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

Gu Debai looked at the two children and sighed with a smile:

"At first, Father thought that his daughter's mission upon returning home was to do business, and that Li'er's mission was to become a renowned minister."

"Later I discovered that my daughter was particularly concerned about the money I had embezzled. I guessed that she was probably here to return the wealth to the people."

"As for Li'er..."

Gu Debai turned his head to look at Gu Mingli and clicked his tongue.

"Hiss... Father still hasn't figured out what Li'er's mission is. Can't you tell me?"

Gu Mingli swallowed hard.

Gu Debai didn't wait for his son's answer and continued, "Father knows he can't keep you here."

"Dad just wants to spend more time with you two and see you more often."

"Now that you have the ability to bring down the Cui family, you must be doing quite well in the other world."

Gu Debai's voice was like a wisp of tea smoke, light and airy, yet filled with the worries and love of an old father.

The brother and sister were so shocked that they couldn't utter a word for a long time.

Gu Mingyue's eyes reddened slightly.

She didn't know what it felt like to be loved by her parents in her original world.

Little did she know that Gu Debai was actually her and her brother's father in another world!

She lowered her head and clutched her dress tightly.

Gu Mingli's nose stung with tears.

He reached for the wine jug, refilled his father's cup, and then poured himself a full cup.

Gu Debai raised his glass and clinked it with his.

The two of them tilted their heads back and drank it all.

The liquor was spicy, burning down my throat and then scalding my stomach.

Gu Debai put down the empty glass, stared at the few drops of spilled wine on the table, and remained silent for a moment.

"Is Xiao Ye investigating Father's past?"

Gu Mingli neither denied nor nodded.

Gu Debai sighed softly and patted his son on the shoulder.

"The reason your father didn't tell you before was because you were getting too close to Xiao Ye. That boy is very cunning, and I was afraid he would control you."

"Now my daughter has the ability to control the lives of the people in Dayong, and my son can protect himself. Today, your father will tell you about our family's past."

Gu Mingli quickly refilled his father's wine glass.

Gu Mingyue quietly moved her stool closer to her father and looked up to listen attentively.

The candlelight in the main hall flickered twice.

Gu Debai leaned back in his chair, his phoenix eyes half-closed, as if looking into a very, very far place.

"The last emperor of the former Great Qi Dynasty—Emperor Guangxian—was a time traveler from another world."

"That person carries the mission of a wise and benevolent ruler, guided by the will of Heaven. He must save the people from suffering and bring about a new and prosperous era."

"But he doesn't understand political maneuvering. He has a lot of passion and a head full of advanced ideas, but he doesn't know that the knife in this world is never blatantly held to his throat."

Gu Debai took another sip of wine, his bright phoenix eyes reflecting the flickering candlelight.

"He was in power for a total of five years. He changed the recommendation system to the imperial examination system, abolished the hereditary official positions that were protected by powerful families, and measured the land in the country to calculate taxes by the acre."

"His bold actions provoked a backlash from powerful clans. Before he died, he entrusted a treasure map to his sister, Princess Lingyi."

"That is, your maternal grandmother."

The brother and sister exchanged a glance, then sat up straight, their hands clenching into fists in nervousness.

"Grandmother..."

Gu Mingyue asked softly, "What happened next?"

Gu Debai looked at the night outside the door and sighed.

"After the fall of the Great Qi, the eldest princess was forced to flee to the countryside. She traveled westward for more than half a month before falling ill in the wilderness."

"At that time, there was a highly respected vanguard general under King Xiao named Lu Lin. He was your maternal grandfather."

"Lu Lin had just turned twenty-three that year. He was undefeated in every battle, and Prince Xiao relied heavily on him."

"He commanded an army of 200,000. To put it bluntly, more than half of the Great Yong's territory was won by him, battle by battle."

"Lu Lin found your maternal grandmother on the march."

"Later, the two fell in love and married. The princess went into hiding, never mentioning the past. A year later, they had a daughter."

At this point, a soft light appeared in Gu Debai's phoenix eyes.

"That's your mother, her name is Jing Shu, a very pretty and quiet little girl."

Gu Mingyue's eyes shimmered, her fingers twisting a handkerchief.

Jing Shu is her and her brother's mother.

A mother whom the father had never met finally revealed her past through his narration.

Gu Debai's gaze fell on the half-eaten mooncake on the table, and the corners of his mouth curled up slightly, as if he was thinking of something from a long time ago.

"A few years later, Xiao Wang was recommended by the powerful clans to establish the Dayong Dynasty and become its founding emperor. Lu Lin was appointed as the Grand General of the State at the age of thirty-two and continued to lead an army of 200,000 to guard the western border."

"That's when your father met your maternal grandfather."

"Back then, my father wasn't called Gu Debai. He was called Gu Sheng."

Gu Mingyue and Gu Mingli exchanged a surprised glance; it turned out their father had another name.

As Gu Debai finished speaking, he chuckled softly, as if recalling some happy memories from the past.

"I was thirteen years old that year. I was an orphan who had fled famine and was about to starve to death by the roadside. Your maternal grandfather happened to pass by and took me home."

"I told him, 'I'll be your servant.' He nodded, and I entered General Lu's mansion."

"Life at the general's mansion was not tiring. The general and his subordinates were all very kind. Whenever I had free time, I would go to the study to borrow books to read."

"He asked me if I could read. I said yes, I secretly learned to read when I was working as a handyman at the academy."

"During Emperor Guangxian's reign, the imperial examination system was established. This gave children from poor families a way to rise in society. Although I was young at the time, I also wanted to take the exam and achieve official rank. I hoped that one day I could serve the country under a wise ruler like Emperor Guangxian."

"As a result, the wise ruler died. The imperial examination system was abolished, and powerful clans blocked all avenues."

"After your maternal grandfather learned about my situation, he spent money to hire the best tutor for me. He raised me like his own son."

"Your mother was only nine years old then. She called me 'Brother Sheng' all the time and followed me around all day, bringing me cakes one day and grinding ink for me the next."

"I would read until midnight, and she would squat on the doorstep waiting for me. I told her to go to sleep, but she refused, saying she was worried I would be scared alone. What a silly girl."

Gu Debai smiled.

This time, the smile held a hint of doting affection, yet it was also as cool and aloof as the frost on the window paper in the early morning.

Later, Lu Lin and Princess Lingyi became my godfather and godmother.

"My godfather told me not to get involved in anything else and to focus on my studies. He said I should pass the imperial examinations and serve the country in the future."

"My godmother would make me an extra bowl of hot soup noodles every night, with two poached eggs, saying that I needed to nourish my body because I studied so hard."

"When I was twenty-one, I became the top scholar in the imperial examination."

"The day I returned to the Lu family with my academic achievements, I knelt before your maternal grandfather and kowtowed three times. He was overjoyed and held a three-day banquet. He told everyone he met, 'My son has become the top scholar in the imperial examination.'"

At this point, Gu Debai drank another glass of wine, a faint smile appearing on his lips.

Gu Mingyue looked at her father, feeling heartbroken.

That was probably the happiest and most spirited time in Father’s early life.

With family by his side, success in his career, and a bright future ahead.

Gu Debai withdrew his gaze, the light in his eyes gradually dimming.

"Not long after, a transfer order arrived from Kyoto."

"Your maternal grandfather was transferred from the western border to the Jiangbei Camp in Jiangzhou. It was said to be to protect the capital, and he was granted the title of Duke of Zhenguo."

Gu Debai gave a mocking snort.

"On the surface, it's a promotion and a title. In reality, it's separating him from the 200,000-strong army."

Gu Mingli gradually tightened his grip on the wine glass. A vague storyline was slowly becoming clearer in his mind.

He had a vague idea of ​​the powerful minister's fate and couldn't bear to listen any further.