[Who is it?]
[It’s that general who’s shouting the loudest—he’s actually Prince An’s male favorite.]
Everyone: …
Fang Lingchu looked at the general in shock. [He’s built like a bear and can still be a male favorite? Is Prince An that ugly? The Emperor is so handsome, Prince An shouldn’t be…]
Everyone: Is now really the time to focus on whether Prince An is good-looking? Shouldn’t we be focusing on the fact that Prince An’s wife cheated on him?
Emperor: Why does this girl always miss the point?
Hearing the System say this, Han Wei felt as if his heart had turned to ashes—the secret had still been exposed.
Everyone looked at Han Wei with contempt. How could a dignified general stoop to being someone else’s male favorite?
Han Wei ignored the crowd, only thinking fiercely about how to make Fang Lingchu stop talking.
Seeing Han Wei like this, the Emperor quickly signaled the nearby military officers to surround him.
Fang Lingchu didn’t notice everyone’s subtle movements and calmly continued to enjoy the gossip.
[Prince An wasn’t ugly—in fact, he was very handsome. Otherwise, how could this general still be pining for him so many years after his death? He even thought about making Prince An’s son the Emperor. And he also cuckolded Prince An.]
General Han Wei quickly knelt down and said, “Your Majesty, I did not! I’ve been wronged, Your Majesty!”
Fang Lingchu was startled by Han Wei’s action. [What’s with this Han Wei, shouting so loudly?]
Everyone: It’s because of you.
[I don’t know, it’s none of our business. Let’s keep enjoying the gossip.]
[So, this Han Wei is bisexual?]
[That’s right.]
[Ah!! That’s so intense! Could he and Prince An’s wife have…?]
[That Prince An’s wife was actually Han Wei’s childhood sweetheart. The two of them secretly pledged their lives to each other when they were young.]
[Wasn’t it said that Han Wei had no parents? How could he have a childhood sweetheart?]
[Before joining the army, Han Wei was a servant boy in the Grand Preceptor’s household. By chance, he saved the Grand Preceptor’s daughter.]
[Because of this hero saving a beauty, the young lady fell in love with this servant?]
[Yes, yes, exactly. Then the two of them secretly got together. When the Grand Preceptor found out, he originally planned to have Han Wei beaten to death, but his daughter threatened to take her own life. Helpless, the Grand Preceptor compromised.]
[Then why did she marry Prince An?]
[The condition for the young lady to marry Prince An was for her father to release Han Wei and return his deed of sale.]
[That young lady was quite devoted.]
[Not only that, she also introduced Han Wei to Prince An to serve under him. Who would have thought he’d end up falling for Prince An too and becoming his male favorite?]
[Did Prince An’s wife not know that Prince An was also bisexual?]
[She definitely didn’t know.]
[So, he wants Prince An’s son to become Emperor because he loves both of them?]
[Of course not. It’s because Prince An’s son is actually his and Prince An’s wife’s child.]
[Holy crap, that’s explosive.] Fang Lingchu couldn’t help but feel like cracking some melon seeds.
Everyone: This gossip has so many twists and turns.
[Didn’t you notice that Prince An’s son looks like this Han Wei? Ugly, not good-looking at all. Now look at the Imperial Princes—each one is exceptionally handsome, the peak of good looks.]
Fang Lingchu secretly stood on tiptoe to look at the Crown Prince and Imperial Princes in front. [Now that you mention it, it’s true. Especially the Crown Prince—with that face, if he ever accidentally fell into a brothel, he alone could hold up an entire establishment.]
Fang Lingchu: Just let me perish.
Crown Prince: Why does that statement feel so odd? It doesn’t sound like praise at all.
[Right? I also think that Crown Prince is good-looking. So if the Emperor asked you to become the Crown Princess, would you agree?]
Everyone: The Emperor intends to make Lord Xiao Fang the Crown Princess.
The Crown Prince also looked at the Emperor in surprise.
Just as everyone was pondering this matter, Fang Lingchu’s inner voice rang out again.
[Absolutely not. I was originally a free bird in the sky, and you want me to become a caged canary?]
Crown Prince: So I’ve been rejected.
The officials who had no intention of sending their daughters to the Eastern Palace merely listened in passing, but those with daughters felt a renewed sense of hope upon hearing Fang Lingchu’s refusal.
Only the Emperor remained seated calmly on the high platform, showing no reaction.
The Emperor watched as the two of them strayed further from the topic. What about Han Wei’s rebellion?
“Your Majesty, I observe that the Prince An’s Son bears no resemblance to Prince An at all. Instead, he shares some similarities with General Han Wei. I fear there may be an intention to confuse the royal bloodline. I implore Your Majesty to investigate thoroughly.”
“I am wronged, Your Majesty! I have been framed!”
The System and Fang Lingchu were drawn by Han Wei’s commotion. [System, why has Han Wei knelt down?]
[It seems Minister Lin noticed that Prince An’s Son looks like Han Wei.]
[Wow, this minister is really clever.]
Minister Lin Simen, praised as clever by the System and Fang Lingchu, coughed awkwardly twice.
[Yeah.]
[So, does Han Wei want to rebel?]
[It’s not Han Wei who wants to rebel—it’s Princess An who wants to rebel.]
[Huh? Why?]
[Because she is a spy from the Zhao Kingdom.]
Everyone: …
The military officials quietly gathered around the Grand Tutor.
The Grand Tutor was utterly shocked by this information—his daughter is a spy?
The Emperor’s face darkened again, and he cast a displeased glance at the Crown Prince, as the investigation into the spy matter was under the Crown Prince’s responsibility.
[Huh? And she’s a spy too?]
[Yes.]
[Did the old Grand Tutor get involved?]
[Definitely not. After all, that Princess An is an imposter. She hasn’t returned home in a long time.]
Grand Tutor: Then where is my daughter?
[What happened to the real Princess An?]
[She died. She was killed by the spy shortly after giving birth to Prince An’s Son.]
[And this fake Princess An has been lurking for so long, yet the Long Kingdom remains safe and sound.]
Everyone: Why does it feel like Lord Xiao Fang is somewhat disappointed?
[Host, why do you sound a bit disappointed?]
[A little. After lurking for so long, she didn’t manage to stir up any trouble.]
[Who says she didn’t? The chaos in the court the year His Majesty ascended the throne was partly orchestrated by this Princess.]
[Tell me more.]
[This piece of gossip belongs to that Princess, so it can’t be accessed.]
[Alright then. How do I secretly pass this information to the Emperor?]
[Pass a small note.]
[How? I’m not even qualified to approach the Emperor. I might end up angering him and getting my entire family executed.]
Fang Lingchu: So you do know about having your entire family executed.
[Then I don’t know. I’m just a Gossip System.]
[If I can’t write to the Emperor, I can write to my father.]
[Oh, right. Host, you’re so clever.]
The Emperor glanced at Han Wei, who was following behind, and waved his hand, ordering him to be taken away.
Afterward, everyone discussed some state affairs, and the court session was adjourned.
Fang Lingchu happily went to her father’s side, ready to return home.
As she left, everyone looked at her with strange expressions.
[“System, what’s with their looks?”]
[“Probably because they think you’re good-looking. After all, everyone likes attractive people.”]
Hearing the System say this, she touched her own face and felt it made sense.
Then Fang Lingchu quickly followed closely behind her father.