SBCEJM -Chapter 234 The Third Prince’s Consort Begins “Deploying Troops”! The Prince’s Estate Is About to Change Hands!

By day, he was a lofty prince high above the masses.

By night, he was a prisoner bound in chains.

The thought echoed like demonic whispers through the minds of the officials, making their temples throb.

What was even more terrifying was that they actually felt…

This ending…

Was ridiculously exciting.

Just imagining the Third Prince’s usual arrogant, nose-in-the-air attitude compared to his current miserable state—chained to the bedpost—

The officials had to expend every ounce of self-control under their colleagues’ warning glances to suppress their reactions.

Quite a few of them were already on the verge of their lips curling upward uncontrollably.

Within the ranks, several military nobles exchanged knowing looks, their raised chins and smug faces unable to conceal their schadenfreude.

Meanwhile, the civil officials led by Lin Zhengyan all stared at their noses and contemplated life, their old faces flushed dark red, unable to swallow the lump of emotion stuck in their chests.

【What a pity. They’ve only been married three days, otherwise there’d definitely be even juicier gossip!】

Feng Zexuan lamented inwardly, clearly still unsatisfied.

【Exactly! This system’s intelligence network is still under construction!】

The system chimed in enthusiastically.

【But don’t worry, Host. This Third Prince Consort is no ordinary woman. She’s already begun “deploying troops” inside the Third Prince’s estate!】

Oh?

There’s more?

The entire court straightened again, ears perked up straighter than the official hats atop their heads.

【On the very first day after the wedding, she tormented the Third Prince so badly he couldn’t even get out of bed. Then she immediately used the excuse of “His Highness is unwell and requires quiet recuperation” to seize control of all household affairs from the old steward. Efficient and ruthless.】

【On the second day, every servant in the residence who looked even remotely decent and was under thirty years old was sold off under charges like “incompetence” and “improper eyes.” In their place, she brought in a group of plain, elderly aunties and uncles with enough wrinkles to squash flies.】

【Her stated reason? “Older people are honest and reliable. They won’t distract His Highness.”】

The crowd was speechless.

This move was brilliant.

A complete removal of the problem at its root.

She had directly lowered, on a physical level, the probability of the Third Prince “seducing everyone regardless of gender” and “flirting everywhere.”

【On the third day—which was yesterday—she secretly started meeting with accountants and craftsmen from outside the estate.】

【On one hand, she’s inventorying all the wealth the Third Prince accumulated over the years, preparing to slowly transfer it into her own name like ants moving house.】

【On the other hand, she’s been studying the mansion blueprints, considering where to dig hidden underground rooms beneath the master bedroom, study, and even the garden rockeries…】

At this point, the system let out two sinister chuckles.

The laughter was filled with malicious anticipation.

Feng Zexuan already had the mental image.

【Oh ho, so she’s planning some premium imprisonment play?】

【One dungeon in the bedroom, one in the study, another in the garden… Is she building the Third Prince a luxury prison package?】

【If he upsets her in the future, will she gently ask him, “Your Highness, which cave would you like to sleep in tonight?”】

“Pffft—”

Within the ranks, Crown Prince Xiao Mingxuan finally lost control and burst into laughter.

Instantly, he felt a cold gaze shoot toward him from the dragon throne.

Startled out of his wits, he hurriedly clamped both hands over his mouth, wishing he could curl into a ball and bury his head in his chest.

Father Emperor, your son merely has a cold and an itchy throat! I absolutely wasn’t laughing at Third Brother! Absolutely not!

Too vicious!

This Third Prince Consort was truly terrifying!

Earlier, several officials had privately considered marrying into the Minister of War’s family.

Now, cold sweat drenched their backs as overwhelming relief washed over them.

Many thanks to the Third Prince for sacrificing himself for the greater good!

This was practically eliminating a public menace!

On the dragon throne, Xiao Juechen’s expression shifted unpredictably, his emotions indescribably complicated.

On one hand, he felt this rebellious son and his mad wife had completely disgraced the imperial family.

On the other hand… deep down, he somehow felt this style of “discipline” suited the Third Prince particularly well.

At the very least, it seemed far more effective than confinement and salary cuts.

Silently, he decided to remind the spies planted in the Third Prince’s estate to keep a close watch.

Discipline was one thing, but they couldn’t actually play his son to death.

Otherwise, where would he find such entertaining gossip in the future?

The Third Prince’s scandal temporarily came to an end, but Feng Zexuan’s appetite for gossip had been completely ignited.

【System, if just one piece of gossip is already this exciting, there have to be more, right?】

【Tell me—among all these officials, are there others like the Third Prince? Completely dominated by their wives?】

【You know, the kind who look imposing outside but kneel on washboards at home.】

【Even better if it’s the type where the wife acts outrageously, drives her husband away in anger, then resorts to every possible method to drag him back. I love melodramatic stories like that!】

The atmosphere in the hall instantly changed.

The officials who had just been enjoying the gossip suddenly couldn’t even hold their metaphorical melons steady anymore.

Many of them straightened their backs immediately.

Their old faces practically screamed: “Absolutely impossible” and “Our household discipline is impeccable.”

What a joke!

They were court officials, heads of their households!

How could they possibly be bullied by women?!

Yet while these old foxes struggled to maintain their dignity, a few subtle movements betrayed their panic.

The Vice Minister of Revenue standing midway through the ranks trembled slightly at the fingertips as he discreetly tugged up his collar.

Beneath it, a faint red mark could vaguely be seen—like nail scratches left by someone.

Behind him, a Ministry of Personnel official nearly lost his footing, instinctively clutching his knees as though they still ached faintly.

Naturally, none of these details escaped the system’s scan.

【Host, you really said it!】

The system sounded unbelievably excited, as though it had discovered a new continent.

【After conducting a full carpet-style scan, there really are several classic examples in this hall!】

【Every one of them acts respectable outside, but goes home only to be bloodline-suppressed by their wives!】

The hearts of every official in court shot straight into their throats.

It’s here!

A new storm has arrived!

Who would be the next unlucky soul publicly executed by gossip?!

Feng Zexuan perked up immediately.

【Quick! Present the goods!】

【Let’s start with the Vice Minister of Revenue who just adjusted his collar—Lord Li!】

Vice Minister Li Qian’s entire body stiffened.

That collar he had just pulled up now felt like an icy noose tightening around his neck.

【This Lord Li is of concubine-born status. He earned his official position entirely through years of hard study. He’s humble and polite, and works diligently in the Ministry of Revenue.】

【As for his wife? Her personality is overwhelmingly domineering.】

The crowd nodded.

That made sense.

A man with no family backing marrying a formidable wife and being tightly controlled wasn’t too strange.

But Feng Zexuan felt this gossip lacked flavor.

【That’s it? That’s not explosive enough. At most he’s henpecked. That’s still far from the melodramatic chaos I ordered.】

【Don’t rush, Host!】

The system chuckled wickedly before dropping the real bombshell.

【The key point is—before marrying him, his wife was a female bandit chief!】

A… female bandit?!

Every gaze in the hall instantly snapped toward Vice Minister Li Qian.

Their eyes contained shock, sympathy, disbelief, and…

A faint trace of admiration?

Li Qian’s face burned so hot he wished he could melt into a puddle and seep between the palace floor tiles forever.

【And not only that—his wife was also his savior!】

The system continued enthusiastically.

【Back when Lord Li hadn’t yet earned his degree, the main wife of his household framed him and had him tied up and thrown deep into the mountains, practically feeding him to wolves.】

【Coincidentally, his future wife—then the mighty bandit queen of Black Wind Fortress—happened to find him while coming down the mountain “for business.”】

【The bandit queen had sharp eyes. One glance and she decided this delicate scholar, all fair skin, weak demeanor, and red lips with white teeth, was exactly her type.】

【The bandit queen slapped her thigh on the spot, stabbed her broadsword into the ground, and boldly declared—】

【“This pretty boy belongs to me!”】

【Before the words even finished, two burly subordinates had already stuffed the scholar into a sack and carried him up the mountain. That very night, they held a wedding ceremony and made him the bandit chief’s husband!】