What? The whole family has dirty secrets?

Tsk tsk, what kind of family is this?!

Yanshu was immediately intrigued and said, "Come on, tell me everything. What’s going on?"

Since it was still early, and there was plenty of time today, she was more than ready for some juicy gossip.

However, she heard the system ask, "Where should we start?"

Yanshu: "……"

Well, there were just so many scandals—picking one to start was tough.

After thinking for a moment, she said, "Let’s start with the Duke of Qi."

The system responded, "Got it, let’s go ahead and start with him."

The Duke of Qi's Story:

To understand the Duke of Qi’s story, we have to start with the Emperor's grandfather, or rather, the Emperor’s brothers. As everyone knows, the late Emperor had five brothers, and only he and the youngest, the King of Beiliang, were legitimate sons of the Emperor. So, the Duke of Qi was the Emperor’s nephew by blood, but he was closer to the King of Beiliang, why? Because the King of Beiliang married the daughter of his older brother, the Marquis of Anding.

Yanshu, fearing she might get confused, quickly tried to follow along, "So, the Duke of Qi’s wife is the niece of the King of Beiliang, who became his consort? So, they are related by marriage, which is why the Duke of Qi favors his little nephew, the King of Beiliang."

The system confirmed, "Exactly. So, the Duke of Qi, the Marquis of Anding, and the King of Beiliang formed a sort of interest group. The King of Beiliang, in his ambition to secure the throne, secretly opposed the Emperor. But despite all his efforts, the Emperor ultimately took the throne by right of succession. The King of Beiliang, however, had already plotted to rebel under the guise of a false imperial decree."

Yanshu raised an eyebrow, "And the Duke of Qi, as a key member of this interest group, must have known about all this, right?"

The system replied, "Of course he knew. In fact, he helped the King of Beiliang quite a bit with his plans. But the Emperor and Empress Dowager weren’t fools. They had already made preparations. By chance, the Duke of Qi received word early and, after assessing the situation, realized that the King of Beiliang had no real chance of succeeding. So, he betrayed the King and went to the Emperor, pretending to be a loyal supporter. He even secretly eliminated all the people who knew about the plot, presenting himself as a devoted supporter of the Emperor."

Yanshu: "......So, the King of Beiliang was betrayed and killed before he could even launch his rebellion?"

The system: "Of course. How could the Emperor tolerate such a rebellion?"

Yanshu: "......And what about the Duke of Qi’s other ally, his brother-in-law, the Marquis of Anding?"

The system: "The Duke of Qi sold him out too. The Marquis and his entire family, including his father-in-law, were executed, all to cover up the Duke of Qi’s betrayal."

Yanshu: "......That’s ruthless! Did the Duke of Qi’s wife hate him for this?"

Tsk, after all, the Duke of Qi had noticed the danger first. If he had been able to persuade his brother-in-law to stop, perhaps he could have avoided the death of his father-in-law and his entire family.

But the system replied, "You’re overthinking it. The Duke of Qi would never have tried to stop his brother-in-law. The Emperor was aware of the close relationship between the Duke and the King of Beiliang, so after he ascended the throne, he would have been wary of the Duke. The only way for the Duke to prove his loyalty was to sell out his brother-in-law and appear entirely devoted to the Emperor. So even if his wife hated him, he had to do it."

Yanshu: "......"

Alright, the story was over, and the conclusion was clear—the Duke of Qi had preserved his wealth and status by betraying his allies and family. Now, he could use his identity as the Emperor’s uncle to meddle in imperial matters.

The system added, "It’s not just idle matters though. His granddaughter just turned fifteen, and she’s ready to be married. And looking at the capital, there aren’t many families that can rival theirs in status."

Yanshu: "Heh."

So, this old man was trying to secure another imperial title for himself to maintain his wealth and status? The problem is, he’d have to dig a pit for others first. Isn’t that just too immoral?

Oh, right, he never had much morality to begin with.

But speaking of the Duke of Qi’s betrayal, this was definitely a tricky story to tell. On one hand, it was a big deal, and on the other, it happened so long ago. After all, the Duke of Qi was already in his seventies or eighties, and most people who knew the inside details were likely dead by now.

But it didn’t matter, there were more scandals to come!

She quickly asked the system, "What about other people’s stories? What else is going on with their families?"

The system responded, "Let’s talk about the Duke of Qi’s son. He’s about the same age as the Duke of Cheng'en, and like him, he’s a playboy. His lustful tendencies are on par with the Duke of Cheng'en’s. He has so many concubines and maidservants, it’s hard to count them all. A few years ago, he went to the Lushou hunting grounds and set his eyes on the eldest daughter of Lin Chengxian, the Commander of the Right Guard in Lushou. He forced her to marry him as a concubine."

Yanshu couldn’t help but slam the table in disbelief, "What?! This fine young lady had to marry this old pervert? The Duke of Cheng'en hasn’t even forced anyone like that!"

The system continued, "Right? But it gets worse. Not two years later, the Commander’s second daughter grew up, and the Duke’s son wanted to have her too. Naturally, the Commander wasn’t happy and arranged a marriage for her. But this guy held a grudge and framed Lin Chengxian for selling grain illegally, throwing him into the Lushou prison. Just a few days ago, Lin Chengxian was released, and this guy is planning to frame him again."

Yanshu was so furious she almost jumped up, "This guy is just bullying the whole family! And now, he can’t even get his revenge on the second daughter, so he sends the father to prison? He’s worse than the Duke of Cheng'en!"

The system replied, "Exactly. But the Duke of Cheng'en’s family isn’t as high-ranking as his. The higher the status, the worse the troublemakers."

Yanshu: "...Hmph, that’s the truth. But does his family have any other scandals?"

The system responded, "Oh, they do. The Duke of Qi’s daughter-in-law is also quite the ruthless character!"

Yanshu raised an eyebrow, "Tell me, what’s so ruthless about her?"

The system explained, "The Duke of Qi’s daughter-in-law, Wei Shi, was originally the daughter of the second house of the Marquis of Yongping. When the Duke of Qi’s family was arranging a marriage with the Marquis of Yongping, they had initially chosen the eldest daughter, who was Wei Shi’s cousin. However, Wei Shi wanted to marry into the Duke of Qi’s family, so she secretly poisoned her cousin with a plant she was allergic to, causing her to break out in hives. She then spread a rumor that her cousin had a face full of pockmarks, which led to the Duke of Qi’s family choosing her as the bride."

Yanshu: "... This is messed up, and it’s her own cousin she harmed."

As someone who shared the same allergic condition, Yanshu couldn’t help but sympathize with the cousin. But seriously, after all that scheming, did Wei Shi regret marrying such a perverted old man?

Then the system continued, "Wei Shi doesn’t regret it. After all, she’s aiming to be a duchess. But all the concubines in the house regret it because she’s drugged every single one of them."

Yanshu was taken aback, "What do you mean, drugged them?"

System: "Of course, it's sterilization medicine! With a character like Wei Shi, she definitely wouldn’t allow any of the concubines in the household to give birth to illegitimate children. If any of the concubines were pregnant, she would quickly give them abortive medicine. That’s why, despite having numerous concubines, the Duke of Qi’s son doesn’t have a single illegitimate son or daughter."

Yanshu couldn’t help but sigh, "What kind of sin did women like the eldest daughter of Lin Chengxian commit, to be treated like this by these two?"

However, the system added, "It’s not just her; Wei Shi taught her daughter the same thing."

Yanshu froze, letting out a sharp gasp as she instinctively placed her hand on her belly.

This... if that daughter becomes the Empress...

No way! She absolutely wouldn’t allow anyone to harm her child. Hmph!

Just as she was fuming, the system continued, "Of course, not all concubines are willing to be controlled. One of the new concubines in their household, who has a fiery temper, was drugged by Lady Wei and, bitter about it, seduced her son for revenge."

Yanshu: "???

This... it seems even the Duke of Qi’s grandson isn’t trustworthy.

System: "As the saying goes, like father, like son."

Yanshu: "... I can’t deny that’s a truth."

Tsk, the Duke of Qi’s family certainly produces "talent."

Having finished the gossip for now, Yanshu thought for a moment. Based on what she had heard, it seemed that the most advantageous target would be the Duke of Qi's son framing Lin Chengxian. However, right now, she was more curious about the Emperor’s reaction after receiving the Duke of Qi’s memorial.

System: "What’s his reaction going to be? The Duke of Qi is his maternal uncle. Since he personally led five or six ministers into the palace to present the memorial, the Emperor will have to receive it and exchange pleasantries with that old man."

Yanshu frowned, not particularly pleased, and pouted, "What’s he thinking? Is he planning to select an Empress from the palace?"

System: "I don’t know, I can’t read His Majesty’s mind."

Yanshu: "...

Alright, since the system can’t read the Emperor’s mind, she could always try her mind-reading ability on him once he arrives.

Just as she was thinking this, a voice outside announced, "His Majesty is here..."

Yanshu froze.

It’s still morning, why is he here so soon?

But since he was already here, she quickly rose and went to the door to greet him, saying, "I pay my respects to Your Majesty."

In the blink of an eye, the Emperor was standing before her, reaching out to help her rise and saying, "Get up."

He then lowered his gaze, studying her expression carefully, and asked, "How are things today?"

Yanshu raised an eyebrow inwardly.

How are things today?

The way he asked, could it be about the memorial from the Duke of Qi?

Is he trying to see my reaction?

Yuwen Lan: "..."

That’s exactly what he was thinking.

Knowing that she had the ability to read minds and that nothing could be hidden from her, he wanted to hurry and check if she was overthinking things.

Just as he was trying to gauge her, he suddenly heard her indignant thoughts.

What else could happen? The Duke of Qi’s entire family is digging a pit for me, just waiting for me to jump into it! I absolutely won’t let them off the hook!

Yuwen Lan: "???"

The Duke of Qi’s family is digging a pit for her?

What on earth is going on now?

Yanshu: "I’m doing well, but I just heard something and was thinking of reporting it to Your Majesty."

Yuwen Lan raised an eyebrow, "What’s that?" As he spoke, he casually helped her sit on the heated couch.

Yanshu responded, "The case from two years ago about the grain theft in Lushou... It’s actually a miscarriage of justice. In fact, the Duke of Qi's son, a few years ago while hunting in Lushou, set his eyes on Lin Chengxian's eldest daughter, who was from a good family. He first forced her to marry him as a concubine, and then, seeing that she had a second daughter, tried to marry her too. Lin Chengxian, being an upright man, didn’t want to hand over both of his daughters to an old man like that. Moreover, the Duke of Qi's wife is cruel and made sure that all the concubines in the house were given sterility medicine."

She continued, "To avoid his second daughter falling into the same trap, Lin Chengxian quickly arranged a marriage for her. But when the Duke’s son found out, he became furious and framed Lin Chengxian for selling grain illegally. He was thrown into prison. I heard that Lin Chengxian was released just a few days ago, but this Duke’s son is planning to frame him again."

Yuwen Lan: "What? Really?"

Yanshu nodded firmly, "It’s absolutely true. This matter isn’t hard to investigate. If Your Majesty sends someone to Lushou to ask around, the truth will come to light."

Yuwen Lan could tell from her certainty that the matter was indeed legitimate. He let out a breath and nodded, "Alright, I’ll have someone investigate it right away."

Just as he was about to get up, Yanshu stopped him, saying, "I have one more thing to report."

He paused and asked, "What else?"

Yanshu cleared her throat and said, "I have a story I’m working on and would like Your Majesty’s opinion."

She hesitated for a moment, deciding that this matter should be shared with the Emperor. If the family of the Empress Dowager’s birth family kept making trouble elsewhere and spreading rumors, it would inevitably reach the Emperor and cause a rift with the Empress Dowager. It would be better if she told him the truth now.

Yuwen Lan, who had been silently listening to her thoughts, understood what she was about to discuss—her biological mother—and grew even more curious. He patiently said, "Tell me more."

Yanshu began, "Once, there was a large family with a kind and generous mistress who treated her concubines well, and the concubines, in turn, treated her with genuine affection. One day, one of the concubines gave birth to a child, but tragically, the concubine’s health couldn’t hold out, and she was on the brink of death. Before passing, she entrusted her child to the mistress, who raised the child with great care and eventually took over the family’s leadership."

"However, just when everything seemed peaceful, the concubine's family suddenly appeared and began spreading lies, trying to drive a wedge between the young family head and the mistress, accusing the young mistress of immoral actions. Luckily, the young mistress was intelligent and soon uncovered the truth. It turned out that the maternal family had always had a poor relationship with the family head’s birth mother, but now they were pretending to be close, hoping to gain from the young family head’s power."

"When the young mistress discovered the truth, she didn’t let the schemers succeed. But now she’s uncertain whether she should explain the situation to the family head."

Yanshu quickly glanced at him.

Yuwen Lan immediately understood, realizing that the family head was himself, the wise and clever beauty was Yanshu, and the adopted mother was the Empress Dowager. The late concubine, who had passed away young, was his biological mother.

He was surprised that her maternal family had come to her. Since he already knew the situation, he decided to ask more. "Please, tell me more. Why was the relationship between the family head’s birth mother and her maternal family so bad?"

Yanshu, seeing that he understood, decided to tell him everything about the Empress Dowager’s past. She said, "It all began when this lady was a child. Her father favored a concubine over his wife, causing the death of her mother. Later, he made the concubine his legal wife and had more children with her. The lady never got over it. When she first entered the family, her beauty won the favor of the old family head. But the old family head was not a man of lasting affection, and once she became pregnant, his attention turned elsewhere. This caused the lady great pain, and after she gave birth, she saw that the family head still treated her and her child coldly. Her sadness worsened, and she developed a condition that quickly led to her death."

"Before her death, she still held resentment toward her maternal family. She entrusted her child to the mistress, warning her not to allow her maternal family to gain any benefits from the child, to protect the child's reputation."

Yanshu paused, and Yuwen Lan understood the rest. Her mother’s family had continued to scheme, spreading rumors about her, and since he didn’t have any memories of his childhood, he had only heard from the palace maids about how the Emperor had been distant from him. The death of his mother had been caused by a combination of personal sorrow and the coldness from the Emperor.

It seemed what Yanshu had said was true.

Yuwen Lan’s heart grew heavy as he reflected on how a woman so unfortunate had withered away in the imperial palace. Yet just as he was about to sigh, he suddenly heard Yanshu’s thoughts.

"Wuwuwu, my baby... both your grandmother and your father had such tragic lives. We’re alright, though. When you’re born, Mommy will shower you with love, I’ll cuddle you so much... my precious baby..."

Yuwen Lan: "..."

"Grandmother" is fine, but what about "father"?

Does that mean there might be someone who’s not the real father?

But just as he was lost in thought, he heard her continue.

"Baby, come to think of it, I’m a concubine too! What if one day, when I’m gone, your father finds someone else to raise you?"

Yuwen Lan’s heart skipped a beat.

He couldn’t help but say, "I lost my birth mother in this life, and this tragedy will never happen to you."

Yanshu was stunned.

Before she could process his words, he placed his hand on her belly.

She could hear his thoughts: "You two are the most important people in my life."

Yanshu was stunned again.

A warmth spread through her chest, and she almost felt tears welling up in her eyes.

But wait, which of them was more important—her or the baby?

Yuwen Lan: "???"

Do they really need to choose?

Before he could think more, she pulled his hand and placed it back on her belly, saying, "Your Majesty, lately, our baby has been moving a lot. You should feel it too, talk to the baby more."

Heh, she knew it—it was definitely the belly!

As long as he touched it, she could read his thoughts!

Yuwen Lan: "!!?"

What... what’s going on?