Shen Yuxi shook her head, clicking her tongue.
[Grand Tutor Wei's youngest daughter has quite a personality. If it were me, I wouldn't want to be with an old man either.]
Emperor Xuanzhao: "..."
How am I old? I'm clearly in the prime of my life, at the height of my vigor.
[Ah, I hope things turn out as she wishes.]
[And as for the emperor...]
Shen Yuxi thought with utter disdain, [If the emperor really takes a girl about his daughter's age as a consort, then I've misjudged him. He's no good either.]
Emperor Xuanzhao: Rest assured, I never intended to agree to Grand Tutor Wei's proposal.
This is all Grand Tutor Wei's fault.
Unable to swallow his anger, Emperor Xuanzhao glared at Grand Tutor Wei.
If he had not entertained that idea, the emperor would not have been scolded by Shen Yuxi for nothing.
[The emperor probably won't approve of Grand Tutor Wei's actions. After all, with Noble Consort Wei's example before him, the old emperor is thoroughly disgusted with Grand Tutor Wei's family now.]
The system changed tack. [But perhaps the old emperor won't be able to resist the lure of beauty and will forcibly bring Grand Tutor Wei's youngest daughter into the palace. That's not impossible either.]
Emperor Xuanzhao: Nonsense! I have no such intention.
[In this era, powerful, influential men taking concubines a dozen or even several dozen years younger than themselves are a dime a dozen. Everyone takes it for granted.]
[Let alone the most exalted man under heaven. Even if the old emperor were seventy or eighty, countless girls in the flower of youth would still be his for the taking, so long as he wanted them.]
[Host, look around the court. Apart from a very few exceptions, which of these men doesn't have a whole flock of wives and concubines?]
[Scumbags!]
Shen Yuxi's verdict was brief and to the point.
The officials branded "scumbags," including Emperor Xuanzhao, lowered their heads in inexplicable shame.
[Now look at my father. He's simply a model among men. He loves only my mother.]
[He goes straight home after court, never visits brothels or takes concubines. Even when he occasionally comes home late, it's because he's buying delicious food for Mother and us.]
Shen Yuxi heaped praise on him in her heart.
The system nodded in agreement. [Even in modern times, your father would be a rare good man, Host.]
Emperor Xuanzhao and the other officials all turned toward Minister Shen.
A good man?
At that moment, Minister Shen raised his head proudly and puffed out his chest, the focus of everyone's attention.
He basked in the looks of admiration and approval coming from every direction.
Ah!
Why did his daughter insist on telling nothing but the plain truth?
For once, Minister Shen felt that a dog's mouth could indeed spit out ivory.
He decided that, for the next few days, he would be gentler when waking his youngest daughter and would not haul her up by the collar.
"Your Majesty, I wish to impeach Lord Jia for allowing his son to oppress and beat commoners. Afterward, he showed no remorse. Not only did he fail to offer comfort or compensation, but he also used his status to threaten the victim, whose injured leg has yet to heal."
Emperor Xuanzhao's expression instantly turned cold.
His icy gaze shot toward Lord Jia like a blade.
He asked gravely, "Minister Jia, do you have anything to say in your defense?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Jia Kun's legs gave way, and he dropped abruptly to his knees with a thud.
A searing sting shot through his knees.
Beads of cold sweat broke out on his forehead, and his body trembled like chaff in a sieve.
The emperor detested those who oppressed the common people most of all.
There had once been a scion of an aristocratic family who used his influence to bully others and violated many innocent young women, setting rumors flying.
Upon hearing the news, the emperor had flown into a rage and ordered that young aristocrat beaten to death on the spot.
No one's pleas or attempts to dissuade him had been of any use.
Under the tremendous pressure from the throne, Jia Kun spoke in a trembling voice.
"Your Majesty, I know nothing of what Lord Meng has described."
"When I return, I will certainly question my unworthy son sternly. If he has truly committed such unlawful acts, I will punish him severely without leniency."
[System, is Jia Kun telling the truth?]
[No.]
The system said with certainty, [Jia Kun knows what his son did, but he merely gave him a few halfhearted scoldings.]
[Jia Kun's son swore that he would never make another mistake and would stay obediently at home from then on, giving him no cause to worry.]
[And Jia Kun believed him?]
[Yes.]
[Jia Kun thinks his son is young and doesn't know better yet, so he indulges his wrongdoing again and again.]
[Every time he resolves to steel his heart and teach his son a lesson, his son kneels with "utter sincerity" and slaps his own face furiously. Then Jia Kun's heart softens.]
[Spoiling a son is like killing him. Does Jia Kun not understand such a simple principle?]
He had lived all those decades for nothing.
The other officials who had sons deeply agreed.
A filial son emerged from beneath the rod. There was some truth to the ancestors' words after all.
As though drained of all strength, Jia Kun slumped to the floor in despair.
It's over. This time, it's truly over.
His Majesty won't spare us.
[He understands,] the system said.
[But his son matters more to him than reason does, and he can't bear to be harsh.]
[His son has seized on that very weakness, which is why he keeps going further and further.]
Emperor Xuanzhao did not know whether to curse Jia Kun for his stupidity or his softheartedness.
He was the father, yet his son had him firmly in the palm of his hand.
If one of his sons were like Jia Kun's, he would have long since struck his name from the imperial genealogy and acted as though that son had never been born.
In court, the crown prince, the second prince, and the others suddenly felt a cold breeze sweep across their backs.
Even Mo Xuanchen, at the fourth prince's residence, could not help sneezing.
"Your Highness, did the wind give you a chill? Shall this servant have someone prepare a bowl of ginger soup for you?" Xiao Mingzi asked tentatively.
"No need."
Mo Xuanchen turned a page of his military treatise and spoke indifferently.
"You may withdraw."
"Yes, Your Highness."
Xiao Mingzi lightened his footsteps, quietly withdrew, and closed the door.
He was afraid of disturbing the fourth prince.
Having learned the truth from Shen Yuxi and the system, Emperor Xuanzhao wasted no more time.
He said gravely, "Where is the chief minister of the Court of Judicial Review?"
"Here, Your Majesty." Lu Song, chief minister of the Court of Judicial Review, stepped out of the ranks.
"I order you to assist with the investigation and ascertain whether the oppression of commoners described by Minister He truly occurred. If it did, handle the matter according to the law."
"I obey Your Majesty's decree."
"Your Majesty..." Jia Kun called out, unwilling to give up.
"Minister Jia, you may rest assured that Minister Lu will handle matters fairly and impartially. He will give you an answer."
Emperor Xuanzhao's tone was slightly cold, carrying a trace of intangible pressure that made Jia Kun dare not utter another word.
Jia Kun's heart was filled with dread and fear, yet he had no choice but to return to his place.
"Imperial Father, General Wei has sent word to the capital. The Ruo Qiang Kingdom is now a spent arrow at the end of its flight. Its emperor has sent a letter of surrender, pledging that the Ruo Qiang Kingdom is willing to submit to the Mo Kingdom, pay tribute every year, and attend court annually," the crown prince said, stepping forward.
"The Ruo Qiang Kingdom harbors sinister intentions and is full of tricks. Who knows what they're plotting by offering to surrender this time?"
An official said seriously during the discussion, "Ruo Qiang is only willing to yield because it fears His Highness the fourth prince. But we cannot simply let the matter of their poisoning the fourth prince and openly provoking the Mo Kingdom drop."
"Thus, I believe we absolutely must not spare Ruo Qiang this time. We should annihilate it in one stroke and eliminate all future worries."
The Ruo Qiang Kingdom had taken advantage of the time when Mo Xuanchen had just returned to the capital, his grievous wounds still unhealed, and was staying at an inn.
Almost everyone knew that it had sent countless assassins to kill Mo Xuanchen and had poisoned him.
Of course, Emperor Xuanzhao had initially learned this from Shen Yuxi and the system.
Emperor Xuanzhao had not kept it from his officials.
The emperor of Ruo Qiang believed that Mo Xuanchen could not escape his doom, so he wanted to deal the Mo Kingdom a devastating blow while it grieved the loss of its fourth prince.