The court officials were initially a bit jealous.

What virtue did Wu Yi possess to be called “male nanny” by the system and “mommy” by the little national fortune? Didn’t that make him superior to them in terms of seniority?!

But when they heard the last sentence, they all held their breath, ready to feast on the gossip.

Wu Yi’s body stiffened slightly.

At that moment, the eunuch in charge of announcements loudly declared: “Court is in session!”

The Emperor picked up Yuan Ruan and strode up to the dragon throne, casually placing her on the seat.

The court officials: !!!

The Emperor remained calm and composed, but after sitting for a while, Yuan Ruan struggled to climb onto the Emperor’s lap.

【Ah, this dragon throne is so uncomfortable. Sitting on the dragon’s lap should be more comfortable.】

System: 【Ah Ruan, find a comfortable spot first, then I’ll share the gossip.】

The court officials lowered their heads, suppressing their laughter.

The Emperor: …

He pinched Yuan Ruan’s chubby cheek in annoyance. How dare she complain about the dragon throne?

The Emperor instructed the court officials to present their reports.

But the officials glanced at each other, occasionally sneaking glances at Wu Yi and Yuan Ruan, clearly unwilling to miss out on the system’s gossip.

The Emperor nearly laughed in frustration.

He was about to randomly call someone forward when he suddenly remembered the message from Song Wei—the Empress Dowager had entrusted Wu Yi to deliver a congratulatory gift and a letter.

Wu Yi was also connected to the Empress Dowager, falling within the scope of the system’s gossip.

Since the system was currently focused on Wu Yi’s gossip, mentioning the Empress Dowager might trigger some gossip about her, potentially providing new leads for the stalled investigation.

With this in mind, the Emperor said: “General Wu, you’ve just returned from the Western Xiongnu. Share some information about your journey, such as who you encountered and any letters you were asked to deliver to me.”

Wu Yi froze, looking up at the Emperor with an expression of disbelief.

The court officials first thought, “Yay! The Emperor didn’t call me to report. I can enjoy the gossip in peace!” But soon, they noticed Wu Yi’s unusual expression.

The court officials held their breath: General Wu, why do you look so helpless? Could this gossip involve you and the Emperor?

Yuan Ruan was also curious: 【Why does Mommy look like that? What’s going on?】

Seeing everyone’s eyes on him, Wu Yi remained silent for a moment before clasping his hands and saying: “Your Majesty, while stationed at the Eastern County military camp, I happened to encounter the Second Prince. He entrusted me with a letter to deliver to Your Majesty.”

Yuan Ruan: 【Huh? Why is the Second Prince popping up again?】

Many court officials were stunned: !!!

The Emperor had sent the Second Prince as bait, but this wasn’t widely known.

So they were unaware of the details, and inwardly they were screaming: Right, why is the Second Prince appearing again? Wasn’t he supposed to be severely punished? Why is he still active outside?

System: 【Ah Ruan, hahaha, I know why Male Mommy has that expression. Back then, the Emperor arranged for him to occasionally contact the Second Prince and instructed him to report privately. But now, the Emperor is openly asking for the letter in court, which is why Male Mommy was stunned and hesitated before speaking.】

Yuan Ruan: 【What!】

The Emperor also froze: …

Oh no, with so many things happening recently and the Empress Dowager’s situation remaining stagnant, he had completely forgotten about his second son.

And now, by coincidence, the Second Prince had Wu Yi deliver a letter. What a coincidence… It’s all the Second Prince’s fault.

Yuan Ruan wondered: 【I thought even if he didn’t die, he’d be imprisoned in the Imperial Clan Court for life! Big Brother is really letting down the court officials who trust him. And with the Second Prince exposed, letting him roam freely outside—won’t he deliberately sabotage Da Xia’s national fortune?】

Some of the younger court officials were indignant: Exactly!

Not killing the Second Prince is one thing, but why let him live freely outside?!

System: 【Ah Ruan, hahaha, it’s not the kind of freedom you’re thinking of. Hahaha. The Second Prince is really something!】

Some of the younger court officials suppressed their anger.

Mainly because the system’s comment about the Second Prince being “really something” piqued everyone’s curiosity.

Yuan Ruan: 【Hey, are you from Shandong? You love using inverted sentences. Just get to the point!】

System: 【Ahem. The Second Prince isn’t out there roaming freely. He was sent by the Emperor to use his charm as a honey trap!】

The court officials: ???

What, did they hear that correctly?

The Emperor remained calm. After learning that the Second Prince would become the white moonlight of the Shu Kingdom’s female lead, he had devised a plan to use the Second Prince as bait.

As for whether this would expose anything…

First, the system’s gossip was always sporadic and focused on drama, so it might not necessarily reveal anything. Even if it did, the Emperor believed the Crown Prince’s quick wit could smooth things over.

System: 【Let me see what it says here. Basically, the Emperor said, “Death is too easy for you. Since you dared to use a beauty trap to harm Da Xia’s pillars, either you personally use your charm to make up for it and earn merit, or go to the Eastern Gate market and be sliced to death.” The Second Prince chose to use his charm to create chaos in the Shu Kingdom to save his life. And then the Second Prince… wow, in the original plot, he saved the Shu Kingdom’s female lead and became her white moonlight. But now, the Shu Kingdom’s female lead saved the “resilient yet broken” Second Prince, and he’s still her white moonlight.】

Whether they had heard the gossip before or not, the court officials were all stunned.

They all looked at the Emperor with admiration.

Sending his own son out as bait! Impressive!

The Emperor smiled. Indeed, the system’s gossip was both sporadic and melodramatic…

Yuan Ruan: 【Wait… what’s this about “resilient yet broken”? Explain!】

System: 【Oh, let me see. Hahaha… the Second Prince… is quite handsome. The Shu Kingdom has an open culture, especially since the old emperor has a fondness for southern customs, so there are many southern-style establishments there. The Second Prince was almost forced to work in one of these establishments.】

The Crown Prince nearly stumbled and fell.

The court officials widened their eyes: !!!

What?! The Second Prince was almost forced into a southern-style establishment?

Some of the officials who had been wronged by him were on the verge of tears: Such a good thing, why couldn’t we have seen it with our own eyes!

Yuan Ruan: 【Ah! So did he… you know…?】

System: 【Oh no, no… there’s a footnote here. It says the Second Prince charmed many people but set his sights on the powerful yet naive female lead of the Shu Kingdom. However, since their relationship wasn’t progressing well, the Second Prince deliberately set up a “bitter flesh” scheme. After the female lead saved him, wow, the Second Prince is a master of emotional manipulation. He even used lines like “How can a broken man like me deserve love?” to play mind games with the female lead. Their relationship in that little courtyard kept heating up.】

Yuan Ruan: 【I’m shocked!】

The court officials: Shocked!

Yuan Ruan: 【So the Shu Kingdom’s female lead still sees the Second Prince as her white moonlight. Is this an irreversible part of the plot? Also, I remember the original plot had a male lead from the Shu Kingdom. Will they still provoke his revenge? Will Da Xia still be unlucky enough to be invaded?】

The court officials also tensed up.

System: 【The romantic plot probably won’t be easily broken. The Shu Kingdom’s male lead will definitely come looking for the female lead, as it’s the main plotline of that melodramatic book. But as for other plotlines, hehehe… you have to admit, he’s quite cunning.】

Yuan Ruan: 【Just tell me already.】

The court officials: 【Yes! Stop teasing us with the gossip and just spill it!】