Wasn't Their Affection Supposed to Be Mutual?!

Bi Honglang could not hear the little princess's thoughts, but that did not stop eager spectators from repeating what they had heard to him.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Feudal superstitions are no good. How could a boy's urine possibly be used to treat that sort of illness?"

"Using it was bad enough, but then he let it slip and his wife heard..."

"Once she threw him out, he should have just waited for her to cool down. What was he thinking, running to his father-in-law to bad-mouth her?!"

Someone repeated Jiang Yingcheng's thoughts: "Is this the distortion of human nature, or the collapse of morality?!"

A thunderous boom rang in Bi Honglang's ears, and his cheeks flushed crimson with shame and fury.

Who was it?!

Who on earth had planted a spy in his home?!

Before an even stronger wave of humiliation could engulf him, Emperor Mingze settled the matter with a smile in his voice. "I intend to bring Yingcheng to court with me. What will you do about it?"

Naturally, there was nothing they could do.

Emperor Mingze was already the most virtuous ruler in Great Rui's history. Not to mention, in the mere few years since ascending the throne, he had expanded Great Rui's territory to such an astonishing extent. On matters that did not involve fundamental principles, no one wanted to get on his bad side.

Except for a few people who could not see sense.

After court adjourned, Jiang Yingcheng pattered over to Jiang Yanchuan and held out a little hand. Her eyes sparkled, and though she said nothing, her desire to have him hold her hand was perfectly clear.

Dawn came late in winter, and the sky had yet to brighten fully.

Jiang Yanchuan lowered his head. By the bright candlelight, he studied Jiang Yingcheng's little face, flushed rosy from the braziers, and her almond-shaped eyes that seemed capable of speaking.

Was she that happy?

The next moment, the officials who had yet to leave watched with their own eyes as the young emperor, who rarely so much as smiled, slowly bent down and lifted the little princess into his arms.

Jiang Yingcheng froze for a moment, then buried her little face in her father's chest in wild delight, taking a deep breath of the lovely ambergris fragrance on him.

[Ah~~ I'm the happiest little kid in the whole wide world!]

Jiang Yanchuan laughed at her antics.

After the regular court session came the inner court session, when officials of the second rank and above discussed truly confidential matters with Emperor Mingze.

The officials had thought letting the little princess play in Chongyun Hall for a while would be the absolute limit. Instead, Emperor Mingze carried her the entire way, right into Wuyang Hall.

The officials: "..."

Was there any chance they had not attended court yet today, and everything they had just witnessed was merely something they had dreamed up in their sleep?

The officials who still could not hear the little princess's thoughts felt their entire worldview crumbling.

For a time, no one spoke inside Wuyang Hall.

The officials of the second rank and above had been the first group Jiang Yanchuan arranged to interact with Jiang Yingcheng, so many of them could hear the little girl's thoughts.

But even more could not.

The little girl drew a clear line between friends and foes. Once she knew someone was of bad character, she would never feel the slightest fondness for them, and anyone she disliked had absolutely no chance of hearing her thoughts.

The entire hall was deathly silent. Only Jiang Yingcheng, convinced no one could hear her inward muttering, kept digging up gossip with 007.

Naturally, the subject of that gossip could only be selected from the people before her.

[This uncle! A pear tree in bloom weighing down a crabapple blossom!]

[At his age, he actually married a girl who had only just come of age!]

Ran Hongyi, the Minister of Works, raised his head shakily and met the little princess's unblinking gaze.

The instant their eyes met, Jiang Yingcheng froze, then shifted her wandering gaze away, looking unmistakably guilty.

She certainly had not been secretly saying bad things about anyone in her head!

Ran Hongyi slowly closed his eyes, unwilling to face the gossip-hungry looks coming at him from every direction.

Inside, however, he was roaring frantically.

He had married a girl who had only just come of age a few days ago, but there had been a reason for it!

Besides! He could already hear the little princess's thoughts! Wasn't their affection supposed to be mutual?!

Why was she taking the knife to him?!

Unfortunately, the little princess could not hear his thoughts. After only a brief pause, the voice exposing his secrets cruelly continued.

[Hmm? On their wedding night, he didn't stay in the girl's room?]

Ran Hongyi proudly puffed out his chest. Was he that sort of man?

[Instead, he went to his wife's door and begged all night?]

"Pfft."

Someone could not hold back a laugh.

They had long heard that Vice Minister Ran's wife was a lioness of Hedong. When he took a concubine a few days ago, they had teased him in private. Back then, he had stubbornly clung to his pride, claiming his wife would wholeheartedly support any decision he made.

And this was what he meant?

Ran Hongyi's face burned scarlet. He wished he could find a crack in the floor and crawl into it on the spot.

[Huh? Why did they suddenly start laughing?]

Wuyang Hall was not as spacious as Chongyun Hall, and Emperor Mingze had not set up a screen specifically for Jiang Yingcheng this time, so she could see everyone's expressions very clearly.

The few who had laughed hurriedly schooled their expressions and stood properly.

The official who had already begun delivering his report looked utterly baffled.

Ever since he began speaking, these people had been acting furtively, silently exchanging who knew what. Several times, they had made him think something was wrong with his report.

Now they had gone even further and laughed aloud?

Taking advantage of the moment Emperor Mingze lowered his eyes in thought, he turned and shot them a fierce glare.

[What, what? This uncle married that girl to rescue her from a sea of suffering?]

[Oh-] Jiang Yingcheng drew out the sound. [So the Deputy Chief Councillor's nephew took a fancy to her first, but her family thought he had a bad character and rejected him outright.]

[Then that nephew actually went to their home to threaten them, saying, "Do you know who my uncle is? He's the current deputy chancellor! Offend him, and you'll have bitter fruit to swallow!" He even told them to get everything ready because he'd come to fetch his bride next month?]

[What a fine display of seizing someone by force!]

[Sh-shameless!]

Several people unconsciously nodded in agreement. Wasn't that the truth!

Utterly shameless!

[By chance, that family happened to have some connection with this uncle-um, Uncle Ran-so they came straight to him for help and arranged a fake marriage?]

[They're going to divorce in a few months?]

Ran Hongyi: "..."

So when she disliked him, he was "this uncle," but once she realized she had wronged him, he became "Uncle Ran"?!

[No, that nephew is too wicked. System Bro, find some evidence of his wrongdoing. Let's write a letter reporting him!]

[Whoa?]

Several people present secretly pricked up their ears.

What good news had she found this time?!

They all liked one another now, so hurry up and let them hear it!

Jiang Yingcheng did not disappoint. Sure enough, she dropped a bombshell.

[This nephew... is actually the heir the Prince of Nanyang secretly slipped into the capital! The Deputy Chief Councillor has so carefully waited on him all these years, and o-one little slip, and he raised him crooked?!]

"!!!"

Qian Pengyi, the Deputy Chief Councillor, had been concentrating on his colleague's report when he suddenly felt several gazes from the crowd land on him in unison.

???

What was going on?!