Chapter 43: The Emperor's Mind is Unfathomable

Ye Qingyan felt as though her entire world was collapsing.

The Emperor?
The Dragon's heart was greatly pleased?

Hearing these words uttered by a eunuch with a forced, eerie smile made them sound less like a royal grace and more like a death warrant. Countless thoughts flashed through her mind in an instant.

"System! You useless system! Get out here and save your host!"
[Beep, beep...]
"Hello? Are you there? Your host is about to be sliced into carpaccio!"
[Beep, beep...]

The system was dead.
At this very moment when she needed a cheat code the most, it had actually chosen to go offline!

Ye Qingyan took a deep breath, forcing her face into a smile that was far uglier than tears.
"Lord Eunuch, about this..."

The imperial decree-delivering eunuch pinched his orchid fingers, without even lifting his eyelids.
"Miss Ye, please proceed. His Majesty is still waiting in the palace. If we miss the auspicious hour, you might be able to afford the consequences, but this old slave certainly cannot."

These words were dripping with sarcasm and carried immense lethal force.

Well, avoidance was out of the question.
Disobeying an imperial edict spelled a capital crime written in bold letters. Entering the palace to face the Emperor might at least leave her with a one-percent chance of survival.

Ye Qingyan's brain worked at breakneck speed, like a CPU on the verge of burning out.
A Hongmen Banquet!
The last keyword the system had spat out before crashing echoed frantically in her mind like a barrage of bullet comments.
Right now, she was nothing more than fish on a chopping block waiting to be slaughtered!

"Please wait a moment, Eunuch, while I change my clothes."
Ye Qingyan turned and sprinted toward the inner courtyard, practically flying on her feet.

First stop: her father's study.
"Father! Save me! Your daughter is about to bite the dust!"
Ye Qingyan kicked open the study door.

Her father spat out a mouthful of tea, his face frozen in utter bewilderment.
"What madness are you up to now, child?"
"There's no time to explain, get in the car!" Ye Qingyan grabbed her father. "People from the palace are here! It's because of that wine-selling stunt with the dragon robe! The Emperor has summoned me by name!"

Her father's face instantly turned as pale as a sheet.
"What?"

This matter could be interpreted as big or small.
Framed lightly, it was merely a merchant using a gimmick to court publicity.
Framed severely, it was the heinous crime of treason, an outright act of rebellion!
The kind that involved executing all nine clans!

"Father, listen to me!" Ye Qingyan forced herself to stay calm, her thoughts crystal clear.
"First, our stories must match. We will claim that garment is merely a theatrical costume custom-made by the finest embroidery workshop in the capital, and it has nothing whatsoever to do with a dragon robe!"
"Second, I will bring all the receipts and proof of commission for the theatrical costume—human and physical evidence complete!"
"Third, and most importantly, I will donate all the profits earned from selling this wine to the imperial treasury, claiming it is to support the soldiers on the border and share the nation's burdens!"

Her father listened in stunned silence.
He looked at his daughter. Was this still that pampered, tearful delicate girl?
This decisiveness and boldness surpassed even his own, her father!

"Good! Let's do it!" Her father slapped his thigh. "I'll go to the ledger room right now to get the money!"

Father and daughter split up, executing their plan with utmost efficiency.
Ye Qingyan changed into a plain, unadorned outfit, wearing no cosmetics, looking innocent and harmless.
Clutching a box in her hands, she followed the eunuch and embarked on the journey toward the imperial palace.

As the carriage swayed unsteadily, Ye Qingyan's heart flipped up and down.
She frantically rehearsed in her mind.
What should she say when she met the Emperor later?
Should she kneel and weep bitterly, or deliver a passionate, eloquent speech?
What if the Emperor turned out to be an unreasonable tyrant?
Would she be dragged out and beheaded?
Decapitated? Subjected to slow slicing? Or strangled with red silk?

Oh mother of god, she didn't dare to imagine it.
Ye Qingyan shivered.

Forget it, if I die, I die; in eighteen years I'll be another fine hero.
No, a fine heroine.

...

Judging by today's events, this was no imperial palace; it was clearly a luxury slaughterhouse.

Finally, she was led before a magnificent and imposing grand hall.
The Hall of Mental Cultivation.

The eunuch called out in a shrill voice, "By imperial edict, the eldest legitimate daughter of the Ye family, Ye Qingyan, is granted an audience—"

Ye Qingyan took a deep breath and stepped inside.
The vast interior of the hall was terrifyingly empty.
Huge coiling dragon pillars stretched straight up to the vaulted ceiling, and the floor was polished as smooth as a mirror.
The air was thick with the scent of dragon-saliva incense, enough to make one's scalp tingle.

On the elevated platform at the very front sat a dragon throne.
And upon that throne sat a figure.
Clad in a bright yellow dragon robe and wearing an imperial crown, the person's face was half-hidden in shadow, making features difficult to discern.
The pressure emanating from him weighed heavily upon Ye Qingyan.

Was this the Emperor?
The ultimate boss?

Ye Qingyan's knees grew weak, and with a heavy plop, she dropped to the floor.
"This humble subject Ye Qingyan pays respects to His Majesty. May the Emperor live for ten thousand years, ten thousand times ten thousand years!"

The grand hall fell deathly quiet, save for the sound of her own heartbeat pounding like a war drum.

A low, emotionless voice drifted down from the high platform.
"Lift your head."

Trembling, Ye Qingyan raised her head.
Only then did she manage to catch a clear glimpse of the Emperor's appearance.
He was very young, perhaps twenty-seven or twenty-eight.
Sword-like brows, starry eyes, a high-pitted nose, and thin lips pressed tightly together.
He was... actually quite handsome.

However, those eyes were terrifying.
Pitch-black and bottomless.

"You are Ye Qingyan?"
"...Yes, Your Majesty, this humble subject is Ye Qingyan."
"I hear you sold wine using a dragon robe?" The Emperor's tone was remarkably flat.
Yet Ye Qingyan sensed the brewing storm beneath the calm.

Here it came!
The fatal question had arrived!

"Your Majesty, please discern the truth! This humble subject would never dare!"
"That was no dragon robe! It was merely a theatrical costume custom-made by an embroidery workshop to create buzz for our wine-selling! I have the receipts right here as proof!"
"This humble subject knows this act was attention-seeking, but I harbored no disrespect whatsoever toward the royal house!"

With that, she raised the box high above her head.
"These are the receipts for the custom-made garments and the entire revenue earned from selling the wine! Knowing my offense, this humble subject is willing to donate all these funds to the imperial treasury to support the border warfare and redeem my sins!"
"I beg Your Majesty to show mercy! This humble subject will never dare do it again!"

Ye Qingyan finished it all in one breath and pressed her forehead heavily against the floor, adopting the posture of someone ready for the executioner.

She had done everything she could.
She provided an explanation, presented physical evidence, and offered a massive "fine."
Her attitude was sincere, her posture standard.
Next, it all depended on what the grand emperor planned to do.

The grand hall relapsed into silence.
Ye Qingyan felt cold sweat soak through her back.
Every second felt like a year.

Suddenly, a light chuckle drifted down from the elevated platform.
"Heh, heh, heh."
The laugh was faint.

She jerked her head up, meeting the Emperor's half-smiling gaze.
"A theatrical costume?"
The Emperor's voice carried a hint of amusement.
"It was crafted quite realistically."

Ye Qingyan's heart tightened.

"The Ye family certainly has plenty of money."

Her heart sank to the abyss.
It was over.
Was he complaining the money was too little?
Or did he think she was trying to bribe him?

The sovereign's mind was as unfathomable as needles at the bottom of the sea; impossible to guess!

Just as Ye Qingyan prepared to knock her head against the floor again to plead for mercy, the Emperor abruptly changed the subject.
"I hear you also wanted to become a guardian merchant of the state?"

That was something she had only thought about in her own mind!
Even her father didn't know about it!
How did he know?!
Could he read minds?
Or perhaps... there were informants of his around her?

Chen Huai'an's calm face suddenly flashed across her mind.
A chill rushed straight from the soles of her feet up to her scalp.

"Th-This humble subject... would never dare..." Ye Qingyan's voice trembled.
"Never dare?" The Emperor laughed, this time with a louder chuckle. "I think you are entirely too bold."

He stood up from the dragon throne and stepped down the elevated platform, one step at a time.
His bright yellow imperial boots tapped rhythmically against the pristine floor tiles.
He stopped right in front of Ye Qingyan, looking down at her from above.
His shadow completely enveloped her.

"Raise your head and look at me."

Forced to look up, Ye Qingyan met those deep, unfathomable eyes directly.
"I will give you a chance."
The Emperor's voice carried unquestionable majesty.
"I confer upon you the title of Guardian Merchant God."

Ye Qingyan was dumbfounded.
What on earth?
Bestowing the title of a god upon her?
The plot was completely off track!
Shouldn't she be dragged out and beheaded?

"Starting today, you are the Imperial Merchant."
"Within one year, I want you to earn three million liang of silver for the imperial treasury."
"If you succeed, I will grant the Ye family three generations of glory and prosperity."
"If you fail..."
"I will remove your head and use it as a chamber pot."

Ye Qingyan: [*Ah...*]

Oh, holy heavens!
Big brother, are you serious?!
Three million liang?! Why don't you just rob someone!
No wait, you were already robbing someone...
What kind of psycho hobby is using a human head as a chamber pot?!
You tyrant!

While screaming frantic curses internally, Ye Qingyan forced a smile that looked far worse than weeping.
"Th-This humble subject... obeys the decree."

"Very good." The Emperor nodded in satisfaction, turned around, and walked back to the dragon throne.
"You are dismissed."
"Imperial Merchant Lord Ye."

...

Ye Qingyan felt her legs turn to jelly, stepping as lightly as if she were walking on cotton.
Was this a blessing? Or a curse?
This was no blessing at all!
It was a colossal trap!
A giant pit worth three million liang!

She had just escaped the wolf's den only to walk straight into the tiger's lair!