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

Consort Mei gritted her teeth and retreated to her seat.

The personal maid behind him leaned closer and lowered her voice.

"Your Majesty, what should we do?"

Consort Mei took a deep breath, maintaining a proper smile, but her voice was squeezed out from between her teeth.

"What's the rush?"

She sat back down at her table, picked up the silver chopsticks in front of her with her slender fingers, slowly picked up a slice of honey-soaked lotus root, and put it in her mouth to chew it slowly.

The wine was pushed away, it's alright.

There's still a backup plan.

She beckoned her personal maid and whispered a few instructions in her ear.

The palace maid accepted the order and withdrew, only to reappear a moment later carrying a famille rose porcelain dish.

The plate contains six pieces of osmanthus cake, cut into plum blossom shapes, with a thin layer of honey drizzled on top.

Consort Mei rose, personally took the porcelain plate, and gracefully stepped forward.

"Your Majesty does not drink alcohol. This osmanthus cake was made by my own hands. It is light and not greasy, and it is perfect for a light meal."

Her voice was gentle, and her posture was natural, just as it had been when she offered the wine.

The ministers' eyes were drawn back to him.

The emperor glanced at the plate of osmanthus cake.

The cake is pure white, adorned with osmanthus blossoms, and its appearance is indeed exquisite.

He did not refuse and gestured for the palace maid to bring it over.

In the corner, Gu Mingli's fingers tightened slightly as he held the wine glass.

The wine was stopped, but Consort Mei clearly wouldn't just tamper with the wine.

Osmanthus cake, dishes, even tea—any one of them could be problematic.

The emperor's chopsticks were already reaching for the plate of osmanthus cake.

Gu Mingli made a firm decision.

Come again!

He didn't give himself time to hesitate and started singing right away.

This time he changed his tune, lowering his voice and making the melody melodious and gentle.

"A harmless face, standing in the sunlight. Shadows, baring their fangs, carve out abysses, dancing gracefully above the storm, sharp, piercing footsteps, a masterful ambush from all sides..."

Xiao Ye's chopsticks, which were holding osmanthus cake, hovered in mid-air for a moment.

He lifted his gaze from the osmanthus cake and looked at Gu Mingli.

I inexplicably understood the person's mournful lyrics, and inexplicably wanted to follow their wishes.

Xiao Ye felt a chill run down his spine.

After a while.

He put down his chopsticks and waved to Consort Mei.

"I had some snacks tonight, so I'm not hungry right now. You may leave."

"Your Majesty~"

"Remove it."

"Yes."

Consort Mei gave two awkward laughs.

He clenched his fist inside his sleeve, his fingernails digging into his palm, leaving a row of crescent-shaped white marks.

Is Editor Gu a male vixen?!

She had carefully prepared two plans, but both failed.

The palace maid removed the porcelain plate, her smile perfectly concealed.

Consort Mei's mind was racing.

His Majesty is not behaving well tonight.

In previous years, at the Emperor's birthday banquet, although he said he did not drink too much, he would still do so out of courtesy by tasting the wine that his concubines had warmed and the pastries that they had made themselves.

I'm not touching anything this year; I'm being extra cautious.

Could it be that someone leaked the news?

She subconsciously checked all the people she had been in contact with recently.

The maternal family has always been tight-lipped, and the old man from Miao territory was kept under strict guard and had not seen any outsiders since entering the mansion.

The people in the imperial kitchen were bribed at a high price; they won't betray us.

Can't figure it out.

She suppressed her unease, maintaining her dignified and virtuous demeanor as she picked up her teacup and slowly took a sip.

Perhaps His Majesty was simply in a bad mood tonight.

Everything hinges on that vixen!

It's okay.

There's a third option.

She lifted her skirt and walked gracefully to the imperial steps, slightly bent her knees, and then leaned close to the emperor's ear.

The voice was kept extremely low, just enough for the two of them to hear.

"Your Majesty, I have prepared a special birthday gift in Hanfang Palace, which is only suitable for Your Majesty to enjoy alone."

Her breath brushed against Xiao Ye's ear, carrying a faint scent of peach blossom powder.

"May I move to Hanfang Palace tonight?"

His Highness and the courtiers could not see Consort Mei's lip movements, but they all saw her leaning close to the Emperor.

An ambiguous distance, intimate whispers.

Several senior officials tactfully lowered their heads, pretending to examine the roasted venison in the bowl.

Gu Mingli could not hear what Consort Mei was saying.

But he's also someone who's watched melodramatic short dramas!

Consort Mei's posture was such that her lips were almost touching the emperor's ear. After she finished speaking, she tilted her head slightly, revealing a section of her fair neck, her eyes sparkling.

Classic scenes from period dramas:

Your Majesty, shall we make a date? The kind where you choose someone to play with?

Gu Mingli: (⊙ˍ⊙)

What should we do?

He can disrupt a banquet by singing, but if the emperor goes to Hanfang Palace tonight and closes the door, what happens inside is none of his business.

No.

We must seize the emperor's time tonight.

How do I snatch it?

How could a mere seventh-rank editor compete with the imperial concubines for the emperor's nighttime schedule?

Gu Mingli quickly flipped through his mental repertoire of songs.

This time, he didn't even bother with pretense, and his clear, bright voice resounded throughout the main hall.

"I know it's all the moon's fault; the night was so beautiful and hazy."

"Only in that instant did I want nothing more than to grow old with you."

The soft glow of the charm spell enveloped his voice, spreading out in waves.

He passed through the crowd and landed on the throne.

Xiao Ye's heart skipped a beat, feeling that Gu Bianxiu's lyrics were very thought-provoking.

This is truly bizarre!

"Your Majesty?" Consort Mei urged.

Xiao Ye coldly refused.

"The birthday gift from Hanfang Palace will be presented another day."

Consort Mei's eyelashes trembled slightly.

Xiao Ye raised his eyes, his gaze falling on Gu Mingli, his tone neither warm nor cold.

"Editor Gu sang a few songs just now, and I found them quite interesting."

He leaned back in his chair, his right index finger idly rubbing the armrest.

"I wonder which ancient book these lyrics come from?"

Gu Mingli felt a little relieved, stopped singing, stood up, and bowed in response.

"Your Majesty, I was in Jiangzhou recently managing the floods, and I happened to discover some fragments of an ancient musical score called 'DJ for Douyin'."

"Oh? TikTok?"

Never heard of it.

Xiao Ye's tone held a hint of interest that others couldn't detect.

"Come to the Imperial Study tonight. I'd like to hear what other interesting lyrics are hidden in these fragments."

A collective gasp filled the hall.

The old censor at the Censorate slammed his fan shut and stared wide-eyed at the table.

The Minister of Personnel's hand, holding a wine cup, froze in mid-air.

Someone muttered under their breath, "Editor Gu is truly favored by the emperor!"

The ministers looked at each other and began to exchange their thoughts in hushed tones.

"His Majesty has pushed Consort Mei aside and sent a mere seventh-rank compiler to accompany him in the Imperial Study?"

"Hiss—well…actually, my youngest son is quite outstanding too…"

"Well, my second brother is not bad either, he's in his prime."

In the corner, Gu Debai put down his wine glass and wiped his mouth.

He looked at his son with a beaming smile, his face filled with the pride of an old father seeing his son succeed.

Yes, his son is indeed outstanding.

The emperor personally selected him to accompany him in the Imperial Study.

This honor is something that countless high-ranking officials in the capital would kill for!

Consort Mei slowly retreated to her seat.

My back molars are almost crushed.

I had underestimated this man!

After three years of palace intrigue, she lost to a seventh-rank editor for the first time!

What a disgrace!

The personal maidservant leaned closer, speaking in a low voice.

"Your Majesty?"

Consort Mei picked up her teacup, gently pressed her lips to the rim, and let her voice escape through her teeth.

"Send a message to my mother's family."

"Just say that tonight's business didn't go through."

Her fingertips traced the rim of the glass as her gaze swept over Gu Mingli.

It's an eyesore.

We need to find a way to get rid of this male vixen.

Otherwise, this person might become her rival for favor!