Huh? The Tyrant Cries After My Inner Thoughts Were Exposed!-Chapter 85 - 84: Is This Author Nuts?!
The Old Emperor glanced at those few booklets, looking towards the ministers below. Discussing state affairs didn’t seem to make them as excited, each pretending to be deaf and mute, but now just a few books got them all anxious.
Minister Wu of the Ministry of Rites spoke at length again, implying that these things had corrupted the atmosphere of the capital and must be strictly banned.
Every time he said a word, Su Juan had to echo twice.
Minister Wu never thought that at nearly seventy, after being despised by his colleagues all his life, he could still receive such flattery at the end.
Such flattery made his old face blush, letting him experience what Duke Ping usually enjoys.
The Old Emperor, however, said, "No rush, let’s ponder this matter a bit more and discuss it in a couple of days."
Su Juan almost jumped up, [How can it not be urgent?]
[I usually say nothing about the Old Emperor being unreliable, but how can such matters be shelved!?]
The ministers all breathed a sigh of relief, narrowly avoiding unnecessary trouble.
Minister Wu wanted to say something more, but the Old Emperor seemed weary and directly ended the court session.
This made Su Juan so angry she wanted to curse her father.
On the way out after court was dismissed, she could still hear her colleagues talking about the few booklets mentioned by the Minister of Rites, their words full of praise. Just how widespread had these booklets become?
...
Old Master Su had sent out people to investigate the jade pendant, but there was no news. Initially, he thought they had a lead, but it turned out to be a misunderstanding.
What he didn’t know was that although he had found nothing, he was already exposed to others.
The Chief Secretary and Duke Ping successfully uncovered the person behind the investigation of the jade pendant, but unexpectedly, it turned out to be Su Juan’s father, Old Master Su from the Su Mansion.
When the Old Emperor found out, he frowned, how were they connected to this man?
"Investigate this Su Family further in secret."
"I have already arranged for people to investigate; rest assured, Your Majesty."
Although the princess’s whereabouts were still unknown, there were clues, and following them, he believed there would eventually be news.
It’s just unclear what this has to do with the Su Family.
After Duke Ping left, the Old Emperor sat in the Imperial Study, not tending to the memorials, picking up the booklet he just took, and started reading, muttering, "Just this thing, what’s so great about it?"
Yet once he began reading, he couldn’t stop, finishing all three books, still wanting more, wondering when the next volume would come out.
In the book, the female protagonist Juan’er still hadn’t divorced, which was truly anxiety-inducing.
He immediately called in the Hidden Guard, previously summoned from Su Juan’s side, handing them the booklet.
The eunuch, seeing that it was the highest-skilled Hidden Guard by the Emperor’s side, thought the Emperor was going to crack down on these lowbrow booklets... what a pity, as the palace nobles quite liked them. 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎
But the Emperor solemnly ordered, "Go out of the palace to see if there’s a next volume, buy a copy and bring it back."
The eunuch was bewildered: "?"
The Hidden Guard was confused: "???"
...
Upon returning to the Su Mansion, Su Juan encountered Su Lingling and several other girls in the courtyard.
They were drinking tea and reading, laughter filled the air, but it abruptly stopped when they saw Su Juan.
"Big sister, you’re back?"
Su Juan nodded slightly, responded, and as she passed by, glanced at the book beside Su Lingling, the words "Fame of the Two Beauties" boldly printed into her view.
[Goodness! How many people has this book corrupted?]
The girls exchanged looks.
Su Lingling felt guilty and tried to stay calm.
Su Juan, however, said, "Lend me this book for a couple of days."
Everyone was shocked: "?!"
Su Juan wanted to read this book!
That night, Su Juan skipped dinner, burning the midnight oil, the more she read, the more her brows furrowed, what absurd stories were being written!
She obviously had nothing to do with Song Qianfan, yet the book made it seem she was infatuated.
She always felt her interactions with Liu Miaoying were normal, but the story turned it into a situation where she even tried to matchmake her with her own husband, yet ended up repeatedly having ambiguous encounters with Miaoying, bathing together, undressing, utterly preposterous!
If the Old Emperor wouldn’t act, then she had to.
She was determined to find the author of these booklets and make sure they wouldn’t dare concoct nonsense again!
The next day after court, Su Juan heard that the new volume of "Fame of the Two Beauties" had been released, everyone was rushing to the bookstall to buy it.
Su Juan immediately went along, choosing the biggest bookstall in the capital, and went in, arriving late after everyone had bought and left.
"Shopkeeper, do you have Young Master Rushi’s ’Fame of the Two Beauties’?"
"Of course!" the shopkeeper smiled, quickly fetching several copies from under the counter, placing them in front of Su Juan, "This is the latest volume, I guarantee it’s exciting!"
"Exciting?" Su Juan snorted softly, she wanted to see just how absurd it could get.
After paying the silver, she found a spot in the bookstall to sit and read, the female protagonist Juan’er realizing the futility of force, heartbroken, went to a restaurant to buy wine, encountering the most notorious young master in the capital, Young Master Xun. Juan’er was captivated by his outstanding looks, and they drank and opened up to each other.
Young Master Xun fell in love at first sight with Juan’er, never having seen such a unique woman. After inquiries, he learned she was already married, leaving him heartbroken.
Su Juan: "???"
[What the hell! Is the author out of their mind?]
"Miss Su?" Suddenly someone called out to Su Juan.
Su Juan turned to see that it was Liu Xuan, immediately standing up, "Why is Mr. Liu here?"
Liu Xuan gestured, showing Su Juan the books in his hand, "Here to buy some books."
Su Juan was relieved to see they weren’t booklets, finally encountering a sensible person.
But Liu Xuan’s gaze landed on the book in Su Juan’s hand, noticing the title, he was slightly surprised, "Miss Su also likes reading this booklet?"
Su Juan’s temple throbbed, [Like hell I do.]
But being in the bookstall, it wasn’t appropriate to say such things, she forced a laugh, "Yes, Young Master Rushi writes excellently, I’m quite engrossed."
"I wonder who wrote it; I truly wish to meet them."
Liu Xuan lightly smiled, "His talent is exceptional; it’s just a pity about his background, unable to enter officialdom, so he pours his talent into these booklets."
Su Juan pursed her lips, fabricating stories about others, such talent is dispensable.
Yet hearing Liu Xuan speak, she questioned, "Mr. Liu, do you happen to know this Young Master Rushi?"
Liu Xuan nodded slightly, "He is an old friend I met years ago."
Su Juan smiled, "I wonder if Mr. Liu could introduce me, I am quite eager to meet this gentleman, his exceptional talent is truly admirable to me."
Liu Xuan hadn’t read his friend’s booklets, so he naturally didn’t know the content, thinking it was quite normal for a lady to like them, believing Su Juan genuinely wanted to meet, so he informed her of Young Master Rushi’s real name and residence.
Su Juan’s smile was gentle, gaining without much effort, so it was Shen Ruhui?
You’re finished, you scoundrel.
