Li Qiner caught his expression and clenched her clothes in bitter resentment.
She had come to ruin the wedding. How had she ended up bringing them together instead?
Li Qiner rose from the floor, feigned weakness, and let out an "Oh!" as she toppled toward Zhou Yunshen.
Jiang Shuyue strode forward, squeezed Zhou Yunshen aside, and caught Li Qiner firmly around the waist.
"Sister, you look quite sturdy. Who knew you were so frail? Someone, fetch a doctor to examine her."
A doctor?
Li Qiner instantly went deathly pale. She straightened up at once and pushed Jiang Shuyue away. "My legs simply went weak for a moment. There's no need for an imperial physician."
You little poser. Afraid an imperial physician will expose your pregnancy, aren't you?
I wonder who the baby's father is.
The system gave a few sleazy chuckles. The baby's father is Zhao Min, one of the fourth prince's men. He's only a licentiate now, but in the future, he'll become the chancellor, standing at the very pinnacle of officialdom!
Jiang Shuyue thought, He climbs that fast?
The system giggled. That's what good bootlicking gets you! After Zhao Min learned that Li Qiner had become Zhou Yunshen's concubine, he teamed up with her and secretly did all sorts of "good deeds."
Stealing confidential information, drugging Zhou Yunshen to weaken his body, raising his children into useless wrecks... the list goes on and on.
In the end, Zhao Min even joined forces with Li Qiner and her son to snuff Zhou Yunshen out! Once the fourth prince ascended the throne, Zhao Min became a power broker!
To everyone listening, it sounded like some incomprehensible celestial scripture. Their gazes filled with sympathy as they turned toward Zhou Yunshen.
A mighty god of slaughter, toyed with in the palm of a woman from his own inner household. How tragic.
Zhou Yunshen could not believe it.
He was no fool, and he had no feelings for Li Qiner. How could she possibly get him under her thumb?
And the fourth prince was only a ten-year-old boy. Above him was the crown prince, below him the sixth prince, both talented enough to inherit the throne. When would it ever be the fourth prince's turn?
The system grew excited again. But there's another major reason the fourth prince puts Zhao Min in such an important position. Want to know?
The system's laugh was positively sleazy, and Jiang Shuyue grew impatient. Getting only half the gossip is bad for your health. Spit it out!
The guests nodded. They wanted to hear the rest, too.
The system drew a deep breath, its excitement soaring. Zhao Min is the fourth prince's male lover!
Pfft!
The sounds of sputtering drinks and coughing rose one after another.
The guests: !!!
Zhou Yunshen: ...
Only by mustering every last ounce of strength did Jiang Shuyue suppress the urge to burst out laughing. She had no attention left to spare for anyone else's reaction.
She doubled over with laughter in her mind. Are you sure? Li Qiner is fifteen or sixteen, and Zhao Min must be a little older than her, right? The fourth prince is only eleven or twelve now. Does he really have tastes that intense?
Good heavens, who would've guessed this was an age-gap romance!
The system laughed even more sleazily. That's nothing. Here's something even more explosive: do you know why the fourth prince kills the main villain?
Because his achievements overshadow the sovereign? Or because he holds too much power and might rebel later?
NO! Because he can't have the man he loves!
Everyone looked as though they had seen a ghost. Their expressions froze solid.
Even Jiang Shuyue was stunned, unable to respond for a long moment.
The system adopted a pitiful voice. The fourth prince has adored Zhou Yunshen since childhood. He fights so hard to seize the throne because he wants to keep the main villain captive for himself. But Zhou Yunshen has eyes only for that fake innocent and never notices him at all.
Watching Zhou Yunshen go mad and wild for love, the fourth prince steels his heart: if I can't have him, no one else will either!
Then, on a dark and windy night, he arranges for Li Qiner's son to finish the villain off.
After the villain dies, he even has his body turned into a mummy and hides him in his secret chamber. The deeper the love, the fiercer the hate!
He also slaughters his adoptive mother, Consort Shu, because she likes the main villain too and even tries to fight him for the villain's remains!
Mother and son come to blows over the body. The fourth prince kills her with his own hands and keeps the main villain's corpse. He sleeps with the villain in his arms almost every night.
Jiang Shuyue was practically breaking out in goosebumps.
Back when she had still been a seedling, someone fertilizing her had been enough to thoroughly disgust her.
Yet this fourth prince actually slept holding a mummy. What a pervert!
An invisible killing intent swirled around Zhou Yunshen.
Incidentally, the main villain's first wife-that short-lived girl betrothed to him in childhood, who was his wife in name only-was secretly killed by Consort Shu.
Jealousy was the reason for that, too! When the main villain married, she was still only a Noble Lady. She cried so earth-shatteringly hard that she even lost the baby in her belly.
Jiang Shuyue looked at Zhou Yunshen sympathetically while erupting into thunderous laughter inside her mind. Hahahahaha! True love, definitely true love! This mother and son are ferocious! But why wasn't any of this in the book?
Obviously, how could it ever get published if everything were included? It would get censored, dear! There's plenty more gossip here. From now on, yours truly will take you soaring through it all!
Jiang Shuyue nodded furiously. System bro, you're my real brother!
Both groups of guests were dumbfounded.
One group thought, What's with all the gasping and jumping? Say something, Old Wang!
The other group thought, That's what you get for fooling around with Consort Shu. See? Retribution has come! Old Li, don't say I never looked after you. I'll pay for your coffin!
Everyone looked at Zhou Yunshen with sympathy.
His face had turned a kaleidoscope of black.
All three children understood.
Who could have imagined that their father, renowned as the god of slaughter, would meet such an end?
But understanding was one thing. It was still absolutely hilarious!
Zhou Shiye's face was almost twisting out of shape.
He did not care, though. His new stepmother should stop holding back and spill some more.
"General, I know I was wrong. Please don't despise me. I'll never dare say a single bad word about Sister again."
Jiang Shuyue had been so engrossed in the gossip that she had almost forgotten this little schemer.
Jiang Shuyue seamlessly switched to the expression of a startled fawn.
"It's all my fault. I was so concerned about your frailty and finding a doctor to examine you that I nearly forgot to answer."
"A doctor?"
Why was she bringing up a doctor again? Would this never end?
Li Qiner shook her head in panic. "No, no, no. There's nothing wrong with me. Besides, inviting a doctor over on your wedding day would be terribly unlucky."
"Sister, I didn't think it unlucky when you arrived in mourning clothes. Doctors save lives and heal the wounded. What could possibly be unlucky about that?"
Jiang Shuyue blinked, then looked as though realization had dawned. "Oh, I understand! You're afraid of getting a quack, aren't you? That's easy. The general can send his token to the palace and request an imperial physician!"
"She's traveled a long way and endured a tiring journey. General, please invite several imperial physicians to examine her together, so I can rest easy."
Li Qiner was just about to refuse when Zhou Yunshen pulled the token from his waist and tossed it to his subordinate.
"Qi Ye, go yourself. Bring every physician on duty at the Imperial Medical Bureau today!"
Before you continue