SBCEJM -Chapter 105 The Emperor Wears a Green Hat! The Crown Prince Fell for His Stepsister?!

【A stepsister with neither the same father nor mother…?】

Something in Feng Zexuan’s brain snapped with a loud buzz.

What kind of bizarre family relationship was this?!

The gossip circuitry in her mind instantly overloaded and started smoking.

Clatter—

On the dragon throne, the memorial slip in Xiao Juechen’s hand fell to the floor.

A sister?

He had personally investigated the girl. She was the legitimate daughter of Zhou Zheng, Vice Minister of Justice, from a perfectly respectable family with absolutely no connection to the imperial clan!

So how had she suddenly become the Crown Prince’s sister?!

The bolt from the blue left his vision darkening.

His earlier joy at the Crown Prince finally showing interest in women vanished without a trace, replaced only by fury at being made a fool of.

For a moment, it felt as if all the air had been sucked out of the Golden Hall.

The officials all wore different expressions.

Chu Tiankuo instinctively pressed a hand against the hilt of his sword, his eyes sharp as lightning.

Cold sweat rolled down Feng Huai’an’s temples and into his collar.

Several young censors were so excited their faces turned red, yet their necks felt icy cold.

This melon was way too huge—they might not survive eating it!

If word got out, would the imperial family have any dignity left?

Where would the Crown Prince’s reputation go?

【Wait! System, explain yourself!】

Feng Zexuan shook the system wildly in her mind.

【“Different father and mother” means they aren’t blood-related!】

【At most this is some kind of step-sibling romance! Still shocking, but better than actual incest!】

She desperately tried to drag this twisted moral disaster back onto a legal track.

Almost at the same moment, Xiao Juechen and the senior ministers also reacted.

Right!

Different father and mother!

No blood relation!

The collective heart of the court had barely risen back into their chests when the system spoke again, its tone dripping with malicious amusement.

【Host, you’re thinking too simply.】

【The girl the Crown Prince likes, Zhou Ruyan, is indeed Zhou Zheng’s legitimate daughter.】

【But her biological mother—】

The system sounded positively delighted.

【Is a woman from the Emperor’s harem!】

Feng Zexuan suddenly realized that if it were only an ordinary “different father and mother” situation, the system wouldn’t have emphasized it like this.

She subconsciously lifted her head, her gaze landing precisely atop Xiao Juechen’s crown.

Under the majestic imperial headdress, it practically looked as though lush green grass was flourishing everywhere.

【The Emperor… got cheated on again?!】

Again?

That single word stabbed straight into the heart.

Xiao Juechen himself suddenly felt uneasy.

Which woman in the harem had betrayed him this time?!

All the officials trembled in fear, terrified the Emperor would explode on the spot and drag innocent bystanders down with him.

At the same time, every ear in the hall stood straighter than ever.

Standing behind his sister, Feng Zekai was also incredibly excited.

He clenched his fists tightly.

So this was what it felt like to eat gossip live and in person!

It was ten thousand times more thrilling than watching through a screen!

【Well, can you blame them? The Emperor either spends his nights with the Empress or favors a few beloved concubines all the time.】

The system explained lazily.

【With three thousand beauties in the harem, there were bound to be a few women he completely forgot about. Zhou Ruyan’s mother, Talent Lady Lin, was one of them.】

【After entering the palace, Talent Lady Lin never once saw the Emperor. Her assigned palace was remote too—the farthest one from the Emperor’s chambers. Walking there took half an hour.】

【The Emperor had too many things to remember, and her natal family were insignificant officials with no chance to meet him. So… he accidentally forgot about Talent Lady Lin altogether.】

Feng Zexuan was speechless.

【Isn’t that basically the same as being thrown into the Cold Palace? Why marry so many women if you can’t even remember them? What a waste!】

Xiao Juechen: I didn’t throw her into the Cold Palace! I forgot! And besides, the imperial selection system was an ancestral rule—it wasn’t even my decision!

The system continued:

【To be fair, can you really blame the Emperor? With his old three-second stamina, there was no way he could properly take care of everyone…】

Feng Zexuan’s mouth twitched.

【Right, I almost forgot about that. System, you really know how to stab where it hurts!】

The veins on Xiao Juechen’s hand bulged as he gripped the dragon throne’s armrest, his knuckles cracking audibly.

Enough!

Was this never going to end?!

Why did they always have to drag this matter out and whip his corpse over it?!

The freezing pressure of imperial fury swept across the hall like icy wind.

The officials shivered violently, yet still desperately wanted to laugh.

【So… where does the “different father and mother” part come from?】 Feng Zexuan hurriedly steered the topic back.

The system resumed its narration.

【One day, while Talent Lady Lin had nothing to do, she discovered a secret tunnel hidden behind the dressing table in her chambers.】

【Whoa! Is palace security really this terrible?!】

The entire court was shocked.

A secret passage in the imperial inner palace?!

Xiao Juechen’s face darkened another shade.

He had already decided that after court adjourned, he would order the Imperial Guards to tear apart the entire harem if necessary.

【At first she didn’t dare explore it, but as time passed, the loneliness became unbearable.】

【So she gathered her courage and entered the tunnel with her trusted maidservant.】

【The tunnel was very long, and its exit opened into the forests outside the capital. Nearby lived a young and handsome… hunter.】

In Feng Zexuan’s imagination instantly appeared eight-pack abs and powerful muscular arms.

【And then? Then what happened?!】

The system didn’t answer directly, instead dropping an even bigger bombshell.

【Talent Lady Lin began living a double life.】

【She secretly snuck out, hiding nearby to watch the tall hunter chop wood, grow vegetables, and hunt…】

【She thought this kind of life, full of ordinary human warmth, was far more interesting than the lifeless imperial palace.】

Everyone present silently agreed.

Who wouldn’t think so?!

【Later, one day, the hunter discovered her.】

【When he asked who she was, she lied and claimed to be a refugee fleeing disaster. Seeing a weak woman with nowhere to go, the hunter kindly took her in.】

【One thing led to another. A handsome man and beautiful woman, dry wood meeting raging fire—they naturally became lovers.】

The Golden Hall fell utterly silent except for the system’s vivid narration and the increasingly heavy breathing of certain officials.

Thrilling!

Far too thrilling!

This was more exciting than any opera or storybook!

【After experiencing the sweetness of love, how could she still want to return to that “Cold Palace”?】

【So she made up her mind. She had her trusted maid disguise herself as her and pretend to be ill in the palace, while she herself changed her name and eloped completely with the hunter.】

【What happened after that?】

Feng Zexuan asked.

【Later, the hunter struck it rich through military service. He earned merit after merit and eventually rose to become a third-rank General Zhaowu. She transformed into the envied wife of a great general.】

【Wow! This is way too dramatic! It’s literally like a folk romance novel coming to life!】

Xiao Juechen’s emotions were incredibly complicated.

One of his women had run away, borne another man’s daughter, and now that daughter had become involved with his own son!

He wanted to be angry—very angry—but realized he couldn’t quite muster it…

Because he didn’t even know what this Talent Lady Lin looked like…

【What about the hunter general? Why haven’t we seen him at court?】

【Him? He died on the battlefield three years ago while fighting the Xiongnu.】

The system sighed.

【Ah, what a pity. I thought this was a happy ending, but it turned out to be a tragedy.】

Feng Zexuan also felt somewhat regretful.

Many court officials who had known the General Zhaowu sighed emotionally as well.

The man had been a hero who died for his country. Who would have imagined such a bizarre story behind him?

Fortunately the Emperor only discovered this after his death. Otherwise, he probably wouldn’t have died peacefully.

But his wife was in serious danger now.

Xiao Juechen suddenly realized something was wrong—the girl’s father wasn’t Zhou Zheng?

How had he suddenly become General Zhaowu???

【But this General Zhaowu truly loved his wife beyond reason. The kind of love carved into the bones.】

The system abruptly changed tone, sounding mysterious again.

【Which means there’s another earth-shattering melon hidden here!】

Feng Zexuan perked up instantly.

【What melon? Hurry up and tell me!】