Maybe the alcohol really was too strong, because when Lin Mo woke up, it was already the next day.

The Emperor, ever so thoughtful, had even given her the day off—no need to attend the morning court session.

Lin Mo sat dazedly on the bed with blank eyes. Seeing her like this, the system couldn’t help but ask sympathetically: [Are you okay? Do you remember what happened yesterday?]

Lin Mo nodded slowly, her mind still in a fog. Then she let out a wail and collapsed dramatically, [Ahhh! Why did something like that have to happen?!]

[Hey now, don’t be upset. What’s done is done. Besides, your father gave you a good beating yesterday, so that should cancel it out.]

Lin Mo: …Can it really be canceled out like that?

Whether or not it could be canceled out would become clear by noon. Once Minister Lin returned from court and heard that Lin Mo was awake, he immediately summoned her.

The whole family was already seated in the main hall waiting for her.

Standing at the door, Lin Mo took a deep breath. [Stay calm, stay calm. The system’s right—Dad already beat me yesterday, so things should have blown over by now. At most, he’ll just scold me a little today.]

The people inside the Lin household: …

Minister Lin, face dark as thunder, roared, “Still not rolling in here?!”

The very next second, Lin Mo literally rolled into the room.

The system was stunned by her ridiculous move: [What are you doing?! You really rolled in?!]

Lin Mo rolled all the way to her father’s feet, then quickly threw herself down in a full kowtow posture—completely sincere.

[System, you don’t get it. This shows my sincerity! Once my dad sees how sincere I am, he won’t make a fuss anymore.]

Madam Lin rubbed her temples and looked away in exasperation.

Lin Qi and Lin Ran had no words left. Their little sister’s way of thinking truly defied normal logic.

Minister Lin looked down at the person at his feet and resisted the urge to kick her. He snapped,
“Stand up! What kind of behavior is this!”

“You actually went to someone else’s house, got drunk, and even stole their dog?! Just look at the mess you’ve made!”

“Woof woof!” The little white dog nearby barked twice, almost like it was agreeing with him.

Lin Mo: ??? Where did this dog come from?

Don’t tell her… she actually brought it back yesterday?!

Madam Lin gently held the dog in her arms and stroked its fur. “The one you brought back yesterday has already been returned. This one was sent by His Majesty. He heard about what happened yesterday and decided to send you a dog.”

That one sentence hit Lin Mo like a thunderbolt from a clear sky.

“Even the Emperor knows about what happened yesterday?!”

Lin Qi muttered, “Not just the Emperor. I’m pretty sure most of the capital knows by now.”

The flamboyant peacock of a man, being a loudmouth, had gone out drinking with his friends after Lin Mo left. While drunk, he spilled all the tea about what happened at home.

Lin Mo had already been fairly well-known in the capital, but now… her fame had reached a new height.

“Just look at the mess you’ve made! From now on, you’re absolutely not allowed to drink outside anymore, understand? You’re a young lady—learn to protect yourself. It’s a blessing you got drunk at the residence of the Deputy Minister of Justice. If it were at a public tavern, who would’ve brought you home? And you even brought back the lady of the house’s dog! If you like dogs, we could’ve just bought one for you!”

Minister Lin lectured her with all the heartfelt concern of a devoted father. After all, she was his flesh and blood—he had to make sure she understood. If something really did happen one day, it would be too late for regret.

Lin Mo nodded repeatedly as she listened. “Got it, got it—I’ll never drink outside again!”

[Oh my god! Forget drinking—if I so much as sniff alcohol again, it’ll be too soon! Even the Emperor found out! I’ve literally become someone’s gossip fodder!]

The system paused for a moment, then replied: [You probably have. You gave me a lot of energy yesterday, by the way. Actually, even if you stop chasing other people’s drama, I could just feast on your drama and still get energy.]

Lin Mo: […Are we still even partners at this point?!]

Since Lin Mo didn’t attend court that day, the usual joy and chaos she brought to the morning session was noticeably absent. The Emperor, having no one to lighten his mood, exploded on the ministers over the slightest annoyance.

“These people are all useless compared to that Lin girl! It’s just a matter of receiving foreign envoys, and they’ve already managed to argue over it! What use are they to me?!”

His Majesty’s birthday was approaching, and envoys from nearby smaller nations would soon arrive to offer their well-wishes—partly to show goodwill, partly to seek protection, but mostly to test the waters.

Even the Western Regions would be sending representatives. Coincidentally, the seeds that had been sent from there would arrive together with the envoys.

Yet, such a simple matter had been turned into a mess. They hadn’t even managed to arrange accommodations for the visiting dignitaries. What good were these ministers?

Eunuch Li poured the Emperor a cup of tea and gently said, “Your Majesty, the main goal of those small nations is to test our strength. So handling this matter really isn’t easy.”

“The officials are doing their best. Please grant them a bit more time.”

When it came to those smaller nations, the only way to deal with them was through overwhelming force. If you beat them into submission, they’d keep probing from time to time. The moment they sensed weakness, they’d pounce like vultures.

The very next morning, the court was still in a heated debate over the matter.

Lin Mo, groggy and half-awake, stood beside Minister Li, completely out of it.

System: [Host, what’s the status of that wood carving you’re making for the Emperor? His birthday’s in just over half a month! Don’t tell me you haven’t even started yet!]

Lin Mo snapped awake instantly, and the voices of the surrounding officials immediately dropped by three decibels.

Emperor Xuande had just been fuming internally at his bickering ministers, but upon hearing this sentence, his rage vanished like smoke. He didn’t know how skilled this girl was at carving, but since she dared to make something for him as a birthday gift, her craftsmanship couldn’t be too bad, right?

Lin Mo, on the other hand, had nearly forgotten about it. [Crap! If you hadn’t reminded me, I might’ve completely forgotten!]

Everyone else: …As expected of you.

The system had totally seen this coming. [Your emperor’s birthday celebration is quite the grand affair, huh? Lots of envoys from small nations will be coming to offer their wishes… so, so many juicy scandals!]

That line immediately lit up the eyes of everyone present.

So many juicy scandals?! Had they wandered into a melon patch or something?

Lin Mo instantly pushed the wood carving matter to the back of her mind. What could possibly be more important than juicy gossip?

[How about telling me one now? Come on, just one! You said there’s a ton—start me off with something good!]

System: [Alright then. To keep you from dozing off, I’ll give you one to start—how about a scandal involving the Second Prince of Xijiang? He should be arriving tomorrow.]

Lin Mo was already rubbing her hands together in anticipation, and the others nervously swallowed their saliva.

In ancient times, long-distance travel meant envoys had to depart well in advance, so envoys from various small nations would arrive gradually over the course of a month.

The ministers all had some impression of the Second Prince of Xijiang. He was considered a dragon among men and a strong contender for the Xijiang throne.

System: [This one’s classic “Little Stepmother” literature! Unlike your country’s Second Prince, who’s like a block of wood in bed, the Xijiang Second Prince is wild. He even slept with his father’s imperial consort! The little prince born from that woman? Actually his son!]

Everyone froze in shock and slowly turned to look at their own Second Prince. Even the Emperor glanced sideways at his second son.

Even the system says you’re wooden in bed—just how wooden are you?!

The Crown Prince and the Third Prince gave the Second Prince strange looks… and quietly edged away from him.

Second Prince: …What the heck is with you guys?!

Just like that, the system managed to pull two scandalous stories into the spotlight—one about the Second Prince of a foreign nation, and one involving their own Second Prince.

Outwardly, the Second Prince appeared expressionless and calm, but inside he was already screaming: …You’re talking about someone else’s scandal! Why are you dragging me into it too?! I didn’t even say a word!