Who is spreading rumors that my filial piety towards them has changed?

Who is spreading rumors that my filial piety towards them has changed? (Author: Shiki Hikari)

After my reincarnation, the emperor saw my family as a thorn in his side and targeted me in every way. He even used filial piety to morally suppress me, trying to force me to rebel and spreading rumors that I was unfilial.

After becoming entangled with several beautiful masters, mature and charming empresses, princess sisters, blind female Taoist masters, and seductive female bodhisattvas, etc...

"Let me clarify, I haven't been unfilial; it's just that my filial piety has become distorted." PS: The opening is briefly tense, but the pace quickly lightens.

Chapter One: Because That's Me

A tavern or teahouse.

The first floor was bustling with noise and diners coming and going. However, at this time, people who stopped to drink tea not only listened to a short story, but also eavesdropped on the conversations of passing merchants, finding some amusement in the gossip.

"Do you know what happened to that prince of a certain manor in the eastern part of the city recently?"

Hearing this opening, many people already knew who the traveling merchant was going to gossip about, but they couldn't say, because those were all royalty and nobles, and if they were overheard, they would lose their heads!

A handsome young man dressed in a close-fitting outfit played with the beautiful jade in his hand, took a sip of tea, and smiled:

"Why are you being so secretive? He's just the Prince of Chu from the Xiling Prince's Mansion. What's there to be afraid of? He's become a laughing stock now. Go on, I'll cover for you if anything happens!"

"Hey, since this gentleman has put it that way, then I'll speak frankly!"

Seeing that someone was backing him up, the traveling merchant addressed him by his name directly. Many of the people around were from other places and were unaware of these royal secrets, so they stopped to listen to the gossip.

“In the past, Prince Huai of Xiling held considerable military power, which made the emperor in the palace very wary. Therefore, when this Prince Chu came to the capital to study, he naturally received… ‘extraordinary treatment.’ First, he was paired with the second daughter of the Shangguan family, with the intention of arranging a marriage between them.”

The young man nodded and echoed, "What a pity, that prince who went to the capital as a hostage was disgraceful!"

Seeing that the young nobleman was so direct, the traveling merchant became even more direct in his speech:

"That's right. Although there was no betrothal since childhood or a royal marriage, it was just an attempt at free love. But that Prince Chu was too shameful. He was more attentive to the second daughter of the Shangguan family than even their servants."

"I know about this. I've heard about it before. The second young lady of the Shangguan family likes strong people and doesn't like weak scholars. She doesn't like Prince Chu very much. When a certain mansion set up a martial arts arena to celebrate a family event, Prince Chu attended with the second young lady of the Shangguan family and was ridiculed. He lost face in front of so many important people."

The young nobleman said:

"The details are not right. It is said that an admirer of Miss Shangguan Er challenged Prince Chu, but Prince Chu did not accept the challenge. He was ridiculed by some meritorious sons, and Miss Shangguan Er did not offer any words of comfort, letting others make fun of him."

The day after the banquet, a servant from the Shangguan family spread the word that the second young lady was at odds with the young master of the Chu family and said that they would no longer associate with each other.

Although it wasn't a formal marriage agreement, being kicked out by a woman was a real disgrace to the King of Xiling.

To put it bluntly, I got dumped.

The young man Chu Mingkong, who had been agreeing with them, also known as the Prince Chu, didn't seem to have much of a psychological burden. He would occasionally offer a few comments and then continue listening to what they had to say.

"Wow, this is a blood feud. The King of Xiling's power base isn't in the capital, but he probably won't be able to hold his head up here in the future. Is that Prince Chu ugly?"

"Not ugly, in fact, quite pretty, but he lost all his cultivation in the accident and isn't very good at studying. The second young lady is a famous talented woman, and looks alone are not enough to win her over."

"Don't interrupt, this is all old news. Do you know what happened next? The person in the palace, thinking that Prince Chu was far from home and would inevitably miss his hometown, arranged another young lady for him to develop his career, hoping that he would not let down such a kind heart."

"Which young lady is this? How can we possibly live like this? Our reputation has been ruined by Miss Shangguan the Second!"

"It's the eldest daughter of the Zhang family, a wine merchant family. She's really lost face. No matter what, Prince Chu has a hereditary title. How could he have a relationship with a mere merchant's daughter? Moreover, the Zhang family isn't much better. They sensed the attitude of the palace lady towards Prince Chu, and the third young master of the Zhang family had the idea of ​​'humiliating a prince.' It's said that he didn't give Prince Chu a good look either."

"Huh? This is outrageous! Even a merchant family is this arrogant. Speaking of which, this Prince Chu is really... like a tortoise. Shouldn't we report this and have the Zhang family's property confiscated? Or is it just that Zhang San is brainless, while Miss Zhang is too polite?"

The young nobleman spoke again: "The etiquette was proper on the surface, but half a cup of water was added to the wine given to Prince Chu, and the bowl used to serve the rice was also discolored, indicating it was a defective bowl and chopsticks."

"Such a secret exists! I heard that Miss Zhang has long had someone she's in love with, but she's two-faced, which is unbecoming of a lady from a prominent family. How can this nobleman Chu Mingkong tolerate it?" The onlookers felt aggrieved just listening to it.

Someone couldn't help but exclaim, "This is so pathetic! It's a disgrace to our manhood!"

Seeing that the young man spoke with such conviction, as if he had witnessed it firsthand, the traveling merchant surmised that he must be from a prominent family. Wanting to make an acquaintance, he immediately offered him a cup of tea, bowing respectfully and saying:

"Oh! This gentleman is quite something. I'm rather ignorant; may I ask who you are...?"

"The Prince Chu I just mentioned is me," Chu Mingkong said calmly.

The traveling merchant's face turned deathly pale in an instant.

The teahouse was completely silent.

......

Chu Mingkong ultimately did not take action against these commoners, not out of compassion, but because he needed these rumors, these negative slanders, and his bad reputation.

He was still an infant when he transmigrated to this world, but that's another story.

Everything was fine before. He had everything he wanted, riches and honors. If he saw a new concubine that caught his eye, he could just order her to come and warm his bed or help him have a taste of her beauty. Just kidding, he used to be a moral exemplar, honest and upright. He had the curiosity and enthusiasm of a transmigrator for cultivation, plus his unique talent. He devoted himself to cultivation and occasionally went off on a wild spree.

However, the lineage of Prince Huai of Xiling has a history of its great-grandfather's generation betraying the current Tianji Dynasty. As a king of a different surname, the Tianji Dynasty did not take action against the lineage of Prince Huai of Xiling in the past in order to appease them. However, after three generations, when it came to Chu Mingkong, the attitude was somewhat different.

Moreover, several years ago, Lizhou, where the Prince Huai of Xiling was located, was swallowed up by the Abyss. That year, Chu Mingkong was leaving home to go to the capital when he was affected by the residual power of the Abyss. He was seriously injured and his cultivation was greatly damaged. He barely survived.

The strength and resources of King Huai's Chu clan were relegated to the second tier.

With his family's power waning and the royal family already eyeing him covetously, how could Chu Mingkong possibly have a good life?

After Chu Mingkong recovered from his serious injuries, he wanted to stay in Xiling territory under some pretext, but that wouldn't work. The emperor still insisted that he go to the capital to study.

—I and Prince Huai are not only ruler and subject, but also close friends. Now that Mingkong has encountered such a natural disaster, I will definitely seek out the most famous doctors and the most miraculous elixirs in the world to cure him.

No matter how nicely they put it, Chu Mingkong was already thankful that they didn't poison him to finish him off. To put it bluntly, he was just being sent to be a hostage.

These various free-choice relationships, euphemistically called "the Emperor's boundless grace," were meant to soothe Chu Mingkong's homesickness through romantic love, but in reality, they were disgusting.

These free-choice relationships are not mandated by imperial decree. As far as the woman's family is concerned, it's not a death order; they can simply let the relationship develop as they see fit.

But from Chu Mingkong's perspective, as a hostage, if he wanted to live a good life, could he defy the emperor's wishes?

No, not only could he not, but he also had to adopt the attitude of obeying the imperial decree and diligently and conscientiously flatter the woman's family. Otherwise, he would be considered to be harboring rebellious and malicious intentions against the emperor's will, and would deserve to die!

Tortoise! ​​Patience! Cowardice!

That's the proper way for a hostage to survive. Chu Mingkong can't expose even the slightest flaw and get caught by that old emperor.

Moreover, mere flattery is useless. Since ancient times, emperors have been most afraid of their princes and nobles having outstanding sons. If a powerful man were to emerge from the descendants of the powerful and influential Prince Huai of Xiling, the Tianji Dynasty would be restless. But if a good-for-nothing were to emerge, then all would be well.

Therefore, Chu Mingkong not only had to lick the "empty edict" of free love well, but also had to ruin his own reputation to tarnish himself, the more useless the better!

"Fortunately, the Shangguan family is considered a family of important officials. At first, I was worried that this might be a scheme, and that the emperor wanted to take the opportunity to frame me for trying to befriend an important official. But the second young lady of the Shangguan family really put my mind at ease. No matter how much I flattered her, even if I went out in the street and flattered her in a respectful voice, she still didn't give me a good look. In the end, she made a name for herself as a 'prince of a different surname who was kicked out by the woman'."

Chu Mingkong smiled calmly and took a sip of tea to moisten his throat.

He had already returned to his residence, far from the hustle and bustle of the city. His daily task of ruining his reputation was complete, and it was time for him to rest.

Others might fear their good reputation fading into oblivion, but Chu Mingkong feared that his reputation as "the most shameful sycophant prince in history" would fade with time, so he would mention it at teahouses from time to time, afraid that others would forget it.

Uncle here, I love it when those rich girls give me attitude!

A woman's melodious laughter came from the bed, a laughter that was somewhat bold and unrestrained.

"So what's the situation now? You've been betrothed to a merchant's young wife again, haven't you? Since you're from a merchant family without a title, they probably won't dare to be too presumptuous with you. But your status is quite delicate. The eldest daughter of the Zhang family originally had a suitable husband in mind, but you suddenly barged in, and she turned green with envy."

The woman who spoke, if you disregard her overly unrestrained personality, could be considered a beauty of her time. She looked to be around eighteen years old, with a classic almond-shaped face and a slender, elegant figure. When she was silent, she had the air of a well-bred lady. Unfortunately, once she opened her mouth, she exuded a completely different aura.

Furthermore, she has another identity: the contemporary Giant Sword Immortal, Zuo Qiuchi.

Her powerful and unrestrained Juque Meteor Sword Technique was virtually unmatched, making her almost invincible among her contemporaries. Her swordsmanship reflected her personality; she was down-to-earth, enjoying drinking, having fun, eating melons, fighting, and visiting brothels—she was unpretentious in all these pursuits.

—It doesn't stick!

Chu Mingkong first met her at the Prince Huai's mansion in Xiling. At that time, she was a mature woman in her twenties or thirties. Her older sisterly demeanor was truly captivating, with a full chest, a pert bottom, a slender waist, and long legs. Chu Mingkong had been instructed in a few sword techniques by her, and had accompanied her to brothels and drunk wine. It could be considered that he had drunk the apprenticeship wine.

In order to conceal his whereabouts, Zuo Qiuchi suppressed his cultivation to the level of his youth, and even his appearance was significantly altered.

Chu Mingkong's gaze was pure as he tilted his head to look at his sword immortal master's jade feet soaking in the foot bath:

"It's not that I want to be Prime Minister Cao, but Miss Zhang's younger brother really wants to show off and experience the prestige of the Shangguan family. I can understand that. A wine merchant family like the Zhang family can't hold their heads up in front of official families, aristocratic families, or immortal families. Now I've given the third young master of the Zhang family a chance to try."

It has to be said that, no matter what world you're in, someone named Zhang San is bound to be a bit bold.

"A man surnamed Cao was once prime minister? So you're planning to continue being a coward this time, swallowing your anger and being kicked out?" Zuo Qiuchi asked in surprise, raising her fair and delicate foot and placing it on the prince's thigh.

Chu Mingkong shrugged, took a fine handkerchief, and gently wiped the water droplets from Zuo Qiuchi's snowy feet.

"Who knows? But tolerating even the merchants' anger feels a bit deliberate. It would be troublesome if people thought I was hiding my true abilities. I can't let people think I'm just pretending to be a villain. Besides, the emperor is seriously ill and can't care about so many things right now. I don't need to tolerate too much right now."

"If you're going to be a coward, then be a coward! And you call yourself Xuanwu! When will that happen?" She was waiting to watch the show.

Hey—I'm not hiding my head! Chu Mingkong resisted the urge to pull out evidence to prove it: "It should be in the next day or two."

"Then what about your skills? Can you cultivate now? You only have two or three tenths of your original skills left. I've asked around for you these past few years, but I haven't heard of any divine doctor who can cure the Abyss Corrosion. But—" This cheerful and beautiful master suddenly took a turn.

"But what?"

"Maybe we can try some unorthodox methods. Taoism has its bedroom arts, and Buddhism has its meditation on bliss. It just so happens that female bodhisattvas will be coming to the Buddhist temple soon. Go and offer some incense money and see if you can get some good fortune. Or I can go and kidnap a few for you."

"..."

Master, do I look like that kind of person? — I do have to take a look at which Taoist nun or female bodhisattva is pretty when I have time. I don't have any other thoughts. I just want to discuss the scriptures.

Seeing his silence, Zuo Qiuchi guessed that he might have been hurt in his pride. The inability to cultivate was a huge blow to a former prodigy.

"Alright, let's not talk about that. Now that the emperor is seriously ill, what do you plan to do?"

"What can I do? I need to gather my strength first before talking about anything else. But I probably won't be able to live a carefree life for a while. I have to be a good filial son and respond to the empress's call. I'll use my virtue to gain Heaven's understanding of the emperor and spare him from illness and suffering. Hehe!"

With the emperor seriously ill, the capital was in a state of solemnity. Some disruptive behavior might be seen as an attempt to challenge imperial authority. At this time, promoting virtue and filial piety was simply to make everyone behave themselves and remember that the emperor was everyone's father.

However, there was another reason why Chu Mingkong acted as a dutiful son—

[System Treasure has arrived, 20 Filial Piety Points (undesirable). Balance: 50 Filial Piety Points, available for purchase!]

Washing the feet of this sword immortal master is a good way to show filial piety.

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P.S.: I'm a newbie, please add this to your favorites.

P.S.: Although the author really wanted to create a cheerful atmosphere, feedback from readers later indicated that the beginning felt slightly depressing (I don't know why, maybe it's just the lack of writing skill of a newbie). However, it gets better after a short initial period; some readers said it was completely normal after chapter 20, others said it was completely normal after chapter 30...

Chapter Two: Kato Chu's Golden Finger

This thing that called itself a "system treasure" appeared only a few days ago. After some thought, Chu Mingkong decided to take it as a standard accessory for transmigrators.

It's a pity he came out a bit late, otherwise Chu Mingkong would have already showered his filial piety on that stunningly beautiful mother.