Exciting enough
"Everyone, there's no need to get too excited. Prime Minister Shen knows all our secrets. I think he's trying to tell us that we have to follow the rules when playing games. It's fine to know, but no one will spread it."
“He has dirt on us all, so if we don’t want other, more important secrets to be exposed, we need to end the game as soon as possible and eliminate two of us.”
After listening to Zhu Qinghe's words, everyone made their own plans.
Number 11 makes a good point. If we don't want to continue to endure the nerve-wracking fear of our secrets being exposed and the agonizing scrutiny that follows, then the best way is to end the game as soon as possible.
"Number 11, do you have any plans? We'll listen to you," Number 10 responded first.
"The first round isn't over yet, so I don't have any ideas for now," Zhu Qinghe said helplessly, spreading her hands.
Number Six scoffed, "Then what's the point of saying all that?"
"Let's continue." Number Ten rubbed his temples.
Number Eight: "I am the Keeper of the Trust, the secret I hold is, is, is..." She stammered for a long time, her fingers trembling slightly as she gripped the edge of the paper. Everyone was getting anxious.
"What is it? Tell me quickly."
Number Eight's tears dripped onto the paper, leaving clear wet marks: "Number Six is not Uncle Song's biological daughter, but the child of Madam Song and the housekeeper."
Wow, this is getting more and more exciting!
These large families certainly have a lot of private affairs, but hearing about them still feels exciting at first.
Number six is Song Feifei, the eldest daughter of the Song family, a legitimate legitimate eldest daughter. From now on, all the shops in the surrounding area of the Song family will belong to her.
Although she was a merchant's daughter, she ate and dressed much better than Liang Youan and Mu Chengwen, whose ancestors had meritorious service and who had status and fame but little money.
This is why she is so popular and everyone loves to befriend her.
After all, who can resist getting close to a rich woman? She might just casually toss you an item that you could probably buy a mansion with.
Now look what's happened! The rich woman's bloodline isn't pure, and I wonder if Mr. Song even knows about this. He's been wearing this green hat for over ten years; it's quite a miserable situation.
Number Six's face turned pale instantly, and she turned to glare at Number Eight: "You're lying! How could I not be my father's daughter!"
Number Eight said aggrievedly, "Feifei, I know you can't accept it right now, but that's really what's written on this paper. I... I can't do anything about it."
Number Six glared at her: "Are you doing this on purpose? Trying to turn the tables on me?"
Number Eight burst into tears: "Feifei, what are you saying? I was just following the rules of the game, I really didn't want to hurt you."
Number Six: "You're a traitor, aren't you? You dragged me down with you to cover up your own secrets."
Number Eight sobbed, "What secrets do I have? Even if I did, I'd have to bear it if someone told me."
Number Six: "You're still trying to deny it. This secret target is clearly..."
"Feifei!" Number Eight suddenly shouted, his eyes red-rimmed. "I know you hate me, and I hate myself too. Even though you are my good friend, I can't keep this secret for you."
She said resolutely, "If you draw the traitor's name, then feel free to throw mud at me. Don't make enemies everywhere."
Everyone felt that Number Eight was really too kind. She was just telling the truth according to the rules. What was wrong with that? On the contrary, Number Six was always being aggressive.
People already didn't have a good impression of her, and now it's even worse.
No wonder they have such a poor outlook and such a narrow mind; they're hopeless cases, like a rat's son who knows how to dig a hole.
Tsk tsk tsk.
Number Six was about to say something more when Number Seven interrupted him: "I am a trustworthy person. Number Eight is the one who had an affair with the head mistress and the steward. She is lying and trying to frame Number Six."
Number Six nodded repeatedly: "That's right, that's how it is."
Number Eight looked at Number Seven: "Prajna, I know your family and Feifei's family have always cooperated, but you can't throw mud at me just to curry favor with her."
Number Seven, Du Banruo, frowned: "What does this have to do with anything? Right is right, wrong is wrong. You're just lying."
The Du family's monopoly on the docks and their business of welcoming and seeing off guests did involve some cooperation with the Song family, but that was a matter of their parents' generation. She and Song Feifei were never really friends.
Number Eight: "If that's the case, then consider me a liar if you insist on thinking that way. But I believe there is justice in the world, and no one will be deceived by you."
Mu Chengwen whispered to Zhu Qinghe, "It's too complicated. I haven't closed my mouth for the entire half of the game. Who do you think is lying?"
Those who were close to them all secretly pricked up their ears.
It's really too complicated. You can't even be sure if this gossip is true. It's hard to tell what's real and what's fake. It's too exciting.
Zhu Qinghe: "I don't quite understand either. There are too many people involved, and anyone could be lying."
"Our goal is to end the game as quickly as possible, who cares who's lying."
Right, the expert is still the most reliable; he never got sidetracked on the point.
"If we waste any more time, we won't be able to eat today," Zhu Qinghe shouted when she saw that the situation was at a standstill.
Why are you only thinking about food? Everyone thought the same thing.
However, this sentence was still very useful. Number Six spoke up: "I am a trustworthy person, number thirteen. When I was a child, I had a serious illness that left my face covered in pockmarks, so I had a nickname called Pockmarked Granny."
Number Thirteen was extremely embarrassed: "That happened so many years ago."
Mu Chengwen teased her from the side, "Your fair and rosy face doesn't show any signs of having had pockmarks before."
Everyone laughed for a while, and then the game continued.
Bai Qiuru: "I am a traitor." She paused, her expression somewhat complicated. She was usually aloof and rarely showed her emotions, so this expression was quite strange.
Mu Chengwen spoke up to help her out: "It's okay, Qiu Ru, you can talk about me, it's not true anyway."
Bai Qiuru glanced at her, took a deep breath, and said, "Number twelve likes number four."
Number Four was taken aback, and everyone else was even more surprised.
Oh my god, my brain can't process this at all! Is it the kind of liking they're thinking of?!
Mu Chengwen: "...Holy crap!"
She accidentally turned it into a mirror polisher; if her father found out, he would beat her to death.
Wait a minute, her father isn't here.
What nonsense! She doesn't actually like Number Four.
What a load of rubbish! It's made her brain all fuzzy.
Silence is the first layer of the tower at this moment; everyone is somewhat eager to escape from here and go out to see the sky, the earth, and the moon.
The thrill of this secret far exceeded their expectations.
Is this something they can listen to for free? Ah—Prime Minister Shen, you old lecher, you don't even spare the younger generation such private matters of their relationships.
Can't you just be a decent human being?!
Number Four's face turned bright red, and he was completely dumbfounded.
Mu Chengwen quickly tried to prove his innocence: "Let me make this clear beforehand, Qiu Ru is a traitor, so this person is definitely not me."
"Number Four, I really have no improper thoughts about you."
Zhu Qinghe burst out laughing.
The others were also amused, and the awkward silence from before was completely dispelled.
Number Four nodded: "I know."
Number Four is very shy and speaks in a soft, delicate voice. Everyone was afraid she was too shy, so they urged her to continue.
Number Four: "I am a trustworthy person, Number Ten, who once wrote... uh," her face turned red again, and she stammered, almost biting her tongue, "erotic books."
Oh my, I didn't recognize number 10, he's really going wild.
Zhu Qinghe, intrigued, leaned closer and asked, "Do you have a manuscript? Can I borrow it to take a look?"
He couldn't help but cough behind him.
Number 10: "Back then, I was young and reckless. I wrote it down on a whim, and my parents caught me and beat me up. They didn't give me any food for three days, and that manuscript ended up in the kitchen stove."
Zhu Qinghe sighed, "That's terrible."
Number Three continued: "I am the Keeper of the Faith, Number Nine. My heaviest weight was 180 pounds."
Mu Chengwen: "...Pfft—I testify, it's true!"
Liang Youan was furious: "I've already lost weight, how many times do I have to tell you!"
Number Two continued: "I am a faithful person, Number Twelve, who once went three months without taking a bath."
Liang Youan: "...Hahahahahahaha."
Mu Chengwen blushed deeply and explained, "I was injured while practicing martial arts and couldn't wash, it's not that I didn't want to."
Liang Youan: "...Anyway, I didn't wash it, hahaha. No wonder Brother Mu said you were a god of filth descending to the mortal realm."
Mu Chengwen was so angry that he ground his teeth.
Chen Fuying was the last one, and this round of secret revelations was finally coming to an end. Everyone secretly relaxed.
I wonder if the last one is exciting.
Chen Fuying: "I am a person of integrity. Number Five's father was imprisoned for selling drug cloth."
Everyone was taken aback; they hadn't heard their families mention it before.
Bai Qiuru remained calm: "My father was wronged."
This was a matter of the imperial court, and had nothing to do with these young ladies who were oblivious to the outside world, so no one really cared much about this secret.
“It’s almost time for the punishment. The spraying of colored ink should make a sound, right? We can use the sound to determine how many people are lying,” Mu Chengwen suggested, not forgetting to ask Zhu Qinghe for her opinion.
"Qinghe, what do you think?"
Zhu Qinghe: "That's a good idea."
The command came from behind: "Now, please choose a secret slip of paper and cast it to identify the protagonist."
Everyone remembered: "Oh right, there's that part too."
"Let's choose the one that's easy to guess."
"Only number twelve and number five have admitted to being traitors, so let's choose from these two."
"Number twelve is a case of two deaths, one from a pregnancy, and number five is someone who likes number four? Oh, which one should I choose?"
Both were quite exciting, and from different directions.
Number Three spoke up: "Number Five is me. Vote for me. I don't want to participate in this marriage selection banquet anyway. If you vote me out, you can end the game faster."
Number Four held her hand tightly, and the two looked at each other. The affection in their eyes was indeed more than just ordinary sisterly affection.
Bai Qiu sighed, and the others were also shocked, their eyes darting between her and Number Four.
Numbers 3 and 4 have always had a good relationship, and they've been playing games together these past few days. I never expected their relationship to be like this.
Judging from Number Four's appearance, they must have been together for a long time.
Everyone felt a mix of emotions, and silently cast their votes.
"Number three will be eliminated."
"Punishment time is over, please close your eyes."
Everyone closed their eyes, held their breath, and waited.
After the "click" of the mechanism, the sound of airflow escaping rang for a moment, then fell silent.
"Punishment is over, you can open your eyes now."
"What's going on?" Mu Chengwen was dumbfounded. "There's only one, does that mean only one person lied?"
“That’s not necessarily true,” Zhu Qinghe said. “The traitors are just telling lies.”
"Oh, this makes me even more confused. How am I supposed to judge this?" Mu Chengwen looked utterly hopeless.
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