The Seductive Beauty Breaks the Insecure Bottom Script [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 40.1

He Wen’s voice carried a commanding authority. As he pushed open the door, the once-rowdy room, filled with people sprawling in various states of drunkenness, suddenly fell silent.

He Wen swept a glance across the room. There were only about six or seven people; fortunately, the impact wasn’t too large. They were mostly low-ranking officials who were likely frustrated in their daily careers, leading them to lose their minds and dare to gossip about the Son of Heaven.

Shang Nanxuan, who had been basking in the flattery of the crowd, suddenly saw the others bowing toward He Wen, acting as spineless as quails.

“Prime Minister… Lord Chancellor.”

“Uh, Chancellor He, we were just here drinking; we didn’t mean anything else.”

Shang Nanxuan was suppressed by a belly full of rage. Looking at He Wen’s appearance, he remembered the Qionglin Banquet that day when Song Mingjiao had suddenly lost interest in him.

Not long after, the originally business-like and inconspicuous Chancellor, He Wen, suddenly gained the Emperor’s favor. He entered and exited the Imperial Study daily; the tales of their monarch-subject friendship had even spread throughout the Censorate.

“What brilliant insight does Lord Chancellor have? Every word I said is the truth. His Majesty really—”

The jealousy in Shang Nanxuan’s heart surged. Even though he hadn’t seen Song Mingjiao for a long time, the less they met, the heavier that dark emotion became. He had become so audaciously delusional that he genuinely felt the Emperor still loved him, allowing him to recklessly slander the monarch.

“Watch your words, Master Shang! The Imperial Examination is a vital matter of our dynasty. Are you certain you want to make an issue out of examination fraud? If you truly have evidence, why not come with me right now to see His Majesty and confront him face-to-face? How about it?”

Shang Nanxuan had been drinking, and his mind was clouded. Being suddenly rebuked and interrupted by He Wen caused a shiver to run through his body, and he broke into a cold sweat in hindsight.

He had no evidence whatsoever of Song Mingjiao leaking questions to him.

Back then, even when Song Mingjiao supported him, it was merely providing some resources; she had never explicitly given him the answers.

It was all due to Shang Nanxuan seeing the egging on and admiring gazes of those around him. In a moment of vanity, he wanted them to believe that he, Shang Nanxuan, was extremely important in the Emperor’s heart. As a result, he nearly caused a catastrophic blunder.

“I… I never said anything about examination fraud, He Wen! Even if you are the noble Prime Minister, can you slander an official like this?”

Having his boastful lies exposed by He Wen in front of other bureaucrats made Shang Nanxuan feel he had lost face instantly. He could sense the people who previously admired him now looking at him with strange eyes, some even quietly backing away to avoid being implicated.

Shang Nanxuan turned angry from shame and jumped out to accuse He Wen of abusing his power.

However, his current groundless actions made him look more like a clown. He no longer possessed the slight air of etiquette he had when he was being “packaged” by Song Mingjiao. The current Shang Nanxuan completely exposed his true level: low-born and utterly uneducated.

He Wen had always despised Shang Nanxuan and had no intention of giving him face at a time like this.

He only knew that today’s matter involved Song Mingjiao’s reputation. Whether Shang Nanxuan wanted to spread rumors about his relationship with the Emperor, or claim the Emperor violated the principles of fairness by creating a “back door” for cheating, these words must absolutely not leave this room.

“I don’t care what your thoughts are; everything said just now was pure fabrication. If anyone dares to spread a word, they should weigh the consequences for themselves.”

The officials who had come with Shang Nanxuan were frozen in a heap, already drenched in cold sweat. They originally thought it was just boasting to vent some emotions; they hadn’t expected it to escalate so far as to involve the one sitting on the Dragon Throne.

Seeing Shang Nanxuan so confident earlier, they had actually believed him. But they didn’t expect that before the bragging was even finished, the “fraud-buster” would arrive.

Obviously, compared to Shang Nanxuan a Top Scholar who hadn’t even seen the Emperor’s face more than a few times and had long since lost favor they were more convinced by Chancellor He Wen, who held both great power and the Emperor’s heart.

The officials bowed repeatedly: “We wouldn’t dare, Lord Chancellor. Everyone just came here for a meal today. We didn’t hear a single word and have no idea what happened.”

“That is for the best.”

Shang Nanxuan watched his colleagues, who had flipped like grass in the wind, and gnashed his teeth in hatred. But he was also a “paper tiger” cruel in appearance but weak at heart. He knew that if his words reached the Emperor’s ears today, he would likely not have a good ending, so he dared not clash head-on with He Wen.

Unexpectedly, He Wen, who was about to turn and leave, suddenly doubled back. He came before Shang Nanxuan and forcibly snatched the jade pendant and bracelet from his person.

Shang Nanxuan gripped them tightly and refused to let go, but he was no match for He Wen’s strength. Instead, he took several punches and was kicked to the floor in a very pathetic manner.

“Is this how the Chancellor sets an example for ministers? To openly act as a robber? Those were bestowed upon me by His Majesty! The patterns on them are real; I wasn’t lying this time!”

He Wen showed no mercy, seizing everything Shang Nanxuan claimed Song Mingjiao had gifted him. He looked completely righteous and justified as he looked down and said:

“Whether it is true or not, I will naturally ask His Majesty to clarify. This is to prevent imperial treasures from wandering outside and tarnishing His Majesty’s reputation.”

“You—”

Only then did He Wen depart in a dignified manner, carrying the jade pendant and bracelet he had just “robbed.”

At the thought that these were bestowed by Song Mingjiao, He Wen couldn’t help but curl his lips upward, wanting to keep the bracelet in his palm and admire it day and night.

But then he remembered that these things had been on Shang Nanxuan’s body. He instantly felt the items had been tainted by that man’s filth. He indignantly wiped the jade and bracelet many times with his sleeve until the surfaces were gleaming, only then stopping in satisfaction.

“Things bestowed by His Majesty should naturally be placed in the manor, managed by dedicated personnel, and properly cherished. A person like Shang Nanxuan has no respect for His Majesty. That is why I took them; only I can properly safeguard them for His Majesty. Yes, that’s right.”

He Wen returned to his original private box, but he no longer had an appetite. After greeting his colleagues, he left. On the way back, He Wen toyed with the jade pendant and bracelet in his hand, secretly convincing himself of his logic.

However, as he walked and nearly reached the gates of the Chancellor’s Manor, He Wen suddenly realized something was wrong.

Wait! Why did he just disregard his status to snatch the jade pendant and bracelet bestowed by the Emperor?

Wait! He and Song Mingjiao were originally just monarch and subject. Hearing someone damaging the Emperor’s reputation, it was natural for him to feel anger. But why, besides that anger, was there also jealousy, resentment, and bitterness?

He Wen, who was originally as clear as the moon, clean-handed, and full of integrity, was shocked by the deduction in his own mind. He stood dazed at the entrance of the manor, hesitating to enter. Even the gatekeeper couldn’t figure out the situation and came forward to inquire.

“My Lord is not entering the manor; are there any instructions?”

He Wen’s mind was wandering elsewhere. He drifted into the manor while waving his hand at the servant: “Close the doors to guests today; do not disturb me.”

He thought of the slander against Song Mingjiao he heard at the tavern door today and, for a moment, overturned his previous judgments. Did the little Emperor really have an interest in men? Did the little Emperor really have a past with Shang Nanxuan?

He Wen gritted his teeth.

Would Song Mingjiao also dress in that thin, soft inner robe loose and disheveled to see Shang Nanxuan, just as he did in the bedchamber that day? Could an arrogant, brainless fool like Shang Nanxuan actually see Song Mingjiao’s seductive and beautiful appearance?

He Wen clenched his fists, took a deep breath, and once again opened the Biographies of Treacherous Officials, which he had been reading frequently lately. He read it under the lamp for an entire night.

When the sky began to brighten, the current Prime Minister, Lord He Wen, finally had an epiphany:

It turns out that being a “treacherous official” isn’t just about the Emperor forcing a subordinate; a subordinate can also harbor affection for the Emperor.

Caring for the Emperor cannot be called being a “treacherous official,” nor can it be dismissed as “male winds” (homosexuality). It is simply liking someone, loving bravely it doesn’t wrong the ancestors, nor does it wrong the late Emperor.

After a night of deep reflection, He Wen finally closed the book solemnly and walked toward the family ancestral hall. He first bowed to the heavens, honoring the late Emperor, then entered the hall and bowed to the ancestral tablets.

Then, He Wen righteously burned incense and spoke to his ancestors and the late Emperor with total conviction:

“Late Emperor, Father, Mother I like His Majesty. I will treat him well. Since I am the Prime Minister, I am naturally the most suitable person for His Majesty.”

The manor’s servants noticed that their master had been acting strange since he returned yesterday and had now locked himself in the ancestral hall for a long time.

Seeing time slip away and realizing he would miss the hour for the morning court session, a servant tremblingly approached the hall and called out cautiously to He Wen.

“My Lord, the time is nearly upon us. Are you going to court today? Or do you wish to take a day of rest?”

He Wen stood up from the prayer mat: “I’m going. Of course, I’m going.”

Because this wasn’t just “going to court” this was going to see his beloved.

Song Mingjiao had no idea that the results of repeatedly teasing He Wen for just one day would be so powerful.

Without his knowledge, he had already been self-indulgently labeled as “beloved” by a daring individual.

He Wen had ordered those officials yesterday not to speak of the gossip regarding the Emperor.

But under heaven, every inch of land belongs to the monarch especially in the capital, where the Emperor had many eyes and ears. That very night, the news reached Song Mingjiao’s ears.

A secret guard made a throat-slitting gesture, asking Song Mingjiao if they should handle those who gossiped about or defamed the Emperor.

However, Song Mingjiao merely lit the secret report at the candle stand and stopped the guard’s request, instructing:

“You have done well. Keep a close eye on Shang Nanxuan. Report any out-of-line actions immediately. As for the others, send people to watch them. If they truly have faults, use that as an excuse to kick them all out of the capital together.”

The secret guard took the order and left.

“System, look at this. Your male lead was the one who couldn’t stay behaved. I’m just counter-attacking. You’re not going to deduct points for this too, are you?”

The system’s cold mechanical voice no longer fell for Song Mingjiao’s act.

Host, did you really not guide this intentionally?

Song Mingjiao expressed total innocence and grievance, claiming he had only added a tiny bit of fuel to the fire. He had merely had people spread news of his interactions with He Wen in front of Shang Nanxuan.

Based on his understanding of someone like Shang Nanxuan the way this Emperor used to put the Top Scholar on a pedestal and “lick” him so well the current gap was so vast that Shang Nanxuan would surely be unwilling to accept it.

Song Mingjiao wouldn’t find anything Shang Nanxuan did surprising, but this man was actually so stupid that he tried to spread rumors about the Emperor in public. It really made Song Mingjiao feel he had overestimated the man’s IQ.

The only purpose of such a male lead was to happen to run into He Wen, helping Song Mingjiao give He Wen a little push.

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