Chapter 7 – It’s Only This Terrifying Because You’re Here

At the hour of chen (around 7–9 a.m.), the sharp voice of the Head Eunuch echoed through the Tai Jin Hall:

“Court dismissed!”

The emperor and his ministers all let out quiet sighs of relief.

Today, Mu Nanjin hadn’t dug into anyone’s secrets—something worth celebrating once they got home.

What they didn’t know was that Mu Nanjin, who hadn’t slept well the previous night, had snuck into a corner of the hall to catch up on her sleep.

“Mu Nanjin! You’ve got some nerve dozing off on duty. Do you not want this job anymore?”

Captain Liu nearly exploded when he found her asleep at her post.

Mu Nanjin blinked awake, yawned, and lazily asked, “Is it time to clock out already?”

Captain Liu glared at her, thoroughly exasperated, then shoved three folded memorials into her hands.

“Deliver these to the National Preceptor.”

“Wait—shouldn’t this be a eunuch’s job? Why is a Jinyiwei like me running errands?”

Mu Nanjin flipped one open casually.

Before she could finish reading, smack!—Captain Liu slapped the back of her hand.

“These contain state secrets! You, a mere Jinyiwei, dare peek inside? Are you courting death?”

“Fine, fine, I won’t look.”

Mu Nanjin pouted.

【Tch. Even if I don’t look, I already know what’s inside.】

“…” Captain Liu rubbed his aching temples. “After you deliver these, go to the Commandant’s Office and collect your monthly stipend.”

“Monthly stipend?” Mu Nanjin’s eyes lit up. “But I haven’t even worked a full month yet!”

“You were rewarded for saving His Majesty last month. The Emperor decreed that you and the other Jinyiwei receive your pay early.”

“The Emperor is such a good man! I’ll deliver these right away and then head straight to the Commandant’s Office. Oh, right—who am I giving them to again?”

“The National Preceptor.”

“So they’re for Feng Sinan, huh? You should’ve said so earlier! Next time there’s such a great errand, call me first.”

Humming happily, Mu Nanjin trotted off toward the Dengxing Pavilion.

【Hehe, another chance to admire a handsome man.】

Captain Liu sneered.

Admire a handsome man?

If anything, it was the handsome man admiring her.

【Huh? Why is court ending so early today?】

As Mu Nanjin noticed the ministers and officials leaving the palace, she raised her brows in surprise.

【Usually, the Left and Right Chancellors have memorials stacked high enough to crush the Emperor, but today they’re bolting out like scared rabbits! Ohh… His Majesty must be rushing off to catch someone cheating.】

Gossip about the Emperor?

Now that’s worth listening to.

Officials who had been strolling leisurely toward the gates suddenly quickened their pace, joining Mu Nanjin as if on cue.

Lost in her mental commentary, Mu Nanjin didn’t even realize that the entire court had followed her out.

【Wow! So the one cheating on the Emperor is none other than Concubine Song, who entered the palace two years ago! Turns out she couldn’t stand the loneliness—or His Majesty’s lack of… stamina—so she hooked up with one of the palace guards. Every morning, while the Emperor attended court, she’d call him over to her chambers! She got away with it because the guard disguised himself as a eunuch each time. And with Consort Xu covering for her, no one noticed a thing.】

Concubine Song… was the one cheating?!

The Song family was doomed.

Everyone exchanged alarmed glances, silently stepping away from the pale-faced Director of the Imperial Clan Office—Concubine Song’s father.

He had risen from a ninth-rank nobody to a fifth-rank official purely because of his daughter’s favor. Now that his daughter had cuckolded the Emperor… the Song family’s fate was sealed.

【Oh my, so Consort Xu also cheated on the Emperor? No wonder she helped Consort Song cover it up! Misery loves company—she just wanted someone else to go down with her. How despicable!】

【Still, the Emperor kind of deserves it. He married all these women only to leave them cold and lonely, practically widows while he’s still alive. No wonder they couldn’t resist temptation.】

【Then again, the Jinyiwei’s surveillance skills are terrifying. They even discovered the Emperor’s concubines fooling around behind his back!】

That’s right—it’s only this terrifying because you’re here.

That was the thought running through every minister’s head.

When Mu Nanjin finally snapped out of her thoughts, she realized she was already outside the Dengxing Pavilion—and that a whole crowd of officials had somehow followed her there.

“Huh? What are you all doing here?”

The officials: “…”

They’d gotten so engrossed listening to her inner thoughts that they hadn’t even noticed themselves following along.

But of course, none of them could admit that aloud.