At first, the number of people registering was quite small, around a hundred or so. However, when the first “Myriad People’s Village” was completed, the registered workers moved in, some even receiving two sets of clothing, and many became excited.
Two long queues formed at the city gate, stretching out of sight.
“Prime Minister, there are too many people registering, and it may take a while to process them. Would you like to take a break?” The chief guard respectfully suggested.
Prime Minister Shao Guang shook his head and noticed a short man attempting to cut in line. He said, “You all, go and maintain order.”
The short man was grabbed by the guards and thrown out of the line, causing a commotion in the vicinity. Upon seeing this, Prime Minister Shao Guang muttered a few words to the guard beside him.
Following his orders, the guard walked up to a platform and declared, “By order of the Prime Minister, anyone who disrupts the queue will be expelled and lose their registration rights.”
…
With the manpower issue resolved, the rest of the tasks became quite easy. In a matter of months, the roads in the capital city were renovated and became smooth and wide. Red-brick buildings were constructed in the south of the city, and due to the increased population, more shops sprang up around the area.
Zhao Yan’er’s shop was also located on this street. After learning about it, Qi Heng directly allocated funds and provided manpower for her. He even reserved the best location for her shop.
In response, Zhao Yan’er wisely proposed a revenue-sharing arrangement. Five parts would go to Qi Heng, and she and Qi Yuyao would each get two parts. The remaining share would be used for taxes and maintaining the shop’s operations.
Zhao Yan’er’s shop was now on track. Shortly after that, the imperial examination was held, followed by the palace examination. Qi Heng personally selected the top three scholars from the first tier in the palace examination.
One morning, the young and handsome top scholar, dressed in a splendid robe with a red flower at his chest, rode a tall horse with a high head. He held a golden whip and passed by gracefully, captivating the hearts of many young maidens in the capital who were yet to be married.
Seeing this, Zhao Yan’er introduced a lipstick called “Top Scholar Red.” Its color perfectly matched the attire of the top scholar. As soon as it was launched, it was warmly received by the young ladies in the capital. It quickly sold out.
After the festivities, the selected talents had to be arranged for various positions across the country. Once these tasks were completed, Jin State entered the summer season.
And it was time for Wei Chao to return to his country.
The messengers sent by the Wei Emperor had urged him to leave. Reluctantly, he had to depart. Qi Heng was too occupied to see him off properly. After a hurried meeting, he could only instruct Qi Shao to escort him out of the city.
Wei Chao was clearly very disheartened, and he couldn’t even pay attention to Qi Shao’s chatter along the way.
However, his desolation was soon replaced by the arrival of Zheng Yi.
“The Emperor has a gift for Crown Prince Wei,” Zheng Yi said, producing a dark red wooden box. “It’s a dagger that the Emperor personally crafted, meant for the prince’s personal protection.”
Wei Chao was both surprised and delighted, his hands trembling as he held the box. “The Emperor crafted it personally?”
Zheng Yi nodded. Qi Shao encouraged Wei Chao to open it. After hesitating for a moment, Wei Chao opened the box in front of Zheng Yi. Inside lay a beautifully decorated dagger with a sheath, adorned with two gemstones, one red and one green, each the size of a pigeon’s egg.
“Wow, it really is the dagger my royal uncle personally crafted,” Qi Shao exclaimed with wide eyes. He remembered that crafting this dagger required extremely rare materials, making it exceptionally sharp. He was visibly envious.
“He actually gave it to you. Am I still his nephew?” Qi Shao’s eyes turned green with jealousy. He reached out to take it, saying, “Wei Chao, let me touch it for a moment, I just want to experience it.”
But Wei Chao agilely dodged Qi Shao’s wandering hand. “No.”
“Why?” Qi Shao insisted, “Just a touch, I won’t run off with it.”
“No, I think you might.” Wei Chao knew Qi Shao’s unreliable nature all too well. He decided to tuck the dagger into his robe, holding the empty box as he turned to board his returning carriage. “I’m leaving; you don’t need to escort me.”
However, Qi Shao glanced at the sky; it was still early, and the sun had only just risen. If he returned home now, his grandmother, the Empress Dowager, would undoubtedly come looking for him again.
Thinking about the table full of ladies-in-waiting paintings, Qi Shao felt a headache coming on. “No, I think I’d better see you off a bit more, after all, we’re good brothers, and there might not be many chances to meet again in the future.”
“You can’t escape your fate,” Wei Chao pointed out his true intentions bluntly. “I think you’d better go back obediently.”
Qi Shao: “…”
…
In the early summer, initiated by the Empress Dowager, the palace held a flower appreciation banquet, inviting noblewomen to bring their children to the palace to admire the flowers.
This event caused quite a stir, as people quickly realized that the royal family was selecting potential consorts for the princesses and princes. When they realized that there was no one in His Majesty’s harem, all the noble families exerted their utmost efforts to stand out in the eyes of the Empress Dowager.
As expected, after the flower appreciation banquet, a marriage edict was issued directly in the palace. It designated the eldest prince to marry the legitimate granddaughter of Prime Minister Shao, making her the Crown Princess.
“Yuyao?” The spirit of Prince Chen looked at Qi Heng with concern, “You haven’t forgotten about her, have you? You promised to find a good match for her!”
“I remember,” Qi Heng used a red pen to mark a few names in a pile of name registers, then called for Lin Dahai, “Take this to Yuyao. Let her take a look.”
Lin Dahai took the register with both hands and discreetly left.
“I think that scholar who looks like the top scholar is quite suitable,” the spirit of Prince Chen expressed his dissatisfaction, “He’s talented and looks good. Why isn’t his name here?”
“He’s not a good fit,” Qi Heng calmly replied, “I asked him. He’s already betrothed in his hometown.”
“Being betrothed is not the same as getting married,” the spirit of Prince Chen grumbled, “Are you saying our royal princess isn’t worthy of even a poor scholar like him?”
“Marriage is about forming good connections between families, not enmities,” Qi Heng said coldly, giving him a stern look, “He didn’t hide his hometown betrothal when I questioned him, and that shows his admirable character.”
“What about the second scholar? He comes from a good family, looks good, and is well-behaved. Why didn’t you include him?”
“Oh, I found him too old,” Qi Heng said without emotion, “He’s nearly eight years older than Yuyao.”
“What’s wrong with being eight years older? Among the Emperor’s concubines, how many of them are not a decade or more younger than him?” the spirit of Prince Chen said as if it were only natural.
Qi Heng paid him no attention and continued with his state affairs. However, after a few days, the Empress Dowager asked him to come over.
“Heng, I had a dream, a dream with an old immortal,” the Empress Dowager said mysteriously, “That old immortal said Yuyao’s marriage destiny is linked to this scholar Xie Xisheng.”
Xie Xisheng was the second scholar in the current civil examination. Qi Heng glanced briefly at the spirit of Prince Chen, clearly connecting the dots that the Empress Dowager’s dream had something to do with him.
Even his own mother could be misled when she put her mind to it.
“I still think it’s not feasible,” Qi Heng maintained his position.
“I was twelve years younger than your father, and I didn’t consider him old back then,” the Empress Dowager countered. “In my opinion, let Yuyao have a look. If she truly likes him, eight years won’t be a big age gap.”
“Alright, Mother, you handle it as you see fit,” Qi Heng conceded. It was just a matter of meeting someone, so he saw no reason to argue with the Empress Dowager.
However, what surprised him was that Qi Yuyao did indeed take a liking to Xie Xisheng.
After a series of inquiries, they learned that when Qi Yuyao was still with the Zhao family, she had a chance encounter with Xie Xisheng.
“…At that time, the Zhao family often sent me to the mountains to cut firewood for sale and didn’t allow me to eat rice, only giving me a little rice gruel.”
“One day, I hadn’t eaten breakfast yet, and they sent me to the town to sell firewood. I collapsed on the way due to hunger, and when I woke up, the firewood had been stolen. I was so desperate that I sat on the ground crying.”
“Then, he came over. He probably mistook me for a beggar and bought several buns, giving them to me along with some change.” Qi Yuyao recounted the story in a few words. “After he left, I ate those buns and regained my strength, then went back with the money, lying to the Zhao family that I earned it from selling firewood.”
Xie Xisheng might not remember, but she had always remembered those incredibly delicious meat buns. It was the first time she had tasted something so delicious and the first time she had received kindness from someone.
“The Zhao family treated their daughter like this!” Prince Chen felt infuriated, and his originally transparent soul was once again tainted with resentment.
“If I had discovered your true identity earlier, it would have been better,” Qi Heng sighed and subtly removed the resentment from Prince Chen’s soul.
“I don’t blame Father.” Qi Yuyao sniffled, “Because Father brought me back, I realized that it wasn’t because my parents didn’t like me, but because I wasn’t their child.”
Prince Chen’s eyes turned red, but he was just a spirit and couldn’t shed tears.
“Since you like him, Father will grant your marriage,” Qi Heng withdrew his hand, “With Father present, he wouldn’t dare mistreat you.”
“Alright,” Qi Yuyao blushed and replied but refused to say more.
The following day, another marriage decree was issued. By the end of the same year, the Crown Prince married the granddaughter of the Prime Minister, Shao Guang.
In the second year of Jin Zhao, at the beginning of the year, Princess Rou Jia married the imperial librarian and compiler of the Hanlín Academy, Xie Xisheng. In the same year, Qi Shao was officially appointed as the Crown Prince.
In the fifth year of Jin Zhao, news came from the State of Wei that the Wei Emperor was seriously ill. The Crown Prince of Wei took over as regent, but within four months, the Wei Emperor passed away. The throne was then passed to Crown Prince Wei Zhao, and the new emperor named the era “Ming.”
As one of the contributors to the era name options, Qi Shao was busy writing a reply letter on paper: “Bright as the sun and moon, my heart turns to clarity. I was just fooling around with that suggestion, did you really choose it seriously, brother?”
To this letter, Emperor Míng of Wei remained notably aloof and didn’t respond.
He was extremely busy.
Jin was developing at an astonishing pace, and as the newly crowned emperor, he felt immense pressure. Yet, he couldn’t help but admire the greatness of the divine figure in his heart.
In the sixth year of Jin Zhao, Jin and Wei signed a fifty-year peace and trade agreement.
In the tenth year of Jin Zhao, the Jin Emperor passed the throne to Crown Prince Qi Shao, and the new era name was “Qi.”
On the day Emperor Qi ascended to the throne, above the Jin Imperial Palace, a magnificent array of colors painted the sky, and magpies circled the palace persistently. Soon after, there were rumors in the Jin Imperial Palace that the former emperor had ascended to become an immortal.
From that day onward, no one ever saw Emperor Jin Zhao again. His whereabouts became one of the great mysteries of the Jin Imperial family. Even a thousand years later, there were legends that finding a descendant of the Jin Imperial family would unlock the secrets of Jin’s mysterious imperial tomb, granting access to vast treasures and the legacy of immortality.
However, in reality, Emperor Jin Zhao was simply expelled from the world due to an excessive accumulation of merit and belief values that exceeded the expectations of the celestial order. If not expelled, his abundance of merit and belief values might have threatened to overthrow the celestial order itself.
After being expelled from the world, Qi Heng experienced a moment of dizziness. When he opened his eyes, he found himself in a new world. He sat in a genuine leather chair and rubbed his head. Glancing around, he walked to a large glass window. In his previous world, thanks to Zhao Yan’er, Qi Heng had the Ministry of Works create glass, but it was fragile.
Qi Heng looked through the glass at the view below. It was a significant height, one he couldn’t reach even with his light-footed skills unless he had the ability to fly.
But this world was even worse than the previous one; it had absolutely no spiritual energy.
Knock, knock, knock.
The door was knocked on three times, and a woman dressed in a black suit entered with a newspaper in hand.
“Chairman, the young master has made it to the entertainment headlines again.”
The familiar beginning brought back memories to Qi Heng. He immediately recalled the information about this world. When he first arrived in this bizarre world, he hadn’t fully understood the rules yet, and he was disgusted by the memories of the previous host.
It was a world where someone had wicked intentions towards their nephew and was planning to harm him. Qi Heng had already realized that he couldn’t change the plot, which meant that even if he took over the original host, the predetermined events would still happen. If he didn’t act, a curse would control his body to ensure that the plot unfolded.
However, Qi Heng couldn’t change the plot, but he could choose to end the life of this despicable character. So, he jumped from the twenty-sixth floor to end it.
In less than ten minutes, he exited this world. After that, he never encountered such a morally bankrupt character again, possibly because the curse had been triggered by his actions.
But now, he was on the twenty-sixth floor. However, this time, nothing could control him. His body was his own, so there was no need for self-harm. He was also curious about the things in this world, so Qi Heng decided to stay.
“Chairman?” The woman cautiously called again.
“What’s wrong with him?” The exceptionally handsome man furrowed his brow, his expression stern, and his gaze cold, as if he were looking at an annoying piece of filth.
Wang Lin’s heart trembled, and for some reason, she suddenly had the urge to kneel down and beg for forgiveness.
“The young master was photographed at a bar…” Wang Lin swallowed hard. She remembered that the chairman was very strict about Qi Rui in this regard. He wouldn’t even allow him to interact with girls normally, and now…
“Playing with men at the bar.”
Snap!
The pen was broken, and Wang Lin lowered her head, sighing.
It was over. Her bonus for this month was probably going down the drain.
“Where is he?”
“He’s already returned to the old residence.”
“Prepare the car.” Qi Heng closed his eyes. His current identity was the head of the Qi family, and if he wanted to stay in this world, he had to bear the responsibilities that came with his status.
Since the position was his, the younger generation naturally fell under his jurisdiction.
And he couldn’t stand to see one of his own who had no skills, just a wastrel who spent his time in debauchery.
When the family head’s car stopped outside the gate, the steward, Sun Yi, who had already received the news and was waiting at the entrance. He hurriedly approached and respectfully opened the car door.
“Family head.”
“Where is Qi Rui?”
The voice was cold and imposing, indicating that the family head was quite upset this time.
Steward Sun Yi carefully chose his words. “The young master just came back, and he seems very tired. He took a bath and went to sleep.”
A beam of eyes landed on Qi Heng, and he almost instantly sensed it. He raised his gaze, and the curtains shifted slightly.
Sun Yi noticed his gaze and added, “Third Young Master is also back today.”
Qi Family’s Third Young Master was born frail but exceptionally intelligent, almost bordering on extraordinary. He was considered a child of destiny in this world. In Zhao Yan’er’s words, he was the man for the female lead.
In the plot that Qi Heng was aware of, the original owner would eventually be replaced by this younger brother as the head of the family. Later on, the original owner’s attempts to harm his nephew would be exposed, and amidst public condemnation, he would be sent to prison.
Of course, Qi Heng didn’t wait for the plot to reach this point; he made the original owner take his own life right from the beginning.
So, Qi Heng didn’t hold any grudge against this nominal younger brother. He even thought that in the original plot, the younger brother had played his part quite cleverly.
However…
“What’s the name of the third brother?” Qi Heng asked the steward as he stopped in his tracks. It had been such a long time, and he couldn’t remember the name.
“The third young master is called Qi Han,” replied Steward Sun Yi. He couldn’t help but wipe his brow; despite the somewhat distant relationship between you and the third young master, it’s hard to believe you would forget each other’s names.
As they entered the living room, all the servants who had been working immediately set their tasks aside and bowed in greeting, saying, “Master.”
The servants in the Qi household had been serving the family for generations, with very little interaction with the outside world. Therefore, they adhered to the old-fashioned etiquette that was preserved within the ancestral Qi mansion.
Although Qi Heng had played antagonistic roles in every lifetime, his status was always quite high, and he was attended by numerous people. Thus, he didn’t find this display of formality unusual.
Upstairs, Qi Rui heard the commotion and disdainfully curled his lips. He shifted his gaze and opened his phone, checking his group chat with friends.
[Your Eldest Brother Rui is the dream of 30 million young girls: Hey, let me ask you all, have you ever seen one of those ancient relics who, even in the 21st century, still thinks he’s a feudal landlord and demands people to bow and kneel before him?]
This message sparked a lively discussion in the otherwise quiet group.
[Surplus Year after Year: Did Eldest Brother Rui get scolded again? Did your great-uncle give you a lecture?]
As Qi Rui’s friends, they were all familiar with the story of his extremely feudal great-uncle. To be honest, they found it quite bizarre that someone could cling to such outdated beliefs in this day and age.
[Your Eldest Brother Rui is the dream of 30 million young girls: Not yet, but not today. But there will definitely be another lecture tomorrow. But this young man will never bow to that kind of feudal old-timer.]
[Amidst the Fields of Flowers: Eldest Brother Rui, you’re amazing. Did that little duck from yesterday impress you?]
[Your Eldest Brother Rui is the dream of 30 million young girls: Please, let’s not talk about it. I’m really unlucky. He mistook me for someone else and bumped into me, but it ended up causing trouble for me.]
[Egg Fried Rice: Is anyone coming to the end-of-the-year gathering at the Zhongnan Mountain gang headquarters? @Everyone]
Qi Rui’s heart skipped a beat. He was about to reply with “I’ll be online soon,” but suddenly, there was a knock at the door.
“Qi Rui,” a cold and authoritative voice sounded from outside the door, devoid of any emotional inflection.
Qi Rui lowered his head and quickly typed a few words before sending the message.
[Your Eldest Brother Rui is the dream of 30 million young girls: My eldest uncle is here, I guess he’s looking for trouble with me again.]
“Open the door.”
“I’m coming,” Qi Rui’s face briefly displayed a hint of disgust. He always felt that his uncle looked at him with an exceptionally repulsive gaze, probably scheming to take away his shares.
The person outside was dressed in a silver-gray suit that had not yet been taken off, with tailored trousers that accentuated his long, slender legs.
Qi Rui’s gaze slowly moved upwards, and when he met the coldly beautiful face, he suddenly became distracted. However, he quickly regained his composure under Qi Heng’s icy gaze.
But when the bewildered Qi Rui tried to recall Qi Heng’s previous appearance, he found that he couldn’t see it clearly. There was only a vague shadow.
“I heard you didn’t go to school today.”
Huh? Qi Rui was a bit surprised. Wasn’t he here to question him about his affairs with men? Qi Heng never cared about whether he went to school or not in the past.
Qi Rui felt that Qi Heng might even prefer him to be someone who didn’t bother with learning.
“You skip school every few days, it’s definitely because your current school’s discipline is ineffective,” Qi Heng calmly said, “So, I’ve transferred you to a new school. You’ll go there to enroll tomorrow.”
“I won’t transfer!” Qi Rui instinctively wanted to explode in anger, but when he met those emotionless, ice-cold eyes of the other person, he felt intimidated for some reason.
“You can’t transfer me. Who gave you the right to make decisions for me without my consent?”
By the end, Qi Rui even felt a bit aggrieved. It was just that he had a head of colorful hair, and his clothes were torn and dirty, which seemed to disgust Qi Heng.
Qi Shao, on the other hand, was well-dressed and neat.
“Is your hair naturally like that?”
“You’re always like this, not considering my wishes… Ah?” Qi Rui was in the middle of reprimanding Qi Heng for various wrongdoings when he heard this question and froze.
Then, he smirked as if he had claimed the high ground of victory. “Someone like you, a dinosaur from the 21st century, doesn’t even know about hair dye.”
“So, your hair is originally black,” Qi Heng concluded, and Qi Rui rolled his eyes. “Obviously. I’m not some mutant born with a head of colorful hair.”
“If that’s the case—” Qi Heng gathered inner energy in his palm. “Then there’s no need for you to keep this colorful hair.”
As he spoke, a gust of wind appeared out of nowhere. Qi Rui felt a cool sensation on his head, and when he touched his hair, the multicolored locks began to fall to the gray carpet below.
Qi Rui had complained about this carpet many times. Qi Heng, the old-fashioned individual, had changed the entire décor of the old mansion to this austere style, and every time Qi Rui saw it, he felt that this style was destroying his fiery spirit.
But now, there were colors on this carpet, all over the place.
Qi Rui touched his bald head and looked at the carpet, utterly bewildered.
“What did you do to my hair?” Qi Rui was on the verge of a breakdown. He, the distinguished young master of the Qi family, had been turned into a monk! Bald and with a head that resembled a lightbulb!
“If you ever dye it in these colorful patterns again, I can shave it off for you,” Qi Heng threatened in a calm tone.
Qi Rui tried to retort but found that no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t make a sound.
“Good children shouldn’t use profanity, especially not against their elders,” Qi Heng felt he was being lenient. “Go home, reflect on your actions, and remember to report to the new school tomorrow.”
Qi Rui grabbed the hem of Qi Heng’s suit and, when Qi Heng turned his head, pointed to his own throat and gestured desperately.
“I’m mute, can’t speak, get me a doctor quickly,” Qi Rui tried to convey desperately.
Qi Heng understood and said, “You can’t speak because I don’t want you to. You’ll be able to talk once you’ve reflected on your actions.”
Qi Rui stared in disbelief, but Qi Heng didn’t wait for his response and went downstairs.
Qi Rui, not believing Qi Heng’s nonsense, quickly rushed downstairs and found the butler, Sun Yi. He gestured and gesticulated to convey his distress.
However—
“Master, what do you want?” Butler Sun Yi was puzzled. Qi Rui was agitated. His gaze fell on a nearby coffee table where there was paper and a pen. He immediately tore off half a sheet and, with swift strokes, wrote a few words. Then he placed the paper upright in front of the butler.
“I… can’t speak. Find a doctor?” Butler Sun Yi struggled to make out the words, which looked as if they had been hastily scratched out, like chicken scratches.
Qi Rui nodded frantically.
“But, Young Master, just a while ago, the Master instructed us that, for the rest of today, we can’t assist with any of your requests.” Butler Sun Yi wore a troubled expression.
In Qi Rui’s heart, he was utterly stunned. He couldn’t help but think that maybe it was a sudden illness that had caused him to lose his voice, and now that their lives hung by a thread, the steward refused to help him.
Just as Qi Rui was cursing in his mind, he heard familiar footsteps behind him. Sun Yi’s face turned serious, and he quickly explained, “My Lord, the young master says he can’t speak, and he wants me to call a doctor.”
“He’s fine, no need to bother,” Qi Heng’s gaze fell on the coffee table. “Who tore up the contract I brought back?”
