Accidentally~ Stumbling~ Into~ the~ Imperial~ Household~

Shen Anxin: [Then I'll choose...]

Eunuch Chen: "An imperial summons! Shen Anlan, compiler of the Hanlin Academy, is to attend His Majesty immediately!"

Chacha: [Host, I think they're calling you!]

Shen Anxin: ?

Eunuch Chen repeated the summons.

Shen Anxin's scalp went numb. She hurried out, taking three steps in two.

Shen Anxin: [Aaaaah, why are they calling me?! I was so inconspicuous! Shen Anlan, you bastard, did you leave some trap behind for me?! If you get me killed, I won't let you off even as a ghost!]

Everyone: This girl was both incredibly bold and incredibly timid.

Shen Anxin: [Don't panic, don't panic, I studied up beforehand! What was the proper etiquette for greeting the emperor again?]

Everyone watched as a handsome young official rushed to the foot of the imperial steps with a stumbling gait. Facing the throne, he shook his left and right legs back and forth before finally completing his bow. "Your subject, Shen An...lan, pays his respects to Your Majesty!"

The officials all cried inwardly: Why did they feel inexplicably relieved for her?!

The princes stood closest to the imperial steps.

When Crown Prince Xiao Yanchen saw Shen Anxin appear, he couldn't help the smile tugging at his lips.

This girl was as clumsy and reckless as ever.

The other princes also studied this miraculous "creature" with curiosity. Had all those voices just now come from her?

Emperor Hongyao was observing her as well. He had to admit that this woman was exceptionally good-looking, though not in a delicate, feminine way. Her appearance was hard to distinguish as male or female, and dressed as a man, she reminded Emperor Hongyao of the dashing bearing of a third-place scholar.

It was no wonder no one had noticed. She really was hard to tell apart.

Shen Anxin: [...Aaaaah, why is it so quiet?! Why did the emperor call me up here? This atmosphere is so scary! I really want to look up and see what's going on?!]

Chacha: [You can't look up. In ancient times, you weren't allowed to look the emperor directly in the eye without permission.]

Emperor Hongyao: "Raise your head and answer."

Shen Anxin: ... [Does that count as permission?]

Chacha: ... [It... it should, I guess.]

Shen Anxin cautiously raised her head. Before her, the imperial steps rose higher and higher, and atop the platform, the sovereign sat alone.

His black dragon robe eclipsed the morning light, and the dragons embroidered in shimmering golden thread seemed almost alive.

Though he had reached forty, his face remained imposing and handsome. He showed no anger, and there was no sharpness in his eyes or brows, yet his imperial majesty bore down heavily. Even the soul of a modern person was awed by that one glance.

So this was Emperor Hongyao!

Shen Anxin: [Accidentally~ stumbling~ into~ the~ imperial~ household~]

The officials: Huh? What was that? Granted an audience with the emperor, she wasn't just failing to show fear or nervousness-how had she started singing?

Chacha: [Host, why are you playing background music?]

Shen Anxin: [Aaaah, I'm nervous! I'm excited! I just can't help it! He's so majestic.]

Chacha: [He's only an emperor. You're a modern person; is that really necessary?]

Shen Anxin: [It's obvious you haven't learned anything about the Great Qi Dynasty and Emperor Hongyao. After I got here, I studied this place's history thoroughly! A century of chaos in the north came to an end-ask around and find out who's your daddy!]

Everyone: That... sounded like praise?

Shen Anxin: [More than a hundred years ago, Great Xia was invaded by foreign enemies. Defeated in a single campaign, its court and people fled south across the river and barely managed to establish Southern Xia in the south, preserving their dignity. They left a great many people in the north and abandoned them without a thought.

The people in the north had no choice but to save themselves. Facing the barbarians' iron cavalry, they endured the ceaseless ravages of war.

During that time, more than thirty states came and went. In the end, Great Qi was the only state ruled by people of pure blood.

Three generations of emperors made it their mission to drive out the barbarian invaders. Then Emperor Hongyao ascended the throne and spent twenty years, together with his civil and military officials, crawling over ice and sleeping in snow, dressing before dawn and eating after dark. One after another, he destroyed nine states.

From then on, Great Qi alone remained in the north, facing Southern Xia across the river. Its national strength was greater than ever before, making the barbarians wary and unwilling to invade.]

Shen Anxin's thoughts set the hearts of many veteran officials present pounding. Their eyes reddened as they recalled the past.

Everyone: This... this was a good girl, she had to be a good girl! Just look how sensible and reasonable she was.

Crown Prince Xiao Yanchen's phoenix eyes usually concealed his emotions, and he was always mildly dignified and amiable. At this moment, however, his eyes brimmed with mirth.

Even the princes beside him felt their blood boil with excitement at her words.

They naturally knew of their elders' glorious deeds, but they had been too young to be of any use at the time. Only their eldest brother, the crown prince, had taken a small part in dealing with the aftermath.

Shen Anxin: [Emperor Hongyao could take up a brush and bring peace to the realm, or mount a horse and settle the world. He swept away the chaos and united the northern lands. When the people knelt and cried, "May you live ten thousand years," they were sincerely praying that he would! And he's handsome, too! How could you not get excited seeing an emperor like that?]

Emperor Hongyao had managed to keep a straight face through the first part. After all, men didn't speak of hardship, much less emperors.

But now he couldn't help straightening his posture, his swordlike brows lifting ever so slightly to reveal his good mood.

He had heard plenty of such glowing praise, but these overheard thoughts were still very pleasing to Emperor Hongyao.

Looking at Shen Anxin again, he could see the enormous difference between her and Shen Anlan if he looked closely at her eyes.

Shen Anlan had the eyes of an intelligent person, whereas this one... uh... she blinked, looking quite innocent and harmless.

Like glass, her eyes reflected whatever she looked at with perfect clarity, as though untouched by the turmoil of war.

Chacha: [Is this emperor really that impressive?]

Shen Anxin: [Of course. Even in the history of my world, achievements like his would rank among the best. He's freaking awesome.]

Emperor Hongyao: Though her wording was sincere, it wasn't refined enough. Still, it seemed this girl's soul came from a different world than theirs.

Chacha: [Then do you want to eat his melon?]

The officials were horrified: Did this damn thing know how to read the room?! It hadn't forgotten its job even at a time like this? It was even suggesting eating the emperor's melon?! Did it have to be so dedicated?!

Girl, you'd better refuse! If you really dug up some secret the emperor didn't want outsiders to know, no one could save you!

The Son of Heaven's majesty was inviolable. Even if you obtained those eight blessings or whatever they were, they probably wouldn't help.

Xiao Yanchen glanced at his imperial father on the throne. He guessed that his father had summoned her now perhaps precisely because he wanted to personally test Chacha's abilities.

The other ministers feared having their secrets exposed, but for Great Qi's stability and future, his father feared nothing.

With such an unknown ability, his father would only be at ease after testing it himself.

Shen Anxin: [Don't talk about that now. Don't distract me; I'm waiting for the emperor to question me! It feels like I've been waiting forever. My legs have gone numb from kneeling. Boo-hoo-hoo, my delicate knees have never knelt before anyone before!]

Emperor Hongyao's brow twitched. He waved a hand, and Eunuch Chen immediately wiped away his sweat and called for Shen Anxin to rise and answer.

Emperor Hongyao: "Compiler Shen, I heard you were unwell. Attending court today must have been difficult for you."

Shen Anxin: [Difficult? It was way too difficult!]

Shen Anxin bowed slightly, deliberately lowering her voice. "Your Majesty is so gracious and considerate. Your subject is deeply grateful. It is only a minor illness; I can still bear it. Serving at court is only proper."

Everyone: This girl had two faces, but that lowered voice was so fake, so very fake. Her inner voice was livelier and more pleasant to hear.

Shen Anxin: [Wait, why does the emperor care about the health of a minor official like me? Did that Shen Anlan guy really leave some trap behind? Please don't ask me any questions! If you do, I'll put on a show for you right here and now: I'll trip over nothing and lose my memory!]

Emperor Hongyao had wanted to ask something else. He had called her out to draw attention to her, ideally guiding Chacha to say something he wanted to know.

But now he found it difficult to speak, for fear the girl would start acting on the spot.

Emperor Hongyao: "A young man like you is a little frail. Since you are still unwell, don't stand at the back in the draft. Stay here and stand beside the princes."