This is the entertainment industry! No tantrums or shouting allowed!

...

Wen Yao: "Let me see it."

Lu Amber questioned, "Don't you live abroad? Can you even understand it?"

Wen Yao gradually grew impatient: "Stop talking nonsense."

Sure enough, the moment she got fierce, Lu Anbo immediately backed down.

He wasn't afraid of Wen Yao; he was just following his heart and his true feelings!

Wen Yao quickly skimmed through the letter: "Isn't this simple? It records the properties of a Chinese medicine called Realgar: it detoxifies, kills parasites, dries dampness, and eliminates phlegm. However, it should not be used internally for extended periods, and pregnant women should not use it..."

Lu Anbo was shocked: "Teacher Wen, you actually know traditional Chinese characters?"

Wen Yao:?

"You can even read classical Chinese?"

Wen Yao:? ? ?

"You are so cultured!" Lu Amber exclaimed sincerely. "Professor Wen, can I be your student and learn from you in the future?"

Wen Yao: "Don't call me teacher. Having a student like you poses no threat to me in academia, but it will make me lose face in the education field."

Lu Anbo, who was clearly being disliked, was speechless.

[Hahaha, he's brought shame upon himself]

Meibao is at the level of a normal college student, and Baizi is at the level of a normal kindergarten dropout.

[My heart aches for Bai Zi, please stop judging him! I want to speak up for Bai Zi! It's not that he doesn't like studying! It's not that he doesn't want to go to Tsinghua or Peking University! He's just really not smart enough!!]

[Sister, you didn't let him off the hook either!]

...

Wen Yao obtained the first set of paperwork for road construction from Steward Lu, and then went to the Emperor Consort to obtain the second set of paperwork.

I ran into Fu Wanzhou on the way.

"Yao-mei, wait a minute." Fu Wanzhou saw that no one was around. "Here, this is for you."

Wen Yao was taken aback, but upon closer inspection, it turned out to be another clue.

It is a blue ink painting, with two words indicating the word: [pigment].

"Do you have any clues?" Wen Yao asked.

Although Fu Wanzhou is usually a bit of a playboy, he's actually quite reliable when it matters:

"I think there should be a hidden main storyline besides the overt reputation quests. I guess it's related to the death of the late emperor."

Wen Yao nodded slightly: "What a coincidence, we share the same brain."

She thought so too.

But why did Fu Wanzhou give her the clues?

Shouldn't they investigate secretly themselves?

Or is it that the Emperor's Consort and the Grand Secretary appear to be acting independently, but in reality, they have long been colluding with each other?

Fu Wanzhou saw through her thoughts:

"Most murder mystery games have multiple endings. For example, in faction-based games, the higher a player's reputation, the greater the chance of their faction winning."

I want to help you forge your own ending.

Aside from thanking her, Wen Yao didn't know what else to say.

A thought flashed through her mind: "Why don't we form an alliance?"

Just as Fu Wanzhou was about to agree, the Emperor Consort said quietly:

"Wanzhou, have you forgotten what your brother told you? We are mortal enemies with the Prime Minister's Mansion."

Fu Wanzhou: "Then let's turn hostility into friendship?"

The Emperor's Consort: "...Her mother, who is also the Grand Secretary, killed both of our fathers."

Fu Wanzhou's mind was filled with Wen Yao's expectant eyes, and without thinking, he said:

"Brother, can't you be a little more magnanimous about the mere hatred for killing our father?"

Royal Consort: ? ? ?

He stared in disbelief: "You're not even going to avenge your father's murder? How dare you call yourself my son! My father's memorial tablet is still right there!"

Fu Wanzhou hesitated for a few seconds, then bowed towards the direction of the memorial tablet:

"Father, with my current abilities, I can manage to eat, drink, and have fun, but don't count on me for revenge! But my elder brother is right, if I can't get revenge, how can I be worthy of being your son!"

"Yes! I don't deserve it!"

"Father, I will avenge your father's death in my next life!"

Royal Consort: ? ? ?

audience:? ? ?

[I'm such a ungrateful person!]

[Royal Consort: I don't have a brother like you!]

[Zhouzi, you've truly shown me what a complete romantic fanatic looks like! / Thumbs up]

[I'm going to be laughed to death by Zhouzi sooner or later. What a trivial grudge for killing one's father! Hahahaha]

...

The emperor looked haggard and didn't know how to continue acting.

"Sir, could you please stamp this document to approve the road construction?" Wen Yao placed the quest item on the table.

The Emperor said quietly, "Ten thousand taels!"

At this moment, Yunyue also came over to do her task, and the Emperor stamped it: "One thousand taels."

Yun Yue readily paid the money, and seeing that Wen Yao didn't move, she assumed that Wen Yao had run out of money, so she casually stuffed a stack of silver notes into her hand.

Wen Yao: "So many?"

"I just tried my luck at the gambling den and won a few rounds," Yunyue said regretfully. "Unfortunately, after a few rounds, she started crying and refused to play with me anymore..."

Goodness, how incredibly lucky must they be to make the gambling den owner cry?

"I'm going back to my mission." Yunyue waved her hand.

Wen Yao was reluctant to spend 10,000 taels of silver and bargained:

"She only owes me a thousand taels, why should I ask for ten thousand?"

The Emperor's Consort: "She is the General's fiancée. The General holds military power, so it is only natural for me to befriend her."

Wen Yao suddenly realized.

It turns out there's a hidden affinity rating between the different factions!

For example, when she went to Manager Lu to complete the formalities, he didn't charge her a single penny.

This also aligns with the premise that Chief Steward Lu is neutral within his faction and even has some personal ties with the Prime Minister.

But for the Imperial Consort, others need a thousand taels, but she needs ten thousand taels. It's outrageous!

"Then can you make it cheaper?" Wen Yao clasped her hands together. "Please, please~ just a little bit~~"

The Emperor hesitated for a moment, but Fu Wanzhou had really angered him, so he said coldly, "Then it's nine thousand taels."

Wen Yao was somewhat conflicted.

Completing tasks earns reputation points, but silver can also be exchanged for reputation points.

She didn't know how much the final reward for the intermediate mission would be. What if it wasn't even as much as nine thousand taels? Wouldn't she have suffered a huge loss?

Fu Wanzhou, however, spent lavishly, taking out nine thousand taels and placing it on the table:

"I'll pay for it for her."

The royal consort was so angry his nose almost twisted out of shape: "You—"

I've never seen an elbow bend outwards like that before!

He initially gave Fu Wanzhou six thousand taels, and just now he gave him another three thousand taels for the mission, making a total of nine thousand taels!

Fu Wanzhou, on the other hand, spent it all on Wen Yao!

A simp, a simp, in the end, he gets nothing!

The Emperor's Consort, his face dark, stamped Wen Yao's seal, his lines delivered through gritted teeth:

"Go to the Imperial Hospital, buy some medicine to relieve the heat for the road construction workers, and then return to the Grand Secretary to report back."

Wen Yao immediately went to the Imperial Hospital.

The medicinal herbs cost two thousand taels, but Wen Yao tried to bargain again and successfully reduced the price to one thousand taels.

Save where you can and spend where you can!

Even a mosquito bite is still meat, no matter how small!

As the imperial physician took out the silver notes, he noticed several clues in Wen Yao's bag, and his expression changed slightly:

"Miss has entered the palace to participate in the selection of talented individuals; she must be exceptionally gifted!"

"If you can answer one of my questions, I will give you something in return!"

Wen Yao: "Please give me a question."

The imperial physician cleared his throat: "Sour, sweet, bitter, spicy, and pungent—guess the name of a Chinese medicine."

Without hesitation, Wen Yao replied, "Schisandra chinensis."

"As expected of the Grand Secretary's eldest daughter!" The imperial physician pulled out a medical book. "Miss Wen, please keep this safe—and remember, do not give it to anyone!"