Chapter 86: Big News

Tian Mi called Chun Jiu and asked her to choose ten people. From now on, the printing work would be handled by the eleven of them, with Tian Mi in charge of managing the team. She personally taught them the process, including how to divide the 2,000-plus characters by stroke count and how to arrange them in small grids.

Afterward, they compared it to the layout in the book for printing. To disassemble it, they just needed to heat a metal plate.

Women are particularly meticulous. Once they got the hang of the positions, everything would go quickly.

That night, while Tian Mi was happily sucking on a lollipop and writing the third issue of Strange Stories, she heard a sound indicating Yanzu’s arrival. It was Bai Mucheng, who had come to knock on her window. She had previously told him that if he barged into her room again, she would ignore him and that he could knock on her window if he needed her.

Recently, Bai Mucheng had taken over the Ministry of Justice and was dealing with an arson case. He had taken the opportunity to clean up the ministry, replacing all the guards with soldiers from the army. He had also questioned all the prisoners, staying so busy that he barely had time to rest.

Bai Mucheng had come to find Tian Mi because she had asked him to send people to investigate in Ruan Donglai’s hometown and look into the situation at the academy. The results were shocking.

It turned out that Ruan Donglai had already married and had children. After he became an official, he was favored by the Jia family and wrote a letter of divorce to his first wife. However, this divorce was not legitimate. In this era, taking concubines was allowed, but divorcing a wife had strict rules. He was not allowed to divorce his first wife, who had a son and a daughter, but her family accepted 1,000 taels of silver in exchange for locking them away at home.

The investigation had led to the discovery of these three people, and they had brought them back, along with the records of their forced marriage.

Haha! This was big news! No need to spread rumors anymore!

According to the rules of the time, the Jia family’s granddaughter was now the concubine of an impoverished scholar!

What a sensational story!

Tian Mi asked, “So, have you figured out what to do about this?”

Bai Mucheng replied, “This matter concerns Ruan Donglai, and it will have little impact on the Jia family.”

Tian Mi smiled slightly and said, “It depends on how we make a fuss about it!”

Bai Mucheng was powerless against her confident demeanor. He pulled her over to sit on his lap and asked, “Mi’er, what’s your solution?”

It seemed that the story of Chen Shimei in this era was about to become popular too. They could insinuate that the Jia family had advised him to divorce his wife.

Hehe!

Maybe a song should be rewritten to go along with this.

Which one would be good? “When I loved you, you were poor, studying hard, and when you abandoned me, you had just passed the imperial exam and were in your wedding night…” The lyrics, the melody, the tone of sorrow!

Ruan Donglai was bound to become famous now!

Make this matter spread far and wide!

Tea houses should set up three sessions to discuss this.

Then, the Ministry of Justice would interrogate Ruan Donglai for the unjustified divorce!

The whole capital would soon know that the Jia family’s granddaughter had been a concubine to a scholar from a humble background!

Tian Mi smiled, teasing them with a little suspense. “Just wait, you’ll find out in a few days.”

Bai Mucheng, intrigued by her little mystery, kissed her cheek, his heart sweet as honey. “In a few days, the emperor and the empress will probably call you to the palace for questioning. Just tell them that you saved me and we got married. I’ve already completed the marriage contract, and the rest is up to me.”

Tian Mi burst into laughter!

“Generals can ride horses on their heads, and prime ministers can support ships in their bellies!” Bai Mucheng sure had a big heart. Even after suffering such a huge loss, he was still saying that it was all worth it, that he had voluntarily eaten the loss.

Hehe, Tian Mi couldn’t help but laugh.

Bai Mucheng, seeing her laugh, was also amused.

He said, “How can you still laugh! I really don’t know what you were thinking at the time?”

What could she have been thinking? A handsome man like him coming to her door—how could she resist?

She chuckled, “Who told you to look so good!”

Tian Mi didn’t dare to continue discussing the topic. She lowered her head to his chest, trying to stifle her laughter.

Bai Mucheng held her close and whispered in her ear, “Mi’er, I don’t want to leave tonight.”

Tian Mi looked up and shot him a playful glare. “Nonsense! The little ones are still here!”

Bai Mucheng kissed her lightly on the lips. “I won’t do anything, I just want you by my side.”

He licked his lips. Her lips were sweet!

With that, he picked her up and carried her to the bed. Tian Mi didn’t refuse his company. She thought about how this handsome young man was someone worth giving up an entire forest for. Of course, thanks to her current situation, she didn’t have the luxury of refusing him.

Ladies, when a man says he won’t do anything while on the bed with you, you’d better not believe him!

Of course, if you also like him, that’s another story.

In any case, Tian Mi had completely consumed her lollipop, with no trace left!

The next day, when Bai Mucheng entered the palace, the Chief of the Imperial Astronomical Bureau, Wu Xianzu, was reporting the latest celestial phenomena to the Emperor.

With a worried expression, Wu Xianzu said, “Your Majesty, last night I observed the heavens. In the northern skies, there appeared red gas that resembled a mat, extending over several yards. This phenomenon is known as red qi or the cracking of the heavens. It could be a bad omen for the state’s foundation.”

The Crown Prince was also present, listening to Wu Xianzu’s report.

The Emperor, clearly concerned, asked, “Wu Qing, what do you think this indicates? Is there a way to avert this omen?”

Wu Xianzu replied, “The northern skies align with the location of the residence of His Highness, the Duke of Ding. He remains a pillar of the state, but his harem is empty, with no sons. This is a sign of instability for both his family and the country. We must select a consort for him as soon as possible to resolve this issue.”

Bai Mucheng, standing outside the hall, heard this and let out a cold laugh.

Perfect! This was his chance to clean house!

So it was all coming after him! They were spreading rumors about Tian Mi!

How did they even know about his relationship with Mi’er?

How did they find out? After all, there were very few people who knew about it!

At that moment, an imperial servant announced, “Your Majesty, His Highness, the Duke of Ding, is waiting outside!”

Just in time, the Emperor had been wanting to hear his opinion.

Bai Mucheng entered the hall and, after greeting the Emperor and the Crown Prince, said, “Wu Xianzu, as the Chief of the Imperial Astronomical Bureau, how dare you commit the crime of deceiving the Emperor? What do you have to say for yourself?”

At this, both the Emperor and the Crown Prince were confused. How was he deceiving the Emperor?

Wu Xianzu, frightened, immediately knelt and asked, “Your Highness, what do you mean?”

Bai Mucheng coldly replied, “You said the celestial omen is related to my harem being empty and lacking sons, correct?”

Wu Xianzu, now slightly nervous, nodded. He had just spoken those words moments ago.

Bai Mucheng asked, “Are you sure you didn’t misinterpret the celestial signs?”

Wu Xianzu was now truly scared. He had been tasked with urging the Duke of Ding to select a consort. What did this statement from the Duke mean?

He could only steel himself and answer, “I would never make a mistake!”

Bai Mucheng laughed coldly and said, “I was already married last year. My consort has borne me twins, a son and a daughter. How dare you say I have no children? And you dare to say you didn’t make a mistake? Is this not a crime of deceiving the Emperor?”

His words stunned everyone in the room, including the Emperor and the Crown Prince.

They had all believed Bai Mucheng was single, but it turned out he was not only married but had children as well!

Bai Mucheng turned to the Emperor and said, “Father, this Wu Xianzu must be acting on someone else’s orders to dare commit the crime of deceiving the Emperor. I ask that you allow me to handle his case, and I will get to the bottom of it.”

At this, Wu Xianzu was shaking with fear. “Your Majesty, I may have made a mistake in my observations, but I didn’t deceive the Emperor! Your Majesty, I am wronged!”

The crime of deceiving the Emperor was far more serious than simply being unskilled in the art of astrology!