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

The rest of the lunch process went very smoothly.

After finishing his meal, Gu Mingli sat at the table without moving.

Xiao Ye moved to the inner room of the side hall.

The young noblemen, led by eunuchs, went in one by one to meet the emperor privately.

Gu Mingli leaned against the window frame and could vaguely hear the conversation coming from inside.

The sound was soft and intermittent, creating a harmonious atmosphere.

Shen Yanqing stayed inside the longest, for almost half a cup of tea.

When she came out, her eyes were slightly red, her lips were pressed into a line, and her chin was very tense.

It felt like someone was speaking from the bottom of their heart.

Pei Yu sat in the chair next to Gu Mingli, fanning herself with a folding fan, and muttered to herself as she looked over there.

"What did His Majesty ask?"

Gu Mingli chuckled and gave a perfunctory reply, taking a sip of chilled fruit wine.

Xiao Ye had previously told him the main purpose of this exchange.

They simply wanted to know how the Cui family had bullied them in various states.

Who intercepted the distribution channels? Who suppressed grain prices? How were tributes paid? Where did the powerful clans extend their reach?

These things cannot be written in the memorials submitted to the imperial court.

The core departments of the imperial court were mostly staffed by sons of powerful clans.

They were very clear about what the emperor should see and what he shouldn't see.

But things are different now.

The emperor invited them to stay at his temporary palace, played football with them, and ate with them.

In the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, all the grievances that had been suppressed for generations were poured out.

Three hundred people means three hundred pieces of firsthand intelligence.

The Minister of the Court of Judicial Review and the Director of the First Division of the Censorate sat behind a screen, silently burying themselves in their work and taking notes.

Xiao Ye played that move brilliantly.

Gu Mingli tilted his head back and finished the last sip of wine in his glass, silently giving his prized student a high score in his mind.

It's past mid-Shen time.

All three hundred people have finished their audience with the Emperor.

Several young men emerged from inside, their faces beaming with undisguised smugness.

Gu Mingli peeked half his head out from the doorway of the side hall and exchanged a glance with Eunuch Liu.

Xiao Ye was leaning back in his chair, resting with his eyes closed.

Gu Mingli coughed lightly and went inside.

"Your Majesty, how was the harvest?"

Xiao Ye opened his eyes.

She pulled out the top page of the stack of notes beside her and handed it to him.

"Here is the information you requested: there are twenty-seven noble families involved in the grain trade."

Gu Mingli took it and glanced at it.

The Shen family was first, followed by the Meng family of Xuzhou, the Cheng family of Yuezhou, the Huo family of Tongzhou...

They were all mid-sized grain merchants who were being suffocated by the Cui family.

Gu Mingli folded the list and stuffed it into his sleeve.

at the same time.

Orange Red Villa, located on the other side of the outskirts of Beijing.

The liveliness here is completely different from that at the imperial palace.

Most of the people who stay at Orange Red Manor are illegitimate sons from various families and unruly playboys.

They were never given the opportunity to stand out in their families, nor were they eligible to become officials.

I spent money to come to the capital to watch the Cuju (ancient Chinese football) competition, all for the sake of having fun.

I heard that you can buy orange peel, which has been out of stock in the market for a long time, at this resort.

There was also a bonfire party in the evening, where people ate grilled fish and drank rice wine, so they called their friends and came together.

The resort is nestled against the mountains and beside the water, with tea gardens providing shade.

The stream flows gently around dozens of wooden houses.

Flowers of various colors are planted in front of the house.

A gentle evening breeze carried the fragrance of flowers.

Many people got off the bus and wandered around, praising the scenery.

into the night.

Three bonfires were set up on the open ground by the river.

The firelight reflected on the stream, and orange-red fragments of gold danced on the surface.

A long row of barbecue stalls stretched along the riverbank.

The charcoal fire was burning brightly, and the grease dripping onto the charcoal made a sizzling sound.

The aroma of grilled fish and meat mixed with marinade wafted far and wide.

The chilled rice wine was stored in a large earthenware jar and placed by the stream.

Anyone who wants to drink it can scoop some up themselves.

Musicians sat around the campfire, playing drums and flutes.

The drumbeats were lively, the flute music was clear and bright, and the rhythm became increasingly rapid.

A group of young men, having had a great time, were already dancing around the campfire.

The movements were chaotic, but they were unrestrained and carefree, and the laughter was endless.

Today, Gu Mingyue is dressed as a man, wearing her brother's moon-white brocade robe, and sits at a wooden table by the stream a little further away, with a bowl of rice wine that has barely been touched in front of her.

Yi Wu, with a furrowed brow, followed beside him.

Her gaze swept over the illegitimate sons present.

It's almost done.

She winked at Yan Xiaoliu in the crowd.

Yan Xiaoliu understands.

He stood up, holding his wine bowl, and moved towards the center of the crowd.

With a half-drunk smile on his face, he chatted casually with several young men who hadn't managed to get a membership to the palace.

"Hey, those young masters living in imperial palaces, how can they compare to the comfort we enjoy here?"

One person shook his head and sighed.

"Who told us to be born out of wedlock? Joining the Cuju (ancient Chinese football) membership requires a qualification check. If you're not a legitimate child, they won't even let you participate in the auction!"

The young master beside him sighed.

"It's tough being born out of wedlock. In the future, all the family property will go to the eldest son's family, and we can only be good-for-nothing playboys."

Yan Xiaoliu chuckled twice, looked around, and lowered his voice.

"Gentlemen, I have something to tell you. A couple of days ago, I overheard someone from the inner court let something slip in the city."

He paused deliberately, waiting for the group to come closer.

"It is said that the imperial court is about to introduce a new policy related to children born out of wedlock."

The laughter from the surrounding tables stopped.

Many people put down their wine bowls and tilted their heads to look over.

"What new policy?"

Yan Xiaoliu said a few words in a low voice.

"The gist is that if a child born out of wedlock pays land tax or commercial tax in their own name, they are entitled to a share of the family property."

This statement was like a stone thrown into a calm pond, shocking everyone present.

"Paying land tax or commercial tax will allow us to divide the family property equally?!"

All the laughter, singing, and dancing around the campfire fell silent.

The young men gathered in small groups, whispering amongst themselves.

"Is this for real? Would the imperial court really issue such a policy that favors us?"

"If they truly have the support of the imperial laws, then what right does the eldest son's family have to monopolize the family fortune!"

A young man born out of wedlock, dressed in a dark blue brocade robe, picked up his wine cup, tilted his head back, and drank it all down, then gave a bitter, bleak smile.

"Gentlemen, wake up! To divide the family property, you must first have land; only with land can you pay land taxes."

"But we illegitimate sons don't even own half an acre of land!"

"The eldest son has a tight grip on the family business, not even a drop of money will slip into our hands. How are we supposed to pay our taxes?"

Immediately, someone nearby slapped their thigh in agreement, their eyes filled with resentment.

"That's right! The same principle applies to doing business! The family business is all in the hands of the eldest son's family; we have no access to it at all. Why should we pay business taxes under our own names?"

"Isn't this new policy just a pie in the sky that the court has drawn up for us, something we can only look at but not eat? All that excitement for nothing!"

The murmurs grew louder, and everyone looked worried and scratched their heads.

Just then, a handsome young man stood up from behind the wooden table by the stream.

Gu Mingyue abruptly closed her folding fan and walked straight to the stone platform next to the campfire.

The firelight illuminated half of her profile, highlighting the distinct features of her deliberately thickened eyebrows and eyes.

"Gentlemen, please hear me out!"

She deliberately lowered her voice and spoke loudly with one hand on her hip.

It instantly silenced the noise in the room.

Everyone turned their heads, looking at the handsome young man with a powerful aura with a puzzled expression.

Without wasting any words, Gu Mingyue dropped a bombshell.

"Pujitang just happens to have a new business opportunity!"