The next day, as soon as Morning Court began, the emperor announced Sikong Ce's identity as a remnant of the previous dynasty and laid out a string of evidence proving his crimes.
Song Yaoyao's inner voice rang out:
[Guagua, it looks like my father gave the emperor that note I wrote. They've been pretty quick about getting things done.]
Guagua: [Host, that's the emperor, the ruler of an entire nation. How could he not get things done quickly?]
Song Yaoyao: *[True enough.*
*Guagua, has Xuanyuan Che been caught?]*
Guagua: *[Not yet.*
*When the emperor sent people to the Gold Mine, Xuanyuan Che escaped thanks to his formidable martial arts skills.]*
Song Yaoyao could not help growing nervous:
*[Xuanyuan Che is a dangerous man. If he gets away, who knows what he might do to take revenge later?*
*Guagua, where is Xuanyuan Che hiding now?]*
After Guagua's upgrade, another group of the court officials present could now hear their conversations.
The officials hearing her inner voice for the first time searched blankly for its source. A moment later, something clicked, and their gazes converged on Song Yaoyao.
The conversation between the human and the system continued.
Guagua: [I know, Host. I'll open the live feed so you can see for yourself.]
Nobody understood what a live feed was.
But they soon found out.
A screen appeared above Song Yaoyao's head, and then a man with filthy hair and a grimy face appeared on it.
Dressed in beggar's rags, the man mingled with the other beggars, holding a broken bowl and a wooden stick as he humbly begged at the city gate.
Song Yaoyao could not help marveling:
[Tsk, tsk, tsk. Xuanyuan Che really can take things up and put them down without hesitation. He's practically born to be a secret agent. He just chose the wrong person to follow!]
Guagua heartily agreed with Song Yaoyao:
*[Exactly, Host.*
*Xuanyuan Che was a secret agent to begin with. Sikong Jing really was lucky to find such a steadfastly loyal subordinate.]*
They had heard another unfamiliar term from Song Yaoyao: secret agent.
Judging by the context of the conversation, they could guess that a secret agent was more or less a shadow guard.
On the screen, the ministers saw a slovenly man in beggar's clothes, filthy from head to toe, mingling with the beggars and bowing and scraping to passing pedestrians as he begged for handouts.
If Song Yaoyao and that Guagua had not said this was the elite shadow guard Xuanyuan Che, no one present would ever have connected this beggar with him.
Song Yaoyao: [Guagua, has Xuanyuan Che already slipped into the capital?]
Guagua: *[Yes, Host.*
*Right now, he's among the beggars at the South Gate.]*
Hearing this, the emperor immediately whispered a few words to Eunuch Wang and dispatched palace experts to capture Xuanyuan Che in secret.
Leaving this man at large would certainly invite disaster. This time, they had to take him down!
The emperor had been busy dealing with Sikong Ce's affairs all this time.
His private troops, the Gold Mine, Sikong Ce's properties, the treasure map, and everything in his residence were already in the emperor's hands.
Only Xuanyuan Che had escaped. Leaving such a menace at large truly made it impossible to eat or sleep in peace!
Those dispatched this time were all experts of the highest caliber. Dealing with Xuanyuan Che would definitely be no problem!
Morning Court continued...
So did Song Yaoyao's inner voice:
*[I hope the emperor finds Xuanyuan Che soon and brings him to justice.*
I want to give the emperor a warning, but how am I supposed to do that?
*Once court ends, I'd better remind my father!]*
Song Yaoyao still wanted to warn the emperor, little knowing that the men sent to capture Xuanyuan Che were already on their way.
With a plan in mind, Song Yaoyao relaxed considerably and could not help remarking:
[Guagua, this new video and livestream feature you gained after upgrading is pretty good. It makes all the gossip crystal clear.]
Guagua said proudly:
[Of course! I'm the strongest Gossip System in the universe, utterly unmatched!]
This time, Song Yaoyao did not say anything to dampen Guagua's spirits.
Fine, the kid was still young. Let Guagua be a little full of pride!
Attending court day after day was exhausting Song Yaoyao to death!
Song Yaoyao listlessly recorded the proceedings, nearly falling asleep.
Seeing its host in this state, Guagua said:
[Host, you look so listless. How about I drop a juicy bombshell for you?]
At the promise of gossip, Song Yaoyao shot up like a dying patient jolting upright from her sickbed, instantly coming alive. Even her voice rose several pitches:
[Hurry up and tell me! I haven't had any fresh gossip in days. Let me gobble up a few mouthfuls and perk myself up.]
Guagua said smugly:
[You got it! Just a moment, Host.]
At the promise of gossip, every official perked up, pricking up his ears while continuing to discuss affairs of state!
Still, they kept praying inwardly that the gossip would not be about them. Please, anything but their own secrets!
Just then, Guagua's voice rang out again:
[Host, I've found the relevant video. You can watch it while I explain.]
[Okay.]
A man appeared on the screen above Song Yaoyao's head. Everyone recognized him at once. He was none other than Yu Ling Tian, the Principal Third Rank Vice Director of the Chancellery.
It seemed today's revelations would concern Yu Ling Tian. The remaining officials could not help breathing sighs of relief.
Then the officials standing behind Yu Ling Tian all turned their gazes toward him.
Those who could not turn to look at Yu Ling Tian secretly kept their eyes on the screen above Song Yaoyao's head.
At that moment, Yu Ling Tian's expression was grim. Were those secrets of his about to be exposed?
Once people learned about those things, how could he maintain his footing at court?
Would his father-in-law, the Secretary of the Central Secretariat, still support him as he always had?
Song Yaoyao was also taken aback when she saw Yu Ling Tian, then said:
[Yu Ling Tian is famous in the capital for being a good husband. Could his fine reputation be nothing but a lie?]
Guagua: [Host, you guessed right. This Yu Ling Tian is a hypocrite.]
Song Yaoyao asked in disbelief:
[A hypocrite? No way!]
Guagua: *[Host, let me explain everything.*
Yu Ling Tian placed first in the imperial examinations and married Kong Shi Ya, the legitimate daughter of the Secretary of the Central Secretariat.
Kong Shi Ya was intelligent, beautiful, gentle, and virtuous.
*Given Yu Ling Tian's standing at the time, being able to marry Kong Shi Ya meant his ancestors must have burned the finest incense to earn him such good fortune.]*
Song Yaoyao agreed:
[Exactly. With nothing but his standing as the top examination graduate, marrying a noble daughter of a powerful house really did mean blue smoke was rising from his ancestral graves.]
Guagua: *[At first, Yu Ling Tian and his family thought so too. Being able to marry such a noble young lady was a blessing their family had cultivated over several lifetimes!*
After the wedding, the couple spent some time as inseparable as glue and lacquer.
But after a year passed without any sign of pregnancy, the Yu family was already dissatisfied.
Yu Ling Tian, however, felt they had only been married for a year, and a child would probably come along soon.
*He suppressed all his family's complaints.]*