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

The sound echoed through the gale, its venomous quality almost deadly.

[Ding! Detected that target Xiao Ye was extremely impressed and deeply moved by your performance (even leaving an indelible psychological scar).]

[Congratulations, host, on perfectly completing today's "Welcome You" storyline mission! Luck +10!]

The moment Gu Mingli heard the notification sound in her mind, the "shyness" on her face vanished instantly.

Without a second thought, he swiftly withdrew that twisted, nightmarish smile.

With extremely swift movements, he snatched the palm-leaf fan that his sister and Taozhi were still waving from their hands.

Then, as if nothing had happened, he roughly and casually swept the hair that was stuck to his face behind his head, and casually took out a wooden hairpin from his sleeve pocket.

He quickly and haphazardly tied a bird's nest-like bun on top of his head.

The entire movement was fluid and seamless, completed in one go.

The wind stopped.

The surrounding area was completely petrified.

Even the well-traveled royal horse responsible for pulling the royal carriage couldn't help but snort loudly.

A clear look of terror shone in the horse's large eyes.

He took a half-step back uneasily, as if afraid that the madman in front of him would pounce on him and bite the horse.

The Dragonscale Guards, who witnessed the entire event, were collectively left bewildered.

Their hands, gripping the knife hilts, trembled slightly, and each person's worldview was undergoing a brutal and inhumane reconstruction.

They are simply ignorant.

Should such a provocative act, which is an insult to the emperor's dignity, be stopped by drawing one's sword?

In complete silence.

Xiao Ye, the only one in the entire audience who calmly lifted the carriage curtain and watched this shocking "underworld performance," felt his chest rise and fall slightly.

He exhaled a long breath, a sigh of helplessness mixed with "I'm used to it."

I didn't ask anything, and I didn't say anything.

He simply looked intently at Gu Mingli, then calmly said:

"Get in the car."

Gu Mingli's skin was now as thick as a city wall.

Without even raising his head, he slipped into the carriage like a slippery eel.

Gu Mingyue and Taozhi, who remained where they were, quickly lowered their heads, covered their mouths tightly, and shook their shoulders frantically.

To avoid laughing out loud and committing the crime of deceiving the emperor, the two turned around in tacit agreement and ran back to the carriage that was following behind them as if their lives depended on it.

The convoy began to move.

The carriage remained quiet until it left the city gate.

Gu Mingming combed her hair again, regaining her serene and elegant appearance.

Xiao Ye closed his eyes to rest for a while, and then slowly opened them.

Their eyes met.

Xiao Ye's eyes held a faint smile.

"you……"

"I do not wish to speak."

Gu Mingli spoke first, and then turned his head to look out the window.

Xiao Ye chuckled softly and didn't ask any more questions.

The convoy traveled north along the official road.

For the first two days, lush greenery could still be seen along the way.

In the fields on both sides of the official road, the rice seedlings, though not particularly robust, were at least still green.

The third day of the journey.

Occasionally, wisps of smoke rise from village chimneys along the roadside, and the sounds of chickens and dogs can be heard.

Gu Mingli sat in the spacious carriage and reached out to lift a corner of the bamboo curtain by the window.

A gust of hot air rushed in instantly.

He squinted and looked outside.

The fields on both sides of the official road have changed color.

The soil cracked into deep furrows, and large swathes of green seedlings withered and collapsed on the dusty ridges.

He lowered the bamboo curtain.

Xiao Ye sat in the chair, flipping through a book in his hand.

Gu Mingli picked up the teapot on the low table, poured two cups of cold tea, and handed one over.

"Your Majesty, please have some water to soothe your throat."

Xiao Ye looked up from the book, took the teacup, and took a sip.

"What's the situation outside?"

"It's terrible."

Gu Mingli rubbed the dust off his fingers.

"The fields are so dry they're practically steaming, and you can hardly see a soul in the villages along the way."

Xiao Ye put down his teacup and books, closed his eyes, and leaned back to rest.

"The news of my personal northern tour has already reached the three northern prefectures."

"This drought situation cannot be hidden. We'll see how those officials try to explain it then."

"Isn't Your Majesty afraid they'll rebel and besiege us?"

Xiao Ye chuckled.

"Mingli, you don't really think that I personally go on an inspection tour with only a small team of about a hundred Dragon Scale Guards, do you?"

On the fourth day of their journey, the group finally arrived at Jizhou City.

From the city gate, one could hear the cacophony of voices from afar.

A short, stout official with a warm smile on his face was leading the county officials and clerks from the prefecture's jurisdiction, waiting outside the city gate early in the morning.

It was Jia Zhengjing, the governor of Jizhou.

Upon seeing the emperor's carriage arrive, Jia Zhengjing lifted the corner of his robe and knelt down first, followed by a throng of officials and clerks.

Three shouts of "Long live the Emperor!"

Xiao Ye did not get out of the car.

He instructed Liu An to deliver a message through the carriage curtain.

They simply said that the emperor was tired and skipped all the formalities, and the procession went directly into the city.

No one present could see the emperor's face; they could only follow behind the procession, secretly glancing towards the carriage.

Gu Mingli quietly lifted a gap in the curtains.

The carriage passed through the tall city gate and entered Jizhou City.

The sight before him stunned him.

The scene here is completely different from the arid and barren landscape outside the city.

Shops lined both sides of the wide street, their colorful signs swaying in the wind.

Caravans moved back and forth on the streets.

Wealthy young men strolled leisurely through the streets, fanning themselves with folding fans.

The family of a local gentry, accompanied by their maids, were selecting items in front of a jewelry shop.

The air was filled with the aroma of food emanating from the restaurant, mixed with the scent of rouge and face powder from the girls.

Gu Mingli lowered the curtain and turned to look at Xiao Ye with some confusion.

"Your Majesty, this place doesn't look like a barren prefecture at all. The streets are quite lively."

Xiao Ye withdrew his gaze and snorted coldly.

"The tax revenue reported by Jizhou has been decreasing year by year."

"If this place is truly prosperous, where did the tax revenue go?"

"If it's just a facade of prosperity, who's keeping the restaurants and taverns in the city running? And what's supporting those grand mansions?"

His gaze swept over a restaurant on the street that was decorated with red silk.

"There are only two possibilities in this situation. Either the money didn't go through official channels, or the business wasn't conducted legitimately."

The emperor's carriage was welcomed and settled into the official residence of the Jizhou government.

The mansion was built in an extremely luxurious manner.

The courtyard is planted with precious flowers and plants, and koi carp swim to and fro in the pond.

Gu Mingli and Gu Mingyue walked around the residence, with Taozhi following behind them.

"Brother, don't you think something's fishy?"

"How so?"

"Everyone says Jizhou is a barren land, so how come the prefectural government residence is built so luxuriously? And..."

Gu Mingyue stopped and pulled her brother to point to the ground.

The center of the floor tiles was worn smooth, indicating that people often walk on them.

This guesthouse has been in continuous use!

Gu Mingli lowered his voice, "You suspect that an important figure frequently visits Jizhou and has close ties with the Jizhou government?"

Gu Mingyue nodded.

Gu Mingli frowned slightly; he needed to tell Xiao Ye about this discovery.

The three continued their stroll.

As I passed by the main hall, I heard voices coming from inside.

The brother and sister tiptoed behind the side door and peered through the gap in the screen.

The governor of Ji Province, Jia Zhengjing, knelt respectfully on the bluestone bricks in the center of the main hall, his forehead touching the ground.

Xiao Ye sat in the grand chair at the head of the table, holding a teacup and skimming off the foam.

"You have made a great contribution to making Jizhou City so prosperous."

Jia Zhengjing straightened his upper body.

His face was filled with a mixture of fear and smugness.

"Your Majesty flatters me. Your humble servant dares not claim credit for the work of Heaven. It is all thanks to Your Majesty's great blessings."

As he spoke, Jia Zhengjing took a half-step forward.

The smile on his face vanished, replaced by a look of deep sorrow.

"Your Majesty, I have something to report today."

Xiao Ye put down his teacup and coldly raised his eyes.

"explain."

Jia Zhengjing took out a memorial from his sleeve and held it up with both hands.

"Your humble servant wishes to impeach Zhao Pucheng, the magistrate of Anyang County."

"This man has a long-standing personal grudge against the prefecture and has many grievances against me. This time, instead of obeying the prefecture's disaster relief measures, he spread rumors, deliberately exaggerated the disaster, and incited the people to riot."

Jia Zhengjing's eyes reddened, and his voice choked with emotion.

"Your Majesty is wise! Ji Province has experienced droughts and locust plagues in previous years, and we are very experienced in preventing and controlling them. However, although there is a drought this year, there has been no disaster or people suffering."

"He is clearly deliberately smearing the achievements of Ji Province in order to gain fame for himself."

"This person is spreading rumors and inciting trouble, causing widespread panic among the people. He is truly up to no good."

After Jia Zhengjing finished speaking, he kowtowed heavily.

Liu An walked down the steps, took the folded book, and handed it to the emperor.

Xiao Ye took the folding book and casually flipped through it.

The truth of who is right and who is wrong has been completely reversed in these few words.