The Emperor Reads Storybooks Hidden in His Official Reports 1

Chapter 1: It Must Be a Fox Spirit!

The people of the Great Gong Dynasty were in an uproar, absolutely buzzing with excitement.

Their tall and mighty emperor, Zhao Linxu, had tempered himself in military camps before ascending the throne and had focused solely on matters of the court ever since. Forget an empress or a female confidante, his entire harem was empty—not a single concubine. This led many commoners and officials to suspect that the Emperor might suffer from some unspeakable ailment in that department.

However, Zhao Linxu was finally about to prove to his people that he was in perfect health.

“Have you heard? The Emperor has set out for Luoye City!”

“Who doesn’t know by now? We’re getting a new empress!”

The populace was ecstatic. Just who was he? This mysterious man who, after an unexpected night of imperial favor with the Emperor at an inn in Luoye City, had left His Majesty so utterly captivated that he would mobilize a grand entourage to travel south just to find him.

Under the wise rule of the current Son of Heaven, the lands of Great Gong were fertile and its people were simple and honest. With their lives comfortable and prosperous, the citizens had plenty of time to happily chat about gossip and read storybooks.

At this very moment, in the largest tavern in the imperial capital, a storyteller was speaking with spittle flying, recounting an epic romance from a storybook about a nine-headed flying dragon and a bewitching fox spirit.

“Just one night of pleasure was enough to completely bewitch the Emperor… If you ask me, that man is definitely not human. He’s a demon!” The storyteller slammed his hand on the table with a loud thump, thump, thump, his face grave. “A thousand-year-old fox spirit.”

“That makes sense!”

“It does!”

“Oh, oh! They’re here, they’re here! The new batch of storybooks is out! I heard there are a lot of works by Mister Carp this time!”

A man carrying a stack of booklets rushed into the tavern to share the joyous news.

The crowd grew even more excited at the mention of Mister Carp.

Like a carp leaping over the Dragon Gate, Mister Carp was a legend in the world of storybooks. He became famous for Peerless Elegance: The Cold-hearted Assassin of the Evil, Charming Demon Lord. His subsequent works, like The Overbearing Emperor Insists on Marrying Me and World-Toppling Mad Concubine: Your Highness the Wolf King, Love Me Gently, drove countless young ladies and aunties into a frenzy.

And now, with the news of the Emperor’s journey south to find his love, Mister Carp had released another masterpiece: The Feisty Runaway Wife: The Emperor Dotes on the Peerless Little Fox Spirit.

Under the crowd’s expectant gaze, the storyteller, with a sense of sacred excitement, opened Mister Carp’s new book.

The story began with a man who was human from the waist up but a spider from the waist down, frantically waving his eight furry legs and screeching, “Hehehe! Find me that man at once!”

“What?! You still haven’t found him?” The insatiably thirsty man angrily grabbed a subordinate and ate him. His eight fat, sturdy legs continued to spin silk and weave a web. The description was incredibly… realistic.

“…”

…Huh?

The storyteller, confused, opened another booklet.

It was said that the mysterious man must have a secret to be able to captivate the Emperor. This book revealed the mystery. It turned out that the man’s back garden was a mysterious dark dimension. During their night of passion, the Emperor was sucked into it entirely, disappearing from the world…

“…”

Why had the style changed so suddenly?!

What on earth had happened to Mister Carp?!

While the imperial capital was abuzz, Luoye City—home to the much-discussed mysterious man—was in a similar state of chaos. The citizens of Luoye had barely digested the fact that their city had produced a future empress when they were dealt a critical blow by the news that their City Lord was getting married.

The City Lord’s manor was decorated with bright red lanterns and silks. Firecrackers popped and crackled in a festive display.

Li Jianyu, the Lord of Luoye City, was dressed in a grand red wedding robe with an embroidered flower pinned to his chest, sitting gallantly atop his horse, ready to fetch his bride.

The procession of suonas and gongs was accompanied by… the miserable wails of the citizens.

“Lord City Lord! Please don’t do something you’ll regret!” cried Citizen A, still holding a basket. “That pockmarked woman is truly not a good match for you, my lord!”

“Lord City Lord! There are so many beautiful, unmarried young ladies in the city. Why must you ignore them all?” Citizen B held up a large stack of portraits of young women, looking at Li Jianyu with pleading eyes.

“My lord! Master Zhuo said that a woman with a face so pockmarked you can barely see her features will definitely jinx her husband!” Citizen C pounded the ground in grief.

“My lord! I have admired you for so long! While I wouldn’t dare call myself a beauty, I am certainly more presentable than that pockmarked woman!” Citizen D sobbed her heart out.

A young commoner who had just entered the city saw the spectacle and curiously pulled an old lady aside. “Is this a wedding or a funeral?”

The next thing he knew, the old lady let out a “Waaah!”, pushed him aside, and rushed toward the procession to join the others in their wailing.

“…”

What was going on?

Could it be a ghost marriage?

Li Jianyu watched the enthusiastic citizens blocking his wedding procession, a dull throb starting in his head.

Since when did the common folk have a say in who he married?

Were people in ancient times really this open-minded?

Today, Li Jianyu, a transmigrator, once again felt his entire worldview being shaken.

Riding beside him, Li Jianyu’s young advisor, Meng Qingshu, felt he could completely understand the stampede of emotions and utter despair the citizens were feeling.

The City Lord before him had delicate features and a tall, slender frame. The word “bewitching” was usually used to describe women, but it fit Li Jianyu perfectly without feeling out of place. He was the Number One Beauty Under Heaven. How could he possibly be matched with that hag, Pockmarked Zhang?

Li Jianyu was an excellent City Lord who had contributed greatly to Luoye City. The people both respected and adored him, and they were more invested in his marriage than they were in their own sons’.

“Lord City Lord—I’ll prove my devotion with my life!”

“…”

Li Jianyu reined in his horse and dismounted. He saw that the woman at the back of the crowd had already been restrained by others. He could only catch a fleeting glimpse of her tragic expression and a desperately outstretched “Erkang hand.”

(T/N: It refers to the character Erkang’s signature pose of reaching out with one hand in a gesture of desperation. It’s used to describe any overly dramatic, pleading gesture.)

In truth, Li Jianyu didn’t want to get married either. He was just trying to lie low for a while.

In his past life, before he transmigrated, he had been a person of some renown. Who knew that disaster would strike? He died in a car crash, transmigrated to this unknown dynasty, and was actually… topped by a man?

Topped!

Ha, so this guy could just sleep with someone so barbarically and now he was brazenly announcing a search for him?

He refused to believe that an Emperor, the Son of Heaven, would fall in love after a single night. Besides, they were both adults. What was done was done. But the Emperor was so “pure” that he wanted to take responsibility? Who was he kidding!

To dare announce such a thing to the world, his skin must be as thick as a city wall!

Li Jianyu recalled the chaotic farce of that night. It had been pouring rain. He was returning to the city from the mountains when he rescued an injured man in the outskirts. The man looked like he was on the verge of death, so Li Jianyu casually fed him one of the Li family’s unique Heart-Protecting Pills.

Li Jianyu had never faced such a situation before and was using the pill for the first time. Only then did he learn that the pill came with a certain… unspeakable side effect. And so, the man became incredibly aroused.

Li Jianyu simply couldn’t understand how this man, who was clearly seriously injured, could still be so strong, like a wild bull. The next day, Li Jianyu woke up in a daze, looked at his own body covered in red and white marks, and fled, suppressing the urge to commit murder and ignoring the pain wracking his entire body.

After all, he couldn’t win a fight. What if he woke the man up? Wouldn’t that be awkward? Was he supposed to throw a fit—crying, screaming, and threatening to hang himself—to demand the man take responsibility?

And now, that very man was coming to Luoye City to find him!

Just as Li Jianyu was wracking his brain for a way to cover up the truth, Luoye’s garrison troops found a lone woman outside the city. The woman claimed she was fleeing from her enemies and begged Li Jianyu for protection. She even tossed him a bag of silver, proposing a fake marriage to throw her pursuers off her trail.

Wasn’t this like being handed a soft pillow right when you were feeling sleepy?

This marriage had to happen!

Li Jianyu stared at the citizens with a blank expression, an icy aura surrounding him. His “peach blossom eyes” were naturally amorous, but on him, they looked haughty. Paired with his thin lips and willow-leaf brows, he appeared proud and aloof. Now that he was intentionally putting on a stern face, the effect was even stronger. The citizens, stared down, all fell silent.

The City Lord was terrifyingly fierce.

“Lord City Lord! Lord City Lord!”

Just as they reached a stalemate, a household servant rushed up to Li Jianyu and shouted frantically, “My lord, this is bad! Miss Zhang has run away!”

…

“What did you say.”

“Miss Zhang ran away with Huang Dazhuang last night! They say that Huang Dazhuang is her lover!”

“…”

“Say that again.”

The servant announced in a loud, clear voice, “MISS ZHANG RAN OFF WITH ANOTHER MAN!!”

“…”

The expression on Li Jianyu’s face now truly looked like he was at a funeral. The other citizens, however, burst into cheers, their faces full of festive joy.

The young commoner who had just entered the city clicked his tongue in amazement.

XXXXXX

The official road outside Luoye City was surrounded by woods. Due to the continuous rain over the past few days, the road was covered in mud and puddles.

A small troop of soldiers dressed in light, flexible armor had stopped to rest by the roadside, methodically setting up patrols, making camp, and lighting fires. The Emperor was traveling incognito, so there was no fanfare. The soldiers weren’t even wearing their formal armor and looked no different from ordinary guards or retainers.

“Well?”

Zhao Linxu stood to one side, his hands clasped behind his back.

“Reporting to Your Majesty.” A general with an honest face knelt before the man, his head bowed. “This subordinate was incompetent. I failed to bring the Princess back.”

Zhao Linxu frowned slightly.

That little brat!

Did she think her wings had grown strong? She even knew how to run away from an arranged marriage now?

Zhao Linxu had previously stopped in the nearby Huayun City and had arranged a marriage for his younger sister with the Prince of Huayun. Who would have thought that the proud princess would be so dissatisfied with the match that, after failing to argue her way out of it, she would turn around and plot her escape.

Now, there was no news of the princess. She had been missing for several days, and no one knew where she had gone.

“While we were searching, we encountered servants of the Lord of Luoye City. They are also looking for someone.”

“Who are they looking for?”

“Apparently, the Lord of Luoye City’s bride ran off with her lover on their wedding day.”

Zhao Linxu raised an eyebrow.

Is running away from marriage a trend these days?

“That’s perfect. They know the terrain better than we do. Send some men to work with them. I imagine we’ll be able to find the princess faster that way.”

“Yes, Your Majesty!”

As the general left, he thought to himself: The Emperor is posting notices to find a bride, the princess is running away from her own wedding, and a City Lord’s bride has eloped with another man…

Getting married is so much trouble.