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

Gu Mingli's retreating steps froze on the spot.

He turned and glanced at Xiao Ye.

The emperor had already stood up, his bright yellow robes fluttering, and walked around the imperial desk directly to the side hall.

His back was straight as a pine tree, and his gait was calm and unhurried.

Gu Mingli stood there, stroking his chin in thought.

Is the boss going to treat us to dinner?

Are you getting ready to connect with your subordinates?

Is this what ancient times called small-scale team building for senior executives?

Not going would be disrespecting the top boss, and it would narrow your future options.

Helpless, Gu Mingli could only follow along.

On the sandalwood dining table in the side hall, delicacies were quickly laid out in a flowing stream.

Eight hot dishes, two cold dishes, and two bowls of slow-cooked old duck soup in the center.

The bowls and plates are exquisite, comparable to expensive jade ornaments.

A few plump goji berries float on the steaming hot soup noodles, their warm, inviting red glow emanating from the palace lanterns.

Gu Mingli was starving.

Without any hesitation, he picked up his chopsticks and immediately grabbed a large piece of marbled crystal pork knuckle and stuffed it into his mouth.

The pork skin is soft and tender, melting in your mouth, and the meat juices burst on your tongue.

His cheeks immediately bulged out, and after chewing twice, he let out a sigh of extreme satisfaction.

Xiao Ye sat upright opposite him.

The same exquisite dishes were laid out in front of them.

But he simply picked up the white jade spoon and slowly scooped up a mouthful of clear soup.

The movements were extremely slow, as if they were facing not delicious food, but a task that needed to be completed.

Gu Mingli ate three large bites of the dish and felt full.

I finally had a chance to look up and glance at the person across from me who had absolutely no appetite.

"Your Majesty, you don't mean to eat alone here every evening, do you?"

Xiao Ye paused slightly with the spoon in his hand, causing a ripple to spread across the water.

"Um."

"What about during the day?"

"Records of memorials".

"And in the evening?"

"Records of memorials".

"What about days off? Shouldn't we get some rest?"

Xiao Ye looked up at him, his eyes calm and still.

Gu Mingli swallowed the rib in his mouth.

He looked back at the most esteemed man of the Great Yong Dynasty with an expression of extreme sympathy, even one of pity for the king of kings.

"Your Majesty, please forgive my bluntness."

"Your life is just too... too boring, isn't it?"

Xiao Ye raised his eyebrows slightly.

Liu An, who was standing to the side serving, was so frightened that he almost dropped the handkerchief in his hand.

How dare you! You should be more careful!

Gu Mingli was very frank, muttering incoherently while enjoying his meal.

"Look at you, you get up and go to court to listen to those old men arguing, and then you review memorials."

"Eat a tasteless meal and continue composing commemorative folds."

"I still have to proofread before bed."

"I work on construction sites every day, carrying bricks, but I'm not as hard-working as you... Dragon Horse."

"Let me tell you about your harem. In such a vast palace, you only have two concubines."

"Since there are fewer people, there's no need for them to compete for attention. Can't you invite them to eat with you?"

"If we really wanted to kill time, the three of you couldn't even get enough people together for a game of mahjong!"

Gu Mingli shook his head and clicked his tongue as he spoke, looking heartbroken.

"Look at you, so handsome and dashing, and so young and full of life."

"How come you've managed to live like a seventy-year-old, retired man with no desires or wants?"

Liu An, standing nearby, suddenly took a deep breath.

Gu Dadan is really outspoken!

They even dare to criticize His Majesty's harem and private life!

Everyone knows that His Majesty is averse to discussing matters concerning the harem.

He glanced at the emperor's face with trepidation.

Surprisingly, Xiao Ye did not get angry.

He merely tightened his grip on the spoon slightly, and unconsciously pressed down the corner of his mouth.

Then he turned his head and glanced at Liu An indifferently.

Eunuch Liu was a shrewd man who had grown up in the inner palace; he was extremely perceptive.

Upon hearing this, he immediately bowed deeply.

With a flick of his whisk, he led the eunuchs to retreat quietly outside the hall.

And with great consideration, he closed the heavy palace door behind him.

This rare moment of tranquility within the hall was reserved entirely for the two masters.

Only the flickering candlelight remained inside the hall.

Seeing that Xiao Ye's bowl was empty, Gu Mingli picked up his own chopsticks.

I picked out a piece of fried pork rib that was golden brown and crispy from the plate.

It was placed into Xiao Ye's bowl with remarkable ease.

In this deep palace, no one dared to dine with the emperor.

No one dared to use their own chopsticks to serve food to the emperor.

This is extremely disrespectful.

But Gu Mingli did it all too naturally, his eyes revealing only pure concern.

There was not a trace of reverence or calculation.

"Your Majesty is so preoccupied with state affairs that you lose your appetite day and night. Even the strongest body can't withstand it, and it will eventually harm your health."

Gu Mingli was sincere.

"The food in the palace is exquisite, but it lacks the warmth and humanity of everyday life."

"When Your Majesty has some free time in the future, you may visit my residence incognito."

"I'll personally cook you some truly delicious and appetizing dishes, I guarantee you'll enjoy them even more than you are now!"

Xiao Ye lowered his eyes, staring intently at the glistening, fragrant pork rib in his bowl, his fingertips resting on the edge of the table, but he didn't touch his chopsticks.

Surprisingly, this unconventional dinner revealed a hint of the flavors that a living person should have.

He slowly raised his eyes.

He looked at the young man in front of him, whose face was full of life, who was completely unguarded, and who was engrossed in eating.

His dark eyes were as deep as a cold pool, concealing countless unfathomable pressures of the imperial court.

But at this moment, a corner of it was lifted to reveal itself to the person in front of it.

He spoke slowly, his voice low and indifferent.

In this empty side hall, every word and phrase exudes the emperor's profound loneliness.

"The Great Yong Dynasty has only been established for two generations, and its foundation is still shallow."

"I may appear to be high above, but in reality, powerful clans and families are deeply entrenched in the court, wielding immense influence."

"The hands of powerful clans have long since reached every corner of the Six Ministries, and they even have the power to overpower the emperor."

"The corrupt practices in the imperial court have been entrenched for a long time, and the old system is too rotten to be eradicated."

"If I wish to drastically reform the government and eradicate these malignant tumors, I will inevitably clash with the powerful clans of the land, and we will be irreconcilable enemies."

Xiao Ye's gaze passed through Gu Mingli and looked into the empty depths of the main hall.

"As for the harem you mentioned..."

"Those three concubines were all spies and pawns planted by powerful clans around me under the late emperor's dying wish."

"I maintain a harmonious relationship with them on the surface, but I would never dare to get close to them, much less stay overnight or have sex with them."

He paused, his gaze returning to Gu Mingli's astonished face.

Do you know why?

Gu Mingli put down his chopsticks and suppressed his joking thoughts.

At this moment, he felt a genuine sense of sympathy for the powerful boss in front of him.

He asked, "Why?"

Xiao Ye raised his eyes and looked at the deep twilight shining through the carved window frame outside the palace.

A very faint sigh quietly dissipated into the silent air.

It exudes a sense of desolation and perseverance, as if one were standing at the top and feeling lonely.

"If I were to sleep with them and they bore me children, they would have imperial bloodlines."

"The harem would immediately collude with the powerful clans of the previous dynasty to form factions."

"They would use princes to command the world, and even have the ability to cause the emperor to 'die suddenly' in his prime."

Xiao Ye's eyes were extremely cold, and his voice was completely flat.

"From now on, it will be even more difficult for me to cleanse the court, and I will be subject to the control of others at every turn."

"Everyone envies me for being the supreme ruler, possessing this vast and beautiful land."

"Yet no one knows..."

He gave a self-deprecating twitch at the corner of his lips, his eyes revealing a desolate wasteland.

"Once you ascend the throne, you cannot relax for even a day."

"The heart, though small, is taut like a bowstring, day and night."

"From the moment I sat on that dragon throne, my life has never had a moment of leisure and enjoyment."