Reborn as Murong Fu: This Time I'm the Protagonist

Chapter 481 Rumors
Azi blinked her big eyes and smiled, "What news does Master want me to spread? Just give the order. Over the past two years, I've planted spies in all the teahouses and restaurants in Bianjing. As long as I give the order, the whole city of Bianjing will be buzzing with the news the next day."

Murong Fu smiled and said, "It's not a difficult thing. You just need to do this and that... and that will be your achievement."

The next day, in a small restaurant in Bianjing.

A group of men dressed as porters are drinking.

A bowl of cheap yellow wine costs only four coins. Paired with a dish of broad beans, dried tofu, and other snacks, it can relieve the fatigue of the day when drunk hot. For these people who make a living by physical labor, this is the greatest comfort of the day.

One of the short, dark-skinned men said mysteriously to a burly man in yellow next to him, "Have you heard about the biggest news in Bianliang lately, Fourth Brother?"

The burly man in yellow, known as the fourth brother, sneered, "Seventh brother, you're always like this. You can turn the smallest thing into a huge news story. Last time, Widow Li's chicken went missing from Qianmen Alley, and you said it was because Widow Li's dead husband had come back to life. It caused quite a commotion, even alarming the officials. They arrested you and brought you to the yamen, convicted you of spreading rumors, and gave you twenty strokes of the cane. I saw you being beaten by the yamen runners with my own eyes, have you forgotten? It was me and the neighbors who carried you back."

"What's this time? Is it some huge news? Or has the skin on your back healed again? Thinking of going to the yamen to ask for another twenty strokes of the cane?"

The porters inside the tavern burst into laughter, filling the entire place with a joyful atmosphere.

The seventh brother blushed and said, "I'm telling the truth this time. It's a big news story from the palace that my distant cousin, who works in the Kaifeng government office, told me personally a few days ago! If you don't want to hear it, I won't say it!"

As he spoke, he stood up, making a move to leave.

The fourth brother and the others immediately perked up at the mention of the palace. These laborers, used to manual labor, were accustomed to listening to nothing more than the strange and unfounded tales and rumors circulating in the streets and alleys. They had never heard of anything about the palace before. Whether it was true or not, this was the first time they had ever heard of such a thing.

Seeing that Lao Qi was about to leave, everyone rushed forward to stop him, coaxing and persuading him. Someone even shouted, "Waiter, bring another pound of Shaoxing wine and half a pound of braised beef!"

After much coaxing and pleading, the seventh brother finally put on airs and spoke mysteriously, "This matter was only known to my cousin through his connections in the government. It's only because my cousin and I have known each other since childhood and are close that he risked telling me. You mustn't tell anyone!"

Everyone readily agreed, determined not to reveal a single word.

Seeing that the atmosphere was right, the seventh brother spoke mysteriously: "Let me tell you something. Recently, an old lady in the palace has fallen ill. She's getting old and her health is failing. But what can you do? Her grandson, whom she raised single-handedly, is being misled by a bunch of bad people. He's hoping the old lady will die soon and won't even call a doctor for her."

Upon hearing this, the crowd in the tavern was immediately filled with righteous indignation. These manual laborers did not have as many cunning schemes as those who sat in their studies. They believed in simple values, and they could not hold back after hearing such a thing. Some of them immediately cursed out loud.

"You heartless little bastard! Did a dog eat your heart?"

"If that bastard were my son, I'd slap him twice across the face!"

However, as the discussion gradually subsided, someone began to ask, "Seventh Brother, this is just a little brat being disrespectful to his elders. It happens every day, every year. It's not big news. You're making a big fuss over nothing!" Immediately realizing what was going on, the crowd began to complain about Seventh Brother.

The seventh brother smiled mysteriously: "You lot only know one side of the story. Let me ask you, in the palace, besides eunuchs, there are only young and beautiful palace maids. Where is there a grandmother taking care of her grandson? And how could there be an old woman who is sick and still stays in the palace arguing with her grandson?"

Upon being reminded, some quick-witted individuals immediately understood, while those slower to react were still completely bewildered. Even after being alerted by the quick-thinking person next to them, their expressions instantly changed drastically: "Such a thing actually happens? This official is truly..."

Shh, shut up, or you'll get yourself into trouble!

The fourth man in yellow, looking at the seventh man with a mixture of nervousness and anticipation, said, "Seventh brother, you can't say things like that carelessly. If the Imperial City Guard finds out, you'll be in trouble with the authorities."

The seventh brother angrily said, "I'm telling you this out of kindness. But you keep nagging and refusing to believe me. Fine, if you don't believe me, then so be it!"

A group of people hurriedly said with smiles, "Seventh Brother, look, you're in such a hurry again. It's just that we brothers think this news is too explosive. Come on, let's drink, let's drink..."

The seventh brother, flattered by everyone's praise, immediately became elated and started talking: "My cousin heard about this from his aunt. My cousin's aunt is a long-time official in the palace..."

These porters, who made their living at the various docks, had never heard such sensational news before. That afternoon, rumors spread throughout the streets and alleys of Bianjing that the Empress Dowager was critically ill, that the current emperor was unfilial, and that he wished for his grandmother's early death. As the rumors spread, they became increasingly bizarre, with some even claiming that the current emperor was not the Empress Dowager's biological grandson, and that the Empress Dowager had murdered the current emperor's mother.

In the vast city of Bianjing, within just three days, the city was bustling with noise and turmoil, leaving the high-ranking officials in the court speechless with astonishment.

Originally, with the Empress Dowager critically ill, the officials in the court tacitly kept quiet, secretly vying for power. Undercurrents were swirling in the court, but now, someone has suddenly brought the matter to the forefront, and now things are out of control.

Even more passionate students of the Imperial Academy declared that they would organize themselves to go to the Donghua Gate and petition the Emperor, stating that even if blood were to spill from the palace, they could not stand idly by and watch such a horrific tragedy befall the royal family.

The more astute censors, on the other hand, submitted their memorials to the emperor early on, engaging in mutual attacks.

The entire Song Dynasty officialdom suddenly erupted as if a block of ice had been thrown into a boiling pot of oil, causing an instant uproar.

Bianjing, in a quiet alley.

The seventh brother looked at a beautiful young woman of seventeen or eighteen with a fawning smile and said, "Grandma, as you instructed, I have already spread the word. Do you see, what you promised me back then?"

The young woman smiled gently and said softly, "Don't worry, you've done a good job. How could I not reward you?"