Everyone pricked up their ears.

Yuan Ruan widened her round eyes: [Huh? What connection could he have with me?]

System: [Haha, what a coincidence. You know what? He’s looking for his granddaughter, and one of his granddaughters happens to be Chunhua, the palace maid serving you.]

Yuan Ruan: [What?!!]

Those who could hear the inner thoughts: !!!

What?!

The Emperor and the Crown Prince immediately turned their gaze toward the Grand Preceptor of Chu.

You have a granddaughter?

You, a Daoist priest from the Quanzhen Sect, the Grand Preceptor of Chu, actually have a granddaughter?

Well, well, well, what a leverage.

…

The Grand Preceptor of Chu keenly noticed the strange smiles from the high-ranking officials of Da Xia.

He was puzzled, deep in thought, when he caught sight of the Minister of Rites beside him picking up a small bamboo slip and quickly jotting down notes. The first character he wrote seemed to be “Chu,” and the Minister’s expression was oddly restrained.

The Grand Preceptor of Chu instantly became alert. Maintaining a calm and humble demeanor, he subtly moved closer to the Minister and whispered, “Esteemed official…”

“Wait,” the Minister chuckled, swiftly putting away the bamboo slip and pricking up his ears. “We’ll talk later.”

Grand Preceptor of Chu: ?

Meanwhile, the inner thoughts continued to spill juicy gossip.

System: [This Grand Preceptor of Chu is quite an unlucky fellow. Brilliant and talented, he married his childhood sweetheart at sixteen and had children. But due to a mishap, he lost his chance to be recommended for an official position. Then, because of a war, he thought his wife had died, so he left for the mountains. Eventually, due to his exceptional wisdom, he was invited by the sect leader to become a Daoist priest.]

The court officials who were busy noting down the gossip were stunned: …

So, you had children before becoming a Daoist priest!

What a pity, we lost a leverage!

The Grand Preceptor of Chu noticed the Minister of Rites looking at him with regret and felt utterly baffled.

The system continued: [After completing his studies, the Grand Preceptor of Chu descended the mountain and encountered the current old Emperor of Chu, who was then an unfavored prince. Due to a meal offered in kindness, the Grand Preceptor joined his camp. With his outstanding wisdom, he became the prince’s most trusted advisor. Together, they fought to help the prince ascend the throne, creating a tale of harmonious ruler-subject relations. After entering the palace, the Grand Preceptor discovered that his wife was not dead and had become a female official in Chu. He felt he had reached the pinnacle of his life. But then came the twist: after ascending the throne, the old Emperor of Chu became arrogant and, in a drunken state, slept with the Grand Preceptor’s wife, the female official.]

Yuan Ruan: [What?!!]

Everyone: Ah!!!

The twist came too fast, leaving everyone momentarily stunned.

The two Prime Ministers each noted on their bamboo slips: The old Emperor of Chu, flaw: lustful.

The Grand Preceptor of Chu was pondering why the Minister of Rites was looking at him that way when he suddenly felt someone’s gaze on him.

He looked over and saw the Minister of Revenue staring at him with excitement, chuckling once again.

Grand Preceptor of Chu: …How strange.

Yuan Ruan’s chubby cheeks wrinkled like a bun as she laughed: [So, the old Emperor of Chu became so blinded by lust? This is really quite dramatic.]

System: [Exactly. It’s that dramatic. But in history, there are many such figures who start off heroic and end up foolish. Like Dong Zhuo, who was considered a hero before entering the capital but became reckless and lustful afterward. Ah, there are always some abnormal figures. Isn’t your brother the same?!]

Emperor: …

Who is Dong Zhuo?

What’s with this system always slandering me?

The court officials all looked dazed, simultaneously tucking their bamboo slips into their pockets.

As if to prove to the Emperor, we didn’t hear, we didn’t record.

The officials were fully focused on listening to the system and Yuan Ruan spilling the gossip.

But to the observant Grand Preceptor of Chu, the scene seemed somewhat eerie. He couldn’t help but feel that the Da Xia officials seemed as if they were under some spell, acting dazed.

The Grand Preceptor of Chu grew tense from his own imagination. After a pause, he once again cupped his hands and asked, “May I ask, what are the dates calculated by the Director of the Imperial Astronomical Bureau?”

Yet, no one responded.

The Grand Preceptor of Chu’s heart tightened: Why is no one speaking? Oh no, could they really be under a spell?

As he pondered whether to flee, he saw the Crown Prince on the platform, as if just hearing the question, cough lightly and say, “Ahem, Director, quickly hand over the dates to the Grand Preceptor of Chu.”

After speaking, the Crown Prince cupped his hands and said, “We trouble the Grand Preceptor to also take a look and decide which date is more suitable for the spring sacrifice.”

The Director of the Imperial Astronomical Bureau, pale-faced, handed a bamboo slip to the Grand Preceptor of Chu and then listlessly stepped back.

The Grand Preceptor of Chu cautiously observed the scene, cupped his hands, and said, “This humble Daoist will do his utmost.”

However, no one paid attention to his inner panic.

Because the Da Xia gossip enthusiasts were still fully engrossed in listening to the juicy details.

Yuan Ruan also felt a bit off but instantly defended: [How can you compare such a person to my brother! My brother’s temper is due to being harmed by elixirs. My brother is pure and kind-hearted.]

The Emperor’s darkened expression softened: That’s my dear child.

The court officials: …

We almost didn’t recognize the words “pure and kind-hearted.”

System: [Alright, alright, blind defense is blind defense. There’s not much to say about Chunhua, the palace maid. But do you know about his other granddaughter? It’s quite thrilling. I’m wondering if the Grand Preceptor of Chu would sever ties with the Fourth Prince he’s currently advising if he knew the situation!]

The gossip enthusiasts were thrilled: !!!

Heavens!

There’s actually information that could lead to a falling out? What a fortunate piece of gossip!

Please, tell us quickly!

Come on, our blank bamboo slips are eagerly waiting.

Just as everyone was eagerly anticipating the gossip…

The Grand Preceptor of Chu once again cupped his hands and cautiously said, “Your Majesty, this humble Daoist has just calculated these dates. These two dates are more auspicious. Additionally…”

His voice happened to overlap with the system’s inner thoughts.

Everyone: !!!

Ahhh, we couldn’t hear the gossip clearly!

The Grand Preceptor of Chu suddenly felt goosebumps all over: Ugh, such a strong sense of malice? What’s going on? Could that curse be targeting him?!