【The First Wynn is the Crown Prince’s attendant, The Second Wynn is a censor, The Third Wynn... oh! The Third was once a bandit, later joined the Xia army, and during the war, he publicly claimed to protect the previous dynasty’s tombs, but in reality, he was looting tombs and selling off the treasures.】

【I remember the tombs that were looted included...】

The Minister of Rites took the matter of tomb looting extremely seriously.

—It was all because of The Third Wynn; that’s why he later worked so hard to get into the Ministry of Rites.

Hearing about it again, his face still showed grief and anger. In sync with his inner voice, he muttered softly, “The Tai Mausoleum of Emperor Shizu of Zhou, the Xiao Mausoleum of Emperor Gaozong of Zhou, the royal tomb of Prince Yuan of Zhou and his wife Aunt June.”

The Minister of Personnel had always been rather timid, but at this moment, he too joined the discussion, the morning sun dyeing his face an angry orange-red.

“Five hundred years ago, the Chu royal family was weak, confined to the south of the Yangtze, foreign tribes took over the Central Plains, the Five Barbarians plunged China into chaos, the six western tribes seized the land, three hundred years of turmoil and darkness—then Emperor Shizu of Zhou rose from obscurity, drove out the invaders, and restored China. For Ethan Wynn to desecrate the Tai Mausoleum is truly hateful!”

“And then there’s Aunt June.” The Minister of Rites was deeply pained. “She was an extraordinary woman. At the end of the Zhou dynasty, when the country was in turmoil and bandits were everywhere, she persuaded Prince Yuan to form an army to protect the people. When the bandits were about to breach the city, she fought them off with an iron staff, scattering the enemy, and later died defending the city, leaving only the words ‘do not harm the people.’ It was the commoners who buried her, and later, the rebels who occupied the area, in order to win the people’s hearts, restored Aunt June’s tomb and added some burial goods. Even so, it still couldn’t escape that beast’s greed.”

【Who would have thought! The Third Wynn’s only son, Ethan Wynn’s own flesh and blood, his precious child, actually deeply resented his father’s actions, gave up a promising future, traveled everywhere repairing tombs, and willingly became a tomb guardian.】

【Tsk tsk, the wheel of fortune turns—heaven spares no one!】

If you don’t dig deep, you really wouldn’t know these things. After all, The Third Wynn’s son did all this at his own expense and never tried to publicize it.

It was the first time the officials learned that Mr. Wynn was quietly doing such good deeds in private.

A crooked bamboo can still produce a fine shoot!

The Minister of Revenue joked, “What kind of resolve does it take for Mr. Wynn to make a decision that goes against his ancestors?”

That was a real zinger.

In an instant, the high-ranking officials burst into a small wave of laughter.

Someone else chimed in, “Are The Wynn Family father and son dead set on making enemies with tombs?”

The laughter grew a bit louder.

It didn’t reach Evan Foster, but it was more than enough for Censor Wynn to hear.

The juiciest gossip is always about people you know. The smaller the place, the faster rumors spread: the widow at the east end of the village is having an affair with the fool from the west, the scholar from the south is secretly involved with the butcher from the north... This is far more exciting for villagers than some unknown emperor or general’s tragic love story. As soon as they sit under the big banyan tree, the whispering begins.

The people in the imperial court are, at heart, no different from villagers. When they discover gossip about a colleague, they dig in with extra enthusiasm.

But for the one being gossiped about, it’s not so pleasant.

Censor Wynn could no longer maintain his stern and upright expression; his face was full of anxiety.

He memorized the faces of every official whispering, grinding his teeth.

Just you wait, I don’t believe any of you are spotless!

【Wow, there’s more...】

Evan Foster’s excited inner voice came through.

Amy Wynn was especially irritable.

Can you stop already!

Why do you keep prying into other people’s family business!

Can’t you respect other people’s privacy for once!

What my family does is none of your business!

Evan Foster couldn’t hear his thoughts anymore.

【Wow wow! Their fourth child actually...】

All the civil and military officials craned their necks, unconsciously looking toward Evan Foster.

A vein throbbed at Amy Wynn’s temple, a surge of anger rushed from his chest, carried by his blood, and rose to his throat...

“Pfft—”

＊

Evan Foster’s inner voice suddenly stopped.

He looked up in confusion, seeing some commotion ahead, but didn’t know what had happened.

So he poked War Department Clerk: “What’s going on up there? I zoned out just now and didn’t notice.”

Evan Foster suddenly got excited: “Could it be the legendary death remonstrance? To make the princess submit to her husband, is Censor Wynn going to bash his head and threaten the emperor?”

What a big scoop!

War Department Clerk: “……”

That look in his eyes was so complicated that Evan Foster couldn’t read it.

Fortunately, this fellow was a good person and patiently explained, “Censor Wynn coughed up blood. Probably, maybe, his old illness has relapsed.”

“Oh.” Evan Foster believed him. He nodded, then belatedly asked, “So about the husband’s authority over the wife...”

War Department Clerk fell silent for a moment before replying, “Probably, no one will stand up for that anymore.”

To die for the country is loyalty; to socially ruin yourself for a former imperial son-in-law you have nothing to do with—not worth it.

Take Censor Cui, for example.