The day she transmigrated into the most miserable empress in the Great Ye dynasty, Chu Zhaoyi discovered that the court was full of plants: the Minister of Revenue was reborn, the Great General Who Guards the Nation had transmigrated into a book, the chancellor was carrying around a script for a rebellion, and even the palace eunuch had a secret identity.
Just as the officials secretly joined forces to turn her into a powerless puppet,
she bound herself to the [Gossip System].
From then on, court sessions took a startling new turn.
"Did the Minister of Revenue get made to kneel on the washboard by his wife again last night?"
"The Great General Who Guards the Nation is afraid of the dark and has to hug a stuffed toy to sleep every night?"
"Chancellor, that rebellion plan hidden in your study's secret compartment is written quite beautifully."
The entire court: !!!
They were horrified to discover that no matter how well-hidden their trump cards or how private their secrets, the empress could always predict them and expose their juicy gossip with pinpoint accuracy.
To protect the last shred of their dignity, the officials finally figured it out.
Confess voluntarily and hope for a lighter sentence!
And so:
The Minister of Revenue turned himself in: "I am guilty! This year's tax revenue only doubled. I'll go make it triple right away!"
The Great General turned himself in: "I am guilty! We only expanded the border by a thousand li. I'll go conquer another thousand li right away!"
The chancellor turned himself in: "I am guilty! I've already burned the rebellion plan! I'll go put the new policies into effect right away!"
Chu Zhaoyi reclined on the imperial throne, munching on melon seeds as she watched the officials line up to confess and the national treasury grow fuller by the day. She fell into deep thought.
"I... was only enjoying some gossip. Why are all my beloved officials turning themselves in?"
