A lazy bum transmigrates and marries a eunuch – it's awesome!

Just as the officials were hesitating about whether to take advantage of the situation and get a share of the spoils, the old emperor on the dragon throne suddenly waved his hand with a smile on his face.

"Alright, alright, my two beloved ministers, there's no need to argue anymore."

As the saying goes, a marriage is tied by a single thread, and when fate comes, nothing can stop it.

The reason I acted as matchmaker in the first place was because I was afraid that Minister Xiao would grow old alone. Now that she has found such a beautiful wife, let's leave it at that.

Regardless of why the marriage was arranged by a twist of fate, it was ultimately a match made in heaven.

"Better to tear down ten temples than to break up one marriage," as Zhang Aiqing also said, "Heaven and earth cannot be deceived."

Since we've already paid our respects to Heaven, Earth, and our ancestors, let's leave it at that.

Xiao Yuan, don't feel wronged.

Even though you're not after your wife's dowry, marrying someone wealthy isn't a bad thing, so don't be too calculating.

Xiao Yuan quickly knelt down and kowtowed, completely omitting the evidence of the marriage exchange with the Li family, acting as if both thunder and rain were acts of imperial favor.

The old emperor was quite pleased with this demeanor and turned to ask Zhang Zhongyi.

"Minister Zhang, there's no need to defend your disciple. Although the dowry has shrunk considerably since the father-in-law of a fourth-rank official has been replaced by a father-in-law of a fifth-rank official, it is still his fault."

Didn't they say he was betrothed to a woman from the Jiang family since childhood?

They must have met before, how could they not know what their wife looked like in this wind and rain?

Having studied under a teacher like you, who achieved the highest honors in the imperial examinations, I haven't seen you write any masterpieces, but you certainly got married quite quickly.

"You should also give him a good talking-to later. He's going to inherit the title eventually, so he should focus more on important matters."

Zhang Zhongyi quickly knelt down to apologize on behalf of Zhao Chengye, his attitude respectful and without a single fault.

The old emperor suddenly smiled again, "Xiao Yuan, it was a twist of fate that the Jiang family girl married you. She is a legitimate daughter of an official family, so you can't treat her poorly."

Zhang Aiqing, please also pass on a message to your beloved disciple: "It takes ten years of cultivation to share a boat ride and a hundred years to share a pillow."

Now that you've married a girl from the Li family, you should live a good life with her.

Don't complain about her humble origins and meager dowry after the wedding night is over.

After the old emperor finished speaking, the two men repeatedly agreed. Zhang Zhongyi then took the opportunity to flatter the emperor, making him very pleased.

Xiao Yuan rolled his eyes inwardly; he really couldn't do this job.

A subtle compliment to please the old emperor would be fine, but to use such obsequious words while he's complaining of toothache is quite something.

Those candidates at the academy should really see the true colors of this old fox.

That scoundrel is upright and proud, yet his servile manner is worse than that of a eunuch.

The old emperor casually decided someone's fate for life, then left, smug and self-satisfied.

Is it important that Xiao Yuan was framed for complaining?

unimportant.

Is it important that the wife of Vice Minister Li unilaterally changed the marriage arrangement arranged by the Emperor?

Not important either.

If the emperor is angered, this is a serious crime of disrespecting imperial authority; if the emperor is happy, this is nothing more than the loving heart of a woman.

One thought can lead to heaven or hell; one holds the power of life and death.

This is the taste of imperial power; once you possess it, it becomes addictive, like a drug, and you would never allow even your parents, wife, or children to touch it.

The old emperor thoroughly enjoyed this feeling and became increasingly fascinated by the sense of controlling other people's destinies.

With Madam Li's audacity, her daughter must be no pushover either. The Ningguo Duke's mansion is in for some fun this time.

However, given that the Li family daughter came from a humble background, had a meager dowry, and entered the family through dishonest means, she likely had little chance of winning against a Duke's mansion.

Therefore, the old emperor specifically instructed Zhang Zhongyi to convey a message that the Ningguo Duke's mansion was not allowed to mistreat this daughter-in-law, which could be seen as a way to level the playing field between the two sides.

If the Li family's daughter were intelligent, she would know how to use the emperor's decree to gain a foothold in the Zhao family.

As for Xiao Yuan, the old emperor didn't pay much attention to him.

Firstly, the knife is very obedient and easy to use, so there's no need to cause him any trouble at home or delay his work. Secondly, even if he doesn't do anything, Xiao Yuan's life is pretty much the same.

In the capital, the transition from the fifth to the fourth rank is a watershed moment; although it's only a difference of two ranks, the significance is completely different.

If a fourth-rank official from the capital is sent to a region, he becomes a high-ranking official and can be considered an important minister of the court.

Such officials are generally very cautious in their stance and alignment, and will not change their position for the sake of their children's marriage.

Jiang Huai has always been close to Zhang Zhongyi. Even if Xiao Yuan becomes his son-in-law by chance, it is highly unlikely that he will be of one mind with Xiao Yuan.

The marriage alliance connects the present generation, but the key lies in the next generation.

Those who wholeheartedly support their sons-in-law are never concerned with the relationship between their daughter and son-in-law, but rather with whether everything the son-in-law will eventually fall into the hands of their grandson or nephew.

Xiao Yuan is an impotent eunuch who cannot have children with the Jiang family. Jiang Huai will only use him to pave the way for his own children and grandchildren. It is impossible for him to pour resources into him.

Xiao Yuan is always ruthless, vicious, and vindictive. Anyone who tries to take advantage of him will inevitably be skinned alive. It's only a matter of time before the two sides fall out.

If there were a loving matriarch in charge of the household, she might be able to mediate. Unfortunately, the Jiang family's mother died young, and the concubine is in charge of the household. I'm afraid that old man Jiang Huai would be more than happy to see her dead.

After all, if a daughter dies, her dowry can only be passed down to her children or returned to her parents' home.

Since she was married to a eunuch, she naturally had no children. The dowry, which even Zhang Zhongyi considered generous, would eventually return to the Jiang family.

The old emperor didn't believe Xiao Yuan's words about not being greedy for the dowry at all. Who in this world doesn't love money?

Even though Xiao Ling had become the top steward by his side, he still fell out with his sworn brother Xiao Yuan over money.

None of the eunuchs around him had children to support, so when it came to receiving rewards, they all rushed to claim them.

Just you wait and see, these two families who married into the wrong family will have plenty of fun to look forward to.

Xiao Yuan and Zhang Zhongyi had both guessed some of the old emperor's twisted mentality, after all, they were both close ministers of the emperor and had been with him for a long time.

As for the ministers who rarely saw the emperor in private, they didn't think of this aspect; they only felt that the emperor was particularly kind and benevolent today.

The marriage exchange between the two families was neither a big deal nor a small matter, but it was different in nature because one of them was arranged by the emperor.

To put it mildly, it's disrespect for imperial authority; to put it more seriously, it's defying imperial orders.

It's quite surprising that they let it go so easily now; these four companies are really lucky.

Such strange and unusual events might just be a spectacle for others, but for Jiang Huai, it was like riding a roller coaster.

For him, yesterday's daughter's wedding was just an opportunity to connect with his colleagues.

He left all matters to Liu and paid no attention to anything except drinking with his colleagues.

Who would have thought that so many troubles would arise? If he had known, he would have preferred to let that rebellious daughter die at home.

Heaven knows how difficult this morning court session was for him; if it weren't for his physical instincts, he wouldn't even be able to stand up.

It was fortunate that the emperor was merciful and did not get angry, otherwise his hard-earned fourth-rank position would probably not have been enough to get rid of him.

Even so, Jiang Huai couldn't be happy. He mechanically walked forward while pondering how to balance this relationship.

It's impossible to be popular with both sides.

Trying to step into both boats will only result in losing your footing on either one and eventually falling into the water.

But if he had to choose one... how should he choose?