Chapter 78: A Terrifying Woman (Part 1)

Time slowly passed, and some people’s papers remained completely blank...

“Time’s up. Sign your names, even if your papers are empty. Keep an eye on them!” Ye Lang stood and spoke, instructing the guards he had arranged beforehand to be vigilant.

Soon, the guards collected everyone’s papers. Though some were reluctant, with so many witnesses present, no one dared to make any trouble.

“Seventh Brother, yours and your future wife’s papers are both blank.” Ye Lang was the first to check his future sister-in-law’s paper.

“I know! You don’t have to announce it so bluntly!” Seventh Brother felt a bit annoyed with Ye Lang—being singled out first would upset anyone, and he couldn’t help but resent Ye Lang just a little.

“Why shouldn’t I say it? Not being able to answer doesn’t necessarily mean there’s a problem.” Ye Lang replied casually, then continued to call out the names of those with blank papers or who hadn’t answered a single question, instructing them to stand together.

At that moment, this group blushed, sharing a silent wish to teach Ye Lang a lesson. Of course, it was just a thought.

“You all, go over there as well. The rest...” Ye Lang moved those who had answered fewer than three questions to the same group.

“As expected of the palace—so many talented people. You actually managed to answer more than five questions.” Ye Lang looked at those remaining, finding the result a bit better than he’d expected.

“There are five people who answered more than ten questions. Impressive... Wait, who is this? Zhao Yarou—she answered every question correctly? Who is this terrifying woman?” Ye Lang was astonished that someone had scored over ten, and even more surprised that Zhao Yarou had answered them all.

“What’s so terrifying? Yarou is our eighth sister—the most beautiful, gentle, and clever among us. I didn’t expect her to get every question right when they were so difficult,” the Seventh Princess interjected.

“Eighth sister? So she’s the Eighth Princess?” Ye Lang asked.

“Yes, you should know her—you bullied her once,” the Seventh Princess nodded.

“??” Ye Lang was puzzled. When did he ever bully the Eighth Princess?

“When you were little...” the Seventh Princess reminded him. It was just childhood mischief, nothing worth remembering.

“Ye Lang, have you forgotten me?” The Eighth Princess, Zhao Yarou, walked up to Ye Lang, gazing at him with a complex expression.

Ye Lang glanced at Zhao Yarou, then, consciously avoiding her, pulled the Seventh Princess’s hand and whispered, “Be careful around her. Don’t get too close. She’s truly terrifying!”

“...” Both Zhao Yarou and the Seventh Princess froze, surprised by Ye Lang’s reaction.

“What’s wrong with you? She only answered your questions. What’s so terrifying?” the Seventh Princess asked, puzzled. “Is it just because she might be smarter than you?”

“Little Seven, sometimes answering more questions isn’t a good thing... If I didn’t know the answers myself, I wouldn’t have been able to answer a single one,” Ye Lang replied softly, so only Ye Lan Yu and the Seventh Princess could hear him; the others caught only fragments.

“??” Seventh Princess and Ye Lan Yu were confused. “Brother (Ye Lang), are you being silly again?”

“...”

“Forget it! Your Majesty, I’ve done what you asked. You can handle the rest yourself. I’m leaving!” Ye Lang clapped his hands and prepared to depart.

The matter was settled, and Ye Lang had nothing more to do. The Emperor would tally the results himself. Though he didn’t fully understand Ye Lang’s questions, they were merely a reference, not a decisive factor for choosing an heir.

However, at that moment, the Emperor suddenly asked a most unexpected question—

“Ye Lang, I want to ask you something.”

“?? What is it?”

“If you were to choose my successor among my children, whom would you pick?” The Emperor posed a question so startling that no one could have predicted it.

Everyone turned to Ye Lang, waiting for his answer. While it might not ultimately matter, it still drew attention.

“If I had to choose, I’d pick one from among them,” Ye Lang said, pointing at those who hadn’t answered a single question.

Was he being biased?

“Don’t think I have favorites. This is my choice, but I believe they might be the best suited to rule the nation,” Ye Lang added, then pointed to those who had answered around ten questions.

“??” No one understood, and what came next was even more baffling—

“She is the only one I would exclude. She is utterly unfit to be heir to the throne!” Ye Lang pointed at the person who had answered every question—Zhao Yarou.

Everyone was stunned. He excluded the one who got all the answers right, yet considered those who got around ten suitable. People began to wonder what standards Ye Lang’s questions were based on.

“Ye Lang!!” Zhao Yarou looked at him, gritting her teeth.

“Your Majesty, she’s frightening me. I suggest you have her executed, lest she become a great threat!” Ye Lang pointed directly at Zhao Yarou, voicing his thoughts without hesitation.

“...”

Another hush fell over the hall. Who talks like that? Asking a father to kill his own daughter for seemingly no reason.

“Ye Lang, are you being silly again? Eighth sister, don’t mind him—he’s just a little fool,” the Seventh Princess quickly pulled Ye Lang away.

“I’m only stating the facts; you’ll understand in time,” Ye Lang protested innocently, feeling he’d said nothing wrong.

“What was the standard for your questions?” The Emperor finally asked the key question.

What were Ye Lang’s questions really about?

“A mother and her two daughters. After the mother’s death, the younger daughter sees a nobleman at the funeral whom she’s never met before and falls in love at first sight. A month later, she kills her sister. Why?”

...

“Once upon a time, a beautiful princess was cursed by a witch and locked in a castle, sleeping forever. Only the prince’s true love’s kiss could awaken her. Later, a handsome prince conquered the castle and saved her. But after waking her with a kiss, the princess killed him. Why?”

...

Now you see—the questions were all reverse psychological tests. The more someone answered correctly, the more abnormal their psychology! And Zhao Yarou, who got them all right, was the most abnormal of all!!!

———

Heh, seeing readers discuss the soup question in the reviews, it seems most people don’t know the answer, which strikes Xiaoxiao as odd—this should be common knowledge! Actually, student kfio’s answer is close, but not the original. It takes a bit of process! Keep guessing, everyone—a small mystery. Anyone who guesses correctly gets ten points, haha...