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

Shopkeeper Tao recovered from the melancholy he felt while recalling the past dynasties.

He raised his wine cup, clinked it against Gu Mingli's, and downed it in one gulp.

His face regained that shrewd and warm-hearted smile typical of江湖 (jianghu, the world of martial arts and chivalry).

The proprietress quickly served another round of steaming hot dishes and drinks.

After breaking the mud seal, Sanliangye poured two more bottles, and the rich aroma of the liquor instantly filled the hall.

A plate of braised pork knuckle glistening with oil and reddish-brown, along with a dish of salted edamame sprinkled with Sichuan peppercorns and star anise, immediately enlivened the wooden table.

The secrets of the previous dynasty are like a key that unlocks a floodgate of conversation.

The wandering swordsmen and merchants in the tavern all let loose and started chatting loudly, one after another.

Just then, a burly man with a full beard from the next table came over, carrying a large, chipped porcelain wine bowl and burping as he did so.

He leaned casually against the edge of Gu Mingli's table, clearly very familiar with Manager Tao, and, emboldened by a bit of alcohol, spoke without any restraint.

"If you ask me, Emperor Guangxian back then was truly a once-in-a-century figure!"

"Unfortunately, Heaven was blind; he didn't live to see his end!"

The bearded man tilted his head back and gulped down a large mouthful of wine, the liquid dripping down his chin and into his collar. He wiped his mouth and gave a cold laugh.

"And look at who sits on the dragon throne in the Great Yong Dynasty now? Ugh! I don't even want to waste my breath talking about him!"

He shook his head, his tone full of disdain and sarcasm.

"How many years has the Great Yong Dynasty been established? The powerful clans still run rampant, the common people still suffer, and those who are bullied by the nobles are still being bullied! Has the emperor done anything about it?"

"Take the severe drought in Jizhou a few years ago, for example. The imperial court claimed to have allocated one million taels of silver for disaster relief! And what was the result?"

"After layers of exploitation, ordinary people can't even afford the brown rice needed to cook a bowl of thin porridge!"

"I think this young emperor is just a good-for-nothing who grew up in the palace. Just like his incompetent father, he'll be played to death by those powerful clans sooner or later!"

"My friend, please watch your words!"

Gu Mingli was drinking water from his teacup when he heard this, his brow furrowed, and he instantly became agitated.

He didn't know what kind of talent and ambition Emperor Guangxian possessed, but he could see very clearly what kind of life Xiao Ye led every day!

Every day, I would sit in the imperial study with this young emperor, reviewing the mountain of memorials, and witness firsthand his dedication to his studies.

For the sake of the Great Yong Dynasty, Xiao Ye humbled himself as an emperor and humbly sought his advice on various matters, planning how to implement his famous strategy.

The two often discussed a national policy for two or three days at a time.

This kind of diligent and ambitious emperor, whose efforts would move even dogs to tears, is now being called an incompetent fool by a nobody from the martial arts world?!

A surge of anger welled up in Gu Mingli's heart.

He glanced at Xiao Ye sitting beside him out of the corner of his eye.

Xiao Ye, however, remained calm and composed, continuing to toy with his wine glass in the same manner, his expression unchanged.

However, before Gu Mingli could even stand up and say a few words of justice for Xiao Ye, the system's voice rang in his mind.

[Ding! High-risk warning! Detected strong emotional undercurrents in the character Xiao Ye!]

[Tyrant Mode is being forcibly activated... 1%... 2%... 3%...]

[Warning to the host! Once Tyrant Mode is fully activated, no one will survive within a 100-meter radius! Please take immediate intervention measures!]

Gu Mingli: "!!!"

Holy crap! Holy crap!

Xiao Ye's face showed absolutely no anger!

You bunch of blabbermouths, you'd better shut your stinking mouths that spout nonsense!

The most elite troops of Dayong are currently stationed outside the city gate!

Are you tired of living? Do you really have to fabricate stories about an emperor traveling incognito right here and now?!

If I, the client, were to flip the table and draw my sword now, no matter how many martial arts masters you are, you'd all be finished here today!

Gu Mingli quickly cleared his throat, stood up abruptly, and decisively cut off the increasingly unrestrained and deadly complaints from the bearded man.

"My friend, your statement is rather biased!"

"The corruption and malpractices you mentioned are obvious to anyone with eyes to see; they are all old, deeply entrenched problems from the late emperor's reign that are difficult to reverse."

"Is it reasonable to pin the blame of our predecessors on the new Emperor of the Great Yong Dynasty?"

"Do the math. The new emperor has only been on the throne for less than two years!"

Gu Mingli stared intently at the bearded man, his imposing aura palpable.

"What is the current state of affairs in the imperial court?"

"Powerful clans and aristocratic families control the Six Ministries, tightly gripping key departments; corrupt officials below them form cliques, a den of snakes and rats, outwardly obeying but inwardly defying their superiors. This is a problem left over from previous emperors!"

"Given this utterly chaotic situation, even if the current emperor were made of iron, how many nails could he possibly hammer out?"

"We can't put this huge blame on a young emperor!"

The man with the bushy beard was interrupted in his enthusiastic speech and stopped drinking from his bowl.

He tilted his head, looking Gu Mingli up and down, his eyes filled with a hint of drunkenness and a dangerous suspicion.

"Hey buddy, something's fishy about you."

"Everyone is vehemently criticizing the imperial court, and you, of all people, are here defending the Emperor of Dayong?"

The bearded man sneered and leaned forward.

"What, could it be... that you're a secret agent sent by the Great Yong Dynasty to gather intelligence in the martial world?"

Upon hearing this, the previously noisy tavern instantly fell silent.

The martial arts practitioners at the surrounding tables stopped eating, gripped the swords at their waists, and looked over warily and hostilely.

Gu Mingli felt a sudden rush of cold sweat on his back, but his expression remained calm and composed.

He waved his hand dismissively, feigning nonchalance and mockery.

"Brother, you flatter me. If I were truly an official, would I allow you to sit here drinking and cursing the Emperor?"

"I'm not taking sides; I'm just stating the facts."

"Since we're here today to discuss this matter, we must speak fairly, logically, and with evidence!"

Gu Mingli's feeling of being wronged on Xiao Ye's behalf hadn't subsided.

I feel uneasy!

If his client is insulted, it's equivalent to insulting him, the service provider!

Since Xiao Ye's political achievements have already attracted the attention of the martial arts world, let's just let everyone in the martial arts world understand them clearly.

Gu Mingli became serious.

"The current young emperor of Dayong is by no means the incompetent and foolish person who only indulges in pleasure and debauchery as the rumors suggest."

"He was different from those previous kings who only knew how to be reckless or conservative."

"Oh?"

The bearded man was now truly intrigued.

He slammed the rough earthenware wine bowl heavily on the edge of the table with a "bang," turned completely to face Gu Mingli, and coldly snorted:

"Alright, then tell me, what's so different about this young punk?"