When Gao Fu finished copying out the six lists of conditions, the ink had yet to dry.
Gu Moran knelt on the golden bricks of the Hall of Supreme Ultimate. His knees were numb, but his back had not slumped.
If he slumped now, the emperor would think he was losing his nerve before battle.
He could pretend to be a coward.
But this could not fall through.
The emperor tossed the six lists in front of him.
"Read them yourself."
The pages slid up to his knees, carrying the scent of fresh ink.
Gu Moran picked them up and read through them one by one.
The chancellor's household had written the longest list.
The central point: Su Yao was to be a consort, not a concubine.
The Su Clan's official positions and bestowed honors must not be affected by this matter.
After marriage, she could return to the chancellor's residence for ten days each month.
After reading it, Gu Moran made a mental note against Su Wenyuan.
Old fox.
He wouldn't reject the decree, but he wanted to save face and leave himself a way out, too.
The Imperial Medical Bureau's was the shortest.
The third prince must visit in person and undergo Elder Shen's assessment.
What the assessment involved was not specified.
That was even more troublesome than if it had been.
The Grand Commandant's household was the most direct.
Lin Zhenshan wanted him to withstand three moves before the wedding.
As Gu Moran looked at the words "three moves," an image had already formed in his mind.
Himself punched into a wall, stuck so firmly that no one could pry him out.
The Northern Frontier Envoy Delegation's was even wilder.
Murong Xue wanted him to ride an unbroken horse from the north of the city to the south without falling off along the way.
The Flower-Between Pavilion's was the most practical.
Three thousand taels of silver to buy her freedom, but he had to make the trip in person.
The household of the Imperial Academy's chancellor was the most courteous.
They accepted the decree unconditionally.
They asked only that the third prince treat their daughter well.
Gu Moran stacked the six lists neatly and presented them with both hands.
The tougher the conditions, the more room there was to negotiate.
If they truly meant to tear away all pretense of civility, they would have sent memorials of impeachment, not lists of conditions.
All six households were testing him.
His imperial father was watching him, too.
He could not gamble with his life.
But in the original novel, Gu Moran had died at the hands of the Son of Destiny, not to fathers-in-law, fierce horses, or bowls of medicine.
These trials would hurt, but they would not kill him.
A little pain was good.
Only if he suffered would the six households believe he was not just a useless fool who hid behind the emperor.
"Father."
Gu Moran looked up, his face still wearing that infuriatingly earnest expression.
"I accept every condition."
The emperor stared at him.
"You'll withstand Lin Zhenshan's three moves, too? That brute can kill an ox with one punch. What will you block him with?"
"My face."
The emperor raised an eyebrow.
Gu Moran added, "If my face isn't enough, then my life. I'm the one who fell for his daughter, after all."
The emperor sneered.
"You'll ride Murong Xue's unbroken horse, too? Last time, you rode a mare and nearly smashed through the fishpond in the imperial gardens."
"What a fine memory you have, Father."
Gu Moran sighed.
"That horse wasn't innocent, either. She glared at me first."
Gao Fu kept his head lowered, his shoulders taut with the effort of holding back.
The emperor tapped a memorial against the imperial desk.
"Enough wisecracks."
Gu Moran immediately turned serious.
"I'll practice beforehand."
The emperor asked again.
"Do you know what Elder Shen's assessment entails? That old man doesn't know his own strength."
"Then let me set a precedent for the Imperial Medical Bureau."
"What precedent?"
"Still breathing after the assessment."
The emperor said nothing.
In the hall, ambergris incense overpowered the smell of ink. Gu Moran's knees burned from kneeling, but his hands remained steady.
The emperor gathered the six lists and placed them on the right side of the imperial desk.
The list of six names still lay beneath them.
"Ran'er."
Gu Moran's back tensed.
That form of address was wrong.
The emperor rarely called him that in the Hall of Supreme Ultimate.
"Are you hiding something from me?"
Gu Moran lowered his eyes.
If I take a step back, Father will grow suspicious.
If I say too much, Father will investigate.
The safest approach was to give the emperor an answer he was willing to believe.
"I wouldn't dare."
"You've scarcely done anything worthwhile in your entire life."
The emperor looked at him.
"Suddenly you want to marry six women at once. However much I indulge you, I must still ask why."
Gu Moran raised his head.
"Do you want the truth, Father?"
"Speak."
"I do like beautiful girls. That's true."
He paused, his tone still as roguish as ever.
"But I'm not stupid, either."
The emperor's fingers stilled on the memorial.
Gu Moran continued, "The chancellor's household controls civil affairs, the Grand Commandant's household controls the military, the Imperial Medical Bureau controls medicine, the Imperial Academy controls talent, the Northern Frontier Envoy Delegation controls the border's prestige, and the Flower-Between Pavilion controls news in the capital."
"Once I marry women from these six households, I can walk sideways through the capital. Anyone who wants to touch me will have to weigh the consequences first."
"When you're old, I'll still be able to keep my little life."
Gao Fu's eyelid twitched.
Those words were outrageous.
But beneath that outrageousness, every bead of the abacus was clicking.
The emperor gazed steadily at Gu Moran, then suddenly laughed.
He had personally lived through the succession turmoil after the previous emperor's death. No one knew better how much of brothers' flesh and blood lay buried beneath the princes' road to the throne.
"You little bastard."
He slapped the imperial desk and rose.
"I truly thought all you knew was eating, drinking, and making merry."
Gu Moran immediately chimed in.
"You wrong me, Father. I work very hard at eating, drinking, and making merry, too."
"Shut up."
The emperor looked toward the doors.
"Gao Fu."
Gao Fu stepped forward.
"Your servant is here."
"Convey my decree. At tomorrow's morning court, I will announce the bestowed marriages before all the civil and military officials."
Gao Fu accepted the order and withdrew, his steps half a beat quicker than usual.
Gu Moran prostrated himself and kowtowed.
"Thank you for granting my wish, Father."
As his forehead touched the golden brick, cold seeped into his skin.
The first hurdle was cleared.
But he did not relax.
An imperial decree could secure their status, but it could not bind their hearts.
That was the most troublesome part.
On the fourth day, at a quarter to six in the morning.
The grand court assembly convened in the Hall of Supreme Ultimate.
Civil and military officials stood in ranks on either side.
The emperor sat on the dragon throne, six bright yellow marriage documents laid before him.
Vermilion seals marked the silk, their red glaringly vivid.
"There are decrees today."
Gao Fu stepped forward and unfolded the first.
"By the mandate of Heaven, the emperor decrees: the third prince, Gu Moran, has reached twenty years of age, and it is fitting that his marriage be considered. Su Yao, the legitimate daughter of Chancellor Su Wenyuan, is hereby bestowed upon him in marriage as a secondary consort. An auspicious date shall be chosen for the wedding. Respect this decree."
Someone's ceremonial tablet shifted half an inch in their hands.
Gao Fu did not stop. He unfolded the second.
"Shen Ling'er, granddaughter of Elder Shen, director of the Imperial Medical Bureau, is hereby bestowed in marriage as a lady of excellence. An auspicious date shall be chosen for the wedding. Respect this decree."
Murmurs had barely risen before the third decree pressed them down.
"Murong Xue, princess of the Northern Territory, is hereby bestowed in marriage as a secondary consort. An auspicious date shall be chosen for the wedding. Respect this decree."
The envoy from the Northern Territory stood at the rear of the hall, his expression taut.
The fourth decree.
"Liu Ruyan of the Flower-Between Pavilion is hereby bestowed in marriage as a lady of excellence. An auspicious date shall be chosen for the wedding. Respect this decree."
Lord Chen of the Censorate strode forward.
"Your Majesty! I have a memorial to submit!"
The emperor did not look at him.
"Hold it."
Gao Fu unfolded the fifth.
"Lin Qingdai, daughter of Grand Commandant Lin Zhenshan, is hereby bestowed in marriage as a secondary consort. An auspicious date shall be chosen for the wedding. Respect this decree."
Lin Zhenshan stood at the head of the military officials, the backs of his hands taut, but forced himself to remain silent.
The sixth decree.
"Xie Wanqing, daughter of Xie Huai'an, chancellor of the Imperial Academy, is hereby bestowed in marriage as a lady of excellence. An auspicious date shall be chosen for the wedding. Respect this decree."
With all six decrees proclaimed, Gao Fu closed the marriage documents and withdrew to one side.
Only the rustling of fabric and the sound of breathing remained in the Hall of Supreme Ultimate.
Lord Chen dropped to his knees.
"Your Majesty, this violates propriety!"
"Although there is no limit to the number of concubines a prince may take, issuing six marriage documents on the same day has no precedent at court."
"Moreover, among them are a courtesan and a foreign princess. Bringing them into the princely household may damage the dignity of the state."
"I beseech Your Majesty to rescind your decree!"
Three censors behind him knelt as well.
The emperor lifted his teacup and blew aside the floating foam.
"My decree-and you want me to take it back?"
The four censors pressed their foreheads to the ground.
No one dared speak out of turn again.
The emperor set down his teacup.
"Does anyone else have any objections?"
Crown Prince Gu Moyuan stood at the head of the princes' ranks, his sleeve cuff crumpled in his grip. In the end, he said nothing.
The second prince, Gu Mochen, stood farther back. His gaze swept over Gu Moran, then returned to the floor.
Gu Moran stood at the end of the princes' ranks, barely resting any weight on his left foot, looking as nonchalant as if he had come to mooch breakfast.
But on the right side of his vision, the system panel was flickering.
After the six marriage contracts were read aloud, six of the twelve golden pillars of fortune dropped at once.
Ye Qingyun's dropped most noticeably.
[Monitoring fortune fluctuations] [Ye Qingyun: fortune decreased by 15%. Reason: core beauty Su Yao's affiliation has changed; fortune bond damaged.] [Chu Tianxing: fortune decreased by 8%. Reason: beauty Shen Ling'er's affiliation has changed; fortune bond damaged.] [Lin Yichen: fortune decreased by 5%. Reason: beauty Murong Xue's affiliation has changed; fortune bond damaged.]
It worked.
Gu Moran tapped his fingertips lightly inside his sleeve.
This had been the right move.
The next moment, red text popped up at the bottom of the panel.
[Warning] [Host detected forcibly altering the script.] [The Heavenly Dao is correcting the Sons of Destiny's fortune losses.] [Current compensation rate: approximately 0.3% to 0.5% restored daily.] [If the host fails to raise the beauties' affection to a positive value within 30 days of marriage, the fortune losses will be restored.]
Gu Moran stared at that line, his lips flattening.
The marriage contracts could only buy time.
True affection was the lock.
Thirty days.
Six girls.
Each harder to handle than the last.
Put this assignment on Blue Star, and even the client would have to increase the budget.
Morning court ended in a farce: several members of the Censorate failed in their attempts to dash themselves against the pillars and were dragged off to the Imperial Medical Bureau by their colleagues.
By the time Gu Moran returned to his princely residence, six teams of palace envoys had already set off on horseback.
Six marriage contracts headed to six locations in the capital.
He stood at the gates of his residence, watching the horses' hooves kick up dust in the street, then turned and entered his study.
The red text was still on the system panel.
He raised a hand and dismissed it.
Fear was useless.
First, set the board.
That night, in Hanzhang Hall.
Noble Consort Chen dismissed the palace maids and sat alone by the window.
Copies of the six marriage contracts lay on the table.
She leafed through them one by one.
Su Yao.
Shen Ling'er.
Murong Xue.
Liu Ruyan.
Lin Qingdai.
Xie Wanqing.
Her fingertips paused on the last name for a moment.
She closed the brocade box and pressed her palm against its lid.
"Mo'er."
Outside the hall, wind passed through the lamplight, and the candle flame flickered.
Looking at the brocade box, Noble Consort Chen said softly:
"Bring everyone you can over to your side."
"When that day truly comes, don't stand alone again."