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

The air suddenly became quiet.

Gu Mingli and Xiao Ye stared at each other across the tea table.

They all seemed to be seriously considering how likely it was that the "treasure was actually a dragon-slaying sword".

After a long silence.

Gu Mingli couldn't withstand the emperor's gaze in the end, and guiltily looked away first.

He shifted uncomfortably, clenched his fist to his lips, and coughed twice to cover his embarrassment.

"Ahem... well, I was just talking nonsense."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Ye sighed helplessly and rubbed his temples.

Looking into Gu Mingli's clear eyes just now, he almost believed this nonsense!

Xiao Ye picked up his teacup and took a small sip to moisten his throat.

He then gave Gu Mingli another complex look.

Only then did he completely suppress his joking thoughts and lower his voice to continue speaking.

"Furthermore, this time I sent the Dragon Scale Guards to infiltrate the northern border, ostensibly to search for high-yield crops such as potatoes and sweet potatoes. But in secret, they discovered an extremely mysterious place."

Gu Mingli's eyes lit up instantly; his adventurous DNA kicked in, and he immediately became interested.

"Where?"

"It is a lonely city from a previous dynasty, hidden in the vast sandstorm."

Xiao Ye's gaze darkened slightly.

"Moreover, the Dragon Scale Guards there seem to have discovered traces of the activities of military officers from the previous dynasty."

Gu Mingli held his breath.

This is getting a bit exciting!

His mind worked quickly, and he immediately understood Xiao Ye's interest in the previous dynasty.

"So... His Majesty's insistence on going to the northern border at this critical juncture is not only for disaster relief, but also to personally investigate that isolated city?"

Xiao Ye made no attempt to hide his thoughts, simply giving a soft "hmm".

"When the previous dynasty collapsed, the last group of ministers who swore to serve the country to the death were all talented scholars from humble backgrounds who were handpicked by the emperor of the Great Qi Dynasty from the bottom of society."

"Those civil and military officials were all exceptionally talented and capable, far beyond the reach of ordinary people."

"If they still have any remaining forces entrenched in the North, especially during this turbulent period when the political situation is not stable."

"As the ruler of a country, I must be on guard."

He put down his teacup and stared at Gu Mingli.

"Furthermore, what exactly is the so-called 'secret treasure' left behind by the previous emperor? I am indeed extremely curious about it."

Having said all that, Gu Mingli finally understood.

Therefore, Huang Jiaojiao's insistence on going to the north for disaster relief was partly due to her genuine concern for the people and her inability to bear seeing so many lives lost.

On the other hand, he also used the legitimate pretext of "going on an inspection tour to provide disaster relief" to openly avoid the watchful eyes of the powerful families in the capital.

Go and uncover the secrets of the previous dynasty for yourself!

Who knows, we might actually find some useful clues from that mysterious, isolated city.

Thinking of this, Gu Mingli felt his blood boiling and had no further objections.

He slammed his hand on the table, declaring with boundless pride, "Very well! Since that's the case, then I will accompany Your Majesty on this journey!"

[Ding! Xiao Ye's favorability towards you has increased by 2, current favorability -421]

But as soon as he finished speaking, he remembered something else.

"I have no problem accompanying Your Majesty. However, as for my sister..."

Gu Mingli's eyes were full of vigilance.

He feared that Xiao Ye was playing a grand scheme, deliberately using his precious sister as a hostage to tightly control his father, who remained in the capital to guard the city.

When Xiao Ye met his wary gaze, he smiled quite frankly.

"You're overthinking it. The north is barren, and now it's hit by a major disaster, leaving the people destitute."

"After the disaster, how to quickly restore livelihoods and rebuild commerce? Master Gu is far wiser than those old fogies in the Ministry of Revenue. I am going there this time to get things done, and I desperately need Master Gu's guidance."

These words were well-reasoned, supported by evidence, and expressed with great humility.

Gu Mingli was finally relieved.

That afternoon, a bright imperial edict entered the gates of the Gu residence.

"During the emperor's tours, Right Chancellor Gu Debai was in charge of the administration of the court and was specially appointed to assist in governance."

A new policy was also issued at the same time.

"Any son born out of wedlock who can independently pay land taxes or commercial taxes in his own name is entitled to a share of the family property."

The moment Gu Debai received the imperial edict, he stared at the grand and imposing words on it, so angry that he blew his beard and glared at the emperor.

"Well done! What a cunning little emperor!"

Gu Debai paced back and forth irritably in the main hall with his hands behind his back, cursing as he went.

"I knew he was being so kind all of a sudden! Turns out he'd dug such a huge pit for me!"

"With this new policy suddenly announced, what follows will undoubtedly be nothing but criticism and verbal battles!"

"He dumped this mess on me beforehand! And then ran off to enjoy some peace and quiet? That's outrageous!"

Gu Mingyue and her brother Gu Mingli sat to the side, chuckling to themselves as they drank tea and watched their father stomping his feet.

The two worked together seamlessly.

Every now and then, she would come over to pour tea and massage his back, bombarding him with sweet words.

"Father, please don't be angry. The northern border is suffering from drought and food shortages, and the sandstorms are terrible. We don't want you to suffer on this long journey!"

Gu Mingyue clung to Gu Debai's arm and acted coquettishly.

"Yes, Father. Without your presence in the court, how could His Majesty feel at ease going out? This shows how much His Majesty relies on you!"

Gu Mingli echoed his sentiments from the side.

Gu Debai was flattered by his two darling children, who kept coaxing him with their sweet words.

Even with a terrible temper, it all turned into a helpless sigh in the end.

He walked to the desk, picked up a pen, wrote down the address of an old house, and handed it to Gu Mingli.

His eyes softened with a hint of nostalgia and tenderness.

"Since you insist on going, if you have time, go back to your hometown and visit your father on his behalf."

"That place... is where your father and mother used to live."

The brother and sister exchanged a glance and solemnly agreed.

Even though their father didn't say it, they had long wanted to see the place where their parents had lived happily together.

Gu Mingli put the address away and exchanged a glance with his sister.

In fact, Gu Mingyue had another plan.

She looked at Gu Debai, her eyes sparkling, and told him her plan.

"Father, actually, the reason I'm going with you on this trip is to look for new investment opportunities in the north."

"Since the North is where Father once lived and holds such deep affection for our Gu family, then I will use the name of Pujitang to build the largest branch there."

"Firstly, it will boost local livelihoods, and secondly, it will help the disaster victims."

Gu Debai knew that his daughter was asking him for money again.

However, this time he did not question it.

Instead, he nodded in approval, displaying great generosity.

"Great idea! No wonder you're my daughter, Gu Debai! Tell me, how much silver is needed for the initial setup?"

Gu Mingyue smiled, her eyes crinkling.

"Not much, just give me two hundred thousand taels first."

This time, Gu Debai didn't even frown. He immediately summoned the steward and gave his daughter a silver note containing 200,000 taels of silver.

The moment Gu Mingyue received the silver note, a crisp notification sound rang in her mind.

[Ding! New quest triggered.]

[You have obtained 1 taels of stolen silver. Please spend it all within one month.]

……

Meanwhile, night fell, and shadows enveloped the Cui residence.

Inside the Cui family study, the candlelight flickered dimly.

Upon hearing the news from the imperial court, Cui Ming couldn't help but clap his hands in ecstasy.

"A godsend... truly a godsend!"

The young emperor was so arrogant that he dared to travel incognito to the border of the Northern Barbarians with only a small number of guards?

Most importantly, the Gu siblings are accompanying us on this trip!

As long as they all die outside, they will never be able to return to the capital.

At that time, the Cui family will be able to easily regain complete control of the Great Qi through Consort Cui in the harem!

Cui Ming sneered and strode to the desk.

He picked up his brush, dipped it in ink, and skillfully wrote a secret letter in the Northern Barbarian script.

"Someone! Send this letter by express courier, covering 800 li, with utmost urgency! Deliver this letter personally to the Northern Barbarian King's tent!"