Besides him, several other people also stepped forward and rattled off a long list of arguments to the old emperor. The main point was that since the princess had become the prince consort’s wife, she should fulfill her wifely duties—be gentle, be obedient, regard her husband as her world—instead of running back to her family at the first sign of conflict, or doing things that would land her husband in prison and have her parents-in-law demoted to commoners, which was against ethics and morality.

It truly opened Evan Foster’s eyes.

He nudged the Ministry of War clerk with his elbow. The clerk silently shifted his body slightly and even moved a few steps to the side.

Evan Foster didn’t give up and kept nudging with his elbow, until the clerk had no choice but to turn his head and whisper, “What are you doing?”

Didn’t you see that His Majesty, after hearing those censors’ words, is already on the verge of exploding with rage?

Evan Foster also whispered, “Do you know who those stubborn old men speaking up are?”

The clerk didn’t want to answer. He really didn’t want to get involved in these matters.

But Evan Foster kept pestering him, until the clerk was finally forced to speak—

“They’re all censors from the Censorate…”

The clerk squinted at the group, pointing at the first person who had stepped forward.

“He’s a Right Vice Censor-in-Chief of the fourth rank, surname Cui, given name Ivy. He’s something of a legend—a true son of a peasant family. On his path to learning, his family was so poor they often had nothing to cook, relying entirely on the help of neighbors. He’s not like those who claim to be peasant sons but are actually from scholarly farming families with tenant farmers working their land.”

“Ivy Cui… Ivy Cui…” Evan Foster muttered to himself, “I feel like I’ve seen this name somewhere before.”

The clerk’s pupils contracted in shock, and he squeezed out a terrified whisper: “Maybe… maybe you’d better… not think about it…”

But it was already too late.

Evan Foster pondered for a moment, then suddenly looked as if he’d realized something.

So, the furious emperor, the impassioned Ivy Cui, and the ministers shrinking like quails, not wanting to get caught in the old emperor’s crosshairs, all heard a loud inner voice—

[Ivy Cui! Isn’t he the henpecked husband? Half a month ago, he got drunk outside and didn’t come home all night. His wife was furious and spread the word that Ivy Cui was out carousing late at night and she was going to beat him to death. Ivy Cui was so scared he didn’t dare go home, afraid his wife would ambush him outside the office. He even pretended to be sick and took sick leave, hiding in the nearby mountains and living like a wild man for several days.]

[No wonder he’s shouting about the supremacy of husbands so loudly…]

[People always want most what they lack.]

Author’s Note:

To be a prefect of a region, one must understand how to encourage agriculture and sericulture, balance taxes and labor, levy taxes honestly, conduct sacrifices with sincerity and respect, be fair and lenient in judicial matters, honor filial piety and righteousness, care for orphans and widows, and recommend talented individuals. Reference:

As agriculture and sericulture are the foundation of food and clothing, they must be encouraged in a timely manner; schools are places to cultivate talent, so special effort must be made to encourage them; taxes and labor must be balanced, levies must be honest, sacrifices must be sincere and respectful, judicial matters must be fair and lenient, filial piety and integrity must be honored, widows and orphans must be cared for, the talented and virtuous must be recommended, border defenses must be strict and solid, warehouse management must be honest and without embezzlement, and officials who are corrupt, violent, or neglectful must be investigated and reported by the censors and inspectors.

— “Ming Shilu: Taizong Shilu”

Chapter 8: Alas! This Censor’s Big Brother Plays with Boy Courtesans!

Silence.

Utter silence.

Unparalleled silence.

Even the old emperor’s thunderous rage paused, his gaze fixed strangely on Ivy Cui’s face.

Some ministers who were familiar with Ivy Cui wanted to say something to help, but couldn’t find the right words and choked on the spot. At the same time, they couldn’t help but think—

No wonder, when they visited his home, his wife excused their visit by saying he was “too ill,” refusing to let them see him. So he wasn’t even home at the time!

The Minister of War looked at the bewildered and shocked Minister of Revenue beside him and whispered, “I remember that after his sick leave, when Censor Cui came to court, his left eye was bruised, there were scratch marks on his right cheek, his mouth was split, and there was a large bruise on his right wrist?”

The Minister of Revenue glanced at him, surprised.

This guy’s memory is impressive—he can remember exactly where Ivy Cui was injured half a month ago.

After his surprise, he joined in the discussion with great interest: “That’s right. He also said that tiles fell off at home and startled the family cat, which scratched his face. In his panic, he missed a step and ended up with a bruised face.”

Minister of War: “So it was actually…”

Minister of Revenue: “A lioness at home, huh.”

The two exchanged a knowing look and grinned mischievously.

As for Ivy Cui, after being ruthlessly stabbed by Evan Foster’s inner voice, his expression remained calm.

“Thirdly—”

He spoke with firm resolve, especially composed, as if he had planned to say this all along: “But the dignity of the royal family must not be violated. I believe that while the others can be spared the death penalty, they cannot escape punishment. However, Ian Lewis must be executed by beheading, to serve as a warning to the world!”

His attitude was righteous and his voice steady and powerful, his words resounding.

Evan Foster was in awe—

[So this is the skill of a fourth-rank official—what a master at going with the flow.]

Facing the subtle glances and the occasional disdain from other censors, Ivy Cui’s expression didn’t change.

Go with the flow? What’s that? Does that even exist? As for being looked down on…

Ivy Cui secretly ground his teeth and let out a cold laugh.