Sun Minghao, the scumbag

Li Zhengda did not know whether the earlier claims were true, but if what 011 said was true, then the woman Sun Minghao later married was his daughter. He wanted to hear exactly what had happened!

The other officials, including Emperor Wu'an on the dragon throne, could not help leaning toward Shen Shixu, hoping to hear more clearly.

Hearing this, Shen Shixu urged 011 to continue. [Little One, tell me more.]

011 took a moment to choose its words, then continued, [Sun Minghao schemed tirelessly to marry his later wife. Her father was a vice minister of the Ministry of Revenue and helped him a great deal in his official career.

After arriving in the Capital, Sun Minghao could not find a place to stay, so he had no choice but to lodge at Guangci Temple on the outskirts.

Vice Minister Li's mother, Old Madam Li, liked worshipping the Buddha and donating incense money, and often visited temples to offer incense. His daughter, Li Shiyu, was devoted to her grandmother and always accompanied her. Sun Minghao spotted her during one of those visits.

Seeing the maids and servants accompanying Miss Li, he guessed that she came from a wealthy family and began asking around.

Old Madam Li's fondness for offering incense was no secret in the Capital. Many people knew about it, so Sun Minghao easily found out who they were.

Once he learned that she was a vice minister's daughter, he began plotting.

He bribed a young novice monk at Guangci Temple to tell him when Vice Minister Li's mother came to offer incense. Once he knew her schedule, he secretly followed behind her during her visit.

For all that scumbag's rotten character, his luck was surprisingly good. He actually stumbled upon a chance to make himself look good.

That day, Old Madam Li had brought along her great-grandson, who was only four. The restless little boy saw the bustle outside the temple and insisted on staying to watch.

Li Shiyu doted on her little nephew and volunteered to stay behind and look after him. Who would have thought the mischievous child would slip away from her and run off on his own?

Seeing this, Sun Minghao hurried after him and coaxed and frightened the boy into coming back with him. By the time they returned, Li Shiyu was already crying in fear. Old Madam Li was comforting her guilt-stricken granddaughter while sending people out to search.

When they saw Sun Minghao bringing the child back, they thanked him profusely. That was also when he first made an impression on Li Shiyu.]

Li Zhengda nearly collapsed onto the floor upon hearing this. Fortunately, a colleague behind him caught him. Seeing his horrified expression, everyone understood that what the system had said was true.

Li Zhengda had not believed 011's claims before, but only his family knew that his little grandson had nearly gone missing. Even his close friends knew nothing about it.

Let alone Shen Shixu, who was visiting the Capital for the first time. If this was true, then the earlier claims that Sun Minghao had abandoned his wife, child, and elderly mother had to be true as well!

Rage surged through Li Zhengda's chest. He wanted to go home at once and have his daughter divorce Sun Minghao. How could a heartless beast who abandoned his wife and child and treated the elderly mother who had raised him so cruelly ever treat his daughter well?

His heart urged him to get rid of Sun Minghao immediately, but reason reminded him that court was still in session. Besides, he wanted to hear what else Sun Minghao had done.

[From then on, Sun Minghao had made an impression on the Li Family. His character was rotten, but his scholarship was quite good. On top of that, the examination topic three years ago favored him: it concerned the people's livelihoods, something he naturally understood as someone from a poor family. Thanks to that coincidence, he actually placed first in the imperial examination.

When he rode through the streets in the celebratory procession, Li Shiyu was watching with a close female friend. She was startled to discover that the Top Scholar was the young gentleman who had saved her little nephew.

It happened that Vice Minister Li's wife was looking for a husband for Li Shiyu around that time. She was his only daughter, so besides family background and character, he also wanted to consider whether she liked the man.

Li Shiyu already had a favorable impression of the man who had saved her little nephew. Now that Sun Minghao was the Top Scholar, he seemed to have a promising future, so she let Vice Minister Li know that her heart was set on him.

Sun Minghao was very good at pretending. When Vice Minister Li sent his son to thank him, he returned the gifts outright, saying that he had merely helped with something within his power and could not accept such expensive presents.

This gave Vice Minister Li a very favorable impression of him. He thought Sun Minghao was not the sort to demand repayment for a kindness. So when Li Shiyu said she liked him, he readily agreed to the match.

Little did he know that he was inviting a wolf into his home. After his daughter married Sun Minghao, Vice Minister Li kept helping him in his official career, smoothing his path considerably.

But Sun Minghao was not satisfied. He wanted to climb higher, so he secretly contacted Vice Minister Li's rival. The Minister of Revenue wanted to retire to his hometown and was assessing the two vice ministers under him. Vice Minister Liu wanted to frame Vice Minister Li for embezzlement and bribery. He handed Sun Minghao the money he himself had embezzled and taken in bribes, along with falsified account books, and promised him a post as chief clerk in the Ministry of Revenue if he planted them in Vice Minister Li's storeroom. That way, he could ruin Vice Minister Li and take the position of Minister of Revenue himself.

It looks like today is the day Sun Minghao secretly plants the bribe money and account books!]

After hearing 011's words, Li Zhengda turned a furious glare on Liu Fen to his left. He had never imagined that this usually unassuming colleague harbored such vicious intentions.

Liu Fen had been enjoying Li Zhengda's predicament, only for the system to expose his own deeds as well. He did not dare lift his head to look at Emperor Wu'an's expression. He trembled like a leaf. Now everyone knew about his embezzlement, bribery, and attempt to frame another man. He opened his mouth to defend himself, but Li Zhengda clamped a hand over it.

Emperor Wu'an had thought he was merely enjoying some gossip about one of his officials. He had not expected that gossip to help him root out a parasite in his court. Now he looked at Shen Shixu as though he were a treasure.

The other civil and military officials regarded Shen Shixu with more complicated feelings. They envied his ability to learn gossip through his system and were delighted to share in it.

But there was no telling when they might become the subject of that gossip themselves. Every one of them had secrets, to one degree or another. Once the gossip turned to them, the entire court would know.

An undisclosed peculiar habit was one thing; it would only earn them some ridicule. But if something as serious as Liu Fen's crimes were exposed, their official careers would be over, and even their entire families' lives might be at risk.

Before the officials could finish considering this, Emperor Wu'an gave his trusted eunuch Quan Xi a meaningful look. Quan Xi had grown up alongside him, had even accompanied him onto the battlefield, and had once saved his life there. He was one of the people Emperor Wu'an trusted.

"Present any matters you have to report. If there are none, court is dismissed."

The officials understood that the emperor was sending them away. They bowed to Emperor Wu'an's retreating figure before withdrawing.

As soon as court ended, Li Zhengda hurried home. The other officials knew what he was rushing off to do, and most followed him, eager to watch the spectacle.

Watching the officials hurry away, Shen Shixu could not help marveling to himself, [Tsk. No matter the time or the kind of person, everyone really does perk up when it's time to clock out!]