The System: [I knew Ah Ruan was the best. It will definitely work out.]

Yuan Ruan felt both helpless and amused by the System’s blind confidence: [I haven’t even said anything yet. This method is a bit clumsy. Earlier, when I was fussing about the heat and wind in front of my eldest nephew, he had already ordered the eunuchs to open all the doors and windows of the Jinluan Palace. Today, there’s a cool breeze outside, and the colder it gets, the less likely my brother will be to take off his gloves.]

The court officials all glanced at the Crown Prince: Good, good, excellent coordination.

The System: [Wow. Ah Ruan is amazing, even making use of the weather and surroundings.]

Yuan Ruan: [Not really. The main thing is that during recent court sessions, I’ve been keeping an eye on my brother. If he still takes off his gloves after three days, I’ll give him a slight electric shock on his fingers when he removes them. If he keeps them on, I won’t shock him. I believe my brother’s ability to seek advantage and avoid harm is strong, so he’ll definitely understand that he needs to keep his gloves on.]

The System: [Good, good!]

The Emperor’s mouth twitched uncontrollably: …Is this how you treat your brother?!

The other court officials nearly burst out laughing: Filial, so filial! This idea is great. It seems His Majesty won’t be causing much trouble this time.

After attending two consecutive morning court sessions, by the third day, Yuan Ruan was so exhausted that she kept yawning.

The System: [Ah Ruan, you’re so tired today. Will you be able to manage?]

Yuan Ruan: [Huff… I’ll dunk my head in a basin of water later to wake myself up. I must stay alert. Even shocking someone requires precision. Fortunately, there’s only one throne, so it’s easy to aim. No problem. If he takes off his gloves, I’ll shock him.]

Clang! A sudden noise of furniture shaking came from the side.

Yuan Ruan rubbed her eyes and looked over. It turned out to be the Emperor and Empress arriving together.

Yuan Ruan yawned, her voice hoarse: “Yi… ya, hand!” “Father, father, huff… gloves…”

The Emperor had originally planned to take Yuan Ruan to court with him to reassure her and see what new divine ability she might display.

But seeing how sleepy she was, the Emperor helplessly tapped Yuan Ruan’s nose: “I know my Ninth Child cares for me. Don’t worry, it’s cold today, so I’ll keep them on. You can go back to sleep for now.”

The Empress sighed: His Majesty is about to be electrocuted, yet he’s still worried about Ninth princess not sleeping well. Such genuine affection.

The Emperor wanted Yuan Ruan to sleep a bit longer.

But Yuan Ruan clung tightly to the Emperor, refusing to let go.

As the two were at a stalemate, the Emperor secretly gave the Empress a few meaningful glances.

The Empress had a sudden idea and said: “I see Ninth princess is so clingy. She must be at the age where she needs playmates. Coincidentally, today is the day the twins raised at the Prince’s Zhong’s residence return to the palace for their monthly two-day stay. They’re close in age to Ninth princess. After she wakes up, they can listen to books together and be cultured.”*

The Emperor clapped his hands: “Yes, yes!”

“Yi ya?”

Yuan Ruan let out a confused sound. Wait, what? She and babies being cultured by listening to books together? What kind of horror story was this?

Yuan Ruan: [No, I need to attend court today. I have important business!]

The System: [Right! This can’t be done remotely.]

The Emperor looked at Yuan Ruan’s dark circles and pinched her cheek: “Sleep well. She can go to the Great Study Hall whenever she wakes up.”

The Empress nodded slightly: “I understand.”

Yuan Ruan struggled desperately, reaching out: No, wait, hey!

But the Emperor had already firmly left, and Yuan Ruan was tucked back into bed by the Empress.

Yuan Ruan wanted to struggle a bit more, but the temptation of a warm bed in the cold weather was too great.

—She fell asleep instantly.

When she woke up yawning again, an hour had already passed, and there wasn’t much time left before court adjourned.

The System: [Ah Ruan, it might still work out. It’s cold today, so maybe your brother won’t take off his gloves.]

Yuan Ruan could only console herself: [I hope so.]

At that moment, she saw the Seventh Princess, Wu Yue, and the Empress walking in from outside.

The Empress first had the palace maids wash Yuan Ruan’s face, then said to the Seventh Princess: “Later, the Eighth Prince and Eighth Princess will come. They’re only a few months older than Ninth princess, so they might become playmates. When you all go to the Great Study Hall later, Seventh princess, as the eldest sister, keep an eye on them.”

The Seventh Princess pursed her lips.

Yuan Ruan: [No way, I’m not that childish.]

The Seventh Princess’s lips curled up slightly.

The Empress found this amusing, but considering that the Seventh Princess could be said to have been saved by Yuan Ruan, it was understandable.

The Seventh Princess carried Yuan Ruan to the Great Study Hall, where two babies were already fast asleep.

“Ninth Sister?”

Yuan Ruan turned around at the sound and saw the Crown Prince and the Third Prince walking in.

“Yi, yi ya!”

Yuan Ruan: [Oh no, my eldest nephew is here. Court must have already adjourned. The mission failed.]

The Crown Prince was startled but held back a laugh: Not exactly. He and a few court officials had been specifically assigned by the Emperor to keep an eye on the little National Fortune. His Majesty was worried that the little National Fortune would regret not completing her task and might run off or overthink things.

The Crown Prince took something out of his sleeve and tied it around Yuan Ruan’s wrist, saying: “For protection. One for each.”

He then gave one to the Seventh Princess, the Eighth Princess, and the Eighth Prince.

Yuan Ruan sniffed a faint sandalwood scent, clearly blessed by a temple.

She also noticed that the Seventh Princess’s jade pendant was shaped like a sword, hers was shaped like a panda, and the Eighth Princess and Eighth Prince’s pendants were shaped like good luck charms. The Crown Prince was so thoughtful and considerate.

At that moment, the Minister of Revenue slowly walked over, clearing his throat and saying: “Today, this official will recite the Book of Songs for the Eighth Princess, Eighth Prince, and Ninth Princess.”

Yuan Ruan saw the Minister of Revenue and was reminded that court had already adjourned. Thinking about having to wake up early again tomorrow to complete her mission, she felt a bit unhappy.

The System: [Ah Ruan, don’t be upset. How about some juicy gossip to cheer you up? Let’s start with the Minister of Revenue.]

The Minister of Revenue, who was speaking on the platform, stumbled.

But he quickly composed himself.

If he could survive that day, he could survive this. He had been exposed before. Stay calm.

Yuan Ruan drooped her eyelids: [Go on.]

The System: [Hehe, do you know how the Minister of Revenue got that scratch on his face? Last night, the Minister of Revenue came home drunk and suddenly started crying: “You actually went looking for other men! Did you ever think about me?” His wife was also furious: “So what? If it weren’t for the constant rumors from your hometown about you keeping a bunch of mistresses, would I have done this? If you keep acting crazy, we’ll divorce. Many of my sisters are happily divorced. If they want a man, they just bring one home for a night. It’s comfortable. Do you think I can’t live without you?”]

[The Minister of Revenue was even angrier, shouting: “You want to remarry? With your preferences… who would even want to be your one-night stand? And those rumors about me are fake. Someone impersonated me.” His wife was stunned: “Why didn’t you say so earlier? Actually, mine are fake too. You know my preferences. I didn’t sleep with anyone. I just watched the show.” …After their argument, his wife… well… they had a long-overdue ‘discussion.’]

Yuan Ruan was initially marveling at how open the customs of the Da Xia were, comparable to modern times.

But when she heard the latter part, she perked up: [Huh? Explain in detail? What kind of discussion?]

The System: [You know, that kind! How should I put it… woman on top?]

Yuan Ruan: [Gasp, such a bold move…]

The Crown Prince and the Third Prince froze simultaneously, staring at the Minister of Revenue in disbelief: Who would have thought such a refined man would play so wildly in private!

The Minister of Revenue’s face turned bright red, his eyes darting around in panic.

The System: [Hehehe… let me see how it’s written here. The Minister’s wife looked at him with a teasing smile, her face flushed: “You seem quite eager… let me see if you…”]

Suddenly, “bang bang bang” noises came from the platform.

Yuan Ruan and the System both looked over and let out a simultaneous “Ah” sound.