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

Chapter 84 Just to invite me to your house

The rear corridor of Wenhua Hall.

Xiao Ye held the "Immortal's Note" that Gu Mingli had given him in his hand, his gaze falling on the third pillar.

He did not give any orders to anyone to do it.

He stepped forward, squatted down, and inserted his slender fingers into the cracks in the stone at the base of the column.

My fingertips touched a rolled-up piece of paper.

He pulled it out and unfolded it.

Page 2.

"Learning without thinking is futile; thinking without learning is dangerous."

The annotations below approach the issue from the perspective of imperial decision-making.

The argument states that if a monarch only listens to the words of his ministers without thinking independently, he will be deceived; if he only makes subjective judgments without widely accepting advice, he will fall into prejudice.

Xiao Ye's slightly furrowed brows slowly relaxed, and his eyes shone.

He was clearly very satisfied with the contents of this page of the ancient book.

He turned the page and looked at the back, where the next clue was written.

"On the east side of the Imperial Garden, beside Taiye Pond, at the base of the second old willow tree, on the water-facing side."

The emperor stood up and dusted off his hands.

My steps led eastward.

Gu Mingli quietly breathed a sigh of relief and followed without making a sound.

A long procession followed closely behind, turning along the corridor toward the Imperial Garden.

When the eunuchs and palace maids on both sides of the palace road saw the emperor approaching from a distance, they all knelt down against the wall.

Some of the bolder ones secretly glanced at Editor Gu.

Taking advantage of a moment when he was looking down, a young eunuch tugged at the hem of the head maid's robe.

"Aunt, what is His Majesty... looking for?"

The head maid glared at him, her voice barely audible.

"Don't ask. Just be polite to Lord Gu from now on."

Willow branches droop low along the banks of Taiye Pond.

Xiao Ye walked to the second old willow tree, bent down and reached in, pulling out the third page of the tattered scroll from the gap between the tree roots and the stone slab.

Page four is inside the rock cave in the artificial hill.

Page 5 is in a hidden compartment on the base of the bronze crane in front of the library.

Page six is hidden in the cracks between the bricks of the flowerbed on the back wall of the imperial kitchen.

The annotations on each page of the surviving scroll are more exquisite and insightful than those on the previous page.

From self-cultivation, personnel management, accepting advice, and weighing options, each step is progressive and interconnected.

Xiao Ye clutched the increasingly thick stack of papers, his steps quickening.

He even started reading the clues on the back of the book on his own without waiting for Gu Mingli to give him any hints, and then headed straight for the next location.

Geng Zhi jogged after the emperor, a rare look of confusion appearing on his usually cold face.

He turned his head and asked Liu An in a low voice, "Your Majesty... have you been bewitched?"

Liu An wiped the sweat from his brow, gritted his teeth, and whispered a reply.

"Whether it's bewitching magic or not, His Majesty is clearly delighted! It seems that Editor Gu's identity can no longer be judged by ordinary standards."

The tenth page of the scroll is hidden in a secret groove in the brick wall inside the palace gate.

The emperor personally picked out a page, unfolded it, and read it carefully.

The annotation discusses "governing with virtue is like the North Star, which remains in its place while all the other stars revolve around it."

The writing reaches its most exquisite point and then abruptly ends.

The last line clearly states:

"To know the ultimate secrets of how emperors govern their ministers, one must obtain the last two pages to glimpse the whole picture. These two pages are not in the palace."

Xiao Ye stopped in front of the imperial palace gate.

He looked up.

The palace gates were wide open.

Outside the door was the light of Kyoto at dusk, with a thin layer of golden-red hues floating on the rooftops in the distance.

Gu Mingli stood three steps behind him, his back ramrod straight.

They had been "treasure hunting" for two whole hours, and their legs were numb from walking.

The emperor turned around.

His gaze fell coldly on Gu Mingli's face.

"You want to take me outside the palace?"

Anyone who dares to lure the emperor out of the palace will be killed on the spot as an assassin.

Everyone felt the sudden tightening of pressure in the air.

Geng Zhi's hand was already gripping the hilt of the knife.

Liu An secretly raised his eyes to observe the Emperor's expression, as if verifying his judgment.

Xiao Jue followed behind, fanning himself with a folding fan.

The arrow is on the bowstring.

Gu Mingli did not back down.

He looked up to meet Xiao Ye's gaze, cupped his hands in a respectful gesture, and spoke in a calm and composed voice.

"Your Majesty, the search for ancient books is a matter of mutual consent. If you do not wish to participate, then you may not go."

Xiao Ye raised his eyes, his calm gaze falling on him.

"Gu Qing has managed to absolve himself of all responsibility."

Gu Mingli quickly pursed his lips, deciding to make an excuse.

"Your connection with the immortals is a divine destiny, and indeed has nothing to do with me."

Xiao Ye was so angry he almost laughed.

This was the first time he had ever seen a subject who dared to lie to him, spout superstition and nonsense, and talk back so confidently.

"Alright." Xiao Ye nodded, standing with his hands behind his back. "Since the immortals can always entrust dreams to Gu Qing, it means you also have some good fortune. You are destined to be the messenger between me and the immortals."

"In that case, you can lead the way."

He wanted to see what tricks Gu Mingli was up to.

"If the final piece of the ancient book is nothing special, then I will send Minister Gu back to the immortals to cultivate properly."

A breeze blew in from outside the door, causing Gu Mingli's clothes to sway slightly.

It was a bit chilly.

Gu Mingli's heart pounded wildly.

That damned emperor clearly has ill intentions; he's definitely trying to trap him!

However, the mission is still ahead.

He's already tricked the emperor to the palace gate, how can he give up halfway?

Gu Mingli cupped his hands in a respectful gesture.

His voice wasn't loud, but every word was sincere.

To lie with such conviction.

"Since Your Majesty trusts me so much, I will certainly pass on a message to the immortal, asking him to personally appear in your dreams one day. He will come to you every night."

Xiao Ye: "..."

They wanted to drag Gu Mingli out and give him ten lashes.

Xiao Jue watched from the side, unable to suppress a smile.

"Your Majesty, with me accompanying you, why don't we go for a stroll outside the palace?"

He really wanted to see where Editor Gu was planning to lure his elder brother away.

The emperor lowered his head and flipped through the stack of ancient books he had collected.

After reading ten pages, Xiao Ye had already glimpsed a sophisticated method of imperial rule over the people.

I really want to know the full story.

Xiao Ye gathered the pages together and turned to look at the capital city outside the palace gates.

"Wear ordinary clothes. Travel incognito."

Liu An's eyes widened in shock. "Yes."

He exchanged a glance with Geng Zhi, then quickly turned to beckon to the eunuch beside him.

"Quickly, go and fetch His Majesty's everyday clothes."

……

The sun sets in the west.

Kyoto's main street is at its busiest time of day.

Lanterns lit up the shops along the street, steam from the wonton stalls filled the alleyway, and peddlers carrying their wares hawked their wares as they weaved through the crowd.

Xiao Ye walked down the street, his gaze sweeping over the shops and pedestrians on both sides.

It was quite novel at first glance.

He hadn't personally experienced the everyday life of ordinary people for a long time.

The last time I stood outside the palace walls and strolled through the city was three years ago during the autumn hunt.

That time, he was surrounded by layers of guards in the center, and all he could see were the eaves and the backs of the guards' heads.

Nowadays, walking through the streets and alleys of ordinary people, you can hear the sounds of vendors hawking their wares, laughter and shouts, and children chasing each other.

Noisy and vibrant.

The eleventh page of the scroll is hidden in a secret compartment in the base of the stone lion in front of the City God Temple.

Unfold the tattered scroll.

The annotation on this page discusses "When one's conduct is upright, one's orders will be followed without being given."

This is discussed from the perspective of emperors setting an example by personally going to the front lines.

The argument is that if a monarch stays deep in the palace all day and is unaware of the suffering of the people, then his policies will inevitably be out of touch with reality, and even the wisest decrees will be nothing more than castles in the air.

After reading it, Xiao Ye slowly raised his head and looked at the bustling marketplace.

Dusk blurred the rooftops in the distance, and wisps of smoke rose from the streets and alleys.

"Gurgle—"

Xiao Ye's stomach growled.

Gu Mingli stood beside him.

Upon hearing this noise, their eyes lit up instantly.

A night breeze blew in from the alley entrance, carrying the aroma of rice and noodles.

Xiao Ye unfolded the last clue.

The route leads to a house in the alley.

The group continued searching along the route.

Finally, it stopped in front of a brightly lit mansion.

King Qi stepped forward and glanced at the plaque above the door.