Save That Miserable Protagonist - Chapter 31

To be caged with pigs.

Somehow, this spring rain had been falling intermittently for three days without clearing.

When Yan Buzhuo first arrived in this dynasty, the streets were filled with swaying peach blossoms. However, due to this merciless spring rain, all the peach blossoms on Vermilion Bird Street had fallen. Even the flowers and plants within the Yongjia Marquis Mansion suffered; most had been blown down by the wind, and the few remaining on the branches were battered and wilted by the rain.

Princess Yongning, who cherished flowers, had been sighing every day for the past two days while looking at the blossoms that had fallen into the mud. The endless rainy season not only ruined the flowers and plants but also dampened people’s moods.

Yan Buzhuo leaned against the window, watching the bead-like raindrops under the eaves, and sighed along with them. Possessing the restless spirit of a youth, he found it impossible to remain idle. Yet, due to this incessant rain, he had been confined to the Yan Mansion for three full days. It was only at this moment that Yan Buzhuo felt a profound longing for his homeland.

He stretched out his hand to catch the drizzling raindrops, watching the crystal-clear splashes form in his palm. He complained to the system, which was curled up on his shoulder, “System, it has been three days. Why is there no news from the Emperor? At this rate, when will I be able to go home?”

Heaven knows how much he had missed 21st-century internet access, food delivery, television dramas, and all sorts of video games over the past two days.

888 rested quietly on Yan Buzhuo’s shoulder; its stiff, mechanical tone did not change in the slightest. [Host, according to the analysis of the original plot, it won’t be long now.]

It turned out that “soon” really meant soon. The moment the system finished speaking, the sound of urgent horse hooves could be heard approaching from outside the Yongjia Marquis Mansion.

Not long after the noisy hoofbeats stopped, a servant from the mansion ran over, soaked to the bone. “Young Master! There is an imperial decree from the palace! You are summoned to the palace!”

Hearing this, Yan Buzhuo’s eyes brightened. “Do you know what it is for, and who else has been summoned?”

Upon hearing this, the servant quickly replied, “It is said that all officials involved in the imperial examination case, the successful candidates, as well as the various nobles and high-ranking ministers are all in this summons.” The servant added, “Even the second son of Grand Secretary Zhang, who does not know a single character, is going.”

Hearing this, Yan Buzhuo’s heart sank. This was completely different from the plot he knew from the system. In the original plot, the Emperor used an iron-fisted approach to exile all those involved from the capital, but it was done in secret. It was only after they had all left that he posted a notice to the world. The so-called examination fraud was merely a pretext for purging the imperial court.

Lost in these thoughts, and while Yan Buzhuo was pondering the Emperor’s intentions, the servant’s voice returned.

“Young Master? Young Master!”

“Hmm?”

The servant’s tone was more urgent as he pointed toward the door. “Young Master, the palace carriage is still waiting outside the mansion! The Emperor’s oral command says to enter the palace immediately to be received at the Fengtian Hall; there must be no delay!”

Hearing this, Yan Buzhuo glanced unobtrusively at 888, which had already flown to the window frame. Seeing it nod slightly, Yan Buzhuo smiled. “Alright, please ask Uncle Zhang to relay the message that I will come as soon as I change my clothes.”

With his hair tied high behind his head, Yan Buzhuo sat in the palace-sent carriage, dressed in a black martial outfit. To the outside world, he appeared as a carefree youth, but once he was alone in the carriage, the ease he had been forcing faded away. He reached out to hold 888, his brows drooping as he sighed, “System, what do I do? This is completely different from the original plot. I am not going to die here, am I?”

It was like discovering during an exam that none of the points the teacher emphasized were on the test; Yan Buzhuo felt a deep sense of insecurity as things slipped out of his control. 888 struggled a bit, but when it could not break free, it let him be. It blinked its eyes gently, and its typically cold, mechanical voice revealed a hint of comfort. [Host, do not worry. If the mission fails, 888 will still take you back to the original world.]

“Will I be resurrected back in the original world?” Yan Buzhuo’s eyes lit up as he asked this.

Regrettably, 888 shook its head. [No.]

In a flash, Yan Buzhuo’s dark, puppy-like eyes went dim. “Then what use is it to take me back? To go back as a corpse?”

Please! He had died in a car accident!

Yan Buzhuo had previously thought that if he could go back, it would not matter whether the mission succeeded or not. He was not particularly close to Ruan Suiyu anyway—better him than me—and he had certainly tried his best, had he not? But now, did the system’s words not mean his life and Ruan Suiyu’s were tied together? This meant that even though the plot was out of control, if Yan Buzhuo wanted to live and return home, he would have to bite the bullet and forge ahead.

“Young Master, we have arrived.”

Looking at the Fengtian Hall just a short distance outside the carriage window, Yan Buzhuo rubbed 888 hard in his palm. “Coming!”

Forget it, since he was already here, he might as well face it. It was not as if the Emperor was going to eat him, was it?

That was what Yan Buzhuo thought, but as he followed the crowd into the majestic hall, an invisible pressure hit him head-on. The hall was resplendent with gold and jade; the dragon-carved pillars rose high, and the Emperor sat in the main seat in his golden imperial robes. He looked down from above, his face obscured behind the white jade beads. Yan Buzhuo swallowed hard, inexplicably feeling a heavy sense of coercion.

Inside the hall, officials kept their heads lowered and held their breath. The Crown Prince, Liang Jie, stood respectfully below the imperial steps. In the vast Fengtian Hall, even the sound of rustling fabric was clearly audible. Yan Buzhuo felt nearly suffocated by the oppressive atmosphere.

Fortunately, the Emperor did not let this suffocating silence last too long. With his fingertips tapping lightly on the armrest, Liang Heng’s voice carried clearly across the vast hall. “Regarding the imperial examination fraud, following a detailed investigation by the relevant authorities and a re-examination, no solid evidence has been found.”

The moment Liang Heng uttered these words, Yan Buzhuo keenly noticed that many officials in the hall, especially those from noble families, relaxed their tense shoulders imperceptibly.

However, Liang Heng’s tone shifted. “However, public opinion is boiling and cannot be ignored. To serve as a warning and to settle the literati, all candidates involved in this examination, regardless of whether they are from humble or noble backgrounds, shall have their stipends docked for one year and must remain in the capital for observation.”

Docked stipends and observation.

At these words, Yan Buzhuo’s heart skipped a beat. This approach, which sounded like heavy thunder but produced small raindrops, this seemingly light punishment, actually left infinite possibilities for the future. The careers of these candidates were still firmly gripped in the Emperor’s palm.

But it did not end there. Liang Heng’s tone remained without a ripple, as if he were merely arranging an ordinary official transfer. He continued from his high position, “Censorate officials have the duty to report what they hear. Yet, recently, their memorials have been mostly empty and unsubstantiated. To rectify governance and clear the channels of communication, effective immediately, Ruan Suiyu, the Third Place Scholar of this year’s examination, is promoted to Investigating Censor of the Censorate, with a rank of Seventh Grade.”

As this decree was issued, countless gazes in the hall fell upon the white figure in the center of the hall, who stepped out to give thanks. Yan Buzhuo looked over as well. Due to the distance, Yan Buzhuo clearly saw that the moment Ruan Suiyu bowed to show gratitude, his always-straight back stiffened abruptly.

It was that subtle pause that allowed Yan Buzhuo to clearly capture the pupils beneath Ruan Suiyu’s dark lashes. He saw that the typically clear pupils were now suppressed by a dense, unmelting gloom.

Seeing this expression, combined with the surprised looks of the surrounding ministers, Yan Buzhuo was filled with confusion. He asked the system in his heart, “System, why does Ruan Suiyu have that look? And why are the ministers all reacting like that? I remember in the original plot, Ruan Suiyu was exiled from the capital, and he even carried the stigma of the examination fraud—which was much worse than the current situation.”

Hearing Yan Buzhuo’s question, 888 took advantage of the fact that no one could see it and flew out to explain. [Host, although the position of Investigating Censor is humble, its power is immense. It has the authority to supervise and impeach all officials; it is the sword hanging over their heads.]

“Hmm?” Upon hearing this, Yan Buzhuo nodded in understanding. “So this is like a disciplinary committee member in school? Reporting secrets to the Emperor?”

[The analogy is inappropriate, but that is the general idea.] The system looked at Ruan Suiyu lightly before continuing. [The key lies in the fact that by placing him in this position, the Emperor is effectively putting him on a fire to be roasted.]

At this point, Yan Buzhuo understood without the system needing to explain further. Ruan Suiyu was of noble birth. Over the years, the noble families had been interconnected like a massive tree. If Ruan Suiyu were impartial and impeached the nobles, it was uncertain whether the humble-born officials would accept him, but he would definitely be betraying his own class. If he protected the noble families, the Emperor could immediately seize him for dereliction of duty or forming a faction, and drag a large number of people down with him.

It was a dead end either way. In this position, to say nothing of his ambition to save the people, it would not even be easy for him to get out unscathed.

Thinking of this, the playfulness on Yan Buzhuo’s face vanished instantly. Looking at the lonely, sharp silhouette in the center of the hall, Yan Buzhuo sighed softly in his heart.

Before Yan Buzhuo could pull himself out of these thoughts, the Emperor’s voice sounded again in the silent hall. This time, Yan Buzhuo was no longer a spectator below, but a protagonist who needed to receive the decree and give thanks. The Emperor had directly called his name.

“The country has needs, and the children of noble clans and families should also undergo training to share the burden for our Great Zhou. Effective immediately, Yan Buzhuo, Heir to the Yongjia Marquis…”

A long list of names followed from Liang Heng’s lips. The Emperor had taken all these wastrels, who usually did nothing but roam the pleasure districts, and stuffed them all into the Six Ministries and other key offices. He even euphemistically called it ‘observing governance and learning.’

“Your subject, receives the decree and gives thanks.”

Yan Buzhuo knelt with the others, his voice blending into the crowd, appearing completely meticulous. However, Yan Buzhuo’s inner heart was already churning with waves. By this moment, Yan Buzhuo clearly realized that he had been completely pushed into this chess game between imperial power and the noble families.

The wind and rain of Moling City had already fallen upon him. Liang Heng’s decree had clearly placed him and the entire Yongjia Marquis Mansion, on the chessboard. Whether Yan Buzhuo was willing or not, he could no longer remain an outsider.

The rain outside the Fengtian Hall fell even harder, pattering against the glazed tiles.