The princess was ordained by Heaven.

Chapter 121 Feasibility Analysis of Being a Kept Man

"You have to admit, my sister is really clever. I'll do the same next time!"

"I'm dying of laughter! That old man even wanted me to lick his feet. He hadn't washed his feet for two whole months! I managed to get away with it by pretending to be uncomfortable. It was terrifying, absolutely terrifying..."

"He also always likes to pick his feet. Don't those big shots in the court always like to hold hands to show their intimacy? I wonder if they like the smell of that old man's feet."

[How disgusting! Zhou Xuan seems like a respectable official, how come he's so unhygienic in private? Luckily I never shook hands with him.]

After thinking it over, Zheng Xun checked the system again, still feeling uneasy. He was relieved to see that none of the people he had contacted had this bad habit.

Zhou Xuan's head was buzzing.

It's over, everything is over. From now on, his colleagues will only talk about him as a laughing stock.

He couldn't bear the blow and nearly fainted.

Meanwhile, Tan Duzhi, suppressing his disgust, grabbed him and pinched his philtrum hard.

He didn't hold back at all, and soon, Zhou Xuan's philtrum was pinched raw, becoming a bloody mess.

Zhou Xuan: I'll endure it!

Okay, I just couldn't resist.

He jumped up with a loud cry, looking at Qin Duzhi with teary eyes, as if making an accusation.

Tan Duzhi said with a straight face, "You're welcome."

Then, he silently moved a little further away from him.

The ministers who had previously been on good terms with Zhou Xuan and often held his hand and confided in him now wished they could go back and wash their hands eight hundred times.

They tried to comfort themselves: they were all colleagues, they shouldn't discriminate against or look down on others...

No way! Can't he be a little more considerate?

What did he do on his days off?

In the light screen, Madam Zhou coughed lightly, and after everyone quieted down, she said, "Recently, I discovered something. Before me, he had a child bride who was ten years older than him. All his embroidery pieces belonged to that older sister. I took back some of the embroidery pieces, but the rest are a bit difficult to obtain. However, I have collected some evidence of his bribery."

She paused, taking in everyone's reactions before saying, "He has been an official for so many years. Although he hasn't been a big corrupt official, he has been constantly engaging in petty tricks. His mind is almost never on politics; he only thinks about scheming. Moreover... among all of you sisters, apart from the ones I brought into the mansion, the ones he forcibly took in are the ones I brought in. To put it bluntly, he is essentially a scumbag."

In the past, she needed to use him to solidify her position. Now that her position is secure and her network of connections has expanded, it's only natural that she should bring this mediocre person down from his high position.

Zhou Xuan was furious; this was the wife he had thought was dignified and virtuous.

While his colleagues complained about how fierce their wives were, he proudly proclaimed his wife's virtue and generosity, citing their numerous concubines as proof.

But times have changed. The more proud he was of his boasting back then, the more painful the slap in the face he now feels.

He cursed the wicked woman in his heart. He was her husband. If something happened to him, did she think she would be alright?

If it weren't for his protection, who knows what would have become of her now.

Meanwhile, Madam Zhou, speaking slowly from the sky, said, "He is mediocre and incompetent. He only made some insignificant contributions when he was in the local area. Once he entered the capital, how could he have any interest in the country, the people, or the nation? He just wanted to get drunk on power and women every night."

Her gaze was calm, and her tone carried a certain confidence and certainty: "This is the best time. The court is no longer what it used to be. One official after another has been dismissed. It is clear that the Emperor is no longer willing to tolerate those officials who are just muddling through or holding positions without doing their job. I suspect that there will be a major upheaval in the Great Yong Dynasty. A struggle for the crown prince is unlikely, so it must be due to external factors. Judging from the strength of the nation, the country most likely to take action is the Brown Kingdom."

The court fell silent instantly.

Even Zhou Xuan was surprised that his seemingly dignified and ordinary wife had such abilities.

Without leaving home, one can deduce the truth from some seemingly random clues.

She was so intelligent.

Zhou Xuan's anger suddenly dissipated. She was so smart, it was normal for her to be able to manipulate him. He had no reason to be angry.

It's only because he's smart that he can be manipulated by smart people.

Zheng Xun looked at Madam Zhou as if he were looking at a piece of unpolished jade, and he was almost drooling.

[What a talent! This is a talent! Putting him in Zhou Xuan's backyard is a complete waste of his potential. It makes me so angry! Just thinking about how such a talent has been buried in the inner quarters for so many years makes me furious.]

No, I must make Madam Zhou kick Zhou Xuan to the curb and have him come with me.

Zhou Xuan: ...

The tone of your voice makes it hard not to suspect that you have a penchant for polishing mirrors.

Also, what do you mean by "kicked him"? Is she someone who can be summoned and dismissed at will?

He really is.

He didn't want to lose the emperor's favor, nor did he want to lose his official position. He wanted to stay in the capital in glory and be a high-ranking official that everyone envied.

So he decided to endure it and reluctantly make do with his wife for a while.

[Zhou Xuan can't outmaneuver Madam Zhou. He'll lose his job and go to jail soon. I should think about how to get Madam Zhou to work for me. Hmm... what should I have her do?]

What do you mean he can't beat them? Zhou Xuan himself wouldn't believe those words, but since Zheng Xun said them, he believed Zheng Xun!

Then, he lowered his head as if he had lost his parents.

He never imagined he would one day rely on a woman, especially one he wanted to rely on but couldn't necessarily do so.

He was naive.

If he can't be relied upon, then so be it; his life might be ruined.

No, he had to think of a way to escape. He knew what he had done over the years. Although he didn't think there was anything wrong with bribery and taking concubines, it was clear that these things were shameful.

The other ministers exchanged bewildered glances. They had actually heard about some of these things in private; bribery and such were all old tricks in officialdom.

Most importantly, what was your purpose in offering bribes, how much did you offer, and did you do anything to harm the court or the people?

The ministers who had received the embroidery looked as if they had swallowed flies, shrinking behind their colleagues, afraid of being targeted by Zheng Xun.

[I've got it! Madam Zhou would be perfect for a supervisory role! She doesn't need to worry about officials not making mistakes; in fact, it's better if they do. As long as she has leverage over them, she won't have to worry about them covering up anything later, nor will she have to worry about not having evidence. She can just bring out the old incriminating evidence, and it'll be a sure thing!]

It's a pity that there are no female officials in the court now, and Madam Zhou doesn't have any proper official rank.

Ministers: Thankfully not.

Yin, or is it you, Yuan Jia, who are Yin?

Why has the Brown Country been so quiet lately?

Can't you be a little more sensible and make a scene to get the princess's attention to the Brown Kingdom people instead of bothering these officials?

Everyone has secrets, right? They're afraid they can't handle it...

The emperor looked at everyone's reactions and felt somewhat worried.