Wei Xicheng had yet to find a solution to the energy problem when an imperial decree from the Empress Dowager arrived. The late emperor had just passed away, and the grand selection could not be too extravagant. The Empress Dowager demanded simplicity, but the necessary procedures could not be omitted.
This decree served as a warning to the court officials, forbidding them from scheming or playing tricks. In recent days, there had been at least twice as many lobbyists visiting the Yanbei residence as before. The decree was like a wooden stick stirring the hidden currents of the capital, prompting various factions to start moving.
There was only a hurried month left before the imperial selection, and once it was over, everything would be settled. Most officials in court would send their eligible daughters into the palace. They might look down on the young emperor, but they could not underestimate the Empress Dowager’s brother and the network of power he held.
The noble daughters of these families were to be sent into the deep palace to be at the mercy of a foolish emperor. This overwhelming wealth and status—who knew if it would last or fade like a fleeting flower? People naturally sought benefit and avoided harm, and for these families, this was an unpleasant reality.
For those coveting the throne, the selection was also an unwelcome event. After the selection, most daughters of court officials would enter the palace, making it difficult for their fathers to maintain their original political ambitions.
Whether out of greed for power or concern for family, this arrangement was ultimately beneficial to the young emperor.
With this, the most important figure in the capital became Wei Xicheng. Yanbei had been extremely busy, and it had been a long time since he had entered the palace. Even in court, the two of them barely exchanged glances before being distracted by other matters.
The princes in the territories were growing restless, frequently returning to the capital without an official summons and appearing openly in public. Some had even had private discussions with Yanbei. No one knew the details of these conversations, but Wei Xicheng had caught wind of them through palace gossip.
He pretended not to know. His mind was more occupied with figuring out what was wrong with the system.
Xiao Taozi watched the emperor stroll alone in the imperial garden. He rarely saw this expression on His Majesty’s face. Ever since they had grown up together, the emperor had been different from the other princes. His liveliness was unique in the palace, and he had never been troubled by worries before.
Thinking about the news he had just received from the guards, Xiao Taozi hesitated. Should he tell the emperor or not? If he said it, he feared upsetting him even more. If he didn’t, he worried that prolonged contact with that person would give their enemies an opening, leading to disaster.
Ah… Xiao Taozi smacked his forehead. The emperor’s mood was important, but his safety was even more critical. He and the emperor were tied to the same fate—if His Majesty suffered, he wouldn’t fare well either.
With this in mind, Xiao Taozi jogged forward to catch up with Wei Xicheng, keeping half a step behind him. He leaned slightly forward and spoke in a low voice, careful not to provoke his master’s anger.
He said, “Your Majesty, secret reports say that General Yan has been getting… quite close with the Second Prince.”
By the time he spoke the last two words, Xiao Taozi realized his voice had been too soft—perhaps the emperor hadn’t even heard them clearly. Even so, a chill ran down his spine.
No one understood the emperor’s temperament better than he did. Not long ago, General Yan and the emperor had been on such good terms, and now he had suddenly turned to interact frequently with the Second Prince. His Majesty was bound to be heartbroken.
Xiao Taozi took a step back and waited behind Wei Xicheng for instructions.
He waited for half an hour, but the young emperor did not move.
“Your Majesty…” he couldn’t help but ask.
“I’m fine,” Wei Xicheng shook his head slightly, then took a step forward.
In his heart, he did not believe that Yanbei would help someone else take his throne. Still, he couldn’t help but feel a little displeased.
After that night, he and Yanbei had formed an unspoken agreement—they never brought up what had happened, nor did they discuss anything related to feelings.
Ruler and subject, as if drawing a line between two separate worlds.
Wei Xicheng touched the crown on his head. The bright pearl embedded in the center symbolized imperial power, and the golden fabric beneath it made the gem shine even more brilliantly.
For the first time, Wei Xicheng felt uncertain about their relationship.
He could say with certainty that he truly liked Yanbei, but in every new world he entered, his lover would undergo some kind of change. It made him wonder—what kind of person was the one he had fallen in love with?
He had never considered this question before. In the previous online game world, when he was with the memory-bearing Yu Beiyan, it had never crossed his mind.
But coming into this world, Yanbei’s actions had given him a reminder.
For Yanbei, this was his real life. Even if he and Yu Beiyan were the same person, they had different personalities and habits that belonged solely to Yanbei.
At this moment, Wei Xicheng was suddenly lost in thought.
His confusion was of no use at the moment. He was restricted from leaving the palace by the Empress Dowager, and even the palace maids and eunuchs seemed to sense something, making the atmosphere within the palace tense and oppressive.
Yanbei no longer came to the palace, and the situation outside was even more strained.
After several days of this, Wei Xicheng was summoned to the Empress Dowager’s quarters.
“I hear that the emperor was quite close with General Yan not long ago?” The Empress Dowager’s voice was hoarse and aged. Though seated at the head of the room, she lowered her chin and lifted her eyes to look at Wei Xicheng below.
Her phoenix eyes no longer held their former clarity but had become sharp and ominous.
“Yes.” Wei Xicheng saw no reason to hide anything. He had always been alone in this palace, with spies everywhere watching his every move. He never even tried to conceal his actions.
Even when Yanbei’s people helped cover for him, they could not deceive the Empress Dowager. In fact, Wei Xicheng suspected that from the beginning, the Empress Dowager had known about his relationship with Yanbei but had simply chosen to turn a blind eye—after all, Yanbei still held the military tally, making him a significant threat.
“Did the emperor do something to displease General Yan?” The Empress Dowager’s words bluntly tore away the last layer of pretense.
Wei Xicheng narrowed his eyes, a trace of anger flashing through them. “What does Mother mean by this? Am I someone who must cater to others’ moods? If being emperor means bowing to everyone, it’s truly suffocating—why not have Mother find someone else to take the throne?”
“Insolence! You ungrateful child!” The teacup on the table tumbled to the floor, shattering into pieces with a crisp sound.
The palace attendants quietly withdrew—though the Empress Dowager dared to scold the emperor, they did not dare to listen.
“I have done everything to support you on the throne, and this is how you speak to me?” The Empress Dowager clutched her chest. Her grand and elegant robes rose and fell with each breath, showing just how angered she was.
“Support? Mother, I never wanted such ‘support.’” Wei Xicheng flung his sleeves and stood up. Facing the Empress Dowager, he spoke each word clearly: “I never wanted to be emperor.”
“Fine, fine! Very well!”
Wei Xicheng glanced at the somewhat flustered Empress Dowager, then turned to leave.
“Stop right there.”
After a brief silence, the Empress Dowager’s tone steadied, her emotions seemingly under control. “I raised you, and this is how you repay me? Now that you sit on the throne, it is not up to you to decide whether to remain there or not.”
“I never meant to anger Mother.”
“Then go and mend your relationship with Yanbei!” The Empress Dowager, sensing his submission, became more forceful. “If he stands with us, no one will be able to take your throne!”
“Mother, you know I am not fit to be emperor.” Wei Xicheng closed his eyes, gathering his thoughts, then slowly spoke the words his predecessor had never said.
He had never wanted to be emperor.
As for General Yan Bei, I used to admire him. But now…” Wei Xicheng smiled. “The throne should belong to those who are capable, Mother. You always say I’m reckless and mischievous. This will be the last time I—”
Before he could finish, a faint noise came from outside the room. Wei Xicheng reacted quickly, but the Empress Dowager was even sharper. Or perhaps, she had never been caught up in his emotions in the first place. She immediately shouted, “Who’s there?”
The rustling sound disappeared in an instant, and a few palace attendants hurried after it, followed closely by the hidden imperial guards patrolling the palace.
The Empress Dowager looked at the emperor standing in the grand hall and smiled with motherly affection. “The emperor has indeed grown up and developed his own thoughts. Someone, come!”
Wei Xicheng glanced at the guards now surrounding him. He lifted his chin and looked up at the Empress Dowager, who stood at the top of the stairs. “Mother, what is the meaning of this?”
“Your Majesty, I do not wish to strain our mother-son relationship. But the situation is urgent—whether you want to be emperor or not, you must remain on the throne.” The Empress Dowager gently traced her lips with her fingertip, forming a faint smile.
She had no choice but to take this step. With threats from both inside and outside the palace, if the emperor were to suddenly abdicate, the consequences would be unimaginable. First, she had to keep him in place before she could deal with the bigger issues ahead. But now that today’s events had torn apart their fragile pretense of peace, she felt the weight of her misstep pressing down on her. One mistake had led to another.
Wei Xicheng withdrew his gaze and looked at the guards encircling him. Those he met with his eyes quickly lowered their heads, as if trying to hide their faces.
As for the person who had just fled, Wei Xicheng had a good guess. He remained unfazed and simply pushed away the sheath of a sword that blocked his path. His voice was cold as he said, “Since that’s the case, I will do as Mother commands.”
The words sounded familiar, yet this time, there was not even the slightest trace of warmth left.
This time, when Wei Xicheng walked out of the palace hall, no one stopped him.
Xiao Taozi wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and quickly followed behind him, still shaken by the tense confrontation earlier.
Wei Xicheng, however, paid no attention to Xiao Taozi’s thoughts. His mind was occupied with the issue of the system’s energy and trying to figure out Yan Bei’s current actions. Without any prompts from the system, his mood was truly terrible.
As he walked to a certain spot, he happened to open the system panel and saw a marker indicating Yan Bei’s location—right beside him.
Wei Xicheng glanced to the side at the artificial mountain where he had first seen Yan Bei’s marker. This time, he only paused for a second before continuing forward.
That marker remained at a steady distance behind them.
It wasn’t until Wei Xicheng entered his sleeping quarters and dismissed Xiao Taozi that the marker finally stopped—on the familiar beam above him.
Wei Xicheng let out a faint scoff, kicked off his boots, and lay down on the bed, pulling the blanket over his head.
Author’s Note:
Today, the first 30 comments will get a red envelope!
Below are some useless ramblings—feel free to skip if you’re not interested.
Originally, I planned for this world to be a strategy-based arc, featuring an emotionally oblivious general and a foolish yet aggrieved young emperor. I wanted to change their usual dynamic and have them come to a clear realization about their feelings.
But after writing the previous online game arc, I realized that their relationship seems to stem from their need for companionship over a long period of time.
Wei Xicheng’s love has always existed under the condition that his lover forgets everything with each new world. Once or twice, it might be intriguing, but after too many times, it turns into frustration. It’s unfair for him to be the only one who remembers their past, just as it’s unfair to Yu Beiyan, who has no memories at all.
Yet, Yan Bei is Yu Beiyan without memories, making it impossible for Wei Xicheng to find a solution.
This world is meant to help them both understand their feelings clearly, so there may be a lot of internal conflict, some confusion, and some frustration. QAQ
Of course, all of this might just be an excuse. It’s more likely that I’ve been too caught up in studying lately and accidentally messed up my writing! Hugging myself tightly and crying!
