He was always going on excursions with those friends, and others praised his calligraphy for its exquisite brushwork, his poetry for its unrestrained and free-spirited style, his painting for its lifelike realism... Even his height, appearance, and character had been complimented, yet there was not a single word from the outside world evaluating his policy essays!

"That one?" The Old Emperor turned his head to look at Prince Consort, with ill intent: "Grace says you are a talent unrecognized? Today I’ll give you a chance. If you can answer my question, it’s not impossible for me to break the rule that Prince Consort and captains cannot hold real posts."

Prince Consort smiled, full of confidence: "Your Majesty, please ask your question."

Princess Grace's eyes sparkled as she gazed at her beloved with admiration.

The Old Emperor pondered: "I won’t ask you anything difficult. Just tell me, if you were appointed as a prefect of a region, when should mulberry, jujube, persimmon, and cotton be planted there?"

Prince Consort was stunned.

Prince Consort thought.

Sweat began to bead on Prince Consort's forehead.

Princess also went from full anticipation to confusion and doubt, biting her lip, unable to hold back: "Prince Consort?"

The Old Emperor said coolly, "What, you can’t even answer such a simple question, and you still have the nerve to say becoming Prince Consort has held you back?"

That Prince Consort's Adam's apple bobbed as he forced himself to argue: "Your Majesty is asking a scholar about a farmer’s matter. Of course you won’t get an answer!"

"Is that so?" The Old Emperor didn’t even turn his head, just casually pointed toward the group of officials: "Come over and tell him, why am I asking this?"

"Oh…"

The Old Emperor heard a voice that sounded all too familiar, turned to look: "Xu..." then looked down at his own finger, wishing he could chop it off with a knife.

How did a random point end up picking this unlucky guy?

If he can’t answer, not only will I lose face, but even the momentum I’ve painstakingly built up will be gone!

Chapter 7 Yay! The protagonist answered!

Evan Foster never expected The Old Emperor to have so little confidence in him.

A relaxed smile appeared on the young man’s face.

"As a prefect, one must know how to encourage agriculture and sericulture, balance taxes and labor, levy taxes according to reality, be sincere and respectful in sacrifices, be fair and lenient in judicial matters, honor filial piety and righteousness, care for orphans and widows, and recommend talents."

A prefect must encourage agriculture and sericulture—this is even one of the assessment criteria for prefects. But if he doesn’t even know when to sow crops, how can he persuade farmers to till the land?

Prince Consort's chest heaved a few times, his eyes reddened, feeling utterly humiliated.

These trivial matters could be handled by a clerk knowledgeable in agriculture—why should he, the prefect, need to know them! Emperor was just making things difficult for him for his daughter’s sake!

Then he saw the young man lower his lashes, his voice light and cheerful: "Moreover, Your Majesty believes that mulberry, jujube, persimmon, and cotton are closely tied to the people’s livelihood. As early as the jiachen day of the first month in the fourth year of Tiantong, you issued an edict: all mulberry and jujube trees planted after the first year of Tiantong are exempt from taxes. This is enough to show how much Your Majesty values agriculture and sericulture. You want to be an official, yet you don’t even understand the policies, nor do you try to figure out what His Majesty values, and you still think you’re a talent unrecognized?"

Words alone weren’t enough—he was still complaining in his heart.

【Besides, to be a talent unrecognized, you have to actually have talent.】

【Being talented is like being pregnant—you can’t hide it.】

The Old Emperor just loved having Evan Foster speak for him!

He shot a look at the chief eunuch accompanying him, who immediately took note: after returning to the palace, remind His Majesty—this man deserves a reward!

The more The Old Emperor looked at Evan Foster, the more satisfied he felt, and he finally breathed a sigh of relief.

He had been overthinking it—after all, Evan Foster was a clerk in the Ministry of Personnel, responsible for issuing documents. He should be well aware of the policies that passed through his hands, whether they were new edicts or compilations of old ones.

Once he relaxed, he let his guard down.

"Evan Foster, pick any region and tell him: when should mulberry, jujube, persimmon, and cotton be planted?"

Evan Foster: "..."

The Old Emperor: *smiling*

Evan Foster: "..."

The Old Emperor: *begins to panic*

Could it be... he doesn’t know either?

The Old Emperor was mentally slapping himself: Serves you right for talking too much! Serves you right!

The next moment, he heard Evan Foster calmly say, "The first month, the third month, the fifth month, and the seventh month."

Secretary of Treasury: "Huh?"

No way? He remembered it was...

At the same time, Prince Consort also looked at Evan Foster suspiciously: "Is that so?"

He didn’t know much about farming seasons, but those times just sounded odd.

"Is there a problem?"

Evan Foster's rhetorical question was smooth as could be.

And, he had no psychological burden at all—

【Thank goodness, even though I don’t know when to plant mulberry, jujube, persimmon, and cotton, but! Prince Consort doesn’t know either! As long as I can fool this Prince Consort, it’s fine.】

Everyone else: "..."

So you were just making it up.

Seeing Evan Foster so confident, Prince Consort actually started to doubt himself.

Could it be... that’s really how it is, and I’m just ignorant?

Evan Foster's expression didn’t change, and he even nodded slightly.

That’s right, you’re just ignorant!

He wasn’t afraid of being exposed. After all—

【No way, no way, surely no minister would really embarrass Emperor by jumping out to say I’m wrong, right?】

Secretary of Treasury: "..."