Yuan Ruan: [System, is the person outside really my father?]

The court officials were stunned, sneaking glances at the emperor. But to their surprise, the emperor’s expression had returned to calm, and he even shook his head slightly at the officials.

The officials also regained their composure—most likely, the person outside was just here to stir up trouble.

System: [Uh… I can’t say for certain either.]

The people who had just calmed down shuddered again, discreetly stealing glances at Yuan Ruan.

Yuan Ruan: [Huh? That’s strange. Didn’t you clearly say before that I am Big Brother’s…]

“Cough, cough, cough, cough…” The emperor suddenly began coughing violently.

The officials glanced at him in confusion, while Yuan Ruan looked at him worriedly: [Big Brother is coughing so hard he might hack up his lungs. Is he okay?]

System: [He’s fine, probably just choked. Yeah, I did say before that you’re the emperor’s biological sister, but in the past two months, haven’t you noticed that some of the gossip I’ve spilled has been accurate, while some has been wrong? So now, I’m not entirely sure anymore.]

The court officials collectively had an “aha” moment. Oh, so it’s because of this uncertainty. That’s fine, as long as the system had previously spilled the beans about her origins…

Wait a minute?!

The system had revealed the Little National Preceptor’s origins before? That she was the emperor’s biological sister?

But… the late emperor had been gone for years!

So, does this mean one of the late emperor’s concubines… The emperor’s coughing—is it an attempt to stop this scandal from spreading?!

Realizing this, the officials’ expressions instantly stiffened. The younger officials trembled with fear, while the older ones rubbed their ears, pretending they hadn’t heard anything.

As for the emperor and his family, who had suddenly fallen silent, they wordlessly gave the emperor some space to process things.

The emperor, expressionless, covered his face with one hand.

Yuan Ruan: [It’s fine. We’ll know when we meet the person. A fifty percent accuracy rate is already impressive. Don’t feel bad, System—you’re still the best!]

System: [Sob sob, Ah Ruan, you’re the kindest goddess ever.]

The court officials deeply agreed with this sentiment.

The empress and her entourage escorted Yuan Ruan back to the palace to rest.

The younger officials wanted to stick around and eavesdrop, but the palace guards and eunuchs mercilessly drove them away.

In the Imperial Garden, only the emperor, the crown prince, the Three Dukes, the cabinet ministers, and the six department heads remained.

The Minister of War was the first to speak: “Your Majesty, the Longhu Temple is closely associated with the Chu Kingdom. For them to suddenly claim to be the Little National Preceptor’s father—this is clearly suspicious. I suggest we drive them away immediately.”

The emperor said nothing, but the Minister of Rites countered, “That would be unwise. Among all the Daoist and alchemist sects in the land, seven out of ten are affiliated with the Longhu Temple.”

The Minister of War sneered: “So what? Let them strike me with lightning if they dare!”

The Minister of Rites choked at this remark, then angrily retorted: “Minister of War, have you forgotten the words from Xunzi: ‘Without propriety, nothing can be accomplished; without propriety, the nation will be in chaos’? As ministers of the court, how can we act so recklessly?”

The other civil officials nodded in agreement.

The Minister of War restrained his temper, clasped his hands, and said to the emperor, “Your Majesty, I know the person outside is a fraud. But now even the system isn’t confident. What if this person is exceptionally persuasive and the Little National Preceptor mistakenly believes them and leaves with them? What if our country’s fortune is transferred to another nation?! I can’t accept that! The sooner we get rid of them, the sooner we’ll have peace of mind!”

This statement silenced even the Minister of Rites.

When it came to the Little National Preceptor’s choices, the officials’ faces were filled with unease.

The emperor turned to the crown prince. “What are your thoughts?”

The crown prince replied, “Father, I believe both ministers make valid points. However, there’s no need for expulsion. We can keep the Daoists in the capital, investigate their intentions, and then decide on further action.”

The court officials nodded in realization. Yes, yes, the crown prince had thought this through.

After all, the Little National Preceptor was still a young child. Unless they were summoned into the palace, these Daoists had no way to influence her. It was reasonable to keep them for now and conduct an investigation.

The emperor nodded in approval.

With the emperor’s decision, the matter was settled.

…

Meanwhile, several Daoists from the Longhu Temple sat together, sipping tea.

Suddenly, one of them, Daoist Wen, asked, “Daoist Fang, are you really the Little National Preceptor’s father?”

The others immediately turned to look at Daoist Fang.

Daoist Fang replied, “The Little National Preceptor was adopted as a princess by Da Xia’s Emperor during his western tour. Her biological parents are unknown. Am I right?”

The Daoists nodded in agreement.

Daoist Fang continued, “We’ve been trying to meet Da Xia’s Emperor but have been blocked at every turn. Am I right?”

Once more, the Daoists nodded.

Daoist Fang smirked. “Then whether I’m truly related or not doesn’t matter. As long as we deliver this claim, Da Xia’s Emperor will have no choice but to meet us.”

The Daoists gasped in unison. Taoist Wen couldn’t help but exclaim, “Taoist Fang, this… this is a crime of deceiving the emperor! If we’re exposed…”

Several Daoists grew anxious and began speaking up: “Daoist Fang, Da Xia’s Emperor is known for his ruthlessness. He exterminates entire clans without hesitation and doesn’t revere Daoists like other rulers. If he finds out we’re toying with him, won’t we…”

“Calm down,” Daoist Fang said, raising his hand to silence them. “What do you all think of this Little National Preceptor, who appeared out of nowhere and is still so young?”

The Daoists exchanged looks and began to discuss:

“A child too young to read and unable to recite the Tao Te Ching. There must be someone behind the scenes.”

“No true Daoist would hide behind a child. It’s likely someone with limited skills who’s afraid of being exposed and unable to escape.”

“Limited skills? That’s putting it lightly. If it were me, I’d never…”

…

As the conversation grew increasingly bitter, Daoist Fang redirected it: “Whoever is behind the Little National Preceptor has already elevated her to such heights. A master-student relationship can’t compare to the bond of a parent. If they don’t want us to overshadow them, they’ll have to come forward and face us directly. That way, we’ll have the chance to see who they really are.”

Daoist Wen gave a thumbs-up. “Brilliant! Daoist Fang is absolutely right. Whoever’s behind this won’t let go of their golden goose so easily. There’s no way they’ll stay hidden. Pushing a child into the role of National Preceptor is a disgrace to Taoism!”

Daoist Zhou, sitting to the side, sneered. “No disciple of the Longhu Temple would stoop so low. It must be some small, desperate sect trying to make quick money while avoiding trouble. Such petty behavior.”

Daoist Fang, seated at the center, spoke slowly: “Even so, we can’t underestimate them. Da Xia’s Emperor is not easily fooled. For someone to manipulate lightning under his watch, they must have some skill.”

Daoist Wen waved dismissively. “I’ve heard about that. They say the Little National Preceptor used lightning to strike rebels. Ha! That’s just because the rebels were holding up iron swords during a thunderstorm. Who else would the lightning strike? As for lighting candles with lightning, that’s probably just a trick. If we’re talking about true mastery of lightning, no one surpasses Daoist Fang, who can summon lightning out of thin air with devastating power.”

The other Daoists nodded in agreement.

Daoist Zhou added smugly, “Indeed, Faoist Fang is the only one capable of summoning lightning in broad daylight. The fraud behind the Little National Preceptor must have only scratched the surface. When they meet Daoist Fang, they’ll immediately kneel and pay homage to their grandmaster!”

Daoist Fang allowed a faint smile to grace his lips. “Thank you for your kind words, fellow Taoists. Let’s resolve this matter quickly so we can report back to the Grand Master of Chu.”

Seeing that some were still hesitant, Daoist Fang narrowed his eyes and added, “Once we expose the Little National Preceptor, we can decide which one of us will take their place as the National Preceptor of Da Xia. Feel free to speak your minds.”

Hearing this, those who had been hesitant grew energized, eagerly joining the discussion.

Daoist Fang smiled faintly.