Chapter 51 Liu Jiaojiao
Liu Zheng was completely immersed in a tragic sense of mission.
He firmly believed that he was the only upright official among all the civil and military officials, and the only loyal minister who dared to say "no" to power!
He still held his head high, staring directly at the small figure on the dragon throne, as if to say something.
Come on! What can you do to me?
Yu Zhaoning pouted angrily at his expression.
[Hmph! I have plenty of strength and methods!]
Upon hearing this heartfelt sentiment, the entire court, including Yuan Hua, was instantly invigorated!
Here it comes!
His Majesty is about to begin again!
Everyone instinctively held their breath, their ears perked up like rabbits, afraid of missing a single word.
Only Liu Zhengfeng, kneeling on the ground, was completely bewildered.
A system? Lifting the roof? And then there's the strength and the means?
He immediately snorted coldly, taking it as just a child's angry words.
Liu Zhengfeng has always been upright and honest, and his family has always been upright and honest. What shameful things could he possibly have done?
That's a joke!
However, the next second, a crystal-clear voice rang out.
[This Vice Minister Liu is truly a man of great hidden talent!]
[Ding! The Eternal Gossip System V2 is activated! Scanning for target: Liu Zhengfeng, Vice Minister of Rites! Scan complete! Host may view freely!]
[Let me see. Wow! Goodness! Is this first piece of gossip this funny?!]
The hearts of all the officials were in their throats.
Speak quickly, Your Majesty! We can't wait any longer!
[Liu Zhengfeng, the Vice Minister of Rites! On the surface, he appears righteous and as rigid as a rock in a latrine! In reality, every night after his wife falls asleep, he sneaks into the room where she keeps her clothes!]
Upon hearing this, Liu Zhengfeng's eyelids twitched violently, and an ominous premonition surged into his heart.
Impossible! Absolutely impossible! This...
How did she find out about this?
[He would secretly put on his wife's favorite pink ruffled dress, light a candle, and, posing and dancing in front of the bronze mirror!]
"puff!"
General Weiyuan couldn't hold back and almost spat it out on the spot.
Fortunately, he reacted quickly and covered his mouth tightly with his large, fan-like hand, preventing laughter from leaking out.
But his burly body was shaking violently, his face was flushed red, and he was almost laughing so hard that tears were streaming down his face!
Pink, ruffles, long skirt?
Good heavens! Just imagining Liu Zhengfeng's bronze face paired with that outfit...
The scene was too beautiful for him to bear! He was about to burst from holding it in!
The Minister of Revenue, standing beside him, was terrified and frantically nudged him with his elbow, desperately trying to warn him in a whispered voice, "General! General! Calm down! Do you want to anger the gods?!"
If the gods forbade them to speak out, there must be a reason!
General Weiyuan was trembling and nodding frantically, indicating that he understood, but he just couldn't stop!
[He even gave himself a nickname: Liu! Jiao! Jiao!]
[Hahahaha! This is hilarious! Liu Jiaojiao! Why isn't her name Liu Meili?!]
This time, it wasn't just General Weiyuan who was affected.
Throughout the entire court, apart from Liu Zhengfeng himself, who was still in a petrified state, everyone's shoulders were trembling slightly.
Some of the older ministers were so engrossed in their laughter that their faces turned red, and they had to resort to violent coughing to cover their laughter.
Even the usually composed Grand Tutor Wang An had a wildly upturned smile on his face at this moment.
He coughed, his cloudy old eyes glancing discreetly at Liu Zhengfeng kneeling on the ground, and winked meaningfully.
It's as if it's saying...
Lord Liu, I never knew you had this hobby?
Shang Yuanhua paused slightly in the hand holding the teacup, and a faint smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.
She watched Liu Zhengfeng's retreating figure with great interest, thinking to herself.
Interesting, truly interesting. I thought he was a blockhead, but I never imagined he was like this inside…
Colorful and diverse.
These ministers are all treating me very well, and I'm living quite comfortably!
Standing behind Yuan Hua, Luan Xue was so shocked that her mouth gaped open, her beautiful eyes filled with disbelief.
She used to just find this Vice Minister Liu annoying, but now it seems he's also a bit... perverted?
Only Lin Xiang maintained his gentle and refined demeanor, but his peach blossom eyes, which looked at Liu Zhengfeng, were now filled with smiles.
As for Liu Zhengfeng, the protagonist, he was completely dumbfounded.
His mind went blank, buzzing.
Liu Jiaojiao...
We're doomed!
He had been hiding such a mysterious secret, and now it was being revealed in front of the entire court!
Instantly, I felt all the blood rushing backward, my hands and feet turned ice cold, and a chill ran straight to my head.
He couldn't understand it!
This matter was unknown to even the Lady, except to herself! How did this four-year-old little empress find out?
Is she really a monster?
Yu Zhaoning ignored the turmoil in his heart and was happily enjoying the gossip!
[Oh dear, this story begins when Lord Liu was a child!]
[It turns out, Lord Liu's mother dreamed of having a sweet, loving daughter! Unfortunately, she gave birth to five boys in a row!]
[There was no other way, so Liu's mother raised her youngest son, who is now the Vice Minister Liu, as a daughter! From a young age, she dressed him in pretty dresses, braided his hair, and provided him with everything a little girl should have!]
[It's said that when Lord Liu was young, he was incredibly handsome, like a porcelain doll! He turned heads wherever he went! Back then, many naive young men would grab his hand and vow to marry him someday!]
[Hahaha! This is hilarious! But I'm also very curious, he was so handsome when he was little, why did he grow up to be so ugly? His face looks like it's been smeared with soot, all black and grimy!]
The entire court of officials has completely given up on managing their facial expressions.
Everyone lowered their heads, trying to imagine a scene where a little Liu Jiaojiao, wearing a floral dress, was being chased by a group of kids who called her "wife"...
This is even more interesting than watching a traditional opera!
On the dragon throne, Yu Zhaoning finished eating the melon and smacked her lips in satisfaction.
[Excellent, excellent work deserves a reward!]
She looked down at Liu Zhengfeng, who was almost disappearing into the ground below, her big eyes sparkling, and spoke in a childish voice.
"Minister Liu, you have worked so hard for the country and spoken for so long. You must be thirsty and tired."
Liu Zhengfeng stiffly raised his head, his lips trembling, unable to utter a single word.
The young empress continued in an extremely caring tone.
"I am truly moved by your unwavering loyalty. Guards!"
The chief eunuch Li Defu hurriedly bowed and stepped forward, saying, "This servant is here."
"Reward Minister Liu with ten bolts of fine brocade, and let him... I..." Yu Zhaoning tilted her head, pretending to think seriously, then her eyes lit up and she said crisply.
"Let him go back and make himself some pretty new dresses!"
Instantly, the entire court was filled with the sound of coughing.
To kill someone, you must first destroy their spirit!
Your Majesty's move is tantamount to killing someone and destroying their spirit!
"Give me silk to make a new dress!" Isn't this blatantly telling Liu Zhengfeng?
I know your secret perfectly well!
Liu Zhengfeng felt a sudden darkness before his eyes and almost died on the spot.
After thinking about it for a moment, he felt he understood.
All of this must have been orchestrated by the Empress Dowager!
How could a four-year-old girl possibly know these things?
It must have been the Empress Dowager who planted spies around him, using such despicable means to attack him and force him to submit!
Liu Zhengfeng will never yield!
"For a woman to rule as emperor is a violation of ancestral laws! For the Empress Dowager to rule is even more like a hen crowing at dawn! Today, even if it costs me my life, I will fight for justice for the Great Yu Dynasty and for the late emperor!"
He stiffened his neck, his face showing a look of resignation to his fate.
So what if his cross-dressing is exposed? Compared to the fate of the nation, what does his personal reputation matter!
He, Liu Zhengfeng, was a loyal minister! He was a martyr!
Seeing his unyielding and resolute demeanor, many officials around him, unaware of the situation, cast admiring glances at him.
"Minister Liu, you're a real man!"
"Yes, risking execution to speak frankly and offer advice, he is truly a role model for us all!"
"Although he has some minor hobbies, that doesn't change the fact that he's a loyal subject!"
Hearing these comments, Liu Zhengfeng straightened his back even more.
He felt as if he had transformed into a messenger of justice, waging a final battle against the forces of evil!
Yu Zhaoning, sitting on the dragon throne, rolled her eyes speechlessly at his self-satisfied expression.
[Is this person out of their mind? How did they escalate this to the level of the nation and its people?]
[Never mind, it seems one melon wasn't enough. My earlier hint was too subtle; surely Minister Liu understood?]
Yu Zhaoning rested her chin on her small hand and continued to scroll through her thoughts.
Her brows furrowed slightly, as if she were searching intently for something.
Turning the pages, turning the pages...
Sudden!
Those big, dark eyes widened instantly.
[Huh?]
[No wonder I saw a beam of green light shooting into the sky above Minister Liu's head from the very beginning!]
[So that's what happened!]
A beam of green light shooting into the sky?!
All eyes immediately focused on the top of Liu Zhengfeng's head.