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

Gu Mingli was completely stumped by the question.

The room was completely silent.

The destructive power of this question far exceeds all of Xiao Ye's probing attempts before tonight.

If he says "not the original owner," then it's tantamount to admitting that he was transported into another body.

In this feudal and superstitious era, possessing another person's body is an evil technique that deserves a thousand cuts!

Being executed as a monster is a small matter, but if it implicates the younger sister he raised, that would be worse than death.

Gu Mingli felt as if he were blindfolded, walking a tightrope on a precipice.

On the left is utter destruction, on the right is utter ruin.

Xiao Ye's gaze was intense, pressing forward relentlessly, clearly having already laid all his cards on the table.

Tonight, I've dismissed everyone around me, intending to coax a definitive answer out of him.

Gu Mingli took a deep breath and clenched his fist.

"Your subject is the former Gu Mingli."

"Voice, appearance, bloodline, this body, from birth to death, is completely Gu Mingli."

"only……"

Gu Mingli carefully crafted his words.

"I have been weak and sickly since childhood. During the day I am in a daze, like a walking corpse, because every night in my dreams I have to go to the immortals to learn things."

"I studied like this day after day for more than ten years, with my days and nights reversed."

"During the day, my three souls and seven spirits cannot keep up, so in the eyes of outsiders, I look like a hopeless fool."

"Now that I've finally mastered the skills, the immortal arts are abstruse. If I want to use what I've learned in the mortal realm, my behavior will inevitably be somewhat... different from others. I hope Your Majesty will forgive me."

After saying all that in one breath, Gu Mingli shut his mouth tightly and didn't say another word.

This argument is half true and half false, and its logic is barely self-consistent.

In ancient times, attributing something to gods or ghosts was the safest option.

He waited anxiously for Xiao Ye's reaction.

Xiao Ye leaned back quietly in his chair, his slender fingers tapping rhythmically on the armrests.

Those usually unfathomable eyes were now devoid of all defenses, filled with undisguised hope.

"So... you climbed onto my dragon bed, danced that strange dance before me, your body emitted a glow, you could make ducks march in formation, you could create insecticides I'd never seen before, and you could teach me those bizarre symbols and formulas..."

"Even today, you imitated me for an entire day."

Xiao Ye leaned forward slightly, his gaze fixed intently.

"Mingli, did you come here with a mission from Heaven?"

It was only at this moment that Gu Mingli suddenly realized what was going on.

No wonder this aloof monarch tolerated him time and time again, no matter how "self-destructive" his behavior was!

No wonder Xiao Ye saw through his many tricks long ago but didn't expose them!

It turns out that all of this was because of...

Xiao Ye thought that Gu Mingli was the "famous minister sent by Heaven"!

But the incredibly messed-up truth is...

Xiao Ye has mistaken someone for someone else!

The true "mission of a renowned minister," capable of turning the tide and saving the empire from collapse, must have been someone else entirely.

What Gu Mingli was bound to was a despicable "palace intrigue system" that was hard to talk about!

His task was nothing more than to win the emperor's favor, like a jealous concubine in the imperial harem, in order to protect the lives of his three family members—a nobody like him!

But Xiao Ye clearly wasn't going to let him off the hook. His eyes were fixed on him as he continued to press for answers:

"Mingli, you have a mission to become a renowned minister, don't you?"

Gu Mingli's lips moved slightly, and his face turned pale.

Answering with "yes" is the safest, easiest, and most likely way to immediately save your family's lives.

He could simply nod and shamelessly relinquish this illustrious title of "renowned minister."

From then on, he became the emperor's most favored and powerful minister, enjoying endless wealth and honor, and even his imperial missions were completed in an instant.

but……

He really couldn't say it.

Xiao Ye trusted him, which is why he revealed such a shocking secret.

If one knew that after fourteen years of bitter waiting in this cannibalistic palace, amidst endless darkness and betrayal, all that awaited them was an imposter with a "palace intrigue script"...

How disappointed would he be?

Gu Mingli felt as if a huge boulder was pressing down on his chest, making it difficult to even breathe, and he couldn't open his mouth no matter what.

Xiao Ye was still staring intently at him, like a drowning person looking at a piece of driftwood, patiently waiting.

This heavy trust is too much to bear.

It was so heavy that Gu Mingli felt he couldn't bear the weight of even sacrificing his soul for a single lie.

If I were to selfishly lie and accept this identity just to survive...

A truly outstanding minister might lose his chance to emerge because of his replacement.

Xiao Ye, as fate would have it, might not live past thirty.

The candle flame in the room flickered suddenly, bursting into a single flame.

Gu Mingli lowered his head, his gaze fixed on the water in his foot bath tub.

Xiao Ye did not urge him.

She just watched him and waited quietly.

Gu Mingli grabbed a dry towel from the side and quickly wiped the water off his feet.

He calmly stood up and straightened his slightly disheveled robes.

He then looked directly into Xiao Ye's eyes with a solemn expression.

Just as he was about to open his mouth and reveal the cruel truth, a piercing alarm suddenly exploded in his mind!

A blood-red, semi-transparent warning box suddenly popped up, filling his entire field of vision.

[Beep beep beep! Warning to the host! Please answer the tyrant's questions with caution!]

[If the host intends to reveal the truth, it will most likely trigger the Tyrant's Despair Mode, reducing your favorability by 500! You will be beaten to death! Please stop your suicidal behavior immediately!]

Gu Mingli's pupils suddenly trembled, and the words that were about to come out got stuck in his throat.

The system, exasperated, continued to issue warnings.

[Host! Are you out of your mind?! The best solution is to just go with the flow and accept the title of renowned minister! That's the optimal approach!]

[This way you've reached the required favorability level, and the tyrant has a chance to survive. It's good for everyone! Nod quickly!]

Seeing the system's frantic urging, Gu Mingli inwardly sneered and retorted:

[You want me to admit it? Then give me a clear answer! Did I accept a "mission to be a renowned minister"? Am I capable of governing the country or leading troops into battle?!]

The system was momentarily stunned; the originally sharp alarm instantly dropped, turning into muffled humming and hawing.

Well... this...

The system's guilty conscience only made Gu Mingli more certain.

So, the truth is, someone else actually took on the "mission of a renowned minister," right?

[But that person hasn't shown up yet. Has something happened to them?]

The system completely froze, the red light went out, and it dared not make a sound again.

A wave of sadness washed over Gu Mingli.

It turns out that in this world riddled with problems, Emperor Guangxian of the Great Qi was not the only one who failed his mission.

Another person, who was tasked with being a "renowned minister" and was supposed to assist Xiao Ye, also failed.

Gu Mingli glanced speechlessly at the -411 favorability rating on the system interface.

After I finish speaking, my score might drop to -900.

Wait, what's the use of those 10 luck points over there?

The system interface flickered and reluctantly replied: [Literal meaning. If you seize the opportunity, you might even hear a piece of gossip.]

Gu Mingli: "..."

He shouldn't have had too high expectations for the system.

Use my luck points!

This time the system didn't stop it; a flash of golden light appeared, and the luck value was activated.

Gu Mingli took a deep breath, took half a step back, and clasped his hands together.

Facing Xiao Ye's expectant eyes, he bowed deeply and performed a very proper salute between ruler and subject.

He's ready to take a gamble!

He was betting that Xiao Ye wouldn't be willing to kill him.

The main hall was completely silent.

"His Majesty,"

Gu Mingli said in a hoarse voice, "Your Majesty, I have not received such a mission."

"I am not the person you are waiting for."

After he finished speaking, he lowered his head, not daring to look Xiao Ye in the eye again.

He wasn't afraid of death.

Instead, she couldn't bear to see the hope in Xiao Ye's eyes crumble into dust, bit by bit.