Director Li was about to go numb: What widow? Where did this widow come from? That was my skill!
Skill!
His face livid, Director Li immediately pulled a bagua disk from his sleeve and aimed it at Jian Ruonan, his lips moving rapidly.
This was Director Li's ultimate move: a curse!
Whenever anyone at court offended him, he attacked them with mystic arts.
As a result, despite his modest rank, none of the court's civil or military officials dared offend him. They usually treated him with extreme caution, and even Emperor Deyuan was quite lenient with him.
Now that the two most difficult people at court had collided, who still had any interest in discussing state affairs?
They could hardly wait for the two to start fighting.
[What's wrong with Director Li? Why is he pointing that bagua thing at me?]
Director Li's movements were so conspicuous that they naturally caught Jian Ruonan's attention.
[Let me hear what he's mumbling!]
The assembled officials thought: No need to tell us. It must be some profound, cryptic curse!
[Holy freaking crap, he's reciting recipes! Braised pork knuckle, salt-baked chicken, dry-fried green beans, ginger duck... slurp, slurp. He's making me hungry!]
[Who would've guessed? These mysticism practitioners are actually massive gluttons! Every last one of them can rattle off recipes like nobody's business!]
[This is even more ridiculous than me reciting a foreign language!]
Minister Pei thought: Director Li, you bastard, don't tell me you're reciting recipes when you perform rain rituals too!
Director Li: "..."
Slander! This is slander!
The assembled officials thought: Director Li, calm down. Our Little Treasure of House Confiscations might be a little outrageous, but she never slanders anyone! Even His Majesty gets the same treatment from her!
Director Li sneered inwardly: You believe her rather than me?