Chapter 3

Lin Mo didn’t notice the reactions of those around her. She was hungry, tired, and focused on the gossip, paying no attention to anything else.

The system’s cheerful voice chimed in: “[Your emperor is really poor! Don’t be fooled by how grand everything looks on the outside—his underwear is full of holes, and it’s already been mended three times!]”

Lin Mo was momentarily stunned before bursting into laughter internally: “[Hahaha! So poor! No wonder the emperor only ever rewards people with plaques. I used to think it was because he was cultured, but it’s just because he’s broke!]”

Her laughter echoed in everyone’s ears, and the word “poor” seemed to pound repeatedly into their heads.

Especially the emperor—his ears started to burn with embarrassment.

Minister Lin was now contemplating how his entire family would be buried. But at this rate, it seemed more likely that they’d all end up as unburied corpses in the wilderness.

Emperor Xuande’s mouth twitched, his old face flushing slightly.

How did that “System” know about his underwear? And why wasn’t this Lin family girl embarrassed by such a thing?

The Crown Prince, the Second Prince, and the Third Prince all exchanged glances, their eyes reflecting newfound concern. They hadn’t realized their father’s situation was this dire.

The ministers also looked at the emperor with sympathy. So, the emperor’s complaints about being poor weren’t just empty words—he really was struggling, even down to his underwear!

Emperor Xuande felt goosebumps under those strange gazes. Why were they all looking at him like that? It wasn’t like he chose to be poor—it was because the national treasury was empty, and he had to supplement it from his own funds. With no other sources of income, he had to cut back on his own expenses.

The system continued: “[But your emperor is actually a good one. Even though he’s a bit poor, he’s excellent in other areas—much better than the emperors I’ve seen before.]”

Lin Mo responded: “[Exactly! Our emperor even allows women to take the imperial exams and become officials. That level of thinking is beyond ordinary people.]”

Emperor Xuande felt a bit flattered, almost floating on air. It seemed that this “System” had seen quite a few emperors. If it said he was better than those other emperors, then he must be doing something right.

The system went on, recounting examples of incompetent emperors. Lin Mo listened intently, as did the emperor and the other ministers. Their discussions grew quieter as the atmosphere in the court became much more relaxed.

Everyone found it quite thrilling to listen to the system’s gossip while discussing state affairs.

“Your Majesty, the Crown Prince of the Qi Kingdom has been abusing his power, forcibly taking women and seizing lands, even murdering innocent people. This cannot be tolerated!”

“Yes, Your Majesty, no one is above the law, not even a prince. The actions of the Qi Crown Prince are truly outrageous!”

Lin Mo’s interest was piqued by this, and the system listened closely too.

With the two of them quiet, the ministers seized the moment to present their case.

“Your Majesty, the Qi Crown Prince has been acting with impunity in the capital, causing untold suffering. These are the incidents he’s been involved in—please take a look.”

A memorial was presented, and as Emperor Xuande read through it, his expression grew darker and darker.

“Outrageous!”

The emperor’s roar shook the court, and everyone quickly knelt down, including Lin Mo.

“If I’d known, I would’ve made knee pads. Kneeling like this all the time is bound to ruin your knees.”

The emperor was just about to scold someone when Lin Mo’s comment derailed his thoughts.

The crowd: …

The tense atmosphere that had just built up suddenly dissipated.

Minister Lin’s vision started to go dark, and someone nearby quickly supported him, their eyes filled with pity. Having a daughter like this was truly a curse.

“Your Majesty, the Crown Prince of Qi is the only heir to King of Qi. Years ago, King of Qi defended the borders and was wounded in battle, later succumbing to his injuries. I believe we should handle his only heir with care to avoid disheartening the soldiers on the frontier,” said the National Protector General.

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone’s expressions changed, including the emperor’s.

“Punishing a guilty person while considering so many factors—it’s really a joke,” Lin Mo thought, rolling her eyes.

The National Protector General’s face turned dark, but others seemed to relax, and the emperor’s expression softened slightly.

The National Protector General glared at Lin Mo, but the Crown Prince and the Second Prince discreetly blocked his gaze.

“Hmph! This country belongs to the emperor and its people, not King of Qi. That Lin family girl is right—why should we hesitate to punish someone guilty?” they thought.

Lin Mo, oblivious to the tension in the court, was unfazed.

“Hmph! Died from old war wounds? More like he died in a woman’s bed,” the system remarked, almost causing everyone to gasp.

Even the emperor shifted in his seat, trying to listen more closely.

Since King of Qi was said to have died from old war wounds, the emperor had always treated the Qi family with great respect, especially since King of Qi was injured defending the border.

But if that wasn’t the real cause of his death, then all the honors bestowed upon the Qi family were based on a lie. The emperor was furious at the thought of being deceived by a dead man.

Lin Mo, equally curious, asked, “System, tell me more about it—what really happened?”

The National Protector General’s face was so dark it was almost unreadable. He tried to approach Lin Mo, but the emperor’s glance prompted two nearby generals to restrain him. The civil officials in front coordinated perfectly, blocking the general’s path.

To avoid alerting Lin Mo that they were eavesdropping, they pretended to continue discussing state matters, but their voices were much quieter.

After organizing the facts, the system began, “The National Protector General used to serve under King of Qi, who promoted him. They had a bit of a… complicated relationship.”

“Whoa! That’s intense!” Lin Mo exclaimed.

The emperor and his ministers thought the same: “Whoa! That’s intense!”

The system continued, “King of Qi might have seemed like he was defending the borders, but he was actually indulging in pleasures there. It was King of Xin who did the fighting and border defense—he’s the one who got injured in the war.”

The emperor’s eyes flickered at the mention of King of Xin. He had never paid much attention to this silent, low-profile brother, who had been close to King of Qi. When King of Qi claimed King of Xin had injured his leg in a fall, King of Xin had retreated to his residence after returning to the capital.

If King of Qi really did these things, the truth needed to be revealed, and King of Xin deserved to be compensated for the years of injustice he endured.

“King of Qi’s poor health wasn’t due to war injuries but to excessive indulgence. He didn’t discriminate between men and women, and back in the day, the National Protector General was a handsome young man, so King of Qi took him as well.”

Everyone’s eyes shifted to the National Protector General with newfound suspicion—who could have imagined that this seemingly righteous and stalwart man had such a past?