Chapter 39: Boss, We Have a Secret to Tell You!

Qin Feng hooked his arm around Zhu Biao’s shoulder and comforted him, “Don’t worry, just have faith in me!”

However, Zhu Biao’s clear eyes were filled with anxiety for Qin Feng.

Ever since Qin Feng proposed the river management strategy and founded the newspaper, Zhu Biao had admired his extraordinary talent and grand vision to the utmost.

Yet now, Qin Feng was volunteering to sneak into the inner circle of those Huaixi nobles. How perilous was such an undertaking?

If Qin Feng were to follow in the footsteps of Wang Hu and Li Tai, it would be a colossal loss for the Great Ming Empire and would plunge Zhu Biao into deep grief.

On the other hand, Old Zhu highly praised Qin Feng’s courage and audacity.

“Qin Feng, if you truly wish to infiltrate the stronghold of those old foxes, I will send people to protect you in secret.”

Qin Feng smiled and said, “Very well. Then at tomorrow’s morning court, Your Majesty must play your part convincingly. Make sure you don’t let those old foxes spot any flaws.”

Old Zhu shook his head and said, “Tomorrow won’t do; tomorrow is the grand sacrificial ceremony to Heaven. Let’s make it the day after tomorrow. Day after tomorrow, you and I, monarch and subject, will completely fall out in the imperial court.”

“Hehehe……”

Hearing Qin Feng’s cunning laughter, Zhu Biao said in frustration, “Teacher Qin, how am I supposed to act?”

Qin Feng let out a chuckle and said, “If you don’t want those old foxes to suspect anything, you must defend me to the death.”

“You must even make them believe that your relationship with His Majesty has shattered because of me.”

“Let those old foxes think their scheme has succeeded, and that His Majesty is isolated and without support.”

Zhu Biao nodded in sudden realization.

Nearby, Old Zhu pointed at Qin Feng and scolded, “Well, well, Qin Feng, you are even more insidious and cunning than those old foxes!”

Qin Feng rubbed his nose and said with a cheeky smile, “All’s fair in war!”

Just as the three of them were chatting away fervently, Wang Jinghong hurried inside, knelt on the ground, and reported, “Your Majesty, the Empress says today is a family banquet, and she wishes to invite Lord Qin to attend together.”

Qin Feng blinked his big eyes, looking utterly bewildered.

A family banquet of the Imperial Household—what on earth does inviting me mean?

With a wry expression, Old Zhu turned to Zhu Biao and smiled bitterly, “It’s over! I’m afraid your mother has found out about me selling my daughter, and she’s probably coming to call me to account.”

Zhu Biao said, “Father, do not worry. Teacher Qin is a man of exceptional talent and appearance; Mother will surely adore him upon seeing him. As the saying goes, the more a mother-in-law looks at her son-in-law, the more she loves him.”

“All those sisters of yours are the apple of your mother’s eye, so she will certainly be reluctant to part with them. However, meeting Qin Feng does no harm, for very soon Qin Feng and we will be one family.”

With that, Old Zhu beamed and looked toward Qin Feng.

Qin Feng rolled his eyes and thought to himself: You call this selling your daughter? You are clearly selling me out, aren’t you?

“It’s not entirely out of the question for me to attend this family banquet, but you at least have to let me see the princesses first, don't you?”

“What if none of your daughters turn out to my liking? Wouldn't I be getting the short end of the stick?”

Old Zhu and Zhu Biao simultaneously warned Qin Feng with their eyes.

In their eyes, every princess was as gorgeous as a celestial being, and rumors within the palace held that the eldest legitimate princess was the most lively and beautiful of them all!

And Old Zhu had truly been good to Qin Feng, intending to bestow the eldest legitimate princess upon him in marriage.

Old Zhu had long since sent people to investigate Qin Feng’s background: parents unknown, impoverished family, and still an unmarried bachelor in his early twenties!

His social background was exceedingly simple, perfectly matching his claimed identity as a time traveler.

This was one of the reasons why Old Zhu had gradually grown to trust Qin Feng and come to believe in his identity as a person from later generations.

In Old Zhu’s eyes, someone with Qin Feng’s background was by no means worthy of a princess.

However, Qin Feng’s talent, capability, demeanor, and character had gradually conquered Old Zhu.

That was why he made up his mind to marry his most beautiful and treasured daughter to Qin Feng.

Zhu Biao said, “Teacher Qin, my sister Yingrao is the brightest pearl of Great Ming, acknowledged by both the court and the harem as the most stunning princess.”

“Countless nobles, aristocrats, and even foreign princes have sought her hand in marriage, only to be rejected by Father and Mother.”

“My sister’s reputation precedes her, and she possesses such allure—yet you consider marrying her a loss?”

Qin Feng smiled wryly and said, “Can’t I just take a look first? What if we don't hit it off?”

Old Zhu and Zhu Biao spoke in unison, “No! Unmarried maidens are not allowed to step out of their chambers at will.”

Qin Feng rolled his eyes and said to Old Zhu, “What kind of backward rule is that? In later generations, people value freedom in romance and marriage; men and women can meet freely and communicate with each other.”

“Besides, women in later generations hold up half the sky. They can work the fields, attend school, and go out into business—they can do whatever they want!”

Old Zhu, you really ought to reform these feudal bad habits and elevate the status of ancient women!

Old Zhu frowned and said, “Absurd! How can women show their faces in public and engage in commerce? Women should remain at home, serving their husbands, educating their children, and observing the Three Obediences and Four Virtues.”

“In our era, matching eyebrows in respect and treating each other like honored guests went out of style long ago.”

“Before eighteen, a woman is a princess; after eighteen, a beauty; after twenty-eight, a celestial maiden; after thirty-eight, an ancestor……”

“The Three Obediences and Four Virtues for women in later generations are: never considerate, never gentle, never reasonable; you can’t scold them, you can’t hit them, you can’t lecture them, and you can’t provoke them.”

Old Zhu was left dumbfounded upon hearing this.

Why did women of later generations sound so willful and headstrong? It was somewhat terrifying!

Gosh!

Women cannot be given too much freedom!

Otherwise, the ones who get hurt will definitely be us old men.

Old Zhu flatly refused, “Qin Feng, this is non-negotiable. My princess is of noble birth; is she someone you can see just because you want to? That is not in accordance with protocol.”

Qin Feng said in frustration, “Then can I choose not to attend the family banquet?”

“Certainly not! The Empress personally invited you; do you dare to show her no respect? She is your future mother-in-law, after all.”

“Then I surely cannot go empty-handed. Just say that I am indisposed this time, and I will definitely attend in person next time.”

Old Zhu exchanged a glance with Wang Jinghong.

Wang Jinghong smiled and said, “Lord Qin, His Majesty has already prepared everything for you. This old slave will take you to fetch the gift for the family banquet right now.”

Qin Feng was completely numb!

This was undoubtedly Old Zhu’s scheme! It was something Old Zhu had arranged all along!

Go to the family banquet he must—whether he wanted to or not!

Qin Feng glared fiercely at Old Zhu, then followed Wang Jinghong out of the Palace of Heavenly Purity. After collecting the gift, he prepared to head toward the Palace of Earthly Tranquility.

Meanwhile, Zhu Biao, having just listened to the entire conversation between Qin Feng and Old Zhu, was utterly bewildered.

He thought to himself: What on earth did Teacher mean by women of later generations?

Seeing the perplexed look on Zhu Biao’s face, Old Zhu decided to come clean to him about Qin Feng’s true identity.

“You must have heard rumors in the palace about Qin Feng being a time traveler, right?”

Zhu Biao nodded and said, “I have caught wind of it, but I’ve never understood what this so-called time traveler actually means.”

“It sounds rather far-fetched, but Qin Feng claims he comes from over six hundred years in the future—he is a man of later generations.”

Zhu Biao was dumbstruck.

No wonder Qin Feng’s ideas were always out of the ordinary, and his behavior differed from everyone else’s.

At first, Zhu Biao had thought Qin Feng came from the countryside and simply didn’t understand court protocol, but he never imagined it would be so bizarre.

“I felt it was just as incredible as you do now, until Qin Feng proposed the river management strategy and founded the newspaper. Only then did I slowly begin to believe that his identity is real.”

Zhu Biao drew a sharp breath and smiled bitterly, “Father, please give me a moment to digest this.”