Previous
Fiction Page
Next
Font Size:
Zhaoyang Palace
In the front hall, Consort Rong’s father, the Assistant Minister of Revenue, paced anxiously back and forth.
Beside him, his concubine, heavily pregnant, gently leaned against him and said softly, “Husband, don’t worry. After all, Her Grace is your own daughter. She will surely agree to see you.”
“You don’t understand,” the Assistant Minister replied with a grim expression. “Her temper is even fiercer than her mother’s. There’s no guarantee…”
“No guarantee of what?”
Consort Rong, dressed in a long, trailing red skirt, gracefully stepped in through the curtain.
Her voice was cold as she said, “Father, what do you want from me?”
The Assistant Minister hesitated for a moment, then finally spoke in a subdued voice: “Your Grace, a few days ago, the Southern King and Northern King sent envoys with lavish gifts to fund the construction of the Young National Preceptor’s residence. But when I checked the storeroom today, some of the items were missing.”
“What?!” Consort Rong was stunned. “How could anything be missing? Did you catch the thief?”
“No,” the Assistant Minister said, visibly distressed. “We’ve lost 100 gold bricks, 20 jade bracelets, and several other pieces of jewelry. The storeroom for the Young National Preceptor’s treasury is under my jurisdiction. It’s guarded by over 100 Imperial Guards, and even the Minister of Revenue himself must undergo a body search before entering. There’s no sign of anyone digging a tunnel nearby. We couldn’t find the thief.”
“What did the Ministry of Punishment say?” Consort Rong asked.
“They… they haven’t said anything.” The Assistant Minister pursed his lips and lowered his voice. “Your Grace, this is a grave matter. Please, whatever you do, don’t let His Majesty find out.”
Consort Rong: …
Could she tell him that the emperor was just on the other side of the wall, listening?
On the other side of the wall, the emperor and empress: …
Yuan Ruan nearly burst into a fit of laughter.
Consort Rong, irritated, said, “Then why did you come to me? I’m not the one who investigates cases or catches thieves.”
The Assistant Minister hesitated, glancing at his concubine.
The concubine suddenly knelt before Consort Rong, tears streaming down her face. “My husband cannot bring himself to say it, but I am terrified. I beg Your Grace to open your dowry treasury and lend us a portion to cover the deficit. We will repay you someday and remain loyal to Your Grace forever.”
From inside, Yuan Ruan was shocked:
Yuan Ruan: 【They’re actually plotting to use her dowry! And with empty promises too. I thought he was a good father when he spoke up for Consort Rong earlier.】
Consort Rong sneered. Speaking up for her? That was only because she still held the rank of consort.
Yuan Ruan: 【What a terrible father! If Big Brother uses such ministers, won’t their influence rub off on him… and won’t he treat me the same way?!】
Consort Rong, initially furious, nearly laughed at this remark.
The empress, too, struggled to suppress her amusement.
Only the emperor: …
Even while eavesdropping, he somehow ended up getting blamed. He made a mental note to send this minister to an external post.
Outside the hall, the Assistant Minister’s expression stiffened: !!!
Who was speaking?!
Yuan Ruan: 【Take another look. Is that really Consort Rong’s father? How mediocre!】
The Assistant Minister was stunned: !!!
Who was stabbing him in the heart?!
Yuan Ruan: 【He looks angry now? That only makes him look even uglier. Hmm, could Consort Rong have been swapped at birth?】
The Assistant Minister: …
He clenched his fists. Ever since Consort Rong’s birth, there had been rumors about him being cuckolded, but he had forced himself to believe otherwise. Yet now, even here in Zhaoyang Palace, he was hearing such things. Could Consort Rong truly not be his daughter?!
Consort Rong noticed her father’s unusual expression.
Realizing that he might also be hearing the inner voice of the princess, she was shocked and couldn’t help but observe the concubine and her younger half-sister, Yan’er. Thankfully, their expressions hadn’t changed.
This realization left Consort Rong too stunned to retort.
Her uncharacteristic silence made the Assistant Minister and his concubine believe they had a chance.
The concubine lightly tugged at the Assistant Minister’s sleeve. When he didn’t respond, she caressed her pregnant belly and said, “Your Grace, a woman without her natal family’s support lacks confidence. My husband is wise and will surely rise in rank someday. He would never forget Your Grace’s contributions.”
The Assistant Minister hesitated at her gesture but ultimately hardened his resolve. He gritted his teeth and said, “Your Grace, since you’re willing to listen, it shows that you still care about our bond as father and daughter. Surely you’ll help us strengthen the family’s standing.”
Consort Rong: ???
“You’ve been in the palace for years, and though His Majesty’s favor has granted you the rank of consort, you’ve yet to bear a child. Yan’er is younger than you by a few years. Your Aunt Wen is good at giving birth, and she is definitely not bad either. Why not recommend Yan’er to the palace? She could earn His Majesty’s favor, bear children, and secure your position.”
The Assistant Minister thought to himself that if Consort Rong could help elevate Yan’er, he wouldn’t expose her questionable parentage.
But just as he finished speaking, the familiar voice rang out again:
Yuan Ruan: 【Wait, weren’t they here to solve the missing tribute issue? How did this turn into selling their daughter for glory?】
Yuan Ruan: 【And they’re so convincing they might believe their own lies. Truly the pinnacle of hypocrisy! If Big Brother employs such people, won’t he…】
The Assistant Minister: …
Who is slandering me now?!
The emperor’s lips twitched slightly at the familiar tone of these remarks. Was the next line going to blame him again?
Suddenly, he picked up Yuan Ruan and said to the empress, “Recently, Prime Minister Li suggested expanding the recruitment of talents recommended by officials. But judging by the Assistant Minister’s willingness to embezzle his daughter’s dowry, it’s clear that officials brought in through filial and virtuous recommendations are of mixed quality. There’s no need to expand further.”
The empress nodded, stifling her laughter.
Yuan Ruan: 【Hooray! Big Brother, the righteous hero! My dowry is safe!】
The emperor felt both amused and exasperated. She was already worried about her dowry at such a young age.
Coming to Zhaoyang Palace to visit Yuan Ruan had indeed been the right choice—it lifted his spirits.
Outside, the Assistant Minister: ???
What righteous hero?
Then, the voice rang out again:
Yuan Ruan: 【System, have you found where the stolen funds are?】
System: 【I’m searching, but this Assistant Minister is full of rotten secrets. Digging through his past feels like panning for gold in a cesspool!】
The Assistant Minister: !!!
Rotten secrets? Cesspool?!
There was nothing on him at all!
Now extremely tense, the Assistant Minister noticed a faint light behind the curtain.
It suddenly struck him—was someone hiding back there, whispering to frame him? Could this all be Consort Rong’s doing? The more he thought about it, the more suspicious he became.
Without warning, he strode toward the adjoining room.
“Wait!” Consort Rong called out.
Her attempt to stop him only fueled his suspicions that someone was indeed hiding inside.
Brushing her off, he said casually, “You haven’t borne children, so you’ll need support eventually. Yan’er’s child could call you aunt. Isn’t that better than raising a wild child…”
“Yiya yiya!”
Yuan Ruan: 【Huh? Is he calling me a wild child?! I’m furious! Big Brother, go get him!】
The Assistant Minister flung open the curtain and froze.
It wasn’t what he heard that stunned him—it was the sight of who was seated inside.
The emperor and empress turned their heads toward him in unison.
Was this a hallucination?
Yuan Ruan: 【Ha! Scared yet? The emperor’s here!】
The familiar inner voice shattered his delusion like a slap in the face.
Noticing the emperor’s gaze, the Assistant Minister felt a chill down his spine, as though his neck might be severed at any moment.
Previous
Fiction Page
Next
Dreamy Land[Translator]
Hey everyone! I hope you're enjoying what I'm translating. As an unemployed adult with way too much time on my hands and a borderline unhealthy obsession with novels, I’m here to share one of my all-time favorites. So, sit back, relax, and let's dive into this story together—because I’ve got nothing better to do!