Strengthening the enemy is equivalent to weakening oneself—it would only add difficulty to her ultimate mission. So why not send this troublemaker away early?
"Little Pearl, during the Wan Shou Festival this time, did Prince Qi also leak many of the Great Yan Dynasty's technical secrets?"
[Yes, Master. There’s a secretary in the Ministry of Works who’s the son of Prince Qi’s wet nurse. The technology was leaked through his hands.]
"Just as I thought. The Great Yan Dynasty is full of holes—nothing valuable can stay hidden!"
After this remark, Yu Chongshan noticed his granddaughter had fallen silent again, clearly disappointed with the Great Yan Dynasty and unwilling to intervene.
No, he had to remind the Emperor—not just about this incident, but about the urgent need to scrutinize officials of all ranks.
Otherwise, his granddaughter might truly lose all hope in the Great Yan Dynasty and run away one day!
"Run away"—a term he’d picked up from her—seemed fitting.
Moreover, Minister Lu had mentioned to him recently that he suspected a mole in the Ministry of Works, which was why the "Little Immortal Lord" refused to share advanced techniques with them. He was determined to root out the traitor.
Could this son of Prince Qi’s wet nurse be the very person Minister Lu was looking for?
Yue Fuguang glanced casually at her deep-in-thought father and her grandfather, whose expression remained unchanged, and felt reassured.
They would surely report what they’d just heard to Emperor Mingxi. She hoped the Emperor wouldn’t drop the ball this time and would thoroughly investigate the schemers lurking in the court.
Relying solely on her to expose everything wasn’t sustainable—to protect her identity, she couldn’t keep bringing up unrelated topics.
Take Prince Qi, for example. She’d acted on the spur of the moment. If she suddenly accused a prince who never attended court of rebellion, it would seem suspicious.
They should take the initiative to hunt down the "rats" while incidentally helping her complete her mission.
Her ideal state was lounging like a salted fish, snacking on melon seeds and sipping tea while effortlessly reaping the rewards.
Maintaining her persona was crucial!
Just as Yue Fuguang was thinking this, her system chimed in:
[Master, if people find out you’re the one reporting to the Emperor, won’t they hesitate to marry into the Yu family?]
"What’s there to fear? Only those with skeletons in their closets would avoid us. Families with innocent daughters wouldn’t care. Besides, fate decides marriages. If my eldest brother ends up single, it’s definitely not my fault."
Exactly! Yu Chongshan and Yu Zhongchun nodded inwardly. If a man couldn’t find a wife, it was his own problem—what did it have to do with his sister?
Children don’t have ill intentions!
……
[Master, the largest auction house in the capital is auctioning glassware today. Do you want to go see?]
"Little Pearl, is this actually your idea?"
[Well, Master, do you want to go or not?]
"Hmm… I do. Do you know where the auction is? We’ll head there after court."
[It’s in the Baiye Quarter of the East Market. I’ve already mapped out the route.]
"Got it. Now stop bothering me—I need to nap a bit more. Listening to these people drone on is putting me to sleep!"
As if on cue, she let out a big yawn.
Seeing this, Eunuch Qian, who’d stayed up late the previous night, also felt the urge to yawn.
But years of professional discipline kicked in—he suppressed it forcefully, tears welling in his eyes from the effort.
Yue Fuguang noticed and remarked to her system, "Little Pearl, what’s troubling Eunuch Qian? Why is he tearing up just standing there?"
[Maybe it’s not trouble—maybe it’s joy?]
"You know something?"
[In a day or two, someone from his hometown—his nephew—will visit. Maybe they’ve already met, and he’s moved to tears seeing the boy.]
Eunuch Qian: My nephew traveled all the way to the capital in early winter? Without even sending a letter first? Something must have happened at home.
Worry gnawed at Qian Gui’s heart.
"So that’s what they call ‘tears of joy’!"
Eunuch Qian, now the subject of "tears of joy": I beg you, little ancestors, stop talking about me! Can’t you see His Majesty has glanced at me twice already?!
Qian Gui shook his head subtly at the Emperor: No, Your Majesty, these aren’t tears of joy—the young masters are spinning tales about your servant!
As this silent exchange unfolded, Honglu Temple Minister You Mingmin stepped forward and reported, "Your Majesty, the Beili envoy informed us yesterday that a servant named Chonghua from their delegation has gone missing. They request our assistance in locating him."
Emperor Mingxi feigned ignorance. "A missing servant? Can’t you handle it yourselves? Must we trouble the Three Judicial Offices for such a trivial matter?"
You Mingmin pressed on, "Your Majesty, this Chonghua is no ordinary servant—he’s the closest aide to Beili’s Third Prince, Beiyue. The prince was so distraught that he nearly stormed the palace yesterday to seek Your Majesty’s intervention."
The Emperor waved dismissively. "Even if he’s close, he’s still just a servant. Have Shen Kang assign a few men to help search. A grown man can’t just vanish into thin air."
Several ministers privy to the truth silently scoffed: As if you don’t know where he is—he’s locked up in your private dungeon right now!
Eunuch Qian: Already castrated.
He’d performed the procedure himself. After years without practice, his technique was rusty—the first cut wasn’t clean, so he’d made several more passes.
The man’s endurance was pitiful. His screams had been so loud they disturbed the Emperor and even made the six-year-old Ninth Prince burst into tears!
The Ninth Prince: Have you no shame? You scared me on purpose!
"Little Pearl, did I hear right? They said who’s missing? Chonghua? Isn’t he Concubine Zhou’s—oh, wait, she’s been demoted to Concubine Zhou now. Isn’t Chonghua her lover? If he’s gone, they won’t meet during the Wan Shou Festival, and the Twelfth Princess won’t be born, right?"
Yue Fuguang’s words nearly shattered Emperor Mingxi’s composure. Could the emotional damage get any worse?
The ministers inwardly pleaded: We beg you, ancestral one, drop this topic! Our Emperor still has face to save. If you keep this up, he can’t punish you, but we’ll suffer for hearing it!
[Master, have you considered that even if Chonghua weren’t missing, Concubine Zhou’s current rank wouldn’t qualify her to attend the Wan Shou Festival? Even if the Emperor allowed it, without him as the scapegoat, she might not dare to carry the child to term.]
Scapegoat Emperor Mingxi: Thanks for nothing.
As soon as the system finished speaking, several officials bowed their heads even lower. Yue Fuguang noticed Wu Yong pinching his own thigh hard—presumably stifling laughter.
"Concubine Zhou’s downfall is one thing, but why is Chonghua missing too? Did my appearance cause this?"
[Probably not… right?]
