Slacking Off and Eating Melons: Are All the Court Officials Happy? Not Happy

Jiang Yueyang, a former modern office worker, died from overwork and was reborn into the fictional Great Yuan Dynasty as the daughter of the Minister of Revenue. Bound to a Gossip System named Xiao Gua, she possessed the unique ability to hear and broadcast her inner thoughts, which contained scandalous secrets about the imperial court. Determined to live a lazy life and avoid the hardships of her previous existence, Jiang Yueyang sought only to slack off and enjoy her privileged status without ambition. However, her desire for a quiet life was immediately disrupted when she was forced to attend a palace banquet hosted by the Crown Princess, which served as a selection process for the new Crown Princess.

During the flower-viewing contest, Jiang Yueyang’s inner monologue accidentally revealed that Lin Wan’er, the Empress’s preferred candidate, was actually abusive to her servants, causing Lin Wan’er to lose favor. When tasked with composing a poem, Jiang Yueyang recited a masterpiece by Liu Yuxi, unintentionally winning the competition and receiving the Empress’s Phoenix Hairpin. Her victory drew the attention of the Emperor and Empress, who were also able to hear her thoughts. The situation escalated when Jiang Yueyang’s gossip exposed that the Emperor was henpecked, impotent, and had been cuckolded by Consort Guan with Imperial Physician Lu, resulting in the Eleventh Princess being an illegitimate child. The Emperor, furious yet unable to punish her due to the magical constraint that prevented others from confronting her directly, summoned her parents to negotiate a solution.

The Emperor and Empress devised a plan to utilize Jiang Yueyang’s ability to uncover court conspiracies. They offered a marriage alliance with the Crown Prince, which Minister Jiang firmly rejected to protect his daughter from the dangerous palace politics. Instead, the Emperor assigned a secret guard, Qingzhi, to protect Jiang Yueyang while secretly monitoring her. Concurrently, Jiang Yueyang explored the capital and visited Qingfeng Tower, where a storyteller recounted the history of the young General Lu Yunting, a military prodigy who commanded the loyal Lu Family Army. Jiang Yueyang learned from the System that Old General Lu’s death was not a battlefield accident but a deliberate assassination by a conspirator within the court, a mystery that intrigued her.

Her investigation into the Lu family’s past was interrupted when she encountered Lin Wan’er’s sister, Lin Susu, at a jewelry shop. Jiang Yueyang used the System to reveal that Lin Susu was pregnant out of wedlock and had stolen her fiancé, Qin Shi, through deceit. This revelation was overheard by Qin Shi and his colleague in a neighboring room, causing further scandal. Meanwhile, a mysterious man in black, later revealed to be connected to the Lu family’s tragic past, attacked Jiang Yueyang’s residence, testing the skills of Qingzhi and Jiang Xun before disappearing. The Emperor subsequently caught Consort Guan and Imperial Physician Lu in the act, leading to Consort Guan’s demotion to the Cold Palace and the physician’s execution, thereby resolving the immediate scandal but deepening the political intrigue surrounding Jiang Yueyang’s role in the empire.

As Jiang Yueyang navigates her new life with a secret guard and a system full of dangerous secrets, she finds herself increasingly entangled in the web of court politics. The Emperor’s interest in using her as a tool for intelligence gathering contrasts with her desire for a carefree existence. The unresolved mystery of General Lu’s assassination and the rising power of the Lu Family Army loom over the capital, suggesting that Jiang Yueyang’s accidental involvement will draw her deeper into conflicts far beyond her control. Her unique position as the only person who can access the truth through her inner voice makes her both a valuable asset and a target for those wishing to keep their secrets buried.