As the Empress Dowager spoke, Guo Zhenghai, the Duke of Qi’s heir, had no choice but to sit back down.

The storyteller continued, "This man’s residence already has over ten concubines, many of whom were once respectable women from good families, forcibly taken by this old man. The worst part is that his wife, the lady of the household, is cruel beyond measure—she forces every woman brought into their home to take a sterilization potion to prevent the birth of any illegitimate children. This poor girl was no exception; barely two weeks after entering, she was forced to drink the concoction, almost losing her life. In short, her days have been filled with nothing but misery.”

Hearing this, everyone was stunned.

The Princess Consort of Ruyang couldn’t help but ask, "Wait a moment, doesn’t this lady sound just like the villainous woman from the earlier story?"

The storyteller nodded. "Your Ladyship is correct. This is indeed the same person; both stories involve the same family."

Upon hearing this, the Princess Consort’s expression lit up with understanding. "Ah, so it’s all one family. No wonder they’re all so vile!"

Others nodded in agreement.

Somewhere in the crowd, someone muttered, "So one’s a lecher, and the other’s a shrew—what a fitting couple."

Yanshu’s eyes gleamed; she almost wanted to applaud. That summed it up perfectly!

Meanwhile, she glanced at Guo Zhenghai and Lady Wei, noticing how their faces twisted in anger and embarrassment, green and pale by turns, struggling to contain their emotions but too humiliated to protest.

*Ha,* she thought, *after years of wrongdoing, a few insults should hardly matter.*

Just then, the storyteller resumed, "You are all right, esteemed audience. Now, as I continue, it turns out that the poor young lady, who endured such suffering, didn’t realize that this beast of an old man still had designs on her younger sister. When two years had passed and he presumed the girl had grown, he again used hunting as an excuse to visit her family’s home, intending to seize her as well.”

Upon hearing this, the audience grew agitated again.

The Grand Princess couldn’t help but exclaim, "That second young lady must not fall into his clutches! Her parents must do something!"

The crowd echoed her sentiments.

The storyteller nodded. “Your Highness is right. Fortunately, the young lady’s parents sensed the danger and quickly accepted a marriage proposal for her. They arranged for her engagement without delay.”

At this, everyone breathed a sigh of relief, feeling the family had narrowly escaped another tragedy.

But then the storyteller continued, “However, the old man, in his rage, used his influence to accuse the young lady’s father of a crime and had him thrown in prison.”

The crowd was outraged, exclaiming, “Doesn’t he fear the law?”

“Yes! How could he abuse people so horribly?”

The Grand Princess spoke indignantly to the storyteller, "I’ve lived many years, and this is the first time I’ve heard of such blatant cruelty. Surely such a man will not escape retribution!”

The storyteller quickly reassured her, "Please don’t worry, Your Highness. As I’ll explain, it’s true that the common folk had no way to resist such oppression, and despite his innocence, the father was imprisoned. Thankfully, the local magistrate saw his innocence and chose not to sentence him harshly, releasing him after two years. Just as they hoped to reunite and live peacefully, word reached the capital, and that despicable old man, feeling slighted, tried to have the father arrested again and even sought to frame the magistrate who had helped him.”

The listeners were enraged anew. "What kind of monster is this?" they cried.

“Exactly! How dare he act so shamelessly!”

The Grand Princess declared angrily, “Is this man still alive? Why hasn’t lightning struck him down—or his entire family?”

Yanshu raised her eyebrows, watching as her main supporter, the Empress Dowager, nodded in agreement with her sister-in-law.

*No wonder these two get along so well—they both have such strong principles!*

A glance at Guo Zhenghai and Lady Wei revealed their ashen faces as they squirmed in their seats, wishing they could disappear.

Someone in the crowd impatiently asked the storyteller, "What happened next? That poor family won’t fall victim to him again, will they?”

The storyteller reassured them, “Certainly not! The heavens are just, and those who commit evil are eventually exposed. A high-ranking official in the capital learned of the matter and reported it to the Emperor. Outraged, the Emperor ordered a thorough investigation.”

He continued, “It turned out that this man had committed numerous other crimes, all under the guise of imperial power, shamelessly oppressing the people and bringing shame to the court. Worse still, there were cases involving lives lost due to his actions. Such a wicked man could not be spared, and the Emperor sentenced him to death. He was executed at noon to the great satisfaction of the public.”

With these words, the hall erupted in applause, and everyone cheered, “Justice at last! Truly, evil does not go unpunished!”

In the midst of the applause, there was a loud thud, as if something had fallen.

Everyone turned to see Guo Zhenghai, who had earlier claimed to feel unwell, collapsed on the floor, his face pale and drenched in sweat.

The crowd was puzzled.

The Emperor spoke, “If Minister Guo feels unwell, he should see the imperial physician.”

Though spoken as a concern, his tone was icy.

Guo Zhenghai, filled with guilt, forced himself to his feet, bowing stiffly. “Thank you, Your Majesty, for your concern. I am well.”

But the crowd, eager for the story’s resolution, urged the storyteller, “What happened to the innocent women? And that vile wife?”

The storyteller answered, “As for the wife, complicit in her husband’s crimes, she could not escape the law. She was sentenced to exile, condemned to wander in hardship at the empire’s borders for the rest of her days, never to return to the capital. Meanwhile, the innocent women, being victims, were granted freedom by the court. Finally, the eldest daughter was able to return to her family.”

Hearing this, some listeners nodded while others sighed.

Lady Ankang, her eyes red, wiped away tears and lamented, “Such virtuous daughters—what wrong did they do to deserve such ruin? Poisoned to the point they can’t bear children, how will they marry now?”

The crowd echoed her sentiments, cursing the evil couple for their inhumanity.

The Empress Dowager spoke up, “Despite everything, freedom is a blessing. Such a righteous family must have raised daughters of character; with luck, they may yet find happiness. And even if they don’t, staying close to their parents is far better than enduring that vile man’s abuse.”

With these words, everyone nodded in agreement.

The story having concluded, the storyteller received his reward and took his leave.

Guo Zhenghai and Lady Wei, thinking the matter settled, tried to breathe a sigh of relief, only to hear the Emperor say, “What do you all think of the crimes this man committed?”

The court officials, still stirred by the story, were quick to respond.

Minister Lu, Yanshu’s devoted fan, spoke first, “Your Majesty, this man’s abuse of power, taking women by force and framing officials, disgraces the court’s honor. These alone are worthy of severe punishment.”

The officials nodded in agreement.

The Minister of Justice added, “From this story alone, one can see how adept he is at manipulating the law. If such a person truly exists, it’s likely he has committed countless other misdeeds. It would be best to investigate thoroughly to ensure justice is served. Those who undermine the court must not be tolerated.”

Everyone agreed again, “He must be punished!”

The Emperor nodded, then turned suddenly to the Duke of Qi. “Duke, what is your opinion on this matter?”

The Duke hesitated, then rose and replied, “Your Majesty, it’s a fine story, but surely just a tale. Thanks to your wise rule, our nation prospers in peace; such things couldn’t happen in reality.”

Yanshu raised her eyebrows, thinking, *Oh, what a smooth talker. According to him, if this were real, then the Emperor wouldn’t be wise?*

Fortunately, Yuwen Lan didn’t take the bait and continued, “But if it were true, Duke, what punishment would be fitting?”

The Duke replied, “If it were true, then naturally, such a man deserves severe punishment.”

Yuwen Lan acknowledged this, then asked, “And if this wrongdoer were from a noble family, should the law show leniency?”

Yanshu could hardly contain her satisfaction. *What an excellent question!*

Everyone knows that nobles and commoners should be equal before the law. If the Duke favored leniency, the officials would surely protest, leaving him no choice but to agree.

With that, once the Emperor decides to punish his son, he’ll have nothing left to say.

As expected, once the Emperor spoke, the old Duke of Qi rose and replied, “Your Majesty, it is said that a noble and a commoner should be judged by the same law. I believe that no matter a person’s status, they should not receive special treatment under the law. However, given the gravity of the matter, we must thoroughly investigate and not be misled by those with ulterior motives.”

At these words, the crowd raised their eyebrows, thinking that Duke Qi must be out of touch with the times if he didn’t realize that every character in Xiaoyao Gongzi’s story was based on real people.

Besides, who in the story had ever been unjustly accused?

But more importantly—who exactly was this lecherous villain in the tale?

At that moment, the Emperor spoke up, “Recently, I received a report accusing Duke Qi’s son, Guo Zhenghai, of abusing his power, seizing a respectable woman as his concubine, and framing Lin Chengxian, a centurion of the Right Guard in Luzhou, falsely accusing him of grain theft, which led to two years of wrongful imprisonment.”

The Duke of Qi froze at this announcement.

Everyone else was also stunned, turning their eyes toward Guo Zhenghai.

Ah, that explains why he claimed to feel unwell earlier and even collapsed—he’s the villain in the story!

Under the scrutiny of everyone’s gaze, Guo Zhenghai immediately knelt and protested, “Your Majesty, this is slander! Lin Chengxian is greedy and deceitful. Years ago, while I was in Luzhou, he forced his eldest daughter to become my concubine, then continually demanded money. He did indeed sell the grain himself and, when caught, begged me to shield him. When I refused, he bore a grudge and falsely accused me.”

Everyone raised their eyebrows at this.

What?

According to him, a mere centurion was able to blackmail a high-ranking noble?

The Empress Dowager spoke up, “So, a well-bred young woman—likely younger than your son—was forced upon him? And you just accepted? What, were you drunk? Did her family overpower you and force you into it?”

Pfft…

Her words left everyone speechless with righteous anger and a bit of laughter.

The Empress Dowager hit the nail on the head!

Yanshu silently praised the Empress Dowager, then added, “I heard there are about fifteen or sixteen concubines and servant girls in your residence. Were they all forced upon you? If so, then you’ve suffered greatly, haven’t you?”

Her words caused everyone to chuckle again as they looked at Guo Zhenghai, who was sweating profusely, unable to come up with a response. All he could stammer was, “I—I am ashamed…”

Just then, Yanshu heard Guo Zhaorong’s inner thoughts, Hmph! This woman dares to humiliate my father! I’ll make her pay!

Oh, a threat? How cute, Yanshu thought, then spoke up again, “By the way, with so many concubines and servant girls in the residence, why haven’t we heard of any children?”

All eyes naturally shifted to Lady Wei.

Given that Guo Zhenghai was the vile old lecher in the story, Lady Wei was undoubtedly the wicked woman described as his wife.

Tsk tsk, Yanshu thought. Who would have guessed that this woman was so ruthless? If the story is accurate, the ghosts of at least a dozen unborn children must haunt her.

Lady Ankang, visibly pregnant, couldn’t help but mutter, “How could she be so heartless?”

The crowd nodded, whispering amongst themselves, “With a mother like that, what kind of daughter could she raise? And she has the nerve to think she could be Empress?”

“Exactly, if that happened, wouldn’t the imperial family be doomed?”

At this, Lady Wei suddenly knelt and wailed, “I am innocent! Please, Your Majesty and Empress Dowager, believe me! This is all slander from that storyteller! I have never done anything so heartless. If I had, let heaven strike me down…”

At this point, Minister Lu, a staunch supporter of Xiaoyao Gongzi’s works, couldn’t hold back, “Since the publication of Xiaoyao Gongzi’s stories, none have ever wronged anyone!”

The crowd nodded in agreement.

Just then, there was a loud thud.

Everyone turned to see Guo Jian’guang, the couple’s son, suddenly collapse, frothing at the mouth and convulsing.

The unexpected sight startled everyone, and Yanshu quietly asked the system, What’s going on here?

The system replied, The concubine wasn’t just trying to seduce him—she poisoned him too. With the added stress and alcohol, he couldn’t handle it, and the poison took effect.

Wow, thought Yanshu. That concubine sure has guts!

Indeed, the Guo family’s scandals seemed to be the evening’s main event.

Seeing the chaos, the Emperor instructed the attending imperial physician, “Examine him and see what’s wrong.”

The physician hurried over, examining Guo Jian’guang before announcing, “Your Majesty, the young master is gravely weakened, likely due to excessive… bedroom activities.”

Well then…

Everyone exchanged glances, silently wondering just how depraved this family was for someone so young to be in such a state.

The Empress Dowager ordered, “Take him to the side hall and revive him.”

The servants quickly carried him out of the hall.

But more urgent matters remained to be addressed.

The Emperor announced, “The Ministry of Justice has returned from Luzhou with witnesses and evidence. Guards, arrest Guo Zhenghai and prepare for trial, so that the people may receive justice swiftly.”

The guards responded and promptly detained Guo Zhenghai.

Naturally, as his family members, Lady Wei and Guo Zhaorong were also “invited” to be detained.

Seeing this, Duke Qi hurriedly tried to speak up, “Your Majesty…”

But the Emperor cut him off, “It’s rare for a man of your integrity to hold such principles. As you said, if the crimes are confirmed, punishment will be swift and severe.”

Before the Duke could respond further, the court praised in unison, “Long live His Majesty’s wisdom!”

…

With the Guo family removed, the hall was finally clear again.

The guests, still entertained, urged the ceremonial officer to bring the storyteller back, and he proceeded with more tales.

Everyone enjoyed mooncakes while listening, fully engrossed.

Outside, the bright Mid-Autumn moon rose high in the sky, casting a beautiful reflection on the Golden Wave Lake, making it a night to remember.

Alas, the young ladies who had dressed up, hoping to perform that evening, didn’t get their chance.