Dad, don't be greedy! My brother climbed into the emperor's bed, and I became famous overn

The following day, after the court session.

The imperial study was filled with the faint scent of pine soot and ink.

Gu Mingli sat to the side of the desk, one hand supporting his chin as he watched the emperor review the imperial edicts, the other hand slowly grinding a newly opened piece of Huizhou ink on the inkstone in a circular motion.

"Your Majesty, is there anything else you'd like to learn? How about we continue with advanced mathematics today?"

Xiao Ye was approving a memorial from the Ministry of Revenue, his vermilion brush hovering in mid-air, hesitant to bring it down.

His gaze swept over indifferently, his face full of resentment.

"I don't want to do any more problems."

Liu An smiled ingratiatingly and quickly spoke up for him.

"Yes, Lord Gu, His Majesty is already working very hard. Please don't be too strict with him."

Gu Mingli clicked his tongue in disdain. "I don't want to grind ink yet."

Liu An chuckled and raised his hand to wipe the sweat from his forehead.

The eunuchs and maids waiting nearby only dared to lower their heads and exchange glances secretly.

"Brother Emperor."

Xiao Jue has arrived.

He strode in, his voice tinged with amusement.

He glanced at the imperial desk as he entered.

"Oh, Lord Gu is here too."

Gu Mingli quickly sat up straight and listlessly cupped his hands in greeting.

"Your Highness, Prince Qi."

Xiao Ye didn't look up, but simply responded.

"What is it?"

Xiao Jue stepped forward, placed the note on the right side of the desk, and gently pushed it over with two fingers.

She smiled and glanced at Gu Mingli, who was sitting at the desk.

"One of the five sent back some interesting news."

Gu Mingli shuddered and instantly became alert.

He slowly sat up straight, glancing at the note out of the corner of his eye.

The note was small and crumpled, made of the pigeon letter paper that Yi Wu usually used.

Xiao Ye put down his vermilion pen and picked up the slip of paper, unfolding it.

She made no attempt to hide Gu Mingli's furtive glances.

The handwriting on the note was crooked and messy, as if it had been written while squatting on a wall.

Gu Mingli was close by and, by the sunlight, he could vaguely see a few words through the back of the paper.

[The young lady is lonely again. She's moved two hundred thousand taels from the treasury, preparing to go to Jiangzhou for a carefree life.]

Gu Mingli's wrist stiffened, and a chill ran down his spine.

Would the emperor investigate the source of those 200,000 taels?

Xiao Ye finished reading the note. He didn't show any extra expression; he simply put the note back on the table and looked up.

His gaze passed over the desk and landed on Gu Mingli.

Two hundred thousand taels.

Xiao Ye spoke in a flat tone, as if he were reciting an ordinary number.

Gu Mingli kept his head down and continued grinding ink, his hand moving at the same speed, his forehead sweating slightly.

"It seems the Gu family is quite wealthy."

After saying this, Xiao Ye tapped the table twice with his right index finger.

Gu Mingli raised his head, his expression calm.

"Return to Your Majesty."

He cleared his throat, his tone very sincere.

"That was all earned by my younger sister herself. It has nothing to do with me. I only receive a few taels of silver in salary each month."

He paused for a moment, then added another sentence.

"I do not love wealth, but only truth. I have spent my whole life pursuing it."

Xiao Ye squinted at him.

"Jenri..."

Xiao Jue stood to the side, fanning himself, the smile on his lips undisguised.

"In that case, Lord Gu's sister is quite capable."

Xiao Ye stopped scrutinizing the paper, picked up the vermilion brush again, and wrote a few words on the folded paper.

"I've heard about it too. In just a few months, Minister Gu's sister has built such a huge operation in Jiangzhou. Building docks, raising ducks, weaving cloth—she's incredibly wealthy and powerful."

Gu Mingli silently ground the ink, without responding.

As long as he doesn't admit it, no one can say that those were businesses run with embezzled funds.

Xiao Ye put down his pen.

"My purpose in going to Jiangzhou was to inspect the dikes and the lives of the people in Jiangzhou."

He closed the folding book and placed it on top of a stack of memorials beside him.

"Since Master Gu is also going to Jiangzhou, let's travel together."

Gu Mingli stopped grinding ink, looking utterly miserable.

"Huh? Your Majesty is going to travel with my sister?"

"I'd like to see for myself how she spends all that money."

After Xiao Ye finished speaking, he lowered his head and opened the next booklet.

His tone was so casual, as if he were just saying the weather was nice today.

Gu Mingli pursed his lips and frowned, staring down at the dark ink in the inkstone, and added another spoonful of water.

His sister took 200,000 taels of stolen silver to Jiangzhou.

The emperor went along with them.

What's this called?

They slapped the stolen money in the client's face and acted arrogantly.

His sister's money is hard to spend this time!

Thinking of this, Gu Mingli sighed and added another spoonful of water to the inkstone.

Xiao Ye picked up his brush and prepared to dip it in ink.

Looking at that pool of black water that almost filled the inkstone.

He lifted his eyelids and glanced at Gu Mingli, who seemed lost in thought.

"Gu Qing, what are you thinking about?"

Gu Mingli sighed: "I want to be alone."

That evening, Xiao Ye summoned the head of the Supervisory Yuan.

"Investigate for me, find out who is named Zhenli and who is named Jingjing."

Three days later.

Outside the south gate of Kyoto, it was just past Chenshi (7-9 AM), and the sun had not yet fully risen.

Gu Mingyue stood beside the carriage, clutching a cold meat bun in her hand, her expression best described in four words.

I have no will to live.

Her original plan was to travel light and keep to a minimum.

Bring along Taozhi and Gong Huo, plus Yi Wu and Lu Qinghe.

Five people in two horse-drawn carriages, carrying a silver box, traveled along the official road and arrived in Jiangzhou in three days.

When her brother came back last night, he told her with a "condolences" look on his face that the emperor was going along.

Gu Mingyue was stunned for a full three breaths.

Then she put her teacup on the table, stood up, walked into the courtyard, and took deep breaths while facing the moon for half the night.

She looked back at the long, impressive procession behind her.

The emperor's incognito travels were described as "traveling light and simply".

Besides Xiao Ye and Prince Qi Xiao Jue, who had changed into civilian clothes, there was also the personal eunuch Liu An, the shadow guard commander Geng Zhi, and twenty imperial guards who, despite changing into ordinary clothes, could not conceal their murderous aura.

Including her own people.

More than thirty people, in six horse-drawn carriages, headed south in a grand procession.

That's really easy to do.