Could such a thing really happen?

The emperor was once again shocked...

Could it be that the grandson of the second branch of the Minister of Rites... was actually his son???

Yuwen Lan tried asking, "Is that really true? That child is actually that old man's?"

Yanshu nodded and said, "Of course it's true. Because that young master is weak and actually unable to have children, so the child must be his father's!"

[Look at you, so shocked just from a story. If you knew this actually happened in real life at the Minister of Rites' household, wouldn't you be scared to death?]

Yuwen Lan: "..."

So it was actually true!

How could the Minister of Rites be so outrageous!!!

He tried hard to suppress his shock and anger, and asked again, "Then, did no one in the family discover this?"

Yanshu said, "This old man is the head of the family, his wife passed away many years ago, so no one manages him. Even if a few servants in the house know about it, they wouldn't dare say anything. Moreover, this old man appears very righteous on the outside, people never imagined he could be so morally bankrupt and shameless! He usually favors this grandson, and outsiders just thought he was considerate of his son's weak health, so he especially valued his grandson."

Hearing this, Yuwen Lan thought to himself that he seemed to have heard that the Minister of Rites was particularly fond of his young grandson.

So this was the reason???

Tsk, it's really too outrageous, too outrageous, too outrageous!

He tried to calm himself down, and then heard Yanshu continue, "Of course, later the son himself discovered this matter. Angry, he simply left home to struggle on his own. Later he was fortunate enough to meet a miraculous doctor from the jianghu, who gradually nursed his body back to health, and he even expanded his business more and more."

This was clearly another plot she had added. Yuwen Lan nodded slightly and asked, "Then what about his father?"

Yanshu said, "As they say, if you don't want others to know, unless you don't do it yourself. That father and daughter-in-law were too outrageous, and one day the truth was revealed and they were despised by everyone. Other family members also angrily cut ties with them, and the large mansion gradually fell into decline. When the old man saw he was about to die, he finally thought of repenting to his son and went to beg him several times."

Yuwen Lan raised an eyebrow, "Did his son forgive him?"

"Of course not!"

Yanshu said, "How could such a thing be forgiven? The son was certainly unmoved. Later, that daughter-in-law also went to beg him shamelessly, and he directly had people chase her out to fend for herself."

Yuwen Lan sighed, "If only it were really like that. People often can't distinguish right from wrong, especially when entangled with family ties."

"Exactly!"

Yanshu also said, "That's why stories should break free from the constraints of reality. What's difficult to achieve in reality can be realized in stories, making readers feel more satisfied."

Then she asked him, "What does Your Majesty think of this story?"

Yuwen Lan made a sound of agreement, "Not bad."

Then he saw her hurriedly say, "Then please help your subject pass it to Chancellor Zou and have the booksellers publish it."

Yuwen Lan raised an eyebrow, "In such a hurry? Didn't you just publish two yesterday?"

Yanshu smiled and said, "The more the better, after all, readers like it."

But in her heart, she thought, [Consort An has already gone to complain to the Empress Dowager about the golden bowl, I must also have some response! There must be give and take for this fight to be interesting!]

Yuwen Lan: "..."

Fine, it turns out she not only likes to watch the excitement, but also likes to fight.

But what's the matter with Consort An?

Did she go to the Empress Dowager to talk about him giving Yanshu the golden bowl?

Hmph, that's fine too.

He nodded and said, "Zou Mozhong will enter the palace later, I'll help you pass it to him."

Then he picked up the manuscript and was about to walk out.

Yanshu said, "This subject thanks Your Majesty." But she was also a bit puzzled, "Why did Your Majesty come just now?"

It wasn't even noon yet, still far from nighttime for sleeping, yet he suddenly came, and as soon as he arrived he ate four of her large buns.

Yuwen Lan made a sound and said, "I got tired of reading memorials, so I came out for a walk."

Ahem, actually it was because he knew she had just met with her family members and wanted to come see if she was happy.

But... judging by how enthusiastically she was eating buns earlier, she should be very happy.

Speaking of which, these buns were really quite delicious.

So he picked up another one and said, "I'll go back first, and come again in the evening."

Then he walked out.

Hmm, walking while eating, he couldn't stop for a moment.

Behind him, Yanshu, who had just finished respectfully seeing him off, returned to the table and looked at the few buns left, twitching the corner of her mouth.

If she had known this would happen, she wouldn't have asked him earlier.

Eating five of hers in one go, this person really wasn't polite.

Meanwhile, in the Palace of Benevolent Peace.

After Consort An thanked the Empress Dowager for her grace, she accompanied her in conversation for a while before finally turning to the main topic.

"Yesterday, the Ankang county lord came to find this subject, saying she wanted to take a look at that golden bowl that Tubo offered as tribute last time. She wanted to have craftsmen make a small copy as a birthday gift for the Grand Princess next month."

The Empress Dowager smiled and said, "Ankang has always been filial, but I wonder about the skills of the outside craftsmen? Can they make something that looks proper?"

Consort An smiled and said, "This subject is also curious, but unfortunately there's no way for the Ankang county lord to see it."

The Empress Dowager made a sound and looked at her, "Why is that?"

Consort An lowered her eyes and said, "This subject asked Zhao Shun, the manager of the Qianming Palace storehouse yesterday, and found out that His Majesty had bestowed that golden bowl to Consort Yi some days ago."

After finishing, she carefully waited for the Empress Dowager's reaction.

The Empress Dowager was indeed surprised for a moment and asked, "Bestowed to Consort Yi?"

Consort An nodded and said, "Indeed so, and it seems to have been before Consort Yi was injured."

— She couldn't say too much, just enough to let the Empress Dowager know that the golden bowl was not bestowed because of Consort Yi's injury while protecting the emperor, but was given without any reason.

However, after a moment, the Empress Dowager smiled and said, "His Majesty indeed values Consort Yi, but after all, this is His Majesty's own possession. Whoever His Majesty wishes to reward is his own decision."

Consort An paused. The Empress Dowager wasn't angry?

Or perhaps she was actually displeased but didn't want to let her see it?

But in any case, she could only nod and say at this point, "The Empress Dowager's words are absolutely correct. So this time we can only let the county lord return disappointed."

But the Empress Dowager's smile faded, and she said, "Those words are inappropriate. It wasn't something she should have seen in the first place, so how can you speak of disappointment? Are His Majesty's possessions something anyone can see?"

Consort An paused, hurriedly kneeling to pay respects, "This subject spoke wrongly, please forgive me, Empress Dowager."

She knew that while the Empress Dowager seemed to be talking about the Ankang county lord, she was actually speaking for her to hear.

The Empress Dowager closed her eyes and said, "I'm tired, you may leave."

Consort An didn't dare say anything more, could only respond and retreat out of the hall.

As the hall quieted, Zhushu came forward to massage the Empress Dowager's shoulders, saying, "This is the first time the Empress Dowager has spoken such harsh words to Consort An."

The Empress Dowager closed her eyes and said, "No matter who it is, thoughts that shouldn't exist must not exist."

She had just promoted this girl a few days ago, and she already wanted to use her as a pawn?

People shouldn't be too stupid, but being too clever is also not good.

When Consort An returned to Lanlin Hall, her mother Lady Tian had just arrived back at the Minister's mansion.

As soon as Lady Tian alighted from the carriage, she saw her sister-in-law Lady Yang rush up to her, urgently asking, "Did elder sister-in-law mention Chang's matter to the Consort?"

Lady Tian said coldly, "The Empress Dowager just gave the Consort authority to manage internal affairs a few days ago. The Consort has been extremely busy lately. I only saw her briefly and exchanged a few hurried words. How could there be time to mention such things?"

She walked on by herself.

Probably afraid the other would keep pestering her, after a few steps, she added, "Even if I had mentioned it, the Consort wouldn't be able to help."

Of course, Lady Yang was disappointed with such a result.

Plus her disdainful expression, Lady Yang immediately became angry too, snorting, "No matter how busy the Consort is, shouldn't she still care about the life and death of her own family? She can't have forgotten her surname and where she came from, right?"

As soon as these words came out, Lady Tian immediately stopped walking again and angrily said, "Sister-in-law, how dare you be so disrespectful to the Consort? Be careful not to let others hear, or the nobles in the palace will punish you!"

Hmph, using the palace to pressure her again?

But Lady Yang simply put her hands on her hips and started making a scene, "Punish me? Fine, I'll wait right here! Let's see if the Consort really punishes me someday, to gain a good reputation for putting righteousness before family!"

Before Lady Tian could say anything else, she actually covered her face and started crying, "Everyone bullies us mother and son! Outsiders bully us, even our own family bullies us! Do we have any way to live anymore!"

Here we go again!

Seeing that all the servants in the courtyard were laughing at her, Lady Tian no longer wished to argue. She muttered "shameless woman" under her breath and quickly walked away.

Lady Yang cried for a while, but seeing it had no effect, she wiped her tears and stormed off to the front courtyard of her father-in-law, the Minister of Rites.

However, no matter how much she pleaded, the old man refused to see her.

He only sent a page boy to tell her, "Second Madam, the Master truly has no way to help. Currently, His Majesty is strictly governing officials and has issued an order to the Imperial Academy. This time, no matter who it is, if anyone dares to use backdoor connections to admit people arbitrarily, it will be a serious crime if discovered. Moreover, many government offices have recently changed personnel, and the Master is not familiar with those now in charge of this matter. Even if he wanted to help, there's really no way."

"No way?" Lady Yang laughed coldly, raising her voice, "So now the Master doesn't even care about Chang? Fine then, a father who doesn't care if his child lives or dies, no one in this household cares, we might as well all tear off our masks one day and stop living!"

In Qianming Palace.

Recently, with the Imperial Academy opening admissions for new students, Zou Mozhong needed to frequently enter the palace to report various matters to the emperor.

This time, he presented the list of proposed admissions for the first batch to the emperor.

After Yuwen Lan looked it over, he returned the list to him and also gave him a stack of manuscripts.

Zou Mozhong was startled for a moment, then immediately asked, "Is this a new work by the Carefree Young Master?"

Yuwen Lan nodded, "Indeed. Chancellor Zou, please take a look first."

Zou Mozhong was eager to do so and began reading it on the spot.

After reading, he repeatedly exclaimed, "The Carefree Young Master's stories always have unexpected beginnings, but the protagonists always have satisfying endings. Take this story for example - the immoral ones receive karmic retribution and are ultimately punished by heaven, while those who refuse to give up are able to break free from the mire in time, experiencing rebirth. It's thought-provoking and a good story."

Yuwen Lan said, "If that's the case, then have the booksellers publish it quickly. Let the people read this good story; perhaps they can gain something from it."

Zou Mozhong quickly agreed and left the palace with the manuscript. On his way back to his residence, he delivered it to a bookseller.

Seeing that it was a new work by the Carefree Young Master, the bookseller immediately arranged for people to print or copy it. Before sunset, the first batch of story books was ready.

Needless to say, as soon as this new story book went on sale, it sparked another buying frenzy.

After reading the story, everyone unanimously condemned the father-in-law and daughter-in-law who had an incestuous relationship, and deeply sympathized with and admired the young man who persevered through hardship.

Of course, many people also remembered the Carefree Young Master's prophetic revelation about Xie Pei, the Communications Commissioner of the Southwest, some time ago. So they began speculating again -

Who exactly was this old man who had an affair with his daughter-in-law?

... Could it be some high-ranking official in the court?

But judging by the age, if so, they would have to consider those among the older generation...

Early the next morning, as Yanshu was leisurely enjoying her breakfast, she heard the system say, [The readers have already narrowed it down to about a dozen people. It's estimated that by tonight, they'll be close to guessing who it is.]

While sucking the soup from a xiaolongbao, Yanshu thought to herself that she had already shown restraint. Otherwise, if she had directly written that the old man had two sons, and the eldest son had a son and a daughter, the outside world would have immediately guessed it was Song Zhiyun, the Minister of Rites.

[By the way, has that old man read it?] she asked.

The system replied, [He sent someone to buy the story book this morning and is reading it now.]

A moment later, [He's finished reading.]

Yanshu quickly asked, [What was his reaction?]

The system answered, [He was so angry he smashed his teacup, vase, inkstone... tsk, now he's fainted.]

Yanshu, [??? He fainted?]

The system, [That's right. The servants heard the commotion and discovered him. They're now carrying him to bed and hurriedly looking for a doctor.]

Yanshu, [Tsk tsk, I thought he would be like Xie Pei and fall down in fright first, but he directly fainted? With such weak mental fortitude, how did he manage to carry on his misdeeds for so many years?]

The system sighed, [Mainly because this old man has been living in constant fear ever since the sacrificial ceremony. After hearing about the incident with the Southwest Communications Commissioner, he's been worried that your story would expose his secrets. Today, when he saw that not only was he exposed, but it was written even more harshly than Xie Pei's case, of course he couldn't handle it.]

Yanshu curled her lip. Serves him right!

Now it's up to Consort An. That day she only revealed a small tidbit about her, but now that the big news is out, wonder when she'll see it?

The system, [Don't worry, the Song family is about to send a message to the palace. She'll know soon.]

Yanshu's eyes lit up, [That's great then.]

So, she'll just wait to continue enjoying the drama.

Hmm, come to think of it, eating xiaolongbao while following the drama makes them taste even more delicious!

Soon after, news from the Minister of Rites' mansion was indeed delivered to the palace.

Upon hearing that her grandfather had fainted, Consort An was startled and hurriedly asked, "How could this happen? Hasn't grandfather always been in good health?"

The housekeeper who came to report the news cried, "Yesterday, the Second Madam caused another big scene in the mansion over the matter of the Second Young Master entering the Imperial Academy. Not only did she argue with the Madam, but she also went to find the Master. When the Master refused to see her, she made a fuss outside the door, saying things like 'the whole family doesn't care if she and her son live or die,' 'can't even rely on one's own father,' and even 'one day we'll all tear off our masks and stop living.' I think these words must have greatly angered the Master."

Consort An immediately said angrily, "Second Uncle's health has always been poor, it's already good enough if he can take care of himself, how can he be expected to look after Chang? How could she say such things!"

The housekeeper said, "Exactly! No matter how good the Master's health is, he can't withstand such a disturbance! This morning, while the Master was reading a book, he suddenly fainted. Before fainting, he smashed quite a few things. He must have been extremely angry."

Hearing this, Consort An was also angry.

But after thinking about what the housekeeper said, she suddenly paused.

-- Grandfather fainted while reading a book?

She hesitated for a moment, then tried asking, "What book was Grandfather reading before he fainted?"

The housekeeper had no idea and simply said, "This servant doesn't know, only heard that it was a book the Master had someone buy from the street this morning... Now the Young Master and Madam have already called for a doctor, but to be safe, they hope that the Consort can find an imperial physician to examine the Master, just to be more thorough..."

Consort An understood her parents' intentions.

-- Grandfather was the pillar of the family. Her father was currently only an Assistant Minister of the Court of State Ceremonial, a sixth-rank official. How could he compare to her grandfather's second-rank official position?

So if anything were to happen to Grandfather, the family's loss would be significant.

Naturally, the imperial physicians in the palace would be better than doctors outside, so her parents could only do their utmost to save Grandfather, the head of the family.

At this point, the housekeeper had finished speaking, and Consort An immediately nodded, "I'll go ask for the Empress Dowager's permission right away."

Grandfather was an old minister of the Empress Dowager, so she thought the Empress Dowager would likely grant this request.

The housekeeper also agreed and was about to take her leave when she heard Consort An say, "Wait, when you go back, have someone send me the book Grandfather was reading before he fainted."

The housekeeper didn't understand why, but quickly agreed and hurried out of the palace.

Half an hour later, an imperial physician arrived at the Minister's mansion.

And the item Consort An had requested was also delivered to Lanlin Hall.

Consort An saw that it was actually a story book, and the author was none other than the recently famous Carefree Young Master.

Her heart jolted, and she quickly opened it to read. Soon, her mouth fell open in shock.

-- How was this story somewhat similar to what was written on that discarded paper in Ganlu Palace the other day? It also described a father-in-law and daughter-in-law violating human ethics...

But, but, but, how did Li Yanshu know what the Carefree Young Master was going to write?

However, as she continued reading, she became even more shocked.

-- The father-in-law and daughter-in-law in the story even had a child together?

Because she already harbored doubts, at this moment, she inevitably associated it with her own family.

Could it be...

Chang was actually...

This was too terrifying!

Consort An threw the book to the ground, her heart pounding.

She shook her head vigorously, trying not to think about it anymore.

However, that thought had already taken root in her mind like a seed, sprouting and growing.

She tried to calm herself down and think through this matter carefully.

-- At Grandfather's age, he normally wouldn't enjoy reading these kinds of popular story books.

But this morning, Grandfather had someone buy it and bring it back.

And he fainted right after finishing this book...

Could it be... really related to this book?

If that's true, thinking back to what Second Aunt Yang said yesterday...

She said Chang's real father couldn't be relied upon...

And that they might as well tear off their masks and stop living...

Consort An jolted awake and immediately called a young eunuch in the hall, "Quickly go to the Minister of Rites' residence and tell my father two things..."

Yanshu, following the system, had spent almost the entire day observing the drama at the Minister of Rites' residence, which proved to be both exciting and fulfilling.

In the morning, the household members were in a flurry trying to treat the old man's illness. However, due to his advanced age, even after the imperial physician arrived, they could only barely rouse him, and he still couldn't get out of bed.

The imperial physician diagnosed that the old man was likely to have a stroke, which greatly alarmed the Song family.

Meanwhile, Consort An sent two messages from the palace:

First, she instructed her parents to quickly confine her second aunt, Lady Yang, to prevent her from speaking nonsense that outsiders might hear.

Second, she told the family to find a way to stop the circulation of her new novel, ensuring that no more people could read it.

So, in addition to frantically searching for doctors to treat the old man, Consort An's parents also had to handle these two tasks.

The couple was in complete disarray, overwhelmed with tasks. As a result, Consort An's father accidentally fell down the stairs, while her mother scalded herself with hot tea...

In contrast, Yanshu was thoroughly enjoying the spectacle, munching on melon seeds while watching the chaos unfold.

Just then, she heard the system say, [Latest news! The people sent by the Minister of Rites' residence tried to buy up all the copies of the novel, offering to pay to stop its printing. But the booksellers refused, saying the price was too low. So they started vandalizing the bookshops and were caught red-handed by passing government officials.]

Yanshu raised an eyebrow, [Tsk, why did the officials show up so promptly this time?]

The system replied, [That's because of the Emperor's recent decree. The entire court, from top to bottom, is enforcing stricter regulations, making them much more efficient.]

Yanshu nodded, [My golden thigh has indeed done quite a few good deeds.]

Well, this worked out perfectly.

— The Capital Official was still under the Emperor's direct control, and the Minister of Rites was currently out of favor with the Emperor due to the ceremonial issues. It was likely that the Capital Official wouldn't side with the Minister's residence and would investigate the case thoroughly.

Tsk tsk, it would be even better if they could uncover the reason why the Song family didn't want the novel to be printed.

She took a leisurely sip of tea.

After all, there was no fear of things getting out of hand now – the bigger, the better!

Meanwhile, in Qianming Palace, the Imperial Guard was also reporting the situation to Yuwen Lan.

"Your Majesty, the people from the Minister of Rites' residence who vandalized the bookshops have been apprehended by the Capital Official."

Yuwen Lan said, "Tell the Capital Official to investigate the cause thoroughly. Punish those who deserve punishment, judge those who need judgment. If any officials are found to have violated the law, report it to the Imperial Censorate immediately. There must be no favoritism."

The Imperial Guard immediately complied and then reported, "In addition, the Song family has confined Lady Yang of the second branch. We're not sure if they will take any further actions."

Hm, they've confined Lady Yang?

They truly are a nest of vipers.

Yuwen Lan only said, "This woman may be useful later. She must not die."

The Imperial Guard acknowledged the order and withdrew to carry it out.

Yuwen Lan glanced out the window, noticing that dusk had fallen, and instructed Fu Hai, "Set up dinner in Ganlu Palace. I'll dine there."

Soon after, Yanshu welcomed the Emperor, along with a table full of delicious dishes.

As she bowed to Yuwen Lan, she watched the palace servants set the table. When they finished arranging the bowls and plates, she glanced over and her eyes lit up.

Tonight's dinner included mountain delicacies like dragon shoots and fiddlehead ferns, chicken with white fungus, osmanthus fish strips, eight-treasure diced rabbit, and the main courses were roast pheasant and roast lamb. There were also her favorites: two-colored bean cakes and lotus seed tofu.

She asked excitedly, "Why is the meal so lavish today?"

And it was all her favorites too!

Yuwen Lan glanced at her, sat down at the table, and said casually, "I ate your steamed buns today. Fearing you might complain, I consider this compensation."

Complain to him...

Yanshu paused briefly, then smiled shamelessly, "How could I be so petty, Your Majesty? Besides, isn't everything that belongs to me also yours? I wouldn't complain no matter how much you ate."

As she finished speaking, she saw him look her up and down with deep, dark eyes. He nodded, "Indeed, what's yours is mine."

Then, with a hint of a smile, he picked up his chopsticks and said, "Eat."

Yanshu: "..."

Tsk, what was that look about?

Why did it make her feel a bit uneasy?

But...

With so many delicious dishes before her, eating was the priority.

So she picked up her chopsticks and started eating too.

Mmm, everything was indeed delicious tonight—

The dragon shoots, fiddlehead ferns, and bamboo shoots were all mountain delicacies, prepared to perfection by the imperial chefs;

The chicken with white fungus and eight-treasure diced rabbit each had their own unique charm, with the ingredients complementing each other beautifully;

The osmanthus fish strips were crispy on the outside and tender inside, and the roast pheasant and lamb were even more impressive, their savory flavors infused with the aroma of charcoal, leaving a lingering taste.

Her favorite two-colored bean cakes were fragrant and smooth, while the lotus seed tofu melted in her mouth, perfectly satisfying her tastes.

Yanshu thoroughly enjoyed this meal.

After dinner, they played a game of pitch-pot to aid digestion.

— Ever since she had "struggled" to win against the Emperor last time, Yanshu had been practicing in secret.

This time, her improvement was evident, as she managed to land the arrow in the pot's mouth several times, impressing Yuwen Lan.

As the night deepened and they both worked up a sweat from playing, having digested their meal, they each went to bathe and prepare for bed.

Perhaps due to the excitement of the game earlier, Yanshu's face was flushed when she emerged from her bath.

Yuwen Lan felt a twinge in his heart at the sight. As soon as she climbed onto the bed, he pulled her into his embrace.

"The novel is written for others to read, but remember, what's between us is far more important," he said softly.

Yanshu, nestled in his arms, obediently responded, "I understand, Your Majesty."

As she spoke, she nuzzled against his chest.

— Yes, she had to constantly remember that the Emperor was her golden thigh, and she must cling to him tightly no matter what.

With a golden thigh, she could have everything!

Yuwen Lan: "..."

This girl, clearly in love with him, why did she always call him her golden thigh?

Was she still worried that he might abandon her one day?

Did she doubt the sincerity of his feelings?

He reached out and gently lifted her chin, saying earnestly once more, "I will protect you. There's no need to worry about things that won't happen."

Yanshu was taken aback.

For a moment, she saw her own reflection in his eyes.

Hmm, was he being so gentle to say words of love?

So the Emperor knew how to speak romantically after all...

Yuwen Lan chuckled inwardly.

He wasn't made of stone, how could he not know how to speak words of love?

Silly girl.

Thinking this, he leaned down.

However, before he could touch her, she suddenly said, "There's something I want to report to Your Majesty."

Hm?

Yuwen Lan asked in a husky voice, "What is it?"

She replied, "If anyone tries to cause trouble for me because of the novel in the near future, please tell them you wrote it."

Yuwen Lan: "???"