Chapter 3: Bewildered! Winter Greens Are Treasures!

Whether they could listen or not, there was no way to stop it. Besides adapting, what else could they do—

So, how did Concubine Qin get entangled with the Crown Prince and then enter the palace as a concubine? Hurry up and tell us already!

The civil and military officials were all exasperated: This is driving us crazy!!!

A group of powerful figures, whose slightest actions could shake the entire court, could only anxiously wait for the low-ranking official to slowly finish eating his steamed bun, slowly wipe his mouth and hands clean, and finally open the sacred artifact.

“Damn it, why doesn’t the system provide pictures or videos? I really want to know just how stunning Concubine Qin is.”

Xu Yanmiao stared intently at the gossip in his hand, full of regret.

The system used many words to describe how delicate and beautiful Concubine Qin was, but where there should have been images, there was nothing but blank spaces, leaving him to use his imagination.

“With no family background, no power, and no means of survival, it’s no wonder that while the Crown Prince confessed his feelings, he also arrogantly thought Concubine Qin had nowhere to go. Unfortunately, at the time, Concubine Qin was determined to escape from the Crown Prince and directly entered the Princess’s residence as a dancer, later catching the Emperor’s eye when he visited the Princess’s residence.”

“Concubine Qin thought that if she was going to be with someone other than her true love, it didn’t matter who it was, so she entered the palace with the Emperor.”

“When the Crown Prince finally found his beloved again, he learned that his grandfather had taken her. He went mad and stormed into the palace during the morning assembly!!! Tsk tsk tsk, did he lose his mind?”

The ministers were speechless: “…”

This wasn’t madness; it was insanity.

He was relying on his status as the Emperor’s grandson, unafraid of implicating his entire family, wasn’t he?

They were almost overwhelmed by the gossip.

The Minister of the Imperial Ancestral Temple overheard his colleagues whispering, “I thought it was the Emperor who took the Crown Prince’s mistress and forcibly abducted a common woman, but it turns out Concubine Qin voluntarily entered the palace.”

“Yes, yes, I thought the Emperor, despite being over sixty, still wanted to act recklessly.”

Murmur, murmur…

Murmur, murmur…

The Minister of the Imperial Ancestral Temple: “…”

He didn’t know why, but ever since they could hear that low-ranking official’s inner thoughts, the entire court’s atmosphere had changed and couldn’t be pulled back, no matter what.

＊

“I’m furious! Absolutely furious!”

The old Emperor shouted as he walked into the palace hall, his voice echoing throughout. The palace servants bowed their heads slightly, fearing the Emperor might vent his anger on them.

The old Emperor plopped down into a soft chair opposite the Empress.

“Sister! You have no idea what our troublesome grandson did; he actually barged into the harem and had an affair with his grandfather’s woman!”

“And now! The entire court knows about it!” His voice grew louder, almost bursting the entire hall.

Empress Dou slightly raised her eyebrows: “Could it be that Xu…”

The old Emperor said angrily, “It’s him! Not focusing on court matters, but instead prying into people’s secrets! He better not let me catch him neglecting his duties, or I’ll definitely give him a thrashing with thirty boards!”

Empress Dou’s cloud-like hair was slightly disheveled, and the four pearl earrings on her ears swayed gently. She stood up and walked over to gently massage the old Emperor’s temples. The old Emperor’s furious expression gradually faded away, and he leaned his head lightly against the back of the chair, closing his eyes to enjoy the moment.

After a while, the old Emperor suddenly spoke: “I’ve thrown Qi’er into prison.”

Empress Dou’s face showed a hint of reluctance, but she said, “Qi’er has been spoiled. He needs to have his temper tempered; otherwise, he might cause even bigger problems in the future.”

The old Emperor grunted in agreement and added, “As for that wretched woman, once she gives birth to my great-grandson, I will grant her a merciful death. Considering her contribution to the royal lineage, I won’t subject her to the pain of being beaten to death.”

The hand massaging his temples stopped. Even the faint scent from her clothes seemed to drift away.

The old Emperor sat up, puzzled, and turned his head: “Sister?”

Empress Dou’s face showed even more evident compassion.

“Wulang, Concubine Qin is also pitiable. Could you spare her life and send her to Tianzhen Temple to shave her head and become a nun? She could spend her life under the light of the green lamps and the ancient Buddhas, praying for the royal family’s blessings.”

The old Emperor blinked: “What is there to pity about her? If she dared to cause chaos in the harem, she must pay the price!”

Empress Dou spoke gently, “If Qi’er had not initially approached her, if he had come directly to ask for her hand in marriage, if he had let her go after she entered the palace, she would not have ended up where she is today. I believe she is at fault, but not to the point of deserving death.”

The old Emperor snapped angrily, “Is it my fault that I’ve been cuckolded?”

The term “green hat” comes from a historical anecdote from a previous dynasty. It is said that a foolish emperor coveted his minister’s wife and would visit her whenever her husband was away. They agreed that if the husband was at home, the gatekeeper would wear a green hat as a signal for the emperor to stay away. When the affair was eventually exposed, the green hat became a symbol of mockery for cuckolded men.

Empress Dou looked into the old Emperor’s eyes with a still gentle gaze: “Therefore, for the dignity of the royal family, she must live as a nun, never to experience any joy again.”

The old Emperor remained displeased: “Having food and drink in a temple is hardly a punishment.”

Empress Dou insisted on her opinion and instructed the chief palace maid to bring Concubine Qin over and settle her in the side hall. The old Emperor, furious, exclaimed, “You’ve defied me!” and stormed off.

When he returned to the court, he took every opportunity to harshly reprimand any official who made even the slightest mistake.

Xu Yanmiao silently shrank into the background, grateful once again that he was a low-ranking official and positioned at the back, unlikely to draw the old Emperor’s attention.

[What’s gotten into him? Did he swallow explosives?]

[It’s not like we put the green hat on him, why take it out on us?]

The officials nearly nodded in agreement.

After realizing this, each of them avoided the Emperor’s gaze, looking everywhere but at the golden throne.

The old Emperor: “…”

The chief eunuch, noticing the Emperor’s expression, nearly collapsed from fear.

How strange. Why did the Emperor suddenly have a throbbing vein on his forehead? Who angered him? Even during the scandal with the Crown Prince and Concubine Qin, he wasn’t this furious.

The chief eunuch was baffled.

The old Emperor took a deep breath.

I will not get angry, I will not get angry, I will not get angry… I will not follow the foolish acts of previous emperors who condemned people for what they heard in their hearts!

Moreover…

The old Emperor silently repeated the name “Xu Yanmiao” in his mind, frowning as he recalled a similar grand court meeting six months ago when Xu Yanmiao’s inner thoughts were first revealed—

What was leaked was the falsification of a major drought in Shandong.

For over ten years, the old Emperor and some central officials believed Shandong suffered from annual droughts, leading to constant shipments of grain for disaster relief. Shandong officials reported droughts, Shandong scholars coming to the capital for the imperial exams spoke of droughts, and the central government never doubted it—until Xu Yanmiao’s inner voice:

[Falsifying drought relief funds for over ten years, the officials of Shandong are truly audacious! Normally they’re quite obedient, but when they act, they make it big!]

The court was stunned.

The old Emperor sent investigators to look into it…

In short, after the investigation, Shandong’s officials were purged, turning the period into a time of celebration for scholars. As long as they passed the exams, they could get a position in Shandong, where many vacancies awaited after the great purge.

It was during this time that the Emperial Guard was established. This department was specifically tasked with gathering information for the old Emperor and monitoring officials.

In the past six months, the old Emperor had somewhat figured out Xu Yanmiao’s situation.

This person was indeed an ordinary man, merely fortunate to have bonded with a divine artifact called “the system,” which allowed him to see everything like the mythical beast Baize. However, the artifact seemed damaged in some way, causing Xu Yanmiao’s inner thoughts to be audible to others.

Not everyone could hear them—only those with an official seal or the Imperial Seal could. Even the Crown Prince, without an official seal, could not hear them.

Xu Yanmiao was unpredictable and prone to exposing secrets.

A flash of murderous intent crossed the old Emperor’s eyes.

Below, Xu Yanmiao, unaware of his impending doom, continued happily reading gossip.

[Oh my, the ruler of Nanyue plans to rebel against Daxia? He’s contacting Minyue and Dongyue?]

[Is he out of his mind? Why so eager? At least wait until this generation of founding heroes dies out.]

The old Emperor shifted in his seat on the throne.

The chief eunuch leaned in: “Your Majesty?”

The old Emperor cleared his throat: “As the year-end approaches, the work in each department has been strenuous. I decree that each department shall receive two taels of green vegetables. May you continue your diligence and not slacken.”

The chief eunuch’s eyes widened in shock, and he swallowed cautiously.

Winter vegetables? Such a precious commodity, only grown in a small plot near the hot springs, usually reserved for the Emperor, Empress, and Crown Prince, occasionally bestowed upon high-ranking officials. Now, he was giving them to every minor official?

Each receiving two taels?!

The chief eunuch instructed the junior eunuchs to carry out the task, feeling a twinge of jealousy.

“We’ve served His Majesty for twenty to thirty years and never been rewarded with winter vegetables. These minor officials, what have they done to deserve this…”

The vegetables were quickly distributed to each department, and an overwhelming chorus of gratitude soon followed.

Xu Yanmiao knelt in thanks and then stood up, staring at the slightly yellowed and wilted vegetables in his hands, for once devoid of inner thoughts.

The official from the Ministry of War beside him, with dried tear streaks on his face, sniffled and dared to speak to Xu Yanmiao.

“Master Xu,” the Ministry of War official hinted, “His Majesty’s favor towards us is profound. This winter, only Prime Minister Dou received winter vegetables as a reward from His Majesty, and it was only half a pound…”

Up above, the old Emperor had not yet heard Xu Yanmiao’s thoughts. However, he had his own assumptions—

“Are you so moved that you can’t even speak?”

The old Emperor looked towards Xu Yanmiao’s location, raising an eyebrow and displaying a smug expression.

“Be moved. You should be moved! Winter vegetables that even I am reluctant to eat should make you grateful enough to serve me loyally unto death.”

At that moment, another basket of winter vegetables passed in front of the old Emperor.

Typically, these rewards should be carried to the respective residences after court by designated personnel, not distributed during the court session. However, the old Emperor, having risen from the bottom ranks, understood the significance of “giving face” and “giving honor.”

Delivering the rewards later to their residences was not the same as distributing them publicly in front of all officials.

Hadn’t several officials fainted from excitement on the spot?

The old Emperor felt both self-satisfied and distressed.

He didn’t want to give out so many winter vegetables, but…

The old emperor smacked his lips.

The information revealed through Xu Yanmiao’s inner thoughts was truly valuable.