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

The next morning, Gu Mingli got up and was caught red-handed by Yi Shi.

Yi Shi rubbed his hands awkwardly and gave an embarrassed laugh.

"Young Master! His Majesty has summoned you! He says you... um... must come to the palace to meet the Emperor today."

Gu Mingli yawned and stretched.

"Did you say what it is?"

"No...no."

Yi Shi shook his head guiltily, his expression very conflicted.

"The little eunuch who delivered the message said... after His Majesty finished reading the last page of the People's Daily last night, his expression was... a little subtle."

Gu Mingli raised an eyebrow.

"The last version? What was so special about that version that warranted such a subtle expression from him?"

Yi Shi was a little worried and looked down, picking at his hands.

"Young master, do you think His Majesty might not like the stories I write?"

Gu Mingli smiled and patted Yi Shi on the shoulder.

"Don't worry, great writer! Storybooks are meant for the common people; how could His Majesty possibly argue with fictional tales?"

"Let's go, let's go into the palace and take a look."

The carriage left the Gu residence, passed through the bustling streets, and swayed until it arrived at the palace gate.

Gu Mingli straightened his robes and entered the Imperial Study without any hindrance.

When I pushed the door open, Xiao Ye was sitting behind the dragon desk looking at folded paper.

The Imperial Study was quiet, with incense burning softly.

The window was half open, and the early autumn breeze blew in from outside, carrying the sweet fragrance of osmanthus blossoms.

Xiao Ye wore a black casual suit today, with a dark dragon pattern embroidered on the collar, which made his features appear even more cold and stern.

Gu Mingli bowed with his hands clasped in greeting.

Good morning, Your Majesty.

Xiao Ye snorted and didn't bother to look up.

With slender fingers holding a vermilion pen, he carefully wrote a line of words on the folded paper.

This arrogant yet awkward demeanor is indeed somewhat subtle.

Gu Mingli blinked, indicating his confusion.

Did Xiao Ye take the wrong medicine? What's going on?

He took two steps forward, moved closer to the dragon table, and tilted his head to look at Xiao Ye's face.

"Hey, what's wrong? Do you get irritable and easily agitated a few days every month?"

Liu An: "!!!"

Geng Zhi: "..."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Ye paused slightly with his pen, then silently raised his eyes.

Gu Mingli became increasingly bold, daring to make any kind of joke with him.

"Gu Mingli".

"Your subject is here."

Xiao Ye put down his vermilion brush, took something from beside the dragon desk, and gently pushed it to the center of the table.

Gu Mingli looked down.

It was yesterday's edition of the "Da Yong Min Bao" newspaper, which had been turned to the last page for a serialized story.

Those few lines of text were circled with a vermilion pen.

"Wearing a dark brocade robe, with slightly raised phoenix eyes," "looking down from above," "with thin lips slightly parted"...

Gu Mingli stared at the circled words, looking completely bewildered.

There are no typos or misunderstandings here, are there?

Xiao Ye leaned back on the dragon throne, raised his chin, and looked at him with a neutral tone.

"I ask you, whose image was this 'domineering prince' modeled after?"

Gu Mingli was slightly taken aback, his brain racing.

How could he know who he referenced?

That night, when he was giving Yi Shi a dictation of the story outline of "The Real and Fake Heiress and the Overbearing Prince," his mind was full of how to design melodramatic plot points and how to maximize the conflicts in the story to grab the readers' attention.

As for the specific physical description of the characters? He didn't even bother to think about it.

At that time, Yi Shi asked him, "Young master, how should this aloof and refined prince be portrayed?"

Upon hearing these two descriptive labels, he subconsciously rattled off the image in his mind that he considered the most handsome, unapproachable, and intimidating.

But now, following Xiao Ye's prompts, let's look at this text again...

Gu Mingli's Adam's apple bobbed, and he swallowed a large mouthful of saliva.

This image...

It's a damn copy of Xiao Ye's design!

We're doomed.

Gu Mingli coughed twice, trying to find a solution in his mind with an awkward laugh.

"Your Majesty, this... I swear to Heaven, it's purely a coincidence!"

"Oh? Is that so?"

Xiao Ye scoffed coldly, interrupting his sophistry.

"A man so similar in appearance and temperament to me, uttering such vulgar and absurd sweet nothings to a down-on-her-luck young lady in public? Do you think this is a coincidence?"

Gu Mingli shrugged, pretending not to understand.

However, Xiao Ye did not intend to force him to understand.

"However, since Minister Gu says it's a coincidence, then it doesn't matter. I think the character development of other roles can also be based on a 'coincidence'."

Gu Mingli: "???"

At first, Gu Mingli didn't realize that Xiao Ye's seemingly casual words concealed a deadly intent.

It wasn't until two days later.

The latest issue of the "Da Yong Min Bao" was delivered to the Gu residence.

As Gu Mingli was inspecting the sample newspaper with a teacup in hand, he glanced at the serialized section and was so angry that he spat out a mouthful of hot tea, his temple veins throbbing.

Yi Shi, acting on someone's orders, completely changed the speech and behavior of that down-on-her-luck heiress!

That young lady was not only familiar with the vendors in the streets and alleys of Kyoto, but everyone who saw her would habitually call her "Young Miss".

When they encounter trouble, they will say "a celestial being has given them guidance."

Even his mannerisms are just like Gu Mingli's!

That's good now.

Among the vendors in the alleys surrounding the Prime Minister's residence, whoever saw this version of the story, didn't they all find the statue of the young lady familiar?

This is Xiao Ye's revenge!

Come on! Let's hurt each other!

……

Just as the streets and alleys of the capital were applauding the "Da Yong Min Bao" newspaper, the Qi King's carriage quietly left the capital and headed south to Lingzhou.

Lingzhou, Cui residence.

Cui Ming rode back from the capital at full speed and entered the mansion at noon.

The steward quickly came forward to greet him.

"Second Master, the Duke is waiting in the study in the backyard. Please go directly there when you arrive."

Cui Ming grunted in agreement, but instead of changing his clothes, he lifted the hem of his robe and walked through the moon gate, heading straight for the backyard.

The Cui residence was comparable in size to a prince's mansion.

The study was in a separate courtyard, with four guards holding knives standing at the entrance.

Seeing Cui Ming rushing over, the guards stepped aside.

Cui Ming pushed open the door and entered the room.

Cui Yuan sat in the armchair behind his desk, holding a thin letter in his hand.

His triangular eyes were half-closed, deep in thought.

"Brother!"

Cui Ming frowned and strode into the room.

Cui Yuan raised his eyes slightly and pointed to the seat next to him.

"sit."

Cui Ming pulled up a chair, sat down, poured himself a glass of cold tea, and took a sip.

After the dryness in his throat subsided slightly, he finally spoke.

"Brother, all our manors and influence in Jizhou have been wiped out by the young emperor."

Cui Yuan rubbed his fingers along the edge of the letter.

"Have you tried to pull some strings in North Korea?"

"Sigh, I looked for someone, but it didn't work! They said the local bully in Jizhou reported in the newspapers has aroused public outrage."

Cui Ming placed the teacup on the table, his voice very low.

"Jia Zheng was escorted to the capital by the Dragon Scale Guard. I heard that he confessed a lot of things during the first trial at the Dali Temple, and now he has been sentenced to beheading."

"Cui Zhe didn't say anything to anyone, but the Dali Temple thoroughly investigated his crimes and sentenced him to death."

"The young emperor didn't even bother to put on a show and quickly made a decision, showing no regard for our Cui family at all."

"Now many people in Jizhou are complaining in the Da Yong People's Daily. As a result, all the officials in Jizhou have been thoroughly investigated."

"Now everyone from top to bottom is a new person promoted by the emperor, and we haven't kept a single one of our people."

The study was quiet for a moment.

From the bronze incense burner in the corner, a wisp of smoke rose straight up, only to be dispersed by the draft in the middle of the room.

Cui Yuan finally put down the letter in his hand and looked up at his younger brother.

"First it was the Grand Canal, then iron smelting, and now they've taken away the Cui family's influence in the north."

"We underestimated Xiao Ye."