Five Years After My Death, the Mad Emperor Still Summons My Spirit

Ming Lingyi didn’t know how the rumor had twisted from "Xie Jiu catches Second Brother Xie in the act" to "the first branch of the Xie family catches their own father having an affair."

But one had to admit, neither Xie Jiu nor Second Brother Xie was as juicy a subject for the citizens of Shangjing City to gossip about as the Xie Family Head, the current Minister of the Ministry of Personnel.

The rumor swept through the city like an autumn wind scattering leaves. In the blink of an eye, it was everywhere, blanketing the Capital City.

Ming Lingyi wasn’t sure if other families had a hand in this, but in any case, by the time the Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, Xie Jupu, left his mansion, the streets and alleys outside were already buzzing with news of his scandals—scandals he himself hadn’t even known about.

Talk about trouble falling from a clear blue sky.

When Xie Jupu rushed to Xinghua Alley with his men, the place was already a chaotic scene.

It seemed more than half the Capital City’s population had gathered to watch the spectacle, completely forgetting that it was the Dragon Boat Festival and the sun was scorching hot.

Ming Lingyi never would have imagined that even at a time like this, there would be people hawking their wares just outside Xinghua Alley—

"Iced mung bean drinks! Get your iced mung bean drinks here—"

"Just five wen for an iced mung bean drink! A cooling iced mung bean drink—"

"Sour plum juice! Selling sour plum juice! Pairs perfectly with our delicious, savory ham zongzi! Get the best of both worlds!"

"The finest zongzi! Lucky zongzi! Passersby, don’t miss out if you’re hungry! Lots of flavors to choose from, only fifty wen! Just fifty wen, and it comes with a free bamboo basket—"

Xiao Chun and the others had long since started hawking their wares.

The group Ming Lingyi had originally assigned to the area near Qujiang had, somehow, ended up moving their mobile stall to the entrance of Xinghua Alley.

At first, Xiao Chun was a little worried. "Mr. Ming, is this really okay? Her Ladyship never told us to come here."

Ming Chengyu stood behind the propped-up stall, completely free of the airs one would expect from a young master of a noble family. Though his shouts weren’t as loud as Xiao Chun’s or Wu Zhao Yi’s, he was incredibly fast at counting money. He handled the silver with a deftness that made him look like anything but a novice.

"What’s not to like?" Ming Chengyu argued, his logic sound. "This is where all the people are right now, in and around Xinghua Alley. Just look at how many zongzi and drinks we’ve sold since we arrived! Once the show’s over here, we’ll just mosey on over to Qujiang."

Ming Chengyu was brimming with confidence. ’These gawkers—don’t they get hot standing around? Tired? Hungry? And aren’t the zongzi and drinks from our stall the perfect partners for watching a show?’

’Eating, drinking, and watching the drama unfold... isn’t that much more pleasant than standing under the sun, drenched in sweat?’

Xiao Chun thought his reasoning sounded a bit absurd. Something felt off, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on what it was.

But their money pouch was, undeniably, growing fatter by the second. 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

When Xie Jupu appeared, Ming Chengyu clicked his tongue and shook his head. ’If he’s here for the show, he’s way too late.’

Xie Ruiyang had already dragged a stark-naked Xie Ruijing into the courtyard, along with the two young male prostitutes who had been in bed with him. Ming Chengyu didn’t dare stare at the scene; he just listened to the waves of gasps from the crowd in the alley, and of course, Xie Ruijing’s furious, desperate roars—

"What the hell do you think you’re doing?!"

"Xie Ruiyang, have you forgotten I’m your second-eldest brother? How dare you... How dare..."

The only reason Xie Ruiyang had managed to get into the courtyard so smoothly, without giving Xie Ruijing a single chance to appear before the crowd with a shred of dignity, was thanks to the Hidden Guards Ming Lingyi had assigned to Ming Chengyu and Zhang Sifan.

The men who served Li Yun were each worth ten ordinary men.

Before Xie Ruiyang’s own men even arrived, the Hidden Guards had already "cleared the path," allowing him to charge in unopposed.

Just as Xie Jupu walked in, he heard his worthless nephew from the third branch shamelessly proclaiming, "Is there anything I wouldn’t dare do? The Xie family has no place for a shameless creature like you! Visiting prostitutes is bad enough, but to think you’d sink so low as to cavort with men from these illegal brothels! You’ve utterly disgraced our entire family! I came here today, and I’ll accept being a laughingstock. But I will not allow you to drag the Xie family’s name through the mud!"

Xie Jupu shuddered, almost rolling his eyes and fainting on the spot.

’This pea-brained fool!’ he thought. ’Did he have to mention the Xie family in every single sentence? Making a scene this public—this is what will truly make it impossible for the Xie family to ever show their faces again!’

For a moment, Xie Jupu’s breath hitched, and a dull ache spread through his chest.

Xie Jupu, a man who reveled in his court battles against a pack of old and young foxes, who had never once considered fleeing from any problem, felt a fleeting, desperate urge to dig a hole and bury himself in it.

’What a ridiculous situation!’

’What a colossal mess!’

He was overcome with a sense of utter powerlessness.

’So many people. So many gawkers. And that impossibly stupid nephew of his had already aired all of the Xie family’s dirty laundry. How could he possibly intervene now? How could he silence the crowd? How could he possibly undo the rumors now tearing through the Capital City?’

What gave Xie Jupu an even worse headache was the crowd of even more idiotic commoners who, upon hearing the words of his unspeakably foolish nephew, actually began to applaud and cheer.

"Well said, young master of the Xie family!"

Xie Jupu nearly coughed up blood.

’Well said, my ass!’

And yet, there was someone who genuinely thought it was a fine spectacle.

Xie Ruiyang gazed down at Xie Ruijing, who was still lying naked on the ground, trying and failing to cover himself. A great weight of resentment, harbored for years, finally lifted from Xie Ruiyang’s chest.

"Xie Ruijing, you’re a disgrace to our ancestors!" Xie Ruiyang boomed with a laugh. "To think you have such a sordid secret. That child in my sister-in-law’s belly—it couldn’t possibly be yours, could it?"

Xie Ruijing had never in his life felt a shame and fury so intense he wished for death.

When he was dragged from the room by Xie Ruiyang’s men, when he felt the stares of the crowd—a mix of scorn, suspicion, and morbid curiosity—and when he was forced to lie exposed before them all, Xie Ruijing felt as if he had already died once.

But he had managed to endure it. ’Once I get back to the Xie Mansion,’ he thought, ’I will make Xie Ruiyang pay for this.’

But now, with Xie Ruiyang gloating over him and even daring to question the parentage of his own child, how could Xie Ruijing possibly hold back?

In that very instant, he lunged up from the ground.

Without even getting a clear look at what was beside him, he snatched it up and hurled it violently at Xie Ruiyang—

THUD—

The dull thud was accompanied by Xie Ruijing’s enraged roar, a sound that bordered on madness—

"I’ll kill you! I’ll kill you!"

The next moment, Xie Ruiyang, who had been gloating so triumphantly just seconds before, collapsed into a pool of blood. He hadn’t even had time to process what had happened; a smug grin was still frozen on his face.