CH 12

Chapter 12- Laws and decrees

Choosing an imperial concubine, no matter male or female.

Su Yu suddenly felt that he had not crossed into the ancient times, but into the future. This society was too open!

Zhao Shi went on and on about the benefits of participating in the consort selection. If he could be selected, he would be able to win at least a first-class general title after a few years.

Even if he failed to win the election, as long as he passed the first level, he would be able to attract the Zong Zheng Department’s attention, and the title would probably fall on Su Yu’s head.

Su Yu was still in a state of shock, he didn’t hear a word from his first mother. To be exact, he didn’t understand them at all.

He suddenly discovered that he lacked a lot of common sense of this world.

Absentmindedly taking the name card and leaving the rear court, Su Yu looked up at the sky to see the time and raised his feet to walk to the study.

The Su family had never been a literary family, but at least it was a noble family. There were still things like a study for outsiders to see.

Pushing open the dust-laden door, the dust blowing in his face choked the kitten in his bosom and it sneezed constantly.

Su Yu quickly waved his sleeve, patted the dusty furry head, and lit the candlestick in the room with a firestarter.

The study was not big, and the books stored on the bookshelf were limited. Su Yu searched for a long time with a candlestick and he didn’t find any books that could help him understand the common knowledge.

There was no encyclopedia in ancient times, you could only read law books, but as a fish selling family, will there be a law book in the study?

Seeing Su Yu look anxious, An Hongche didn’t know why, so he stretched out his paw and patted Su Yu’s face.

Su Yu lowered his head and faced the kitten’s big eyes. Unexpectedly, he could make out doubts in those eyes that were like glazed glass beads.

“I think I know too little about this dynasty, I have to find a law book to study it.” Su Yu looked at his cat’s eyes and unconsciously wanted to explain it to it, although he knew that it couldn’t understand.

Hearing the word “this dynasty”, An Hongche narrowed his eyes slightly.

“Sauce, why would the imperial family want a male concubine? This world is so amazing.” Su Yu couldn’t help talking too much as he searched through the stacks of books while chatting.

When he arrived at this unfamiliar space-time, it was false to say that he felt no fear.

Su Yu always lived carefully for fear of exposing anything, even if there were many things he didn’t understand, he couldn’t speak and he couldn’t ask. Only facing the little furball in his arms did he dare to put down his guard.

The golden kitten clung to his shirt and quietly listened to Su Yu’s long-winded words. The tip of his tail hidden in the clothes shook gently and his amber eyes were dark and gloomy.

“Ah! Found it!” Su Yu exclaimed, picking up a dusty book from the corner. The cover was a little yellow, blowing off the floating dust on the surface revealed three words “Da’an Law”.

…noble family, all men and women of appropriate age who do not have a wedding contract are required to participate in the selection…

…When the crown prince is established, the harem will be dismissed. Except for those with royal heirs, the women will return to one’s parents, and the men will be appointed an official title according to their grades…

Su Yu lay on the bed and carefully studied the chapters about the imperial concubine selection. The more he looked, the more confused he became. The golden furball laid on his back, licking its paws in boredom.

According to the law recorded down, the royal family of the Da’an Dynasty was really an unusual exotic flower. There was no distinction between male and female concubines in the selection, it could also be understood as the imperial family’s good southerly wind.

This also happens in particularly open-minded dynasties, but the remaining rules were really incomprehensible.

Once the crown prince was established all the concubines in the palace who had not given birth to children will be released, women could marry another and men will be directly promoted a rank!

According to the rank of the nobility in the palace, they could be promoted to a rank after release. For example, if they become an “Imperial Concubine” they could become an Earl. They can become a Marquis if they reach the rank of Imperial Consort… The Empress will not be released.

“That’s too ridiculous!” Su Yu was dumbstruck.

An Hongche hearing that, shook his tail, stood up, climbed to Su Yu’s head, and looked down at him.

“Then everyone should go to the palace and become concubines. Who would go make meritorious deeds to protect the family and defend the country!” Su Yu seriously doubted whether this law book was a pirated copy bought by his ancestors on a street stall.

Stupid thing, do you think it’s that easy to be a male concubine? An Hongche jumped off Su Yu’s head, squatted on the law book, moved his tail, and pointed it at the corner of the page.

There were all kinds of strict restrictions on male concubines. To select a male concubine to enter the palace, it required the consent of many members of the royal family and to get a high evaluation during the selection.

It can be said that those who can be selected are qualified to be promoted to officials.

Su Yu lay on his back and held up his name card, reading it again and again. Five gilded characters were written in the center, “Su Yu, courtesy name Jin Tang”.

After being here for so long, Su Yu didn’t know he had his own courtesy name. He thought was only seventeen to eighteen years old, but he didn’t expect himself to be so feeble.

“Jin Tang…” Su Yu’s thoughts wandered a little while tracing those two words with one finger. What was he doing when he was twenty in his last life?

Nobody cared about him at home, and he couldn’t afford to pay his tuition to go to college. He went out to work early, killing fish and washing vegetables, and was busy from morning till night.

An Hongche climbed onto Su Yu’s chest and looked up at the name card. Jin Tang, that’s a good courtesy name.

Although Su Yu didn’t carefully look at the restrictions on choosing male concubines, he also understood that such a good thing would not fall on anyone easily.

The royal family will certainly be cautious about male concubines. Zhao Shi’s way of thinking was still too simple.

“As for my virtues, it’s useless to go. Only if the emperor is blind will he take a fancy to me.” Su Yu casually threw the name card aside and decided to ignore it.

Outrageous! The kitten on his chest was suddenly unhappy, he stretched out his paw and slapped Su Yu’s head.

Su Yu easily pressed the cat onto his face and rubbed happily against the soft fluff.

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The moon was high in the sky, a slender and fair white hand picked up the name card that fell under the bed. Pale thin lips pursed gently.

Stupid slave, how dare you throw away the name card!

Others have broken their head in order to enter the palace, and this stupid thing actually doesn’t want to go!

An Hongche sat in the bed, sulking for a while, he then turned to look at Su Yu, who was sleeping with an ignorant face. Angrily, he stretched out his hand and pulled him into his arms.

After looking at him for a long time, he couldn’t help leaning in and licked his soft lips. Then, he stuffed the name card into his sleeve pocket.

Forget it, We are so generous and kind, how can We bear to see you make a fool out of yourself? We’ll give you a hand, treat it as a reward for your proper service in these days, ba.

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The next day, Su Yu forgot all about the name card and got up to pack up and go the King Zhao’s Wangfu.

The Qingkes of King Zhao’s family were very capable, they found two kitchen helpers yesterday evening. An Hongyi asked Su Yu to go to King Zhao’s Wangfu every day and cook a dish for him.

Su Yu instructed one of the helpers to learn to roast squid in the garden and the other to cook seafood porridge in the kitchen. He himself carried a plate of golden butterfly shrimps to make snacks for King Zhao.

“Wangye, don’t you need to go to court?”

“My royal older brother is ill and won’t go to court.” An Hongyi happily fed the cat while eating.

The corners of Su Yu’s mouth twitched, speaking of his elder brother's illness, even if he was an ordinary person, he should at least pretend to be grieving.

“The restaurant will be decorated decorating today. You can go and have a look in the afternoon.” An Hongyi finished eating the last shrimp and the roast squid over there has been prepared.

After a sip of tea, he grabbed a squid skewer and began to eat. “Mmm, it’s not as delicious as yours.”

Su Yu gave some pointers to the helper to help him master the heat. He chatted with King Zhao about the decoration of the restaurant, and as he spoke, he also talked about the selection.

He suddenly thought that since the emperor was still ill, this year’s consort selection could also be postponed, which would save him some trouble.

“Consort selection?” An Hongyi blinked and glanced at the kitten on the table. “Well, it depends on the mood of elder brother Emperor.”

Remembering that Su Yu was also a merit noble, King Zhao laughed and said that Su Yu should go. The decoration of the restaurant will be completed in less than half a month, three months before the selection.

Which was enough time for Su Yu to earn a lot of money to bribe the Zong Zheng Department. As for the royal family, he, King Zhao will certainly vote for Su Yu.

Su Yu felt that talking about business with the unreliable King Zhao was simply asking for trouble. In the afternoon, he followed the Qingkes to East Street to see the decorations.

Originally, the two-room tavern didn’t need any complex decoration, and the focus was on the construction of the spiral staircase.

The pawnshop downstairs originally didn’t want Su Yu to build a wooden staircase outside, which would cover part of his storefront, but when he heard they were from King Zhao’s Wangfu, he moved the warehouse overnight without saying a word, and also took the initiative to deliver water to the craftsmen.

When Su Yu wanted to take back the two shops before, he talked to the pawnshop owner and was ridiculed by the head shopkeeper.

“We will be neighbors in the future, so we should help each other.” The smiling pawnshop shopkeeper seemed to be a different person compared to the shopkeeper from a few days ago.

Naturally, the craftsmen invited by the King’s Wangfu were among the best, more than a dozen craftsmen started to work at the same time, with such a speed that seemed to catch up with the decoration companies of Su Yu’s previous life.

In less than ten days, the installation was almost completed, and they will be ready to open in half a month.

“Sauce, get up. Today the restaurant unveils the plaque, you have to be the Lucky Cat!” Su Yu made breakfast and went back to the house to find the lazy cat who was still sleeping.

The blue curtain swayed with the breeze. Su Yu opened the bed curtain with a smile and was stunned on the spot.

The early morning sunshine poured in and brightened the simple wooden bed. The cat that used to sleep in the middle of the bed had disappeared and was instead replaced by an exceptionally handsome… man.