Seize the Throne: Beloved Consort System [END]

“System! This isn’t what you told me. Emperor Jing is alive, and I’m in big trouble!” Qin Manman anxiously bit her lip, pacing back and forth in her room. Her heart was in turmoil, and she regretted listening to the system’s persuasion. She had left the palace so quickly, thinking that if she stayed in the harem and played her cards right, she might be able to win Emperor Jing’s heart and eventually become a noble consort.

Now, Emperor Jing was healthy, and she had nothing. Even if she wanted to return, there was no guarantee that she would be accepted back. She had left decisively, assuming that Emperor Jing wouldn’t wake up. But Emperor Jing had truly survived his grave injuries, completely shattering her plans.

She blamed herself for listening to the system’s coaxing. The system had argued that there were many kings in the world, not just Emperor Jing, and that she could be a consort for a prince in the Western Regions or take the desert road to become a queen for other kingdoms. Some of these kingdoms were even more progressive than Huaxia, and sometimes the queen would even directly become the queen regnant. With all this persuasion, Qin Manman had already been tempted. Moreover, the system had frightened her with the practice of consorts being buried alive, making Qin Manman more eager to leave the palace than anyone else.

But none of those consequences had come to pass. Emperor Jing didn’t pursue the matter of the consorts who had left, and he even provided generous dowries for them. It was said that Emperor Jing was now heartbroken by the consorts in the harem and had devoted himself entirely to state affairs in recent years, avoiding the company of women. This had earned him the praise of the entire nation as a wise and virtuous ruler.

Qin Manman was consumed by endless regret. On one hand, she felt like she had missed out on a fortune and wanted to return to the palace. On the other hand, she worried about the exposure of the assassination attempt. Her original intention had been to protect the Emperor, but she hadn’t anticipated actually injuring him. Anyone who dared to attack the ruler of a country, let alone stab him, would likely face execution, and she dreaded the possibility of facing brutal punishment such as dismemberment or other severe penalties.

After careful consideration, Qin Manman decided to go into hiding. She didn’t even say goodbye to the abbess who had sheltered her for a time. That night, she packed her belongings and left, carrying valuable items with her. These items were heavy, and after hiding in the wilderness, constantly moving from one place to another, Qin Manman eventually found herself starving and exhausted, looking like a destitute beggar rather than an affluent young lady. She couldn’t endure it any longer and decided to head to a marketplace to exchange some of her valuables for clean clothes and food.

However, when she produced a piece of gold and silver with inscriptions on the underside, she was apprehended within minutes. She couldn’t believe her eyes and her peaceful days were gone forever.

As soon as wanted posters were plastered all over the streets and alleys, the entire nation learned the truth. The sensational assassination attempt they had expected, filled with intrigue involving barbarians or high-ranking officials conspiring against the emperor, turned out to be a bold act orchestrated by a jealous consort within the harem, a self-staged drama. However, their attempt to steal the show ended in disaster, as they were manipulated and used by real assassins and killers from the underworld. It was a tale of utter foolishness.

Upon learning the truth, an infuriated Emperor ordered the immediate eradication of the underground forces mentioned by the banquet assassins. Even those officials suspected of collusion with these forces within the court were purged. This drastic action solidified his rule and brought stability to his reign, which had been tested in his three years as emperor. The world watched in astonishment as what had been thought to be a bloodbath masterminded by a lowly consort was, in fact, an act of utter foolishness. This consort’s name was destined to be recorded in history, but only as a cautionary tale. The other consorts who had been influenced by her lived to regret their decisions, directing their resentment squarely at Qin Manman.

Qin Manman herself believed she had been manipulated and privately cursed the assassins who had accepted her payment but had added their own sinister twist. She was especially incensed that they hadn’t withstood interrogation and had sold her out, leading to her own capture.

When Qin Manman was apprehended, Emperor Xie Yan had no intention of executing her. He knew that killing this audacious woman would be letting her off too easily. He was curious about the fate of a woman with such a system and wondered where she would be reincarnated. Furthermore, her audacity extended to the point where she contemplated escaping to foreign lands to become a consort to a regional king. The Emperor couldn’t allow her to live, but he also didn’t want her to die.

Since she pleaded for mercy and offered to become a nun, dedicating her life to serving the Buddha, he decided to grant her wish. He issued an edict sending her to Yun Tai Shan for ordination, where she would be closely monitored as a nun. Little did the world know that this was the most unbearable outcome for Qin Manman.

The loss of her proud and beautiful hair was a devastating blow to her vanity. Her head had been shaved clean, and a substance had been applied to prevent any regrowth. For someone who had taken immense pride in her appearance, this was nothing short of a catastrophe. 

Additionally, as a nun, she could no longer dress up or wear jewelry. All her adornments had been confiscated and donated, and she was restricted to a vegetarian diet. For someone who had a penchant for meat, this monastic life was akin to torture, and she found it insipid and unpalatable. 

Furthermore, Yun Tai Shan’s nunnery strictly adhered to the Vinaya rules, and its three thousand female practitioners were devoted to a life of asceticism. Any deviation from the rules was met with severe punishment, and Qin Manman’s frequent attempts to escape and flouting of the regulations led to numerous penalties. 

The strict and judgmental nuns had no tolerance for her restless nature, and her days became increasingly difficult. She cried every night, regretting her reckless decisions. She wished she had never attempted to escape her fate, as she would have remained the pampered second daughter of the Qin family, a cherished concubine in the palace, and the object of Emperor Xie Yan’s affections. She could have lived a life of comfort in her later years, free from so many constraints. 

But regrets were useless, and even her system, due to insufficient points, fell into disarray and eventually left her. “Insufficient points, system shutting down! Insufficient points, system shutting down! Warning: Host is too far from the palace to complete the mission, please return to the imperial city to earn points!”

Qin Manman’s tears fell like rain, her heart shattered into pieces, “I also want to go back, but I’ll be stuck here for the rest of my life.” Strictly monitored and with no money or power, she couldn’t even escape to another place, let alone become a favored concubine in this lifetime.

The system, still in chaos, had a very cold and ruthless attitude: “If you can’t go back, you won’t earn any points. Without points, your qualifications will be canceled! Host qualification revoked!” With that, it unilaterally canceled its contract with Qin Manman and intended to search for the next target in the crowd. At this moment, a surge of electricity struck it, forcing it to emit a “sizzling” sound and scream, “I refuse to be recycled! I refuse to be recycled!”

In the end, in Qin Manman’s puzzled gaze, the system disappeared without a trace, and its parting words had an unknown meaning. Qin Manman thought that the system had abandoned her and gone in search of a new owner, leaving her with no one to complain to. She couldn’t hide her jealousy towards the “new owner” and, like a mad dog, would grab the arm of any beautiful female monk she encountered, questioning if they had a system, scaring them and making them shout, “Where did this crazy girl come from?”

To avoid harming the pilgrims and disciples, the presiding monk decided to deal with Qin Manman harshly. That night, Qin Manman tried to escape again, wanting to find her own system. She only truly valued it after losing it. However, during her escape, she fell off a cliff, broke her leg, and when the guards found her, even though they healed her injuries, her mobility became compromised, completely eliminating the possibility of escape.

Qin Manman pulled her hair out in madness, and her days passed in unbearable suffering and depression. She couldn’t understand why, with her knowledge of poetry, literature, drawing blueprints, and having knowledge and experiences surpassing people of this era by a thousand years, she even had a consort system that could exchange for goods, why was she living in such dire poverty and destitution? For the latter half of her life, she constantly pondered this question, but she couldn’t find an answer until the day she died.

Qin Manman’s fate was just as Wang Gonggong had anticipated, for no one understood His Majesty’s seemingly gentle demeanor concealing his cold indifference better than he did. “Love places one on the knees, while hatred casts them into the abyss.” When he loved someone, he wished to hold them close, speak softly to them, fearing they might fall; when he disliked someone, he wished to extract every ounce of their value and then mercilessly cast them into the depths of hell.

Although Qin Manman was a bit foolish, she held value in His Majesty’s eyes, so his patience was somewhat extended. In the end, he handled her delicately, because for some people, being unable to choose how they live is always more despairing than death.

When Yin Minglu returned to the palace in his small boots, Wang Gonggong quickly approached him, sweating profusely, and said, “Oh, my little highness, where have you been? His Majesty has been waiting for you.”

“Didn’t I see him this morning?” Yin Minglu tilted his head in confusion. When he raised his gaze, he saw Xie Yan staring straight at him, a gentle smile on his face tinged with a hint of malice. He shivered.

“Come sit beside me,” Xie Yan gestured to the space next to him.

Yin Minglu: “…” Clearly, there was no space there to sit, so where was he supposed to sit? He wasn’t an ignorant child who could be easily fooled! Despite his reluctance, he slowly walked over.

As soon as he reached the side, he was pulled into a tight embrace, and his entire body was placed on the man’s lap. Holding him, Xie Yan chuckled softly, “You’re being well-behaved this time.”

Because resisting wouldn’t change anything. Yin Minglu, nestled in the man’s arms, rolled his eyes playfully, and when his distinct black-and-white eyes rolled, most of the white part was exposed, surprisingly cute. This made the man’s lips curl slightly as he couldn’t resist pinching Yin Minglu’s cheek. Then he leaned in and whispered softly, “Have you thought about your choice?”

Yin Minglu’s ears twitched slightly as he played with his own fair, tender fingers, pretending not to have heard. He acted as if he were deaf and mute, a daily routine. Technically, he had already been recalled by the company as per their requirements, and the original owner’s wishes had been fulfilled. He should have left long ago, but deep down, there were some emotions that he couldn’t quite explain or understand—whether it was reluctance or attachment, he couldn’t discern for the time being. Seeing him like this, Xie Yan didn’t press him further. He simply held him gently, as if he were the most precious pearl in his palm. He held him as if he were afraid he would melt away, and cradled him as if he were afraid he would fall. Xie Yan intended to cherish this person in the depths of his heart for the rest of his life. Holding onto him felt like having an era of peace and satisfaction, as if it fulfilled the regrets of his countless lifetimes.

Although this profound regret had no apparent reason, it seemed to be innate.

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The author has something to say: Another world has come to an end, la la la!

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Thanks to the little angels who voted for me or irrigated me with nutrient solutions~

 

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