Chapter 52 Green Light?
A beam of green light shooting into the sky?!
These four words made everyone subconsciously look at the top of Liu Zhengfeng's head.
Yuan Hua's hand, holding the teacup, paused in mid-air once more. She raised an eyebrow, her interest deepening.
Oh? There's more to it?
I'd like to see just how exciting this scandal involving Liu Jiaojiao can get.
Liu Zhengfeng, kneeling on the ground, was still reeling from the shock of the incident; his mind was still buzzing.
He instinctively sensed that the gazes around him seemed even stranger.
It was a mixture of shock, sympathy, pity, and a hint of...
A gloating look?
He couldn't understand it at all.
Meanwhile, Yu Zhaoning, sitting on the dragon throne, was watching with great interest the newly refreshed content on the system panel.
[Wow! I take back what I just said! This gossip is way better than the one about Liu Jiaojiao wearing a little skirt!]
[So, it turns out that this Vice Minister Liu, seemingly upright and incorruptible, is actually henpecked! The real head of his household is his wife!]
Fear of one's wife?
Everyone nodded knowingly.
This is not hard to understand, after all, Madam Liu must have had extraordinary methods to raise a husband like "Liu Jiaojiao".
[Didn't Vice Minister Liu take five beautiful concubines? Each one was stunningly beautiful, famous throughout the capital! Back then, countless people envied his good fortune with women! Tsk tsk tsk...]
Yu Zhaoning's sweet, childlike voice echoed in everyone's minds, filled with admiration.
Upon hearing this, Liu Zhengfeng finally came to his senses.
Taking a concubine was one of the most triumphant things in his life!
Although his wife was strict, she was very generous when it came to having children!
He raised his head, and his back seemed to straighten a little more.
Even if he has some hobbies.
But he also made a great contribution by helping the Liu family to have more children!
However, the next second, that voice rang out again.
[But! But! These five beautiful concubines weren't taken for him at all!]
Was it not paid for him?
Then who else could it be for?
Everyone's brains went blank for a moment.
[Of these five beauties, three were his wife's childhood best friends! The other two were talented but down-on-their-luck women whom his wife admired during her travels!]
[Nominally, they were Liu Shilang's concubines, but actually... hehehe, they were all his wife's sweethearts!]
Heart! Above! People!
Everyone was stunned!
Grand Tutor Wang An lowered his eyes, and the fingers that were twirling his beard trembled so violently that he almost pulled it off.
He has lived for over seventy years, what storms hasn't he seen?
But today, he felt his heart trembling!
There was only one thought in my mind.
"Madam Liu, you are truly a heroine among women! You have a skill in managing your husband, or rather, a way of managing people!"
General Weiyuan's eyes widened, his face, stained black by the wind and frost of the battlefield, was filled with shock!
His fists were clenched tightly, and all the muscles in his body were tense.
"Good heavens! Good heavens! This is ten thousand times more exciting than fighting to the death with the barbarians in the northern frontier!"
The Imperial Censor, standing in the corner, had already subconsciously reached for the memorials and pen in his sleeve.
His lips trembled, and he was having an internal struggle.
"Such...such immorality is unheard of! It violates all moral principles! He should be impeached! He must be impeached! But this is His Majesty's innermost thought, not to be reported publicly. If I were to write it down, wouldn't I be exposing the secret of being able to hear the voice of the gods? What should I do?!"
The Imperial Censor was sweating profusely, feeling that he was facing an unprecedented challenge today.
[Doesn't this conjure up a vivid image?]
Every night, under the cover of darkness, Lord Liu sits alone in his study, facing the mirror, dressed in a pink dress, dancing a lonely dance, playing the role of his "Liu Jiaojiao"!
[Meanwhile, in the spacious backyard, his wife was enjoying a banquet with her five concubines, drinking wine, admiring the moon, composing poems, playing the zither and flute! She was utterly delighted!]
[My goodness! These two, are they really that promiscuous?! One loves wearing women's clothing, the other loves beautiful women! It's like they each do their own thing, without interfering with each other, a truly harmonious coexistence!]
For a moment, the imperial court was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
All the ministers exerted all their strength to barely maintain the composure on their faces.
Empress Dowager Yuan Hua covered her lips with a teacup, her phoenix eyes already overflowing with laughter.
Liu Zhengfeng and his wife are both talented people!
Liu Zhengfeng, on the other hand, was completely petrified.
His mind went blank, and all he could hear was the phrase "Let's each do our own thing and not bother each other."
So that's how it is?
No wonder the lady often visits the concubines' courtyards, saying that they are weak and need more care.
No wonder the five concubines always looked at him with an inexplicable sense of pity.
No wonder the courtyard is always filled with laughter whenever the lady and her friends gather, while I can only smell the ink in my study...
So that's how it is!
He didn't feel like he was kneeling on the cold, hard floor tiles of the Golden Palace.
Instead, he stood naked in a vast, lush green melon field!
And the whole world is watching him!
He almost spat out a mouthful of blood.
Soon, a soft, sweet voice rang out.
"Liu Aiqing".
Yu Zhaoning looked at him with concern through her big, dark eyes.
Liu Zhengfeng shuddered and almost jumped up from the ground.
Startled, she looked up and met those cunning eyes.
The little empress tilted her head and asked in a childish voice.
"I've noticed your face turns pale and then bluish, and now it's as red as a monkey's bottom. Are you feeling unwell?"
"..." Liu Zhengfeng's lips trembled, and he couldn't utter a single word.
"Sigh," the little empress sighed like a little adult, her eyes filled with "concern".
"Liu Aiqing, you must take good care of yourself. After all, you and your wife have had a tough time."
That seemingly casual last sentence struck Liu Zhengfeng squarely at the heart.
It's not easy for anyone!
Liu Zhengfeng felt a sudden darkness before his eyes, and the whole world seemed to spin.
He finally couldn't hold on any longer, and with a thud, his whole body went limp and he collapsed to the ground, his forehead hitting the floor tiles hard with a dull thud.
His voice trembled, choked with sobs, and was almost squeezed out from between his teeth.
"Your Majesty, I thank you for your concern! I am well!"
"Your Majesty, I suddenly feel that my old ailment has relapsed, and my legs are failing me again! I humbly request Your Majesty's permission to... continue to recuperate at home!"
joke!
He no longer cares about a woman becoming emperor or the second prince's fiefdom!
If these things continue to spread, Liu Zhengfeng will lose all face in the capital! He will become the biggest laughingstock in the world!
So what if she becomes the Empress? Let her be!
So what if they only give the Second Prince the title of "Carefree King"? They could have given him a title like "Trash King"!
Anyway, he didn't want to stay here for even a second longer!
I just want to escape this hellhole!
The bell tolled to signal the end of the court session.
Everyone watched as that distraught figure disappeared into the distance.
Liu, the Vice Minister, moved out of the Golden Palace stiffly, his hands and feet moving in unison, like a puppet on strings.
That figure was desolate, forlorn, and carried an indescribable sense of vicissitude.
Yu Zhaoning, meanwhile, was sitting happily on the dragon throne, swinging her two short legs.
In her mind, the system's excited and joyful voice rang out.
[Ding! Today's gossip mission is complete!]
[100 reward points!]
[Host detected has been consuming gossip for three consecutive days, triggering a triple reward!]
[Bonus 300 points! Current total points: 4000 points!]
Yu Zhaoning's eyes widened instantly, and her little mouth was agape with joy.
[Wow! There's even a critical hit? Triple critical hit! I'm rich! I'm rich!]
[400 points! Then the gene-improvement pills I've been longing for will be here soon! After taking one, I can grow taller quickly and no longer be mistaken for a three-year-old!]
The civil and military officials, who were just about to leave, all stopped in their tracks.
Gene-modified pills?
Is it that miraculous elixir again?
It can even make you taller?
Some ministers who were not satisfied with their height immediately perked up their ears and looked at them with burning eyes.
What else? What other powerful items can Your Majesty exchange for?
Everyone held their breath, eagerly awaiting what would happen next.
However, before Yu Zhaoning could open the system store, the system's voice became urgent again.
[Ding! Urgent mission issued!]
[Ding! Urgent mission issued!]
[Please proceed immediately to the Vermilion Bird Gate of the Imperial City to enjoy the melon. The reward for completing this task is 200 points, along with detailed explanations of various steam engine blueprints!]