Chapter Ch122.2 - Grape Flavored Imperial Gong (1)
Translated by Hua Li ^_^
Of course, to maintain the appearance of peace and stability, Gers also received preferential treatment.
From birth, they enjoyed certain privileges. Not only were they ent.i.tled to five taels of support from the court annually until the age of ten, but they also had access to government-run clinics for medical treatment without having to spend money.
It must be said, this method was simple yet effective.
At least the common people remained unaware of the rulers’ sinister intentions and instead felt grateful. Meanwhile, Gers had grown accustomed to their social status, and even those who deviated from the norm dared not hope to fight for the same rights and privileges as men.
The original owner was one such Ger, and an unusual one at that.
His physical appearance was indistinguishable from that of a man, with dual reproductive organs hidden inside.
Such individuals were referred to as “hidden gers” and also had floral marks, but they did not appear on the forehead like other Gers. Instead, their exact location was undefined. In other respects, they were the same as Gers, but since the mainstream aesthetic preferences of men favored traditional gers, hidden gers felt embarra.s.sed and were considered “defective.”
The original owner’s floral mark was on his left chest, near the nipple, resembling a small reddish-brown pit. It was difficult to notice unless one looked closely.
According to reason, he should have lived amidst prejudice and uncertainty, like other hidden gers. The opportunity he had today to pursue his ambitions and serve in the court alongside men was all due to a single decision made by his birth mother.
Lady Chu, the second wife of the general, was unable to conceive after difficult childbirth, leaving him unable to bear more children. Additionally, the general’s previous wife had left behind a son and a pair of twins, leaving Lady Chu with the responsibility of producing an heir. Giving birth to a hidden ger not only brought shame upon himself but also risked the inheritance of the general’s estate.
Being arrogant and ambitious, Lady Chu took the initiative to lie about the gender of the original owner.
Lady Chu is very strong and has been demanding of the original owner since he was a child. However, Chu Mo’s const.i.tution was weak and he was not good at practicing martial arts. Compared with his eldest son who was healthy and strong, General Chu was very disappointed.
Fortunately, Chu Mo was very talented and diligent. Despite his young age, Chu Mo was exceptionally intelligent, showing literary talent from a young age. He stood out among his peers, impressing his superiors and colleagues alike. Gradually, General Chu began to value him more.
Fortunately, he is very smart and has exquisite ideas in writing, and his biological mother requires him not to relax for a moment and to work hard. He rose to prominence at a young age and became a disciple of a famous teacher. He scored third in the first imperial examination. Finally, because of his young age and good looks, he was selected as the Tanhua in the palace.
The seventeen-year-old Tanhua is a beautiful thing that shines brightly even in a place like the General Protector’s Mansion.
The two legitimate sons of General Chu were well-equipped in Literature and martial arts respectively, for which they were highly praised and envied by their colleagues. As a result, the regret that the second son could not practice martial arts faded away, and he began to pay more attention to the original owner.
Lady Chu felt a mixture of fear and joy.
He feared that if Chu Mo’s gender was exposed, it would be a crime of deceiving the emperor, punishable by death.
Fortunately, Chu Qian is not the only one in the General’s Mansion. Chu Qian is the eldest son of her predecessor, three years older than the original owner. The so-called tiger father has no dog son. He completely inherited the general Chu in both appearance and ability. He was brave and resourceful, and he followed General Chu when he was ten years old. He went to the battlefield and made many military exploits, and was favored by his father.
Mrs. Chu always struggled with this matter, always urging the original owner to work harder and harder.
Furthermore, in addition to military power, the general who protects the country also has the hereditary position of second-grade marquis. He is a rare person among the n.o.bles who is favored by His Majesty the Emperor.
Now that Chu Mo was thriving, Lady Chu thought that his son deserved the marquisate.
Although not everything went according to plan, Lady Chu felt that his efforts over the years were not in vain.
With this in mind, Lady Chu became stricter in his demands on Chu Mo, urging him to establish himself in the court as soon as possible to secure his father’s favor and inheritance of the marquisate.
Because of his young age, after pa.s.sing the imperial examinations, Chu Mo was not sent out to work like other scholars of his cla.s.s. Instead, he remained in the Hanlin Academy.
Although not as worldly as his birth mother, Chu Mo was very ambitious. He had excellent social skills and, with a strong-willed mother guiding him, he was well-behaved and understanding. Due to the need to conceal his gender, he was cautious and meticulous, shaping him into a conscientious and considerate individual. Although he was somewhat old-fashioned for his age, his gentle nature and selflessness endeared him to others.
In addition, he not only has real talent and practical knowledge, but also has a n.o.ble family and a high reputation among scholars, so he is highly appreciated by the old scholars.
With fewer worldly distractions, Chu Mo diligently studied in the Hanlin Academy and quickly distinguished himself among his colleagues. In just three years, while others were struggling for achievements and recognition, he rose from the rank of eighth-grade academician to fifth-grade attendant reader in the Hanlin Academy, allowing him to accompany the emperor and a.s.sist in reading official doc.u.ments.
Thus, Chu Mo’s future seemed limitless.
However, no one expected that, at the peak of his success, he would lose his life because of a bowl of imperial soup.
This aphrodisiac, known as Red Dust Drunkenness, had a peculiar characteristic: while harmless for men, it was lethal for Gers! If not for Gou Liang’s timely arrival, the original owner’s true gender would have been exposed, and even if he had “meritorious service,” it would have brought disaster upon the Chu family.
Gou Liang mourned briefly for the original host’s misfortune, then felt a pang of regret for not being able to swipe negative soul power, and immediately couldn’t wait to flip through the extensive data of his target—
Name: Tian Zong
Gender: Male
Age: 27
Height: 191CM
Appearance coefficient: ★★★★★
Intelligence coefficient: ★★★★★
Physical fitness coefficient: ★★★★★
Health coefficient: ★★★★★
Potential: S-rank
Current favorability: +20.
It was the twelfth year of Chenwu. Tian Zong ascended the throne before he turned fifteen. At that time, the court was in turmoil, and people’s hearts were divided.
Due to the former emperor’s incompetence and obsession with seeking immortality, governance collapsed, and power fell into the hands of the aristocracy.
They were busy fighting for power and disregarded the lives of the common people. During the sixteen years of the former emperor’s reign, taxes were raised five times! Whenever there was a natural disaster, corrupt officials embezzled relief funds and neglected their duties, causing widespread suffering among the people.
As the eldest son of a concubine, Tian Zong was exceptionally wise. Because his maternal lineage was not prominent, almost no one believed he would inherit the throne. He was always marginalized from imperial power.
But it was precisely this neglect that allowed him to consolidate his power and ascend to the throne.
While the aristocracy fought and balanced each other, Tian Zong fulfilled the former emperor’s wish to “ascend to immortality” and inherited the throne according to the edict. Then, with thunderous force, he stabilized the situation in the shortest time possible.
The new emperor was resolute and vigorous, immediately initiating sweeping reforms upon ascending the throne, aiming to eradicate the tumors within the aristocracy.
His first act was to cleanse the aristocracy and reform the laws—under the pretext of revising the legal code, he singled out several influential aristocratic families who had violated the law for severe punishment as a warning to others.
The unsmiling Emperor Chenwu was merciless. He didn’t care how much these aristocrats had contributed to the dynasty; whoever he decided to kill in the middle of the night would not see the sun rise the next day. Those old ministers who dared to manipulate the young emperor’s authority for their own benefit either died, retired, or surrendered.
The power of the aristocratic families was disrupted, and within a short two years, it was reorganized.
At the same time, Tian Zong promoted commoners, and while purging the court, he inserted the scholars selected from the previous year’s imperial examination into the political landscape.
These people were genuine loyalists, unwaveringly devoted to him.
In subsequent imperial examinations, the weight of commoner candidates became heavier.
The aristocracy felt deeply threatened, but Tian Zong gave them dignity while showing no mercy to those who opposed him, uprooting entire families without exception.
Regardless of whether the aristocrats accused him of patricide or of being cruel and unrighteous, he dismissed even the harshest criticisms with a smile. He never hesitated to do what needed to be done.
In his twelve years of rule, Tian Zong eliminated each of the acc.u.mulated problems left by the former emperor. Today, the four seas are peaceful, there is no construction or reconstruction, governance has been improved, amnesty has been granted, taxes have not been increased, and the people praise the wise ruler’s virtues. With the hearts of the people on his side, even if the aristocrats harbor grievances, they can only keep quiet.
Gou Liang was deeply moved as he read about the rise of this generation’s wise ruler.
Truly, his target was handsome, surpa.s.sing all expectations!
Three days later, after the toxins were cleared from his system, Gou Liang politely refused Doctor Zheng’s suggestion to continue resting and returned to his post with a sense of duty.
That afternoon, when the Emperor had some leisure time in his study, flipping through a book, he found the wrinkled face of the old Hanlin attendant reading beside him somewhat distracting. This reminded him of Chu Aiqing— the original owner’s promotion was somewhat related to his appearance, and the +20 favorability wasn’t entirely due to his dedication and profound knowledge.
The Emperor inquired, “Eunuch Tong, how is Minister Chu’s condition?”
Eunuch Tong replied, “Reporting to Your Majesty, Minister Chu’s condition has greatly improved. He came to express his grat.i.tude outside the hall today before leaving his sick leave, bowing in thanks for Your Majesty’s graciousness.”
The Emperor paused for a moment. “In that case, have him come and read tomorrow.”
Eunuch Tong hastily made a note of it.
The next day, when Gou Liang was led into the room by the young eunuch, the excitement hidden in his eyes was immediately noticed by Eunuch Tong.
Eunuch Tong thought to himself: Guilty as charged!
Gou Liang keenly noticed the strange look in Eunuch Tong’s eyes as he observed him… Huh, did I miss something?