshit.

Jiang Wang cursed inwardly.

Others might be too far away to see, but he was standing right beside Xiao Yan—how could he not notice?

Was it that he *didn't want* to talk?

*He was asleep!*

Asleep, of course he couldn't speak.

Xiao Yan must have been feasting and reveling again last night, which was why he was sleeping during court.

This was utterly, utterly absurd.

What kind of emperor, holding supreme power, falls asleep during morning court?!

Even if you're exhausted, at least wait until after court to sleep.

If you really can't stay awake, just say "If there are matters to report, speak; if not, you are dismissed" and sleep after the ministers leave.

But to just blatantly fall asleep like this—who exactly is disgracing the imperial family's dignity!

Xiao Yan even had the nerve to look down on him; he should protect his own face first.

Jiang Wang knew that having power meant you could do as you pleased, but he never imagined it could go this far.

The more he thought about it, the angrier he became, wishing he could stride forward and shake Xiao Yan awake.

But he didn't dare.

He was afraid Xiao Yan might fly into a rage and sentence him to hanging—then he'd be done for...

Well, then he might as well fulfill his role as Court Diarist. After all, his duty was to record the emperor's every word and action.

As for whether it would be praise or criticism... that would be for posterity to decide.

Watching Xiao Yan sleeping soundly, Jiang Wang hid behind a pillar and picked up his brush. But just as the tip touched the paper, he suddenly felt a chill on the side of his neck—the feel of metal.

Jiang Wang slowly turned his head like a sloth and met Ling Shan's indifferent gaze.

The cold came from Ling Shan's sword, pressed against his neck.

Although the blade was sheathed, Ling Shan's tall, sturdy build and expressionless face were imposing enough.

"Imperial Guard Ling, what... what is the meaning of this?"

Ling Shan didn't speak, merely glancing at Jiang Wang, then at the record book, signaling him to continue writing.

With a blade at his throat... how could he write?

No one ever said a Court Diarist recording words and actions had to do so under threat of death...

Suddenly, Jiang Wang caught a glimpse of the sleeping Xiao Yan out of the corner of his eye. A flash of insight struck him, and he seemed to understand the meaning behind Ling Shan's action.

Trembling, he lifted his brush again and wrote these words in the record book:

"In the 20th day of the 11th month, Changde Year 1, Morning Court. The Emperor conversed happily with his ministers."

Ling Shan glanced at it, sheathed his sword, and left.

Jiang Wang's wildly pounding heart gradually calmed, leaving only speechlessness.

What? As a Court Diarist, he couldn't even speak the truth?!

He glared fiercely at Xiao Yan, wishing he could skin him alive.

No need to guess—it was definitely Xiao Yan's idea. A mere imperial guard like Ling Shan wouldn't dare act so boldly on his own.

That damned emperor, truly devoid of all reason!

While Jiang Wang seethed on the platform, the scene below was harmonious.

The Chancellor, Chang Wenji, standing at the head of the line, stepped forward to speak on Xiao Yan's behalf.

His hair was already gray, and his movements somewhat slow, but his bright eyes still showed he was sharp-minded.

He said with a smile, "Esteemed colleagues, His Majesty is unwell. Let us adjourn for today. Any memorials to be submitted can be given to me; I will forward them to His Majesty."

The ministers exchanged glances and eventually nodded in agreement.

Although they all felt it somewhat improper for a chancellor to take charge of court affairs without the emperor's explicit consent.

But Chang Wenji, as a Three-Dynasty Veteran of the Great Jing Dynasty, wielded immense power and had deep seniority; everyone had to show him some respect.

Moreover, the current emperor was capricious. No one knew when he would read the memorials or if he would even hold court tomorrow.

Handing the memorials to Chancellor Chang actually increased the likelihood of the emperor dealing with them.

At this moment, Cen Maoshi considerately approached Chang Wenji, voluntarily taking on the role of assistant.

He glanced back at Xiao Yan, still asleep on the throne, and whispered as if afraid to disturb him, "My lords, if any wish to submit memorials now, you may give them to me. I will hold them for Lord Chang."

Watching the harmonious scene below, Jiang Wang clicked his tongue.

How pitiful Xiao Yan was.

Not only did his ministers harbor grievances against him, but even his own chief eunuch had gone to curry favor with others.

Serves him right.

Jiang Wang secretly rejoiced, barely able to suppress the smile at the corner of his mouth.

But when he inadvertently glanced to the side, he seemed to see Xiao Yan's lips curve slightly upward as well?!

Jiang Wang immediately wiped the smile off his face and looked more carefully. The smile seemed to have vanished; Xiao Yan still appeared to be in deep sleep.

Was he seeing things?

Just as Jiang Wang wavered between doubting himself and doubting Xiao Yan, Cen Maoshi had already returned.

He swayed his portly frame and walked right past Jiang Wang as if he couldn't see him.

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty," Cen Maoshi called softly to Xiao Yan. "Court is dismissed, Your Majesty."

Roused from a pleasant dream, Xiao Yan opened his eyes impatiently, glanced at the empty court, and mumbled a question.

"Has everyone left?"

"Everyone has left," Cen Maoshi bent over to help Xiao Yan to his feet. "The ministers were afraid of disturbing your rest, so they all went back first."

Xiao Yan gave an indifferent nod and said nothing.

However, just as he was about to leave the Hall of Diligent Governance, he suddenly stopped in his tracks.

"Tomorrow evening, host a banquet for all the ministers," Xiao Yan turned back to look at Jiang Wang. "Minister Jiang, you will attend as well."

Huh?

What does that mean?

Only officials of the fourth rank and above can attend banquets the emperor hosts, right?

He's only a sixth-rank official. Is he even qualified?

*

Beautiful dancers swirled gracefully in the center of the hall, following the rhythm of the music. Their numbers had doubled since the last banquet, yet their coordination was just as flawless.

Carved long tables were neatly arranged around the hall, with exquisite gold and silver wine vessels placed on top. Dish after dish emitted enticing aromas.

Jiang Wang wasn't impressed by the dancing at all—his mind was entirely focused on the food.

The spread at this banquet was truly delicious, especially the wine. It was mellow on the tongue, with a sweet aftertaste and a faint floral fragrance that he found irresistible.

Before crossing over, he had enjoyed plenty of fine food and wine due to his affluent background, but nothing compared to how delicious everything tasted today.

As expected of an emperor—Xiao Yan ate this well every day.

Jiang Wang felt his eyes grow warm, as if tears were about to well up at any moment.

He wasn't sure whether he was jealous of Xiao Yan or moved by having such a lavish meal after so long.

Since crossing over, he had been stuck with plain porridge and simple dishes every day. At first, it was fine, but later, the sight of such bland food became unbearable.

Today, seizing this rare chance, he intended to eat as much as he could.

Fortunately, his seat was in a corner due to his low rank, and everyone was minding their own business, so no one paid him any attention.

A bite of meat, a bite of vegetables, a sip of wine—it couldn't be more perfect.

He even deliberately set aside two plates of beef, planning to take them back for Changle later.

Changle loved good food and would surely be delighted to see the beef.

Just as Jiang Wang was eating heartily, a familiar voice sounded in his mind.

"Hello, host~"

001 greeted Jiang Wang enthusiastically.

Jiang Wang stopped chewing, and his eyebrow twitched ominously.

He always felt that the system's timing was off—not only off, but also harboring ill intentions.

"The first task is here!"

"Toast to Chang Wenji."

"Task reward: 5 points."

Jiang Wang felt that 001 might not fully understand ancient official ranks.

Chang Wenji, a first-rank chancellor; himself, a sixth-rank Court Diarist.

Never mind how many people were gathered around Chang Wenji trying to curry favor and toast him—just their ranks alone placed them worlds apart.

Forget about being unrelated by eight poles—even eight hundred poles connected wouldn't bridge the gap.

And he was supposed to toast the chancellor?

He couldn't even reach the hem of the chancellor's robe!

Not to mention it was only worth five points.

Such a daunting task was only worth five points!

He absolutely wouldn't do it!

However, just as Jiang Wang was caught in a whirlwind of thoughts and hadn't yet voiced his refusal, another line of text appeared below the task.

In bold and enlarged font, no less.

"Current points: –10 points"

Fine, fine.

So this was the trap waiting for him.

Those negative ten points were like a heavy stone weighing him down. To get rid of it, he had no choice but to complete tasks.

Everything is said to start from zero, but for him, it started from negative.

His earlier resolve instantly diminished by half.

Still, Jiang Wang struggled a bit.

"Let's negotiate, alright? What's good for me is good for you too. Working hard all day only to end up in the negatives—how miserable is that?" Jiang Wang's tone rose slightly, carrying a hint of temptation. "How about giving me more points to fill this hole, huh?"

"Deal."

"Task reward: 10 points"

001 agreed so readily that Jiang Wang's other prepared arguments went unused.

Suddenly, he sensed something strange.

This might be a trap.

Was the system deliberately offering him a low reward first, knowing he'd refuse, only to then give him a higher one to make him agree...

Perhaps the task was originally worth ten points all along. By bargaining for more, he might have just reached the task's actual value.

No wonder 001 agreed so easily.

What a shrewd merchant! he thought.

But the deal was already struck and the task was now active. It was too late for Jiang Wang to try to bargain for a higher price.

He set down his chopsticks and scanned the hall for Chang Wenji’s figure.

Actually, it wasn’t hard to locate him—just look for the largest crowd.

The hard part was how Jiang Wang would broach the subject.

Even though Chang Wenji was the First-Rank Chancellor overseeing all civil officials, he wasn’t Jiang Wang’s direct superior, and their work rarely intersected.

After some thought, Jiang Wang decided to keep it simple: just say a brief toast, offer the wine, and get it over with.

After all, he wasn’t looking for a powerful patron or trying to climb the social ladder—he just wanted to earn those ten points.

Jiang Wang picked up a cup of wine and, trying not to attract attention, slipped along the edge of the hall, quietly making his way to Chang Wenji’s side.

But there were still many people around Chang Wenji, so he had to wait patiently.

But as he waited, he realized something was off.

Chang Wenji didn't accept every toast offered to him.

For instance, the toast from the Hanlin Academician earlier—Chang Wenji hadn’t drunk it.

Even though the two had chatted for a long time, he still hadn't taken a sip.

It was almost Jiang Wang’s turn, and his heart leaped into his throat.

If Chang Wenji refused his toast, wouldn’t the task fail?

If he missed this perfect opportunity at the banquet, would he have to pay a visit to Chang Wenji's residence later?!

That would make it even harder to get an audience.

Heart pounding with nervousness, Jiang Wang stepped before Chang Wenji.

He bowed respectfully, raised his cup, and spoke the toast.

“With this humble wine, I wish the Chancellor peace and well-being.”

Holding his breath, he listened for any response, his heart pounding wildly.

Fortunately, he heard the sound of Chang Wenji raising his cup.

Not only did Chang Wenji accept his toast, but he also personally helped Jiang Wang up, smiling faintly as he said a few words.

“A talented young man, with a promising future ahead.”

At the same moment, a soft “ding” sounded in Jiang Wang’s mind.

“Congratulations, host! The first task has been completed! You have earned 10 task points!”

“Current points: 0”

In that instant, Jiang Wang was completely overwhelmed by the joy of completing the task and earning the points.

He failed to notice a dangerous gaze fixed on him from behind.

Like a predator locking onto its prey.

Author’s Note:

Jiang Wang: Task done, points secured~

Xiao Yan: I’ve already set my sights on you.