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Ugh. Yue Qi's head was pounding. That was the last time he'd drink himself to sleep as he drowned in tears. He sure as hell wasn’t a young college student anymore. But listen, he had a reasonably valid excuse! He’d just read the recent chapter of his favorite web novel Emperor of the Twelve Peaks where his favorite character, the empress Shen Jiu, was executed for “poisoning” the concubine who carried the heir to the throne in his womb. With no way to defend himself against the “solid proof” and fully aware no one wanted him as empress anymore, Shen Jiu took the blame and was beheaded in front of his subjects and the emperor.
Everyone seemed so convinced it was him because he was struggling to conceive a child and was extremely against the officials’ wishes for the emperor to take in a concubine. They assumed jealousy muddled his reason when he found out the concubine had been pregnant.
Yue Qi had screamed and cried as everyone in the web novel and fans cheered at Shen Jiu’s demise. Those bastards showed absolutely zero respect for the empress of the Cang Qiong empire. Cruel! Unfair! Heartless! His beloved A-Jiu deserved much better than that painful and unjust end! Yue Qi bet on his life that Shen Jiu was framed. Shen Jiu would never do anything to betray the emperor’s trust! He loved him ardently!
Yue Qi groaned.
He squinted his bleary eyes open to reveal a completely unfamiliar room that was definitely not his one bedroom apartment. The furniture, including the bed he was laying on that was too firm for his taste, was so lavish it looked like it was meant for royalty. How did he get here? And—
“Your Majesty!”
“Oh, thank the gods you’ve recovered!”
“Inform the cook to make zhou. Quickly!”
—who were these people crowding around him? Why were they calling him that? As far as he knew, he wasn’t a prince or had any noble blood.
Yue Qi opened his mouth to speak, only to cough against the dryness of his throat. A cup was gently pushed into his hand as a man dressed in servant robes urged him to drink.
He gratefully nodded to him and took a few sips. When he finished, someone who stood nearby poured more in his cup. He had no idea what happened while he was asleep, but having people serve him and help nurse his hangover felt generously kind, despite the confusion of addressing him as royalty.
“It’s a wonderful relief to see Your Majesty is fairing well.”
“Yes, yes. Tremendous relief!”
“We were worried Shen Jiu’s attempt at harming Your Majesty was proven successful when Your Majesty fainted and didn’t regain consciousness for several shi.”
“No, no, I’m fine.” Yue Qi waved off their concern with a smile as he took another sip.
“What a small thing to get upset over, ah, that Shen Jiu,” tutted one of the eunuchs. “Concubines are very common for emperors. He should have realized this when he became a candidate for imperial consort.”
“Right, right! That Shen Jiu has always been up to no good. He's lucky His Majesty hasn't deposed him for his rotten behavior.”
What a ridiculous notion to blame Shen Jiu. Yue Qingyuan was grieving and nursing a headache, for crying out loud! What did any of that have to do with his current situation?
…………
WAIT A SECOND—WHAT?!
He spat out water in surprise, alerting everyone and causing an outburst of those present to speak all at once.
“What’s wrong, Your Majesty?”
“Bring in fresher water, ah! His Majesty doesn't like the taste of it!”
“He’s pale! Check to see if the water has been poisoned!”
“No,” he croaked. The entire room fell in silence at his words. “Nothing’s wrong with the water. I was just … thinking.”
“Ah, I see, I see. Please think as much as you want, Your Majesty,” said one of the men with a shaky smile.
“I need a mirror,” said Yue Qi as he barely held back the tremble in his voice.
A servant quickly hurried over with a bronze mirror and held it up for Yue Qi to look into. The man staring back at him was dressed in thin sleeping robes, strands of his long black hair obstructed his black eyes, accompanied with a well defined jawline, slender lips, and full eyebrows that openly emphasized his expression—which was currently furrowed in panicked confusion. He recognized those facial features. It was the exact description of the main character in EOTTP Yue Qingyuan…
He turned his head to the left and so did the man in the mirror. His eyes widened and the man did the same. That man was him. He was Yue Qingyuan!
“Y-Your Majesty!”
“His Majesty has fainted! Again! Call the imperial physician!”
“I'm telling you, His Majesty is possessed!” hissed an official.
“Huh? Did you hit your head this morning? What are you talking about?”
“I heard from one of the servants that day when His Majesty fainted. Well, the second time. The emperor has been acting like an entirely different person.”
“His Majesty the emperor acts the same during our meetings. Nothing has changed about him!”
“That's what I'm trying to tell you! On that day, he scolded Shang Qinghua.”
“Aiya, that's normal. When isn't Shang Qinghua being yelled at for his mistakes?”
“But His Majesty didn't yell at him,” the official paused to let that fact sink in. “He smiled.”
“... hey. This is the worst joke you've ever made.”
“I'm serious!”
“You're telling me His Majesty, the stoic son of the late emperor of the Cang Qiong empire, straight-laced and humorless emperor, smiled?”
“It was a shock for me too! They said Shang Qinghua had been reprimanded for addressing Shen Jiu’s name so casually in front of His Majesty with a smile and hostile intent in his words. Shang Qinghua was seen sobbing and shaking in a corner as if his life had been threatened.”
“What an entertaining story. If only it were true.”
“Ah, come on! I'm not lying to you this time!”
“So you admit you've done this to me before?”
“... fine. Come with me.”
[The following attestations were taken from those who were currently working in the emperor's palace.]
“His Majesty has been clinging to the empress like a sticky child!” exclaimed a palace maid. “Ever since his second fainting spell, His Majesty would chase after the empress begging for forgiveness. This one doesn't know what wrongdoings His Majesty had committed as the emperor is always fair and just. Unfortunately, the empress continues to ignore the emperor’s pleas and is locked in his chambers. It’s been almost two weeks! The empress is so cruel to cause His Majesty this much distress for so long!”
“His Majesty spends half an incense time outside of Shen Jiu’s chambers every day, crying and begging openly without care of His Majesty’s status,” said a eunuch as he scratched his head in disbelief. “This one is astounded why the emperor should deign to apologize when it was clear Shen Jiu had been the one at fault. The empress hasn't conceived an heir for months! He shouldn't have reacted so negatively about the suggestion of finding someone else more capable of giving birth to a child.”
“This lowly one had been tending to His Majesty for several years,” said a palace maid. “He suddenly thanked me for my efforts and demanded every servant's pay raise to be doubled. Doubled! His Majesty the emperor is truly a benevolent ruler befitting the Cang Qiong empire!”
“This humble one had been tending to His Majesty’s health since his fainting spell,” Imperial physician Mu Qingfang said. “For both occurrences. Nothing seems out of the ordinary as His Majesty is in perfect condition as usual. Hmm… but there was something odd in his behavior when this humble one had mentioned His Majesty the empress had stopped by for his weekly physical. The emperor’s heart rate increased and he had an elated expression with a smile on his face. This one was a little … surprised, to put it simply.”
“His Majesty’s training,” General Liu Qingge remarked with gritted teeth. “Skipping. Wasting it on Shen Jiu.”
[Let the record show that General Liu Qingge meant the emperor had been avoiding his martial arts lessons and, due to his role as his personal bodyguard, knew His Majesty spent time with His Majesty the empress instead of training. Lady Liu Mingyan was solely responsible for this translation.]
“Aiya, this humble guoshi has done what he can with his abilities, ah,” Guoshi Wei Qingwei said. “My divination has been giving me the same result time and time again since His Majesty’s change in behavior. The emperor isn’t possessed by a demon, so rest assured!”
He hesitated with a hum. “But ah … this one is at a loss for words when I received a dream from the gods last night. It was quite an enigma I’ve yet to decipher.”
Retrieving a folded paper from his robes, he recited, “Eggs, rice, lao shi gong’s seasoning—ahem ahem! That’s my grocery list haha. I meant this one.”
Unfurling another paper, it was a painting of a rectangle with rounded corners in black ink. A half eaten apple was at the center of it and a few black circles were huddled in the top left corner of the rectangle.
“Strange, isn’t it? To think such a thing exists and this experienced one hasn’t seen anything like this in all my years. It seems fate is telling me this pertains to His Majesty, but I fail to discern whether its meaning is fortune or misfortune … Ah, if you’ll excuse me, I need to head to the market. Now, where did I put my grocery list again?”
After Yue Qingyuan fainted (the second time), it had taken a few hours for him to conclude that he wasn’t experiencing a hallucination from his hangover. He was really the emperor in EOTTP, this world was alive and everyone obeyed his every word, and—most importantly—his eyes were now blessed with the sight of Shen Jiu in all of his catlike glory.
If he could even see him. Yue Qingyuan had created quite an unbelievable scene: launching himself onto Shen Jiu’s waist and fanboying about his existence. Shortly after that stunt, his beloved A-Jiu slapped him for being shameless and locked himself in his chambers ever since then. It was the best day of his life, honestly!
Everyone who witnessed that day must have thought the emperor of the Cang Qiong empire was possessed to explain such an OOC behavior. He could still hear the rumors bouncing around the palace maids once in a while…
He’d also noticed there was no System observing his every action or shoving quests in his face like how most transmigrated characters dealt with in the web novels he’d read. Fantastic! Great! Amazing! He could do whatever he wanted without any fourth wall consequences getting in his way. Which was why he was currently kneeling outside of Shen Jiu’s chambers to do his daily begging as tears and snot dripped down his face.
“Your Majesty,” a eunuch begged anxiously. “Your Majesty, please stand. This lowly one will bring you a cushion. It will be much more comfortable than the cold hard floor.”
He shook his head as his voice trembled past a sob. “My discomfort will be a small punishment for what I’ve done to my empress! I must atone for my sins!”
Today marked the second week of kneeling outside of his A-Jiu's chambers yet they still insisted Yue Qingyuan to stand. He would never relent! Ever! If the original goods weren't going to answer for his transgressions, Yue Qingyuan would gladly do it in his stead.
“But Your Majesty's robes will be dirty! Please consider the hard work our tailors took to make it!”
This remark would have stopped him in the beginning of all of this, but he knew how this empire loved to spoil their emperor with expensive clothing. It was ineffective after the first week.
“Let these dirt stains be a testament for the lengths I will go to earn forgiveness! No one will deter me from what I need to do!”
“Your Majesty must have a lot of free time wasting away at this humble one’s doorstep.”
Yue Qingyuan raised his gaze when the doors in front of him slid open. Dressed in soft pink robes and delicate notes of jasmine wafting in his presence, Shen Jiu opened his fan with a crisp snap and glared down at him. Those beautifully sharp green eyes narrowed with open disgust that would have shamed a normal person. Luckily, Yue Qingyuan had no shame!
“Seeing His Majesty groveling so pathetically like this is unbecoming of an emperor. Stand up.”
Yue Qingyuan shot up with his arms wide and turned up the waterworks to its full potential. “This husband was such a fool! Please accept my apologieeessssss!”
The tip of Shen Jiu’s fan jabbed him in the chest to prevent him from approaching. “Don’t touch this one with all that mess on Your Majesty’s face.”
Sniffling like a dejected child, Yue Qingyuan watched as the empress turned his back on him and walked back into his chambers. Shen Jiu paused when he stepped over the threshold and sighed in exasperation.
“Does Your Majesty wish to continue polishing the floor with tears? Get in here.”
Yue Qingyuan scrambled his way into Shen Jiu’s personal chambers with a wide grin. Success!
When he heard the doors close, Shen Jiu gestured to the cushion at the low table. “Sit.”
And like an obedient dog to his master, Yue Qingyuan plopped into his seat stiff as a board. His heart rate skyrocketed when his wife brought a cloth and began cleaning his face.
“Look at you. Crying until your face is red and ugly and calling my name so brazenly these days. What a handful.”
Shen Jiu clicked his tongue irritably yet the hand that dabbed at his tears and wiped away his snot was soft and delicate like flower petals.
Yue Qingyuan melted at the undivided attention. “Yes, yes. This husband is quite troublesome. Only his wife the empress is capable of handling a man like me.”
Shen Jiu let out a dry chuckle and then signaled for his maid as he moved to sit in front of him. “I have no choice but to feed you. I would prefer you didn’t die of starvation in the place I rest.”
Yue Qingyuan looked down to pick off an invisible thread from his robes to hide his smile. He’d been kneeling for almost fifteen minutes. The original goods had been in better shape than his first life’s body as a corporate slave, so it wasn’t that bad.
“If the empress is willing, then this husband apologizes for the trouble.”
Several light dishes were placed in front of them a moment later with a fresh pot of tea. Shen Jiu reached out to pour, when Yue Qingyuan swiped it before he touched it.
“Let this husband serve the tea.”
The empress huffed. “I'm throwing you out if there's a single drop on this table.”
Despite the cutting remark, Shen Jiu shoved a folded towelette into Yue Qingyuan's hands and guided him to rest it under the bottom of the teapot to prevent any water from spilling. He received a glare when the teapot shook as he poured. But he couldn't help it! Shen Jiu touched his hand and held it there for three seconds! It wasn't exactly hand holding but it was close enough! How could he remain calm in a situation like that?!
“Well?” Shen Jiu said with a raised brow. “What are you here for this time?”
Yue Qingyuan shook out of his thoughts. “A-Jiu—”
“Who's your A-Jiu?” He grumbled.
Yue Qingyuan smiled sweetly and continued. “This devoted husband has come to tell you he plans to decline any concubines.”
Shen Jiu barked out a condescending chuckle. “Ha! You think I'm that naive to believe such a blatant lie?”
“It's not a lie, A-Jiu! This husband swears to the heavens that I mean every word!”
“How can I trust the words of the man who chose me as empress solely to gain more allies in the southern empire then consider me useless when I can't give him an heir?”
“How can you say that? This husband never thought of you that way.”
“So not only have you lost your sanity, but your memory as well,” Shen Jiu sneered at the blank stare he received. “You can’t recall saying how little of worth I am to you for failing to give you an heir? As expected of the great emperor to forget something as meaningless as your wife.”
Damn the original goods! The main character was truly a heartless, tactless, inconsiderate man who valued the usefulness of others around him like stones in a weiqi match. He couldn't afford to utter a single kind word to Shen Jiu?! Not even once?!! Unbelievable!
Yue Qingyuan reached out to take the other’s hands, but Shen Jiu leaned back and his glare intensified. He knew he shouldn’t push his luck and smiled as softly as he could to calm him down.
“I couldn’t be any more serious as I am now about this, A-Jiu. I won’t have any concubines now or in the future.”
“But the empire needs an heir and your advisors said—”
“I don’t care what those uptight imbeciles say,” he said as his smile widened.
Somewhere in the imperial palace, all of the officials and even guoshi sneezed.
“This husband will stay loyal to my one and only wife. There is no need for another when I have you by my side every day.”
Shen Jiu stared at him. A realization slowly softened his expression, seemingly convinced at Yue Qingyuan's words, but it lasted a mere moment before his glare returned with vengeance.
“Get out.”
Yue Qingyuan blinked in surprise. “A-Jiu?”
“Are you deaf?” He barked, pointing with the tip of his fan at the door. “Get lost! ”
And so Yue Qingyuan did with hesitation and sorrow weighing in his heart. He understood Shen Jiu's sudden change, of course. The empress had been adapting to the cold shoulder the original goods had given him since they married, so it was understandable he felt conflicted about Yue Qingyuan changing his tune. His poor A-Jiu had already been through enough with the way the imperial court looked down on him and even some servants treated him with disrespect.
But now that Yue Qingyuan transmigrated into this world, he was determined to change the fate of Shen Jiu and shower him with so much affection he'd drown in it. Metaphorically, of course hahahahahaha—ahem. Anyway, that meant he would use whatever he had in his repertoire to win back his wife's trust.
What was the best way to soothe the love of your life's angry heart? Gifts, of course!
For the next few days, he gifted him several crates of elegantly crafted robes custom fit for his equally elegant wife. He commissioned a hefty collection of fans with designs that ranged from excerpts of poetry in calligraphy to breathtaking paintings of mountain landscapes and clouds curling at the edges of its silk canvas. He also sent over freshly made tanghulu and tangren shaped into adorable cats with the cutest poses he could think of as his last resort.
Out of all the gifts, Yue Qingyuan discovered with satisfied delight that the sweets were the only things that weren’t returned to him. He knew Shen Jiu had a sweet tooth thanks to his omniscient reader knowledge he’d put to his advantage.
He knew a tsundere like Shen Jiu needed time. Yue Qingyuan was a patient man, of course, so he went about his emperor life as usual, each day filled with hope his empress would visit him on his own.
………
But when was his precious A-Jiu coming to see him????
Ah, what cruel fate of being placed in your favorite web novel only to discover your favorite character ignores you no matter how many times you’ve reached out!
Glancing out the window, Yue Qingyuan let out an overdramatic sigh at the sight of the dimming sunlight as he reviewed the remaining memorials on his table. Another day without seeing Shen Jiu. He could already feel himself wasting away, reduced to the dreary and boringness of an emperor who only thought about work and politics.
Maybe he should kneel outside of his chambers again, but this time he’d cry and beg louder! That should do it! If he finished up the rest of his memorials quickly in the next five minutes, he could—
“Now entering His Majesty the empress!”
Whoa! He showed up!
Yue Qingyuan shot up from his seat, knocking over completed memorials and his ink brush in the process. He used his speed to his advantage and grasped Shen Jiu's hand in his, giving him a few seconds to hold his hand in the moment of stunned confusion before he yanked it back. Unfazed by the rejection, Yue Qingyuan smiled happily at his one true love.
“Let’s sit here. Are you hungry? Would you like some tea?” He guided Shen Jiu to sit at the table and rambled question after question at a quick fire rate as the palace maids cleaned the surface for their snacks and evening tea.
Shen Jiu, to his credit, answered each question calmly with few words spared while sipping his tea in the most perfect and poised manner that made Yue Qingyuan cry in happiness.
“How was your day? Did you have a good night’s sleep?”
Shen Jiu made a subtle nod in gratitude when Yue Qingyuan refilled his cup. “I’ve been sleeping well.”
“Did you like my gifts?”
“Did you like seeing them sent back to you?” Shen Jiu glared as he took a sip.
Yue Qingyuan smiled. “But you didn’t send back the sweets this husband sent—”
Shen Jiu choked on his tea and Yue Qingyuan immediately sombered. “Are you alright, A-Jiu?! Is the tea too hot? Too cold? Do you need to drink something else? Do you need more snacks?”
“What’s with this interrogation?” Shen Jiu snapped open his fan and rapidly fanned himself. “I just drank it wrong!”
He turned away and Yue Qingyuan saw the tips of his ears bloom a pretty pink. Ah, the beautiful shade of blush was really the best color that could paint his beloved A-Jiu’s skin! If only he had a camera to capture this moment forever.
“In that case, be careful for this husband’s sake, hmm?”
His wife let out an indignant huff. “How magnanimous of you to care for your empress so diligently.”
“Yes, yes. This dutiful husband will always look out for you. So much so that I had officially declined the imperial court’s suggestion of bringing a concubine into the palace.”
Shen Jiu didn’t seem convinced. “Do you think I’ll believe you just because you mentioned it again?”
“It’s true, A-Jiu,” Yue Qingyuan signaled one of the maids to fetch him his completed memorials. “Right here.”
Shen Jiu cast him a doubtful glance before taking the proffered papers and scanning through it. Yue Qingyuan leaned a little closer to discreetly breathe in Shen Jiu’s intoxicating perfume. The empress peered at him again and then handed it back with a scoff.
“Fine. Do what you want. You’ll regret those words when those inept fools pressure you for an heir again.”
Once again, buried in their individual work, the officials sneezed. Wei Qingwei was waiting for the third time, expecting someone out there would fall in love with him.
An official sighed heavily. “This isn’t working. His Majesty has denied our request to gather a list of potential men for imperial concubines, and Shen Jiu has won His Majesty’s favor just by merely existing.”
“I thought secretly drugging His Majesty’s food and then having Shen Jiu blamed for the emperor’s fainting spell was subtle enough,” another official clicked his tongue in irritation, “but it seems we need to prepare for the next plan. You there. Have you acquired the poison?”
“Yes. They had arrived a few shichen ago,” replied a eunuch.
“And the antidote?”
“It must be taken with food. His Majesty’s meal will be mixed with it a few days after he is poisoned and needs to be given twice a day.”
“Good, good. His Majesty’s mandatory meeting with Shen Jiu is in a couple days and—”
RATTLE
SLAM
The doors to the Qiong Ding Hall were hurled open so violently that it nearly cracked into splinters. General Liu Qingge stood at the threshold with a severe scowl and nodded to the soldiers to apprehend all the vassals inside.
“W-what is the meaning of this?! You can’t just arrest us without reason!”
“Oh, I think your meeting to conspire against your emperor is reason enough.”
Stepping into the hall, Yue Qingyuan smiled wide with his hands clasped behind him. He sauntered over to the pale faced men like one would when they stroll through a flourishing garden. He tilted his head in what should have been a teasing gesture if it weren’t for the sharp coldness in his onyx black eyes.
“Who are you to dare frame my beloved empress for your cowardly crimes?
“Y-Y-Your Majesty! Begging for forgiveness! We only wanted to scare Shen Jiu so that he could resign as empress!”
“I’ve no need for officials in my imperial court if they insist on lying to my face. I’m well aware of your malicious intentions when it comes to A-Jiu and now that I’ve witnessed your treason myself, there’s nothing else to be said.”
Yue Qingyuan looked behind him and hummed. “Thank you for warning me of their schemes. I will reward you handsomely for your efforts.”
Peeking from behind his frame was Shang Qinghua, hunched over and trembling as usual. The betrayed officials felt their blood rise at the hamsterlike man who sold them out.
“Shang Qinghua. I knew we should have never invited you to our meetings,” an official hissed.
Shang Qinghua squeaked in surprise at the hostile glares. “It’s my duty to serve the emperor and protect His Majesty of any threats to this empire!”
“Dispose of them immediately,” Yue Qingyuan yawned before walking away. “I’ll be heading over to my wife. Thank you all for your hard work.”
Everyone present suppressed their shudder in fear at the emperor’s cold and cutthroat personality making its appearance once again and continued their tasks, glad they weren’t the ones on the receiving end of his wrath.
Well, well, well. It had all worked out in the end for Yue Qingyuan. He managed to find out the culprits responsible for framing Shen Jiu, his favorite character finally opened up to him after showering him with well deserved love, and now they’d been gifted with a healthy boy after many enthusiastic attempts. Shen Jiu complained about his sore muscles and back the morning after and Yue Qingyuan apologized profusely at his lack of restraint, but his A-Jiu always welcomed his body worshiping with open arms.
He was truly living out his fantasies!
It was currently his turn to spend time with his little Shen Yuan while his lovely but exhausted mother took a much needed rest. He’d just been fed, burped, and seemed ready to fall asleep any second. Yue Qingyuan melted at the sight of his son’s eyes—the same breathtaking color as his mother’s—slowly blinking up at him with a bit of drool trickling down the corner of his mouth.
“You must be sleepy, huh, A-Yuan? Rest as much as you can so you could grow big and strong like your Baba.”
BING
Uh, what was that?
A digital interface appeared in front of his eyes, a strange sight in a world that had no idea what an iPhone was. [Congratulations, User 001, on your successful happy ending. Your next main quest is to raise User 002 as your son.]
Uh…?
Yue Qingyuan glanced down at Shen Yuan, whose eyes were wide in surprise staring at the System hovering in front of them, and then their gaze met in mutual bewilderment.
Both father and son yelled out, “HUH?”