“Your Majesty, your Majesty, wake up.”
Qin Yuanxi felt a buzzing in his head, as if mosquitoes were buzzing in his ears, making it impossible to sleep. He waved his hand a couple of times, intending to continue sleeping, but the buzzing sound continued, eventually fully waking him up.
“What’s all this noise? Can’t a person get some sleep?!”
“Your Majesty, please forgive me!”
Feeling groggy and in a bad mood from being awakened, Qin Yuanxi rubbed his eyes and stifled a yawn. However, halfway through the yawn, he stopped abruptly, his eyes widened for two seconds, and then he turned his head to locate the source of the sound.
It was a trembling eunuch kneeling in front of him. Perhaps because of what he had said earlier, the eunuch’s face had turned pale. However, the eunuch didn’t kneel down to him. In front of the eunuch were several memorial tablets, and at a glance, they had a somewhat eerie and chilling feeling. Qin Yuanxi swallowed his yawn and slowly looked around to take in his surroundings.
Although the place seemed a bit gloomy, it was actually a splendid grand hall. Qin Yuanxi felt a bit puzzled and wondered if he was still dreaming and hadn’t woken up yet. The architecture, the decorations, and even the eunuch’s repeated calls of ‘Your Majesty’ all seemed overly dramatic. If this was a dream, then it felt incredibly real.
Qin Yuanxi swallowed a mouthful of saliva, rubbed his eyes again, and discreetly pinched his own thigh. The sudden pain made him frown, and in an instant, he became fully alert.
“Your Majesty, you haven’t finished copying the books. They must be completed before tomorrow’s morning court.”
“What am I supposed to copy?” Qin Yuanxi pressed his temples, not quite understanding why, as the emperor, he was not sleeping on the dragon bed in the middle of the night, but instead ‘studying’ under the ancestral tablets. This behavior seemed rather strange. Even if the emperor was diligent, shouldn’t he be diligently studying in the imperial study?
This scene seemed to be the punishment of kneeling in front of the ancestral tablets. It was truly pitiful!
With the eunuch’s explanation, Qin Yuanxi finally started to get some clarity.
His current identity was Emperor Qin Yuanxi, the puppet emperor of the Great Qin Empire. Of course, this attribute was recognized by Qin Yuanxi himself because he was familiar with the plot. It was from a power struggle novel he had read before!
Of course, Emperor Qin Yuanxi in that book was not the protagonist. At most, he was a background character. The real protagonist was Regent Prince Lu Bohuan, who could pacify the border and govern the prosperous era. The book described how Regent Prince Lu accomplished great feats, such as quelling rebellions, eliminating internal factions, and bringing benefits to the people. It was tens of thousands of words, written in great detail.
As the background emperor in the book, he was nothing more than a puppet. He had to act and speak according to Regent Prince Lu’s wishes. If Regent Prince Lu wanted him to have a rice gruel breakfast, he didn’t dare to eat pastries. If Regent Prince Lu gave him a cold look, he would be scared and sleepless at night. He was pitiful to the extreme.
If anything didn’t meet Regent Prince Lu’s expectations, he would be forced to kneel in front of the ancestral tablets and copy books, calling it ‘teaching the emperor about governance.’ After all, Regent Prince Lu also held the title of Imperial Tutor, so no one would dare to say anything even if the puppet emperor was being punished to kneel and copy books. It was all about maintaining appearances.
The eunuch took the place of kneeling in front of the ancestral tablets, and the puppet emperor only needed to copy diligently. The face-saving measures were well executed.
He hadn’t finished reading the book because of the final exams. So, he didn’t know the subsequent plot development well. However, one thing was clear: Under the pressure of Regent Prince Lu, the days of the puppet emperor were extremely miserable. He didn’t even enjoy the benefits of being an emperor, and his life was in Regent Prince Lu’s hands.
No, this was not a way to live. Qin Yuanxi had no interest in being a puppet. Moreover, based on the setting of Regent Prince Lu as the male lead in the book, sooner or later, he would seize power. At that time, would he even be allowed to live?
This so-called country and dynasty meant nothing to him. His life was more important. Qin Yuanxi decided to make his escape.
With an accomplished Regent Prince Lu around, they would definitely find a more suitable puppet or simply eliminate the puppet altogether, and there would be no problem with Regent Prince Lu taking over the throne himself.
He had no significant role in the script and didn’t need to be so diligent.
Qin Yuanxi made his decision quickly, in less than three seconds. As a young person from a socialist background, once he left this prison of yellow tiles and red walls, he could live a carefree and unrestrained life no matter what he did. How wonderful!
“I won’t copy anymore. I’m going out for a walk.”
Speaking decisively, Qin Yuanxi planned to explore the situation while it was still late at night, familiarize himself with the surroundings, and prepare for his escape.
“You are not allowed to follow!”
Qin Yuanxi dismissed the eunuch who wanted to accompany him. He left the grand hall and as a newcomer, he hadn’t fully grasped the situation yet. Who knew if there were people arranged by Regent Prince Lu around him? If his plan to escape was discovered and reported to Regent Prince Lu, it would be troublesome.
He strolled aimlessly, but along the way, Qin Yuanxi abandoned his plan to sneak out. He had encountered several patrols of the Forbidden Army inside the palace. The palace guards were strict, and as a living person, it would be difficult for him to escape. The idea of sneaking away seemed foolish and naive, completely unrealistic!
“Your Majesty, are you planning to leave through Chenghua Gate?”
Suddenly, a voice startled Qin Yuanxi. He turned his head and saw a person in armor standing behind him. The person bowed to him and asked again, “Your Majesty, are you heading to Chenghua Gate? If you have any orders, please command this subordinate.”
“Where did you come from?”
Qin Yuanxi looked at the person behind him, who appeared out of nowhere. He surveyed the spacious road behind him, devoid of any cover. It was strange how a person suddenly appeared like this. If his courage were a bit weaker, he might have been scared unconscious.
“I saw Your Majesty heading east all along. The only gate to the east is Chenghua Gate, but it is closed now and not suitable for leaving the palace. If Your Majesty wishes to leave, you can go through Fengxi Gate.”
Qin Yuanxi pondered for a moment. The person seemed to know his intention to leave the palace. Moreover, the person spoke so bluntly, giving him a sense that something was not quite right. Could it be a trap?
“I’m just walking casually. Ahem, I’m going back.” Qin Yuanxi straightened his back, assuming the posture of an emperor, took a step back, and walked west.
“I will accompany and protect Your Majesty.”
The more Qin Yuanxi walked, the more he felt that something was off. He remembered that he had come through this route earlier, so why did it feel different on the way back? When he saw a faintly red palace gate ahead, he immediately stopped in his tracks, turned to look at the person following him, pursed his lips, and asked, “Can I leave through Fengxi Gate?”
“Present the token of this subordinate.”
In other words, this person in front of him held an important position. By presenting his token, Qin Yuanxi would be free to come and go from the palace. This person must be a high-ranking individual.
Qin Yuanxi received the token and saw the words ‘Command of General Zhengyuan’ on it. He felt puzzled. He vaguely recalled that there was no mention of this General Zhengyuan in the book. The puppet emperor, who had some descriptions in the book, didn’t have anyone named General Zhengyuan near him. It was quite strange.
With no description and still guarding the palace with the Forbidden Army, the identity and status of this General Zhengyuan were clearly extraordinary.
“What’s your name? I haven’t seen you before.” Qin Yuanxi held the token, caressing the words on it, finding it strange that there was no mention of this General Zhengyuan in the book.
“I am Zhao Tuo, who just returned to the capital and is on duty for the first time tonight.”
No, Qin Yuanxi thought carefully about the plot he remembered from the book. There was no mention of a high-ranking general who had just returned to the capital. It seemed as if this person had never appeared before, which became increasingly strange.
“Your Majesty? The lantern festival will be dispersed soon. If Your Majesty wants to go, you should. I will protect Your Majesty’s safety.”
Lantern festival? Oh, right, now he remembered.
The reason why the puppet emperor was punished to kneel in front of the ancestral tablets and copy books was because he wanted to go to the lantern festival. Since he couldn’t go, he was scolded by Regent Prince Lu for not focusing on his duties. The consequence was that the puppet emperor copied books in front of the ancestral tablets all night, and the next day, he fell ill and couldn’t attend court for several days.
Qin Yuanxi hesitated for a moment, then said with a gloomy expression, “But the regent won’t allow me to leave the palace to visit the lantern market. It will make him unhappy.”
“No worries, Your Majesty. The prince won’t blame you as long as you’re happy.”
Huh? This general’s tone is quite audacious. Do you know the consequences of offending the regent? He’s the main protagonist, and those who offend the main protagonist usually don’t have a good ending!
Qin Yuanxi always found this general’s demeanor weird. It was hard to put into words, but maybe it was because the book didn’t describe him in detail. This only made Qin Yuanxi more curious. So, fueled by curiosity and his genuine desire to leave the palace, even if he couldn’t escape, couldn’t he at least visit the lantern market?
“Alright, let’s go to the lantern market!”
Indeed, General Zhenyuan’s token was quite useful. The soldiers guarding the palace not only let him pass, but also provided him with casual attire, a carriage, and even a bag of silver coins. The service was top-notch. Qin Yuanxi sat in the carriage, opened the money bag, and carefully counted the silver coins in his hand. The idea of sneaking away quietly emerged once again.
The outside world was much more convenient than the palace. Even if a general was guarding him now, as long as Qin Yuanxi wished, it was still highly possible to find an opportunity to slip away. Moreover, he had money in his hands now, making the conditions for his escape quite favorable. Once he fled, who would bother him with the conspiracies and plots? With the vast sky and boundless sea, he could fly freely!
While Qin Yuanxi was still contemplating his escape plan, the carriage swayed and came to a stop. Zhao Tuo, lifting the curtain, said to the person opposite, “Your Majesty, we have arrived at the lantern market.”
Outside, the lights shimmered, and the person in front had arched eyebrows, thin lips, a high nose bridge—his face was even more handsome than a popular martial artist on television. It left Qin Yuanxi momentarily stunned.
When they were in the palace earlier, this person always kept his head down while speaking to him, concealing most of his face with a helmet. But now, dressed in a black outfit with a headband, his handsome face was fully revealed, somewhat enchanting.
Qin Yuanxi swallowed a mouthful of saliva and silently berated himself.
He was naturally bent, and his preferences were clear. He favored the type of handsome young man with a sword-like gaze and delicate features. It could be said that the face before him perfectly matched his aesthetic preferences. If they had met earlier, he might have succeeded in ending his single status.
What a pity indeed.
Hello, everyone ヾ(＾∇＾). I hope you enjoyed the story! If you’re feeling generous, please buy me a coffee, share/comment on my translated works! Check out the link below for early chapters. (๑>ᴗ<๑)
