Fu Hong's expression softened slightly at this thought. As long as the grandson was his own, that was what mattered. As for his son… well, his son had at least left behind a grandson, hadn’t he? Yes, fulfilling the duty of continuing the family line—that much was accomplished. He…
"How old is his son?"
With just this one question, the system inexplicably understood the unspoken curiosity in Yue Fuguang's mind. [Prince Ming and his son have an age-gap relationship.]
Yue Fuguang nodded silently in understanding. So that was it. But if the system said Prince Ming had an age-gap relationship with his son, did that mean he didn’t have such dynamics with others?
Curious. He wanted to know more!
The ancient listeners, unfamiliar with the term "age-gap," wondered what cryptic immortal language the divine artifact and the young immortal lord were speaking.
An immortal code phrase? They were even more eager to figure out what "age-gap" meant!
As for Prince Ming being open to both men and women and having an affair with Fu Hong’s son—though it was juicy gossip, the group of men took it in stride.
Same-sex relationships? Nothing to fuss about. There was the Third Prince of Beili in the past, and now their own Prince Ming of Dayan. It was hardly noteworthy.
Some of them even had their own favorite opera singers—those with sweet voices and charming figures.
Men, after all, sometimes indulged in a bit of playacting. No need to make a big deal out of it!
Unfortunately, the system didn’t pick up on Yue Fuguang’s unspoken curiosity this time and continued on its own. [Prince Ming’s relationship with his advisor is also ambiguous. The women in his rear courtyard all have influential backgrounds, representing factions supporting his future rebellion, so it’s no surprise he often has to… dedicate himself to them.]
"I once saw him at the Empress Dowager’s birthday banquet. He was quite handsome, but he looked sickly. Turns out it wasn’t poor health—just overindulgence!"
Yue Fuguang’s face lit up with sudden realization, making Emperor Mingxi’s eyelid twitch. His instincts told him trouble was coming.
Sure enough, he then heard: [Exactly. Look at the emperor—his harem isn’t any smaller than Prince Ming’s rear courtyard, and he’s no stranger to visiting his consorts’ chambers. Yet he appears far healthier than Prince Ming, who’s barely in his twenties.
Really, it just comes down to men expending too much energy.]
Emperor Mingxi inhaled deeply, exhaled slowly, refusing to let the two irritate him. What did they mean by calling him old? And "visiting consorts’ chambers"—since when was "visiting" the right word for that?
Besides, weren’t their conversations veering further and further off track? Couldn’t they discuss something useful?
Yet, precisely because of this digression, some of Emperor Mingxi’s budding suspicions were quietly dispelled.
"Little Pearl, is this what you meant by Prince Ming having juicy gossip? This? Don’t you think this melon is neither sweet nor substantial?"
[Ah, Master, I haven’t finished yet! Don’t rush me! Do you remember that night seven years ago, on Emperor Mingxi’s birthday?]
Emperor Mingxi’s face darkened at the system reopening old wounds. Though the adulterous couple and their bastard were already suffering in his secret dungeon, being reminded still stung.
In the grand hall, another official was presenting his report. Noticing the emperor’s grim expression, he faltered, his voice growing quieter.
Emperor Mingxi composed himself and gestured for the man to continue. Without this mundane report as cover, how could they gossip freely without drawing attention?
Besides, Prince Ming’s scandals would surely overshadow his own. Soon, his ministers would forget about his humiliation!
Ears perked, Emperor Mingxi consoled himself.
Yue Fuguang pretended not to notice the emperor’s stormy expression and replied, "Of course I remember—the night the emperor was cuckolded! What about it? Is there more to the story?"
[Not exactly a continuation, but Master, aren’t you curious? At the time, Beiyue had just taken Chonghua and was keeping a close watch on him. So how did Chonghua find the time to… thoroughly communicate with Concubine Xian Zhou for so long?]
"Because Beiyue was busy with his own affairs?"
[Master is so sharp! Beiyue had left for a few days to inspect Xu Changyue’s spy outpost, so Chonghua crossed paths with Zhou Yunxin.
Meanwhile, Beiyue also met someone—none other than Prince Ming, who was recuperating at his suburban estate.
The two hit it off instantly, unaware of each other’s true identities. That year, Prince Ming was sixteen, and Beiyue was twenty.
You could say that during those few days apart, both Beiyue and Chonghua found their own… ‘love.’]
Yue Fuguang, who had never experienced romance in this life or the last, was thoroughly scandalized by the system’s use of the word "love."
[Even when they parted, neither Beiyue nor Prince Ming knew the other’s identity. Beiyue even resolved to take "A-Ying" back to Beili with him after Emperor Mingxi’s birthday celebrations.
Oh—"A-Ying" and "A-Yue" were the aliases Prince Ming and Beiyue used for each other.
Who could’ve guessed they’d meet again at the emperor’s birthday banquet? Cue the dramatic unmasking!
Naturally, they had to find a quiet spot for a private chat. And private chats like these inevitably involved sweet nothings and… hands-on reassurance…
Prince Ming, who had only recently discovered the pleasures of women, now found himself introduced to an entirely new world by Beiyue—one with its own unique charms.
So while Chonghua was busy making a child with Zhou Yunxin, Beiyue wasn’t idle either. In a way, Chonghua wasn’t the only one straying.
Honestly, in this five-sided mess, the only real loser was Emperor Mingxi.]
Yue Fuguang nearly laughed aloud. The system kept bringing this up—didn’t it see the emperor’s face had turned pitch-black?
Emperor Mingxi: Divine Artifact, you really didn’t need to say "so"! As for being the loser—he’d already taken his revenge!
[From then on, Prince Ming’s world had two doors. Behind one stood his first love, Beiyue. People always romanticize their first loves, and the longer they’re apart, the thicker the rose-tinted glasses.
Over the years, the two exchanged plenty of letters in secret. On the day Chonghua disappeared, Beiyue was off meeting his old flame, Prince Ming.]
"Was Prince Ming’s affection for Beiyue genuine, or was it mutual exploitation?"
[Hard to say. Even the original author probably wasn’t sure how much sincerity lay in Prince Ming’s feelings for Third Prince Beiyue.
But Little Pearl suspects Prince Ming definitely hoped to use their relationship to persuade Beiyue to help him seize the throne—especially in recent years, as Beiyue’s status in Beili grew more exalted, with increasing support for his succession.
All these years, Prince Ming had been funneling embezzled funds to Beiyue through secret channels to aid his rise.
Beiyue’s steady climb wasn’t just his own doing—it was backed by Prince Ming… or rather, by Dayan itself.
In the future, when Beili launches its first strike to conquer Dayan, the vanguard’s covert infiltration will use the very secret route Prince Ming established for transporting goods to Beiyue—dubbed the "Ming’s Path"!
Oh, and one more thing happened during their rendezvous at Prince Ming’s estate…]
The system paused deliberately, savoring the suspense.
Emperor Mingxi and his ministers barely registered what else had occurred between the two. Their minds reeled at the revelation of "Ming’s Path"—later exploited by Beili’s forces!
Prince Ming, Xie Ying—truly, he deserved death!
The crowd seethed with fury. Fu Hong, hearing this, felt his heart sink completely.
