Rebirth: Pampered by the Lord

"Hmm, Beloved Minister, please rise quickly."

The Emperor, abandoning his usual aloof demeanor, enthusiastically stepped forward to personally help Situ Yongjie up from the ground.

The Emperor, being the supreme leader, held such a noble status, yet he condescended to assist a minister; Situ Yongjie's heart was filled with anxiety.

"I wonder why the Emperor summoned me to the palace so urgently, what instructions might there be?"

"Hehe...! It's nothing significant, just that I haven't had a good opportunity to meet with you for quite some time, and today with nothing to do, I summoned you to the palace." The Emperor, a sly old fox, naturally wouldn't directly ask Situ Yongjie, he planned to approach the topic obliquely before making a decision.

Such words, Situ Yongjie, who was experienced in officialdom, certainly didn't believe them; the Emperor was so busy that the memorials to the throne in the Imperial Study Room were almost piled into a mountain, even as he finished reading some, the Imperial Forbidden Guards were ceaselessly sending in new ones.

The Emperor was so busy he was nearly bald, why would he idly find someone to chat with?

What could the Emperor really mean?

Situ Yongjie felt that tremor within him!

Who would believe the Emperor just wanted to chat, not even a ghost, let alone him.

However, as a minister, he couldn't directly expose the Emperor's lie.

Situ Yongjie discreetly glanced at the Emperor, asking cautiously, "Emperor, have you been concerned lately?"

"No."

"Then... has anything happened in the Imperial Palace?"

"Nothing, everything is fine, each Prince is behaving properly."

"Then...?" Situ Yongjie looked at the Emperor with a questioning gaze.

"Ahem...!" The Emperor cleared his throat, "Beloved Minister Situ, have you heard the recent rumors circulating in the Capital?"

"Rumors?" Situ Yongjie was momentarily stunned; recently, it had been widely rumored within the Capital about Xuexue being the owner of Qinger Building, a fact he was quite well aware of.

But for the Emperor to mention this matter, what could it mean?

"Exactly! Your beloved daughter wandered in the common folk for over ten years, I've heard she couldn't even feed herself properly, so how could she have amassed the funds to open such a large brothel? I am truly curious! Hehe...!" The Emperor finally voiced his doubts, yet, to avoid arousing Situ Yongjie's suspicions, his expression remained very relaxed.

Celestial Master Zhang had said that the Thousand Year Striped Tiger was a very secretive matter, and no one should know.

A country girl returning had even surpassed his own Imperial Son, leading the Emperor to suspect Xuexue's identity.

Situ Yongjie wasn't foolish, although the Emperor didn't state it outright, he understood the principle that trouble comes from the mouth, so he remained cautious...

"This girl has suffered a lot; I, as her humble servant, feel quite distressed over her. Knowing that while in the countryside, she liked to do some small businesses to earn a little living expense. She has a talent for doing business, so when she returned to the Capital, I invested some money to make up for my guilt towards her, letting her open a brothel, which is the Qinger Building."

After pausing for a moment, the pride in Situ Yongjie's eyes was undeniable, and he continued, "This girl truly has talent; in just a few short months, she has made Qinger Building famous throughout the Capital, intimidating many who claim to be the elite of the business world."

The Emperor examined Situ Yongjie with doubtful eyes, "Beloved Minister, are you saying that Qinger Building under your daughter's name was your investment?"

"Precisely."

"Beloved Minister, you are not deceiving me?"

"Every word of mine is true, I dare not deceive the Emperor; Xuexue is just a weak girl, previously struggling with even three meals a day in the countryside, if it were not for my support, she wouldn't have the ability to open such a large brothel as Qinger Building."

Situ Yongjie remained humble and obedient, and the Emperor could find no fault.