Warning: BL (Boys’ Love), emotional pacing, pseudo-forced love, low-angst. The protagonist utilizes immersive, high-level acting techniques.
Note: Please do not overanalyze; everything exists to serve the plot.
Regarding the second world: Some readers felt unsatisfied because the male lead was somewhat stoic, and the protagonist suffered some (voluntary) injuries, leading to a frustrating experience.
Perspective: I personally believe it was balanced, as the original male lead’s family received their due retribution. However, I am providing this warning so you may choose the world-building that interests you.
Request: I hope you will show mercy and be cautious with negative reviews. If this is not to your taste, please feel free to stop reading. Hopefully, we will meet again under better circumstances. (Humble.jpg)
Please leave your logic at the door; I will be quite upset if you try to use it here! (Hands on hips)
The third year of the Jingkang era arrived with the intensity of a scorching summer.
The Yan Dynasty had not suffered from natural or man-made disasters for over a decade. While the common people lived in general peace and contentment, the imperial court was plagued by treacherous officials and corrupt bureaucrats. The most infamous among them was the great eunuch, Lin Zili. He used the Emperor’s name to coerce the vassals, becoming a thorn in the side of many court officials who seethed with resentment.
In a luxurious palace, a man with a stunningly beautiful face lay on his side on a concubine couch. Although ice buckets were placed in every corner of the hall, and the palace maids and young eunuchs fanned him incessantly, his furrowed brow remained unsoothed. His rosy lips were turned slightly downward, adding a touch of distress that made one’s heart ache, evoking an urge to solve his worries for him.
A young eunuch approached on tiptoe and whispered in his ear, “Gonggong, His Majesty is demanding to see you again.”
The man opened his eyes. His lashes were thick and long, and the corners of his eyes were slightly upturned, shifting with a subtle, radiant light. Whenever he wished, a single glance was enough to captivate a soul. Unfortunately, only annoyance and cold malice resided in his gaze. His aura was so fierce that no one dared to harbor inappropriate thoughts toward him.
Hearing the report, Lin Zili’s irritation intensified. He waved the eunuch away and sat up.
Deeply frustrated, he called out to his system, 012, in his mind: “This little Emperor is too difficult to serve. Does he really take me for his mother? When exactly am I going to die? Nobody mentioned I would have to stay this long before I transferred departments! If I had known, I would have stayed in the supporting character group.”
012’s electronic voice sounded dry and literal: “It is almost time. According to the plot, once the Regent returns, he will expose your schemes, frame you for treason, and kill you with a single sword strike. Just bear with it a little longer.”
Lin Zili retorted: “Easy for you to say! I have been here for four years. I finally outlasted that old Emperor, and now I have to serve the young one. He acts like a nursing infant—if he does not see me for a second, he throws a tantrum. It is infuriating. Check when that Regent is coming. If he does not show up soon, I am simply going to fake my death.”
012’s voice became visibly panicked. If other hosts made such claims, he might remain skeptical, but he knew that if this ancestor said he would die, he would certainly follow through.
“Do not just die at the drop of a hat! You have put in four years of effort; if you die now, it will all be for nothing! Was it not you who wanted to transfer because the Villain Group offers higher points? You may not care about your performance metrics, but I do! Do not be impulsive; I will look it up for you! Please, just do not die!”
Seeing that 012 had retreated again, Lin Zili sighed. He stood up helplessly and, without changing his clothes, headed to the young Emperor’s bedchamber to serve the ancestor.
On the way, Lin Zili pondered the direction of this world. It was a strong female lead counterattack story. The male lead was the current little Emperor, and the female lead was the neglected, concubine-born daughter of the General’s household. The plot was classic: Liu Yunyao, the female lead, grew up starved and bullied. At sixteen, she was pushed into a pond by her legitimate sister, drowned, and was reborn. From there followed a series of counterattacks, face-slapping, revenge, and finally, a romance with the Emperor.
However, this had little to do with him. His character barely appeared in the main text and was only mentioned in passing by others later. His current identity was that of a highly ambitious, dark-minded eunuch. His main role was to spoil the male lead during his childhood, strip him of his power, and eventually be killed by the returning Regent.
In the subsequent plot, after the Regent killed Lin Zili, he would rightfully stay by the young Emperor’s side, raising him into a hedonistic ruler who only cared for trivial amusements. Although the Regent was not exactly a hero, he held a legitimate claim to power as the Emperor’s uncle. Consequently, the court’s resistance was not as extreme as it had been against a eunuch. Primarily, the officials did not dare to resist; if they threatened to commit suicide in protest, the Great Villain would not wait for them to hit their heads against the pillars—he would simply execute them himself.
If Lin Zili was the villainous cannon fodder, then the Regent was the true villainous boss. Following typical tropes, the male lead’s hedonistic behavior was clearly a facade. He had kept up this act for over a decade, only revealing his true self upon meeting the female lead. The two would eventually work together to defeat all their enemies; the male lead would secure his position as Emperor, and the female lead would become Empress.
The problem was that the current plot was deviating. The male lead was far too reliant on him. He lacked the calm, calculating demeanor one would expect of a child in his position; instead, he was just a grumpy, gloomy little brat prone to temper tantrums.
Lost in thought, he arrived at the young Emperor’s bedchamber. The eunuch guarding the door saw Lin Zili and his eyes lit up; he visibly let out a sigh of relief. “Gonggong, you are finally here. His Majesty has been waiting for a long time. Please, come in.”
The young eunuch led Lin Zili into the room. The young Emperor sat on the couch, his small frame looking thin and fragile before the oversized writing desk. His delicate, youthful face was filled with fury. Memorials were scattered everywhere, and he was currently tearing one apart, bits of paper drifting through the air like snow.
The young eunuch bowed and said respectfully, “Your Majesty, Lin Gonggong has arrived.”
Yan Jingzhi’s eyes brightened. He quickly climbed down from his chair, hurried over to Lin Zili, and grabbed his sleeve with a look of grievance: “Banban, why did you take so long to get here?”
“This servant is late; please punish me, Your Majesty.” Lin Zili bowed unhurriedly, only to be promptly helped up by the young Emperor.
“Banban, I did not mean to blame you. I knew you suffer in the summer heat and yet I still dragged you here. It is my fault.”
“Your Majesty, you have forgotten again. You should refer to yourself as ‘Zhen.’ You are the ruler of this country and may do as you please. It is this servant’s honor to serve you; you must not apologize to a mere servant.”
Although he said this, his tone held no sincerity, as if he were only advising the boy out of a sense of duty.
The young Emperor pursed his lips and muttered, “I do not care about those rules. You are the person the late Emperor left for me; you are the one who watched me grow up and the one who understands me best. In my heart, you are far better than those pedantic old men who talk in circles.”
The surrounding maids and eunuchs buried their heads even deeper, not daring to draw a full breath.
The late Emperor had been neither particularly accomplished nor particularly incompetent, but he had been a philanderer. Consequently, he had many concubines and children. More than twenty princes survived, and the struggle for the throne had been as intense as the legendary “Nine Dragons Seizing the Heir.” Because the fighting had been so vicious, the princes had all suffered, either being killed or maimed.
Yan Jingzhi’s maternal family held no power, and his mother had died early. His accession to the throne was a stroke of luck. Lin Zili had become the godson of the chief eunuch serving the late Emperor. Being sweet-talked and capable, he had managed to get the old eunuch to bring him to his side. The old Emperor had loved beauty. While he was not interested in men, having a handsome young eunuch around made him feel pleasant, so he allowed Lin Zili to serve him closely.
The old eunuch had eventually passed away, and after his death, Lin Zili ascended to his position. He served the late Emperor closely for a year, finally earning his trust. The late Emperor knew that none of his sons, who were fighting tooth and nail outside, could be trusted with the responsibility of the throne. Using his final ounce of strength, he wrote a final edict. From some corner of his memory, he recalled his son, Yan Jingzhi, and entrusted him to Lin Zili.
After writing the edict, he lost all his vigor and passed away instantly.