The princess was ordained by Heaven.

Chapter 162 The Romantic Chronicle

The following morning at court, Academician Du of the Hanlin Academy submitted a memorial detailing the procedures for the special imperial examination.

After reviewing the document, the emperor found no major problems and immediately assigned tasks to others.

Zheng Xun wasn't originally involved in this, but how could she possibly miss such a great opportunity to recruit talent?

She has been working hard lately and has already inspected half of the Twelve Guards. There's no rush for the rest, so she volunteered to personally inspect the major academies of Dayong.

The emperor remained silent after hearing her request.

He was mainly a little reluctant to part with it.

The other ministers in the court were also reluctant to part with it.

Although I don't like Zheng Xun digging into my past, who doesn't like a good show?

With Zheng Xun around, the efficiency of government affairs skyrocketed. Why? It's all so that they could finish quickly and enjoy a hot meal.

Although with each purge, the liveliness in the imperial court has diminished considerably...

At this point, they suddenly discovered another interpretation of the saying "If the water is too clear, there will be no fish"—that ministers who are too upright will be no fun.

If they could submit a suggestion letter to Zheng Xun's system, they would definitely write letters complaining about how the system restricts Zheng Xun from accessing gossip.

They have no morals, really.

So privacy isn't important; even if they might become the ones being spied on, they accept it.

Although their days of constant struggle were fulfilling, they were also undeniably boring. When Zheng Xun was exposing the scandal, it was a rare moment of relaxation for them. This was their only source of amusement, yet it was cruelly taken away by the system. How cruel!

They want to watch the drama unfold!

Zheng Xun was unaware of the ministers' desires; she was busy studying her system.

Because of Mu Zhuo's defection, she discovered that several members of the Mu family in the distant He Kingdom—such as Mu Zhuo's daughter and wife—had automatically joined the camp of Dayong.

She tried to open their live stream, but failed.

I don't know if it's because the distance is too far or because that area is part of the Brown Kingdom's territory.

She was a little depressed because the live stream failed.

Why doesn't such a large place as the Brown Kingdom belong to us?

Ministers: Yes! Why?

[Forget it, since we can't see what's going on in Brown Country, let's just randomly pick an unlucky guy.]

The ministers exchanged glances or chuckled foolishly.

It's coming, it's finally coming!

Because it had been so long since they'd heard about this, many people were almost moved to tears by the joy of seeing it again.

After the Minister of Personnel was dismissed, several positions became vacant in the court, and the ministers vying for these positions nearly came to blows.

These people are united when facing external threats, but when it comes to fighting for power, they can be incredibly ruthless.

The fiercest power struggle was between the Left and Right Vice Ministers of the Ministry of Personnel, as they were closest to that position.

The two vice ministers, who had just been called out because they were excited about the gossip, had just started to smile strangely when Zheng Xun suddenly called them out.

Oh shit, it's over.

Seeing the spectacle unfold and then seeing it happen to you is hardly a pleasant experience.

Who would have thought that these adults would use such...interesting tactics in their political struggles?

The Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel rose to power through his wife's influence, so he was henpecked. The Right Vice Minister sent him several beautiful women, and as a result, the Left Vice Minister was kicked in the buttocks three times by his wife. Hmm, those kicks were pretty hard; now his buttocks are even asymmetrical.

Asymmetry?

Really? They don't believe it!

With a thirst for knowledge, the others all looked at the Left Vice Minister's buttocks.

The main hall was empty, and the Left Vice Minister had nowhere to hide.

Unfortunately, it wasn't that Vice Minister Zuo lacked the desire, but rather the courage. The feeling of being able to only watch was unbearable, and he even had to endure being beaten for no reason.

Finally, the Left Vice Minister grew increasingly angry, and in the middle of the night, he led a few men to the Right Vice Minister's residence to throw cow dung at him.

The Right Vice Minister glared at the Left Vice Minister.

Well, he was wondering why there was always some kind of filth in his house. Turns out it was this kid who was behind it!

The Left Vice Minister retorted confidently, "What? You can take action, but I'm not allowed to retaliate?"

Both men enjoyed cockfighting, but recently they were both too busy to find time to play. Then, the Left Vice Minister drugged the other's cock with laxatives, and the Right Vice Minister plucked the feathers off the other's cock.

Hmm... one attacks the body, the other the mind; isn't that a kind of tacit understanding?

Who wants to have a tacit understanding with him?

The two vice ministers had the same thought at the same time. Then, they looked at each other, snorted coldly, and turned their heads away, unwilling to look at each other.

Good news: their arguments didn't interfere with their business.

[Bad news: The Left Vice Minister bribed the Right Vice Minister's close friend, who then dragged the Right Vice Minister out drinking and having fun every day, while the Left Vice Minister worked diligently to earn favor.]

This time, the Right Vice Minister didn't glare at the Left Vice Minister; instead, he glared at his own friend.

The Right Vice Minister's friend: I didn't want to either, but he gave too much.

[Another piece of bad news: the Right Vice Minister wrote two erotic novels using the Left Vice Minister's name, which have now become a staple of performances in brothels.]

The Left Vice Minister was so angry that his face turned pale.

He said that he had been receiving strange looks lately.

On one occasion, two elderly women actually stopped him and asked if it was really that magnificent! He didn't understand, but he was definitely bothered.

So that's the reason!

That damned Right Vice Minister, he's going to fight him to the death!

The Right Vice Minister, exposed as a liar, stood tall and proud.

Hmph, he should thank him! He portrayed him as tall, handsome, and kind-hearted!

Other courtiers: Wow...how brilliant!

The emperor's expression was indescribable: "I've seen it all."

Are these two people's mental ages combined to ten years old?

[It must be said that the Right Vice Minister is quite something; he has written more than just these two romantic tales.]

His reputation as a "playboy" is quite well-known...

Lord Chiang: !

The secret texts that he and his wife studied every day were actually written by the Right Vice Minister!

He looked left and right, and the Right Vice Minister still had that somewhat sleazy and withdrawn look on his face, hardly resembling the talented scholar who could write eloquently like Fengyueke...

Qin Duzhi patted the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel on the shoulder: "Good lad, why are you hiding your abilities? As a subject of the Great Yong, you should contribute to the Great Yong without reservation! It just so happens that I need someone like you..."

Right Vice Minister: ?

He struggled weakly: "But you represent the imperial court after all, is it appropriate for you to publish romantic tales?"

Qin Duzhi shrugged indifferently: "It's not like we're going to do it openly. Anyway, you can't ban all these kinds of things. It's better to bring them under the control of the imperial court. At least that will ensure that no major trouble occurs."

Right Vice Minister: That makes sense...

But after he became the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, he had less time to write books...

He hesitated for a moment, but writing books was still more appealing to him. So he sighed and decided to be merciful and let the Left Vice Minister have a turn.

[Huh? Qin Duzhi already knows that the Right Vice Minister is a womanizer? The Right Vice Minister thought about it and realized that he preferred writing storybooks to being the Minister of Personnel, so he has given up the competition!]

That Vice Minister Zuo is really lucky; he actually won just like that...

Other ministers: That's great! Now we can read even more books!

The Emperor and his princes: Is it really written that well? If you don't believe me, go find it and take a look.

However, the Left Vice Minister who was shown courtesy was not as happy as others thought.

The Right Vice Minister readily admitted defeat, but in the future, when others talked about his success, they would all feel that his victory was unfair!

He could imagine what they would be talking about, things like, "If the Right Vice Minister hadn't let him win, how could he have possibly won?"

Does he need him to give in?

Can't you just beat him fair and square?

Give up what? You're not allowed to give up! Come on, let's fight!

However, no one could understand his suffering. Zheng Xun suddenly glanced at Qin Duzhi and the Right Vice Minister, his expression somewhat strange.

[Qin Duzhi and the Right Vice Minister are standing so close... Does he know that he's a courtesan in the Right Vice Minister's book? In that book, "The Book of Love and Lust," tsk tsk, famous throughout the capital, with countless patrons. It's hard to imagine what Qin Duzhi's face would look like as a woman.]

Other ministers: We! We know!

Qin Duzhi: ...

He actually knew it too.

He's read "The Book of Love and Lust"!

But is the courtesan in the story related to him?

His face was stiff, and the hand that had been on the Right Vice Minister's shoulder fell limply to the ground.

The Right Vice Minister looked utterly hopeless.

Princess, stop digging! If you keep digging, he won't be able to stand firm in the court!

The "Romantic Chronicles" is a truly remarkable book, and its male protagonist is our Emperor of the Great Yong Dynasty! The thirteen beauties featured in the Chronicles are all ministers in our court.

There's nothing he can do; the Right Vice Minister doesn't have much leisure time, and he sees these colleagues most of the time.

emperor:……

Even though he's the main character, why does this feel so strange?

He looked at Li Xiaojun.

Li Xiaojun's face was flushed red from trying to suppress her laughter.

Fortunately, he didn't forget to keep an eye on the Emperor's movements.

Having served as master and servant for many years, the emperor and Li Xiaojun had an unspoken understanding that surpassed that of others.

He instantly understood the emperor's meaning.

Go find the "Book of Romantic Encounters"; he knows it. He has a set under his pillow; he can just give it to the Emperor when he gets back.

The other ministers were speechless: Seriously, Vice Minister Right, you should just enjoy your own entertainment and stop harassing us. Please.

Those ministers who had read "The Book of Love and Lust" had a rather complicated feeling.

Thinking back on the characters in the book, I must say, some of their characteristics do subtly match up.

For example, that seemingly gentle but actually ruthless female assassin, isn't that Liao Hongsheng...?

For example, the female assassin's partner, that blunt and cold-faced Yama, is Duan Yunfeng, right...?

Thinking of this, their faces contorted in pain.

but……

In "The Romantic Chronicles," the female assassin and the cold-faced Yama are a perfect match...

They were a couple locked in a love-hate relationship, their lovemaking taking place several times—after injuries, in the bathtub, and amidst a sea of ​​flowers…

They're wrong, they're wrong. This gossip is really not something to dabble in today.

The novel "The Romantic Tale" is so captivating, but the thought that all the beautiful women in it are actually these old men in the imperial court makes it impossible to connect with them at all.

If there are any sequels to "The Book of Love and Lust" in the future, how will they view them?

Liao Hongsheng hadn't read "The Romantic Chronicle," so he was still grinning foolishly.

Duan Yunfeng was fortunate enough to read this extraordinary book, although he only read one volume. Perhaps there was some mystical element in it; he happened to be reading the volume about the female assassin and the female Yama...