System: [Haha, Ah Ruan, do you know why the Emperor only favors gentle, considerate, and well-educated consorts?]

Both the Empress and Consort De looked up curiously.

There were plenty of beauties in the Emperor’s harem, but one peculiar detail stood out: regardless of their appearance, all of his consorts shared a uniformly gentle and reserved demeanor. The court and the public had long speculated wildly, suspecting the Emperor might have a gentle and unattainable “white moonlight” from his past.

The Emperor’s pupils contracted. Wait, not this one!

Yuan Ruan: [Don’t leave me hanging here!]

System: [This is about your brother and the Empress back when they were younger!]

The Emperor covered his face with one hand. Of course, it was that story.

He instinctively glanced at the Empress and saw her looking utterly confused.

The corners of his mouth twitched slightly, and he averted his gaze, refusing to look at her.

Yuan Ruan: [Wow, could it be that the Emperor and Empress were childhood sweethearts? For some reason, I suddenly thought of bittersweet tales like the fleeting beauty of flowers…]

System: [No, no, no. Their relationship isn’t like the romance dramas you’ve watched. Here’s what happened: when your brother was young, he often snuck away from the palace to have fun. Once, during one of his escapades, he accidentally wandered into the Spring Festival celebration of a foreign tribe. It was pure chaos.]

The Empress suddenly froze in shock, turning to scrutinize the Emperor from head to toe.

Even Consort De couldn’t help but glance at the Emperor.

Feigning seriousness, the Emperor gritted his teeth and shook his head at both of them.

Yuan Ruan was baffled: [Huh? Why was it chaotic?]

System: [Ah, I forgot to explain the customs of this place. First, let me clarify: although Da Xia is an ancient kingdom, its culture is open-minded, especially when it comes to relationships. Men and women can both freely go out, and widows remarrying is entirely normal. They’ve even preserved a custom from the Book of Songs: if two people fancy each other, they can spend one night as a couple.]

Yuan Ruan: [Cough, cough, cough… That’s… quite liberal!]

System: [Exactly. Why else do you think the Second Prince’s plan to use opera performers as temptresses worked so flawlessly? But let’s not digress too far. The Spring Festival customs of this foreign tribe are even wilder—you get the idea, right? Spring, the season of rebirth, is a time for drinking celebratory wine, and if two people fancy each other, they… well, let’s just say they take things straight to the outdoors.]

Yuan Ruan was utterly dumbfounded, her small hands covering her chubby cheeks: [What?! So… so… did something happen to my brother there?!]

The Empress and Consort De: !!!

Both women couldn’t resist sneaking another glance at the Emperor.

The Emperor clenched his fists, his gaze firm, and shook his head once more.

System: [Nothing happened, but it was close. Back then, your brother was young and didn’t know about the wild customs of this Spring Festival. He drank the wine they offered him with a smile, only to be grabbed by a few robust foreign women. Fortunately, while the women were bold, they weren’t forceful. They merely displayed their physiques to him. Your brother, stubborn as ever, refused to give in. Despite sweating profusely, he endured it all without budging.]

The Empress stifled a laugh and instinctively nodded in approval, only to have her wrist lightly pinched by the Emperor.

Consort De had been smiling as well, but the curve of her lips flattened at this moment.

Yuan Ruan: [What happened next? Did the young Empress appear and save the day, leading to some romantic developments?]

The Emperor and Empress both twitched at the corners of their mouths, wishing they could reach out and pinch Yuan Ruan. What nonsense was this child imagining? How could anything romantic happen in such a setting?

System: [No, that didn’t happen. The young Empress just happened to be passing by as she descended the mountain. Seeing the young Emperor in such a pitiful state, she ordered her guards to rescue him. A classic case of a beauty saving the hero.]

The Empress looked at the Emperor in surprise, the words “So it was you?” nearly escaping her lips.

The Emperor turned his head away, refusing to meet her gaze.

Consort De lowered her head further, biting her lip. So there was such a bond between them. No wonder the Emperor indulged the Empress so much, never reprimanding her lazy habits, and even in moments of rage, never striking her face.

Yuan Ruan: [Haha, so my brother and the Empress… Haha, I bet this gave my brother a psychological aversion to bold women. Anything else?]

System: [Let me dig a little deeper. The Emperor and Empress seem to have plenty of tangled stories.]

The Emperor and Empress: !!!

No, no, no! Stop right there!

Consort De, more anxious than the Emperor and Empress, feared the system would reveal anything that might deepen the bond between the two.

Determined, she opened the dessert box deliberately.

Sure enough, this action caught the Emperor’s attention.

“What are you doing, Consort De? Let me see,” the Emperor said.

Consort De hesitated, then handed over the silk cloth on the top layer of the dessert box. In a low voice, she said, “Your Majesty, my father mentioned that a highly skilled Daoist visited our home. I thought that if he truly possesses talent, he could assist the Little National Preceptor.”

The Emperor took the silk cloth and glanced at it. The brief text outlined the matter of the “divine child.”

The Emperor sneered. To think this Daoist had enough connections to influence his consorts.

He was about to refuse when Yuan Ruan’s inner thoughts echoed:

[Wow, a Daoist from ancient times? Can they fly? Do they have martial arts manuals? This is a fictional world like in those novels—what if there’s some wild setting here?]

System: [Hmm, you might be onto something! Considering your existence, nothing would surprise me anymore.]

Yuan Ruan: [I’m intrigued!]

The Emperor hesitated. Since the investigation had already revealed the Daoist’s true intentions, and Yuan Ruan was curious, this could be an opportunity to probe the Longhu Temple further.

“Fine,” the Emperor said, changing the topic. “Have him come to the palace in an hour.”

Consort De hurriedly replied, “Yes, Your Majesty.”

An hour later, Daoist Zhou strode confidently into a side hall.

Inside, the Emperor, the Crown Prince, three dukes, and the six ministers of the court sat upright in their seats.

Yuan Ruan yawned, leaning against the Crown Prince’s arms, her eyes gleaming with curiosity as she stared at Daoist Zhou.

The Daoist’s gaze immediately fell on Yuan Ruan. He dismissed her with a glance and subtly scanned the room, trying to locate the mastermind behind her.

After a thorough look, he found no one resembling a fellow Daoist.

Daoist Zhou smirked coldly. Still hiding? Just wait. I’ll use my skills to draw you out.

The Crown Prince spoke first. “You claim the pregnant woman is carrying a divine child. What proof do you have?”

Daoist Zhou replied, “Your Highness, the divine child possesses yin-yang eyes and can manipulate objects from a distance to vanquish ghosts, even while still in the womb.”

Everyone froze. Manipulating objects from a distance? Yin-yang eyes? Exorcising ghosts?

Even Yuan Ruan perked up, intrigued. Sounds quite professional!

Daoist Zhou motioned for the blindfolded pregnant woman to step forward.

Chanting under his breath, he shook a bell with his left hand while his right hand formed intricate gestures. Smoke curled from a lit incense burner, and suddenly, the pregnant woman clutched her stomach and cried out in discomfort.

Yuan Ruan: [Oh no! Is she going into labor? Who here can deliver a baby?!]

The court officials, initially tense from the atmosphere, nearly burst into laughter at her comment.

Daoist Zhou abruptly shouted, “I see it!” Pointing in Yuan Ruan’s direction, he closed his eyes and proclaimed, “The divine child has spoken to me. I see it too. There’s a shadow behind her—an ominous presence clinging to her body. She is not alone; there are two souls within her. But don’t worry, I can drive it away!”

The court officials were stunned.

The Emperor frowned. This eerie performance stirred unpleasant memories.

Just then, the system whispered:

[Wow, Host, I just dug up some gossip. It says Daoist Zhou once used divination to locate a kidnapped child. Hmm… This guy might actually have some real skills. Impressive!]

The Emperor and officials: !!!

Wait, what? Even the system acknowledges his talent?

Could he really uncover the system or the Little National Preceptor’s true nature?

The Emperor discreetly gestured.

The captain of the palace guards unsheathed a sharp sword halfway, locking his gaze on Daoist Zhou, ready to strike at a moment’s notice.

At that moment, Daoist Zhou pulled a chessboard box from his robe and a black flag from his sleeve.

His expression turned solemn, his hand gestures suggesting he was about to unleash a powerful move.