Can I Become Emperor by Being This Lazy? - Chapter 36

Chapter 36

Chaos reigned outside while Xu Mao graded papers at astonishing speed, barely pausing between sheets.

Then, a peculiar exam caught her attention—it stood out conspicuously among the others.

Her pen stilled as she carefully reviewed its contents. Combining all the responses from the Personality test questions, she began sketching a profile of the test-taker on paper.

This was someone with a volatile temper, reckless in speech and action—blunt, straightforward, and rather simple-minded.

Their inner world was exceptionally fragile, unable to accept criticism. When faced with setbacks or problems, their first instinct was to escape, never admitting their own mistakes.

Xu Mao hesitated briefly. Could someone really be this honest, filling out such an important exam entirely according to their true nature, completely unbothered about exposing their flaws to others?

But then she recalled the various bizarre answers she’d encountered in recent exams. Some scholars stubbornly maintained an I alone am awake while all others are drunk persona, displaying inexplicable confidence as they basked in others’ attention, utterly unafraid of scrutiny.

Xu Mao sighed inwardly, studying this particular paper repeatedly.

As long as this wasn’t some specially gifted NPC who could cause major trouble, admitting them wouldn’t be problematic.

Constant rejections only fueled the scholars’ enthusiasm, making them believe this was something extraordinary. Letting in an unremarkable candidate might actually dispel their illusions.

Looking further, Xu Mao found the name Wu Hongying. The candidate had high accuracy in Ability test questions, particularly in Diagrammatic reasoning and Logic sections. However, there were no visible workings—even revised answers showed hesitation between correct and incorrect options before ultimately returning to the original, correct choice.

Was this guessed or actually worked out? Xu Mao rested her chin on her hand, troubled.

If guessed, then he had phenomenal luck—which posed risks.

If worked out, it meant genuine capability. What if he unexpectedly caused major trouble? She’d have nowhere to cry then—an even greater risk!

With limited time, Xu Mao set his paper aside and rapidly graded the remaining exams, calculating scores.

No other papers resembled Wu Hongying’s, though one stood out differently. The front sections showed careful calculations, yet every answer was wrong.

Notably, the Personality test section remained completely blank—not a single question answered. Unclear what this meant, probably a silent protest or refusal.

Weighing her options between the two, Xu Mao sighed. The owner of the second paper was too arrogant, with strong self-awareness and independent thinking. Those who don’t follow instructions easily cause problems.

Considering her current game benefits and beginner protection period, any problems that arose would likely be significant ones—hardly ideal.

Moreover, with all wrong answers in the front and a blank Personality test section, she had no basis to award points. Impossible to salvage.

Abandoning the second paper, Xu Mao had no choice but to separately take Wu Hongying’s exam. She organized the thick stack of papers on her desk and casually set them aside.

These papers’ fate awaited review. If no objections were raised within seven days, they would join the dark, forgotten piles of wastepaper.

Xu Mao picked up Wu Hongying’s examination paper and went out to find Song Yanfang. Handing over the test paper, he said, Get me the registration details of this Wu Hongying. Please invite him for a private meeting—I wish to speak with him in detail.

Song Yanfang was startled, his eyes widening slightly.

It was no wonder—for many days, no one had been able to pass the exam, and everyone had resigned themselves to returning empty-handed. Yet suddenly, a qualified candidate emerged, startling anyone who heard the news.

Yes, I will make the arrangements immediately, Song Yanfang replied, snapping back to attention. He took Wu Hongying’s test paper from Xu Mao and began handling the subsequent matters.

Song Yanfang hurried out to deliver the notice. Wu Hongying was at the side of the fainted Feng Erlang, surrounded by a group of people who were deeply concerned about Feng Er’s condition.

Which one of you is Wu Hongying? You have passed this examination. Our Marshal would like to invite you for a detailed discussion, Song Yanfang announced, knocking on the door to capture everyone’s attention.

The people in the room widened their eyes in shock, turning to stare at Wu Hongying in disbelief. Among them, someone had actually passed—and it wasn’t Feng Erlang or anyone else, but the utterly ordinary and inconspicuous Wu Hongying!

Wu Boshan’s gaze fixed on Wu Hongying, and he stood dumbfounded for a long moment without reacting.

Him? Wu Hongying?

The illegitimate child raised outside the main household, the pitiful companion who served as his study aide—usually invisible, yet here he was, unexpectedly stealing the spotlight with a stunning performance!

What? Wu Hongying— Feng Erlang, who had just regained consciousness, couldn’t help but shriek upon hearing the news. His expression shifted unpredictably, his psychological balance shattered, losing control as his features twisted in distortion.

He hadn’t even finished his own exam paper, and now this obscure Wu Hongying had leaped into prominence. The earlier praises and flattery he had received flashed before his eyes, overlapping with the current scene as if delivering a harsh slap to his face.

Feng Erlang, utterly disheartened, felt a violent shock strike his brow.

Young Master Feng Erlang! the crowd exclaimed in alarm.

It turned out Feng Erlang’s eyes had rolled back, and he had fainted once again.

The scene descended into chaos. Wu Hongying was stunned by the news brought by Song Yanfang. He retreated two steps, at a loss, biting his lip tightly and not daring to make a sound.

With Feng Er unconscious, Wu Boshan finally snapped out of his daze. Seeing Wu Hongying hesitate to respond, shrinking back timidly as if trying to hide, Wu Boshan felt a mix of jealousy and resentment, along with a hint of smug satisfaction.

With Wu Hongying’s unimpressive demeanor, even if he had luckily passed the exam, he might not earn Xu Mao’s favor during the actual meeting.

Wu Boshan glanced at Feng Erlang, whose face had drained of color, and a smirk tugged at his lips. The Wu family had outshone the Feng clan this time—let’s see how arrogant this Feng Er could be in the future.

He shoved Wu Hongying forward. Marshal Xu has summoned you—what are you doing? Hurry up and go! Don’t embarrass our Wu family!

Wu Hongying hadn’t expected Wu Boshan to be so magnanimous. With Song Yanfang urging him urgently, he stopped overthinking and hurriedly followed Song Yanfang to meet the legendary Marshal Xu.

If he performed poorly and was rejected by Marshal Xu, he could always return to his obscure existence.

Anxiously, Wu Hongying followed Song Yanfang through a series of twists and turns toward a secluded room. The surroundings were deserted and quiet, with only the chirping of birds.

Marshal, Young Master Wu is here.

Song Yanfang announced their arrival as he escorted Wu Hongying inside.

Xu Mao waved his hand. Prepare a seat for Young Master Wu.

Young master, please take a seat, Song Yanfang guided Wu Hongying to his seat before tactfully withdrawing to stand guard outside the door.

You are the young master of the Wu family, Wu Hongying? Xu Mao casually initiated conversation while discreetly pulling up the System panel to check attributes as the person approached.

The moment she saw it, her heart leaped. Xu Mao’s gaze swept rapidly across the numerical values – they were ordinary and unremarkable. What shocked her were the bold characters in the basic information field: Gender: Female!

Xu Mao nearly jumped from her chair, her pupils trembling as she couldn’t help but take a few more careful looks at Wu Hongying.

Wu Hongying’s features were somewhat delicate, but because of her youth, this wasn’t particularly noticeable. Since others had introduced her as a young master, people had accepted this without question, never doubting her gender.

Xu Mao scrolled down, confirming that Wu Hongying had no special talents and all her attributes fell within the ordinary range, before finally relaxing.

Unaware that her disguise had been uncovered, Wu Hongying softly acknowledged while staring blankly at Xu Mao, maintaining her simple-minded, somewhat slow-witted appearance.

After discovering she was female, Xu Mao’s heart immediately softened, finding everything about her pleasing.

Recalling the information Song Yanfang had gathered – that Wu Hongying was born to a concubine and lived precariously within the family, always cautious – Xu Mao’s eyes revealed a touch of compassion.

Regardless of how much of the personality test was genuine, Wu Hongying perfectly met her requirements: mediocre qualifications, inconspicuous presence, unlikely to cause trouble, yet capable of using her exam papers to silence critics and avoid numerous complications.

Xu Mao was thoroughly satisfied, growing fonder the more she looked.

Having reviewed your examination papers, I know you’re of straightforward temperament, so let’s not beat around the bush, Xu Mao straightened her posture, deciding to resolve matters quickly. I quite admire you. Coincidentally, I’m lacking talented individuals like you in my service. If you’re willing, I can help resolve some of your troubles, allowing you to work for me without any concerns.

Troubles? Wu Hongying’s eyebrows twitched slightly as she met the woman’s gaze. Those eyes seemed capable of perceiving everything in the world, leaving no secrets hidden before them.

Wu Hongying suddenly felt an ominous premonition, as if struck heavily in the chest. She swallowed hard, clenched her sleeves, and avoided Xu Mao’s gaze as she asked, Why would the Marshal say such things?

Xu Mao smiled. You know what I mean. Come to my side, and you’ll have a secure position. You can even bring your mother here, completely breaking free from the Wu family and eliminating future worries. Isn’t this arrangement ideal?

Though Xu Mao didn’t explicitly state it, the meaning in her eyes was clear – she knew about the secret Wu Hongying had painstakingly concealed.

Wu Hongying’s face turned pale as paper, her heart pounding fiercely, fine beads of sweat forming at her temples.

How does the Marshal know… Countless words tangled on Wu Hongying’s tongue, but what finally emerged was an incomplete thought that had flashed through her mind uncontrollably.

Xu Mao pondered momentarily before joking, Haven’t you heard the rumors outside that I’m an Evil demon who consumes hearts to maintain youth and longevity? At least I should have some ability to recognize people!

Upon hearing this, Wu Hongying’s face grew even paler.

Having secured Wu Hongying, Xu Mao announced that quality mattered more than quantity when recruiting talent, canceling further recruitment of strategists and closing her doors to visitors.

Everyone was astonished. Unexpected events kept occurring: first the highly talented Feng Erlang failed the examination while the Wu family’s unknown young master passed, then Xu Mao abruptly canceled the entire selection process and refused other talented scholars. With all these incidents piling up, people were thoroughly shocked.

This Marshal Xu certainly has her own unique ways – rejecting numerous talented individuals yet choosing that one from the Wu family…
Some people wailed, How could the exam be canceled outright? I rushed here but never got to see the legendary questions that killed a hundred scholars!

Arriving a step too late—that Master Wu got lucky! Otherwise, I would have been the one who passed!

Regretful sighs piled up. Not long ago, they had complained about Xu Mao charging fees for the exam, yet now they lamented having money with nowhere to spend it. Ridiculous.

Xu Mao was also speechless and couldn’t be bothered to deal with these people.

She had received an urgent letter from Xu Heng: the Prefect of Jin Province had finally made up his mind to dispatch troops to quell the rebellion.

This day—she had truly been waiting for it.