A bitter, astringent scent drifted in on the wind.
Rong Juan groggily lifted his eyelids to see a beautiful woman sitting on the edge of his bed, leaning in close.
Her movements as she held the medicine bowl were so very gentle.
System: [Warning: Toxic.]
[Warning: Toxic!!]
He jolted awake instantly.
Witnessing a dying man suddenly do a sit-up, everyone present was startled.
After a long pause, a matron by the bedside was the first to recover. She seemed to heave a long sigh of relief, though the smile she forced out looked strained. “Ah Song, you’ve finally woken up.”
“Drink your medicine first.” As the matron spoke, a maid nearby approached with the bowl.
Faced with the dark, sludgy broth, Rong Juan looked up and noticed several other pairs of eyes staring at him.
After just a few seconds, his expression shifted slightly.
“My head hurts.”
As he spoke, he staged another dramatic ‘startled invalid’ performance, throwing his arm up to rub his temples and promptly elbowing the approaching maid.
The soup splattered all over the floor.
The maid, terrified, instinctively looked toward the matron. “Ma—Madam…”
The matron cut her off with a scolding, “Get out! You can’t even serve medicine properly.”
With that, she stepped forward herself.
As his vision cleared, Rong Juan felt like he was staring at a traffic light; his eyes were dazzled.
The matron was decked out in pearls and jade. She had voluptuous snow-white skin and a round face that possessed just the right amount of naive charm. Yet, as her gaze shifted, a hint of calculated gentleness seeped through.
An old wet nurse standing nearby immediately chimed in, “Madam was so worried about the Young Master that she skipped a meal this morning.”
Rong Juan nodded. He could tell she was very worried.
He didn’t take the bait.
The matron, assuming he was frightened, sighed. “You’ve committed a monstrous crime this time. You’d best think about how to explain this to your father.”
Unexpectedly, the person who usually feared his own father the most didn’t show any panic or terror. In fact, he showed almost no reaction at all.
After a long silence, Rong Juan finally asked his first question: “What crime did I commit?”
The matron gave him a strange look.
The wet nurse beside her said, “The Master left the capital on business and has not yet returned.”
The implication was: Your dad isn’t here, so who are you acting for?
Rong Juan maintained his bewildered expression.
Seeing this, the matron had to explain euphemistically, “When you were greeting that common woman in the street, you were knocked down by an elbow.”
The specific details were filled in by the old wet nurse.
To summarize: The original owner of this body was the son of the Prime Minister. He spent his days committing crimes with a pack of fox friends and dog companions, often being used as their fall guy.
This time, after being egged on by his friends, he got drunk and harassed a common woman.
Unexpectedly, he startled the carriage of the Chief Superintendent. The horses stampeded into the ‘Number One Restaurant in the World’ next door, causing the restaurant’s signboard to fall off.
That ‘Number One’ signboard had been inscribed by the late Emperor himself. Rounding up, he had destroyed an Imperial gift.
Thinking about the “monstrous crime” the matron mentioned, Rong Juan asked, “So, I’m to be executed?”
The matron corrected him, “Not executed. Bestowed a marriage.”
Thinking she had misspoken: “Bestowed what?”
“A marriage.”
Her tone became odd when she mentioned the marriage.
Damn, so they really are going to execute me.
“When is the ghost marriage taking place?” Rong Juan asked seriously. “And how long has my fiancée been dead?”
Is his brain actually broken?
The matron stared at him intensely. “Regarding the shattered signboard, the Master has already written a memorial to the throne to apologize. Fortunately, His Majesty did not pursue it too heavily. However, things are troublesome with the Chief Superintendent.”
The Emperor had personally established the Superintendent Bureau to divide the Prime Minister’s power. The current Chief Superintendent was highly trusted, and even the heavyweights of the court feared their methods.
Saying they “feared” them was putting it nicely. Everyone was terrified of this monster institution. Many ministers, and even imperial relatives, had fallen into their hands.
“You startled his horse. If he refuses to let this go, I’m afraid…”
“The Master sent word. If you want to retreat from this unscathed, you need someone else to protect you. Therefore, you must marry the daughter of Grand Tutor Su.”
Rong Juan keenly noticed that when the matron mentioned this marriage, her fingers curled uncomfortably. There was an unconcealed displeasure in her voice, as if she were talking about a toad eating swan meat.
He assumed it must be an incredibly good match.
Considering the original body’s history of harassing women, he wondered, “The Grand Tutor’s daughter… she would actually settle for me?”
Is she blind?
“The Su family’s daughter was born blind. She will settle.”
“…”
Having understood the cause and effect, Rong Juan immediately dismissed his guests, pulling the soft quilt over his head and shutting out the world.
It was the very picture of a scoundrel avoiding reality.
The old wet nurse frowned and was about to speak, but the matron raised a hand to stop her.
“Then rest well.” The matron seemed to have no intention of staying longer anyway.
The room returned to silence.
Once everyone was gone, Rong Juan lazily lifted his “bridal veil” (the quilt).
“Koukou, are you there?”
In the empty room, a listless response suddenly sounded.
System: [You are there, or you are not. I am right here, not yet awake.]
“…”
Confirming the System was present, Rong Juan relaxed slightly.
This was a premeditated, organized transmigration.
The original owner was dead. The one waking up now was merely a transmigrator who didn’t even inherit the original host’s memories.
The System, codenamed “Koukou,” was a distinguished contemporary thinker, politician, educator, and historian. To record missing nodes in history, it sought partners to travel through time and witness history together.
Lazy as it was, it still skillfully compiled the historical data for this dynasty:
[Dynasty: Late Liang.]
[Emperor: Liang Guangdi, Zhao Shiqian.]
[Transmigration Identity: Son of the Right Prime Minister, Rong Chenglin.]
Seeing the three lines of text pop up in his mind, Rong Juan laughed in exasperation. “Koukou, you useless history-lack.”
What good is this tiny bit of data?
Knowing it was in the wrong, the System crawled out of his brain.
System: [Fine, I’ll go listen for more gossip.]
Rong Juan watched it leave. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of a bronze mirror nearby. It reflected a face eighty or ninety percent similar to his own: phoenix eyes, naturally expressive and captivating, with features that even carried a hint of glamorous beauty.
Similarity in appearance was normal; it was to prevent occupational hazards.
There was once a senior transmigrator who traveled so many times that he forgot what he originally looked like and went mad.
So, every time they transmigrated, the System would try to select a similar appearance for the ‘borrowed corpse resurrection.’
Of course, there was another theory that the bodies they possessed were their own past lives, where they had died unnatural deaths.
Rong Juan never believed that. Based on his experience, the personalities and life experiences of the people he possessed were vastly different from his own—heaven and earth apart. It was just a story Headquarters used to soothe their mental states.
The face in the mirror was beautiful, but unfortunately, there was a nasty bruise on it. He wondered if it was related to the “elbow strike” mentioned earlier.
System: [By the way…]
The System turned back halfway, seemingly wanting to say something, only to find Rong Juan had already fallen asleep facing the mirror.
System: Damn, lazier than me.
Every transmigration had an adjustment period. Rong Juan slept soundly, and by the time the System returned, two hours had passed.
System: [Little Rong. I listened to eight hundred walls, including the master of the manor, the servants, gossiping passersby, and the chickens and ducks in the kitchen… I’ve compiled a new file.]
Rong Juan, hair loose, was half-reclining against a soft cushion.
Reading the data at a glance, he raised an eyebrow. “Quite the big family.”
The original host’s name was Rong Hengsong, son of the Right Prime Minister, Rong Chenglin.
Before marriage, the Right Prime Minister had a secret affair with a childhood sweetheart whose family had fallen on hard times.
Not long after his official marriage, the childhood sweetheart showed up pregnant.
The original wife endured it for two years before finally losing patience and leaving for the mountains to live a life of ancient buddhas and oil lamps.
Rong Chenglin was a man who cared nothing for reputation. Although he suffered criticism for this matter, his official career soared afterward.
As for Rong Hengsong, he was a disappointment. He caused trouble daily, relying on his family’s influence to commit evil deeds. Over time, whatever sympathy people had for him vanished.
“Your ‘unwed pregnancy’ big brother is currently away with your father.”
“He wasn’t the one pregnant… never mind.” Rong Juan couldn’t be bothered to correct it and listened on.
System: [The original host truly wasn’t a good thing, but he was eighty percent likely raised to be useless on purpose. His cause of death is suspicious—chronic poisoning. There was something wrong with that bowl of medicine just now.]
Rong Juan finally deigned to crawl out of bed. Sunlight hit his unnaturally pale skin; just standing there, he exuded a sickly, gloomy aura.
This body really was falling apart.
“No wonder I can’t seem to get any energy.”
System: [Nonsense, you’re like this every time you work.]
Rong Juan: “Did no one notice anything strange?”
System: [Everyone thinks his body was hollowed out by wine and lust.]
The System chattered on: [Actually, this body has been poisoned for a long time and is completely impotent. That’s why he went around harassing innocent women—he didn’t want outsiders to know about his hidden ailment.]
The System’s mechanical metallic voice suddenly turned sunny and cheerful, creaking with excitement: [Anyway, we just need to find some scraps of history, and we can leave. And guess what the mission is this time?]
Rong Juan was indifferent. “What?”
System: [We just need to know who the new Emperor is.]
Rong Juan was instantly revitalized. “Seriously?”
System: [Seriously.]
The System was triumphant. [After Liang Guangdi, Zhao Shiqian, history goes blank for a large section.]
All they had to do was figure out who overthrew Liang Guangdi. Even a single name would be a milestone.
Outside, it suddenly became noisy.
System: [When I went out just now, the manor was arranging things for the wedding. They’ve already started cutting the ribbons.]
“That’s paper cutting.”
While the mission was simple, the opening game was a disaster.
Rong Juan sighed. Poisoning, house politics, a political marriage, and conspiracies—he had caught them all.
System: [Little Rong, I calculated your situation using the latest AI. It is extremely precarious.]
System: [Your stepmother is in charge of the household. Judging by her behavior earlier, she’s likely involved in the poisoning. If you expose her rashly, not only will no one believe you, but you’ll also invite disaster.]
Rong Juan thought for a moment. “What about secretly finding a doctor from outside?”
System: [It’s a rare poison; ordinary doctors can’t diagnose it.]
The System emphasized again that his reputation was ruined. Even if someone detected it, it would be treated as him trying to frame someone else.
System: [Marriage can save your life. Survive this calamity, wait until we collect the historical data, then fake your death and run.]
There were still a few days before the wedding, and each day would be more dangerous than the last. If he didn’t marry, the Superintendent Bureau would use the horse-startling incident as an excuse to punish him.
Rong Juan touched the rosewood headboard, which emitted a faint fragrance, appearing to be in a daze.
After a long while, he said lazily, “Actually, there is another way.”
System: [The AI said there is only…]
“The AI forgot that there are no police in a transmigration setting. So, let’s go apologize to the Chief Superintendent.”
Without the police, apologies were useful.
System: [?]
Rong Juan sloppily adjusted his clothes. He was surprised to find he had a pierced ear—a bit nondescript and tacky. He pinched it with novelty, grabbed a purse, and walked out the door.
The Royal Capital was always the liveliest place. Beneath the prosperous scenery, undercurrents surged.
For instance, some high-ranking households had increased their guards recently.
Refugees had mixed into the city to rob people at night, resulting in several bloody cases.
The clop-clop of a horse carriage cut through the noise of the market.
Pedestrians recognized the insignia on the carriage and scrambled to get out of the way.
The Superintendent Bureau’s carriage had just left the palace and was traveling along its daily route.
Inside the carriage, a middle-aged man sat with eyes closed, resting. He had premature grey hair, a handsome face, and a straight posture. He was notably pale and beardless.
On his left, a subordinate with a sword at his waist grinned and said, “Sir, Prime Minister Rong actually wants his son to marry the Su family’s daughter. He’s dreaming.”
Marriage required a living groom, after all.
That dissolute son… they could find any random excuse to dispose of him.
Just as he spoke, the fine horse suddenly let out a neigh.
The carriage braked hard, dragging deep marks across the bluestone pavement.
The subordinate’s smile vanished instantly. He drew his sword with extreme speed to shield the middle-aged man, then threw open the curtain and leaped out, shouting, “What happened?”
The driver was panicked. “Someone is blocking the road.”
Who dared to block their carriage? Did they have a death wish?
The subordinate looked up and saw a young man who had darted out from somewhere. Facing the hostile gazes, he leisurely strolled to the front and stopped.
The subordinate had seen this face just a few days ago. It was the Rong family’s wastrel son, the very one he had just mentioned killing.
Facing the people from the Superintendent Bureau, Rong Juan wasn’t the least bit afraid.
He stood his ground, clasped his hands, and bowed to the carriage. “I startled the Chief Superintendent’s carriage a few days ago. I have come specifically today to apologize.”
This sudden scene attracted the attention of many people.
Passing commoners, terrified of the Superintendent Bureau, watched the drama from a distance, whispering in hushed tones:
“Eh? That looks like Prime Minister Rong’s son.”
“Nonsense, who in the entire capital doesn’t know him?”
The horse-startling incident had caused a huge uproar. The commoners had practically clapped in joy. Now, witnessing the usually lawless dandy apologizing in the street felt even more satisfying.
The Right Prime Minister and the Chief Superintendent had been at odds for a long time. It would be a miracle if they forgave him. Ideally, they’d arrest the scoundrel and chop his head off.
Sure enough, the subordinate sneered, “A high-ranking official suffered internal injuries from the shock. Do you think a simple apology can resolve this?”
Rong Juan blinked. Internal injuries?
This guy was really something. He came out to run a scam but didn’t even bother faking a broken bone.
He coughed lightly. “As the saying goes, breaking a bone takes a hundred days to heal, but internal injuries to secret places last a lifetime…”
As soon as these words came out, the subordinate’s smile abruptly cut off, his gaze turning murderous.
The commoners who had been watching immediately turned to flee. Rumor had it that the Chief Superintendent had been injured at “the root” during an accident, rendering him impotent and childless, which was why the Emperor trusted him so much.
Who would have thought someone would dare to make such a snide remark to his face?
If they had known this kid was so suicidal, they wouldn’t have stayed to watch, lest they get caught in the crossfire.
But before they could get far, a loud, clear voice rang out from that direction—
“I toss and turn at night, unable to sleep. There is only one solution to make amends.”
Rong Juan held his left fingers upright against his right palm. Suddenly, he bent his knuckles.
The bizarre gesture put the subordinate on guard, wary of hidden weapons.
Using two of his longest fingers as legs to “kneel” on his palm, Rong Juan scuttled them forward two steps and delivered the punchline:
“If my Lord does not disdain me, I, Song, am willing to bow to you as my Godfather.”
Every word was enunciated clearly, echoing between heaven and earth.
The street fell deathly silent. Everyone suspected their ears were malfunctioning.
Only the wind gently lifted the curtain of the carriage in the rear, revealing a pair of deep, cold eyes.
Author’s Note:
Reading Guide:
1) The tone is an ancient, lighthearted power fantasy. The main storyline involves the succession of the throne. The content of “truth, goodness, and beauty” is very limited.
2) Among the strategists loyal to the protagonist, some have a “poisonous strategist” style. This is not a virtuous protagonist team.