"He attempted to smear Jin Guangyao by claiming that Jin Guangyao had evil secrets in his secret room. Of course he did not. Then Wei Wuxian drew his sword, which had sheathed itself so that no one but Wei Wuxian could draw it, and revealed himself. Then he made Jin Guangyao's wife Qin Su kill herself and passed out. Lan Wangji took his body and flew away on his sword."

It is unfortunate that the chief cultivator has evil secrets in his secret room, whatever those are, but not terribly concerning. His own ascension did not come without a few skeletons in closets and the bottoms of rivers. "What enmity existed between Qin Su and Wei Wuxian, and how was she so powerful that killing her knocked the man who slaughtered thousands of cultivators unconscious? Does Lan Wangji's sword fly, or is Wei Wuxian's sword possessed of even more unusual powers?"

"Lan Wangji can fly on his sword, Your Imperial Majesty. We do not know why Wei Wuxian so hated Qin Su, nor why he passed out afterward. Perhaps the process of transitioning to a new body was difficult for him."

"His previous most dramatic feats have been accomplished with control over fierce corpses. Were any observed? Has the chief cultivator discussed the existence of a method to permanently banish Wei Wuxian?"

"No fierce corpses were observed at the time, Your Imperial Majesty. If the body he is currently inhabiting is killed, Wei Wuxian will die as well-- at least until someone else decides to summon him into their body."

"If Wei Wuxian develops a habit of accomplishing the summoner's goals before being killed, he is likely to be a permanent issue for the chief cultivator and his heirs unless demonic cultivation is entirely stamped out, or Wei Wuxian wins and becomes the immortal chief cultivator, drinker of alcohol, eater of potatoes, and protector of the remnants of the Wen clan." Presumably the final element of the list is one of the evil secrets in the secret room. "Did he add any new goals to the list in his most recent appearance?"

"Presumably, Your Imperial Majesty, because it is unclear how his current actions get him alcohol or potatoes and the Wen remnants are all dead and the corpses burned."

"The preparations for a resumed war between Wei Wuxian and his ally and the Chief Cultivator are already underway, we hope."

"Yes, Your Imperial Majesty. Fortunately, the years of peace have given us ample time to rebuild the granaries. Progress continues to be slow on training non-cultivator soldiers to deal with fierce corpses." 

"So, Wei Wuxian is night-hunting, likely taking the fierce corpses for his own use, alongside Lan Wangji. What is Wen Ning doing? Is it known why he did not assist Wei Wuxian in slaying Qin Su?"

"We do not know what Wen Ning is doing, Your Imperial Majesty."

This story is obviously false. Jin Guangyao almost certainly knows that the emperor knows it is false. The emperor is somewhat insulted that the lie was not even plausible, but appreciates the gesture of informing him. "In addition to the consolations for the loss of his half-brother, send Jin Guangyao our deepest condolences for the murder of his wife. Let him know that this assault is condemned by the emperor, and that it is added to the list of Wei Wuxian's crimes." Not that any man in the army would be fool enough to arrest him. "Thank him for the continued information, and of course pass on our blessing and offer of support to his efforts."

"Yes, Your Imperial Majesty. As ever, I am guided by Your wisdom."

A few months later--

"Your Imperial Majesty, Your humble servant wishes to request a private audience and Your mercy and pardon for the disorganized nature of this report." 

"The safety of our citizens is the most urgent matter, and all shall leave. Court will resume when the Heavens will it. The minister of state and the minister of the army shall present themselves outside in case they are needed." The emperor appreciates the excuse to test his courtiers: who is more concerned with speed and who is focused on following the proper courtesies to others, and he watches carefully, but soon enough the room has fallen silent, aside from a handful of his personal guard. "Approach the throne, then."

"Your Imperial Majesty, apparently literally every cultivator of any note is a cutsleeve."

"Is there some cause of this?" Enjoying lying with men, or even almost exclusively preferring it, is reasonable enough, but they are rare!

"I don't know, Your Imperial Majesty! Maybe cultivation causes it! But we have just had some very high-stakes and important cutsleeve romantic drama!"

"Almost all of the current powerful cultivators have very few siblings, right? Perhaps that is explained by strong social expectations that everyone have at least a few children. But first deliver your report."

"Chief Cultivator Jin Guangyao was killed by his lover Lan Xichen."

"In open battle?" The emperor can't imagine that Jin Guangyao would be such a poor judge of character in person as to take a lover likely to stab him in the back.

"During a sort of... uh... hostage situation slash family reunion slash romantic date?"

The emperor does not dignify that with a response other than raised eyebrows.

"--so it was recently revealed that Jin Guangshan did not, as previously believed, die from having sex with too many prostitutes. Instead, Jin Guangyao hired prostitutes to rape his father to death."

The emperor considers this. Almost certainly the evil secret in the secret room, unless there was something worse. As murder methods, it was elegant: not merely plausible deniability but absolute confidence of everyone else that it had been natural. Kinder than most, as well, certainly nicer than what he had had to do to his nephew last month. He wished he didn't have to rely on thick walls as often as he did. "An utter disgrace to the piety and obedience that a son owes his father under the rules of heaven. Is this thought to be what Wei Wuxian attacked him for?"