Chapter 1532

On the Dragon Martial Continent, martial arts are supreme.

Among them, the Great Jin Kingdom leads, from imperial relatives and nobles down to aristocratic families and commoners, all train martial arts from childhood to cultivate themselves and protect their bodies with qi.

The villain Xie Zhiwei, the Regent Prince of Great Jin, is a rightful powerful minister. He not only possesses peerless martial arts, but also commands the legendary Dark Dragon Army, in which a single soldier can withstand myriad experts, and he is the imperial teacher personally appointed by the former emperor.

After the former emperor's passing, the fourteen-year-old Crown Prince Chen ascended the throne. The emperor was young and unable to govern, and since childhood he had been frail and sickly, unable to practice martial arts; thus the entire Great Jin came under Xie Zhiwei's control. Over time, everyone in Great Jin knew the emperor was a figurehead, and the true master was Regent Prince Xie Zhiwei.

What outsiders do not know is that the young emperor was not frail from childhood. After Xie Zhiwei mastered peerless martial arts, he needed to drink true dragon blood each month, or else it would backlash upon him. Although the Great Jin imperial line has continued to this day, with many princes having died, only the young emperor is recognized by Heaven as the true dragon heir.

From the time the former emperor died when the emperor was fourteen, the young emperor has needed to have blood drawn each mid‑month to sustain Xie Zhiwei's life.

The protagonist, Mu Zhongzheng, is a disciple personally accepted by the former emperor, later ennobled as a Prince of Foreign Surname. Though his relationship with the young emperor Jin Chen appears harmonious, he has always plotted to kill the Regent Prince, then dispose of the former emperor's own son Jin Chen—who is even inferior to the lowest‑rank warrior—and seize the realm that rightfully belongs to him.

The protagonist, Han Zhou, is a loyal personal guard of Mu Zhongzheng, and also a covert agent planted by Xie Zhiwei beside Mu Zhongzheng.

When the young emperor Jin Chen came of age, Mu Zhongzheng, after extensive inquiry, finally learned the blood‑drawing secret between the emperor and the Regent Prince. He first prepared a palace banquet while the emperor was suffering from a wind‑cold, then at the banquet he feigned an attack one way while striking another, using the seemingly loyal but actually turned Minister of Works to delay the blood‑delivery time, and behind the scenes sent dark guards to kill Emperor Jin Chen.

Afterward, the Regent Prince suffered a backlash of internal energy, the court fell into great chaos, and the state teetered on the brink.

Mu Zhongzheng used another imperial decree written by the former emperor to abolish the Regent Prince's position and reclaim the realm of Great Jin.

——

Jin Chen and Youyou sat up.

【Host! Hear me out!】 Ling Gun Gun hurriedly rolled over and acted cute, 【This world's emperor is unlike any other! You're living off others!】

Jin Chen: "……"

Well, the words may be rough but the reasoning is sound.

However, this original body still hasn't come of age yet bleeds every month, and remains a useless weakling who can't practice martial arts—surely it's not so feeble that even a person couldn't hold it, right?

Jin Chen leapt up like a carp from the huge dragon bed to stand before the bronze mirror.

He didn't look as weak as imagined; he was still well‑nourished, except his physique was a bit slight……

At that moment, the 108‑body‑building techniques flashed in Jin Chen's mind, but he ultimately lost to laziness.

"Your Majesty, it's time for the soup."

Outside the screen, a senior palace maid's voice sounded, and shortly afterward several low‑headed palace maids brought tables and chairs, placing bowl after bowl of soup.

Jin Chen fell silent.

No wonder he's been fed so well—each meal is a pot of ten‑ingredient tonic soup.

"I don't want to drink; take it away first."

Jin Chen intended to keep sleeping, not knowing whether it was the original body's influence, but he couldn't muster interest in anything.

Senior palace maid Cui Zhu started, hurriedly bowed, and asked, "Your Majesty, are you feeling unwell?"

Jin Chen: "……No, huh? I'm not!"

"Quick! Call the imperial physician! Report to the prince at once!" All the palace attendants were instantly startled.

It was already too late.

By order of the Regent Prince, any discomfort of the emperor is a top‑priority matter; the Imperial Medical Institute must always be ready.

Originally there was nothing wrong, but the issue lies in Jin Chen being an emperor without real power, receiving such meticulous care solely because Xie Zhiwei does not want the blood supply to encounter problems.

Upon learning that the emperor was unwell, Xie Zhiwei hurried to the sleeping chamber before long.

【Detected antagonist in this world, triggering Blackening Value; current Blackening Value: 80!】

【Mission requirement: clear Blackening Value, change the antagonist's tragic ending!】

Hearing the commotion, Jin Chen simply dove under the covers, leaving only one arm outside for Imperial Physician Liu to take his pulse in every way.

Imperial Physician Liu knelt before Xie Zhiwei, who stood behind the screen, and explained, "Your Highness, the emperor's condition is…… due to repressed emotions and stagnant liver qi."

Imperial Physician Liu works exclusively for Xie Zhiwei and is also responsible for nourishing Jin Chen after the monthly bloodletting; of course he dares not conceal anything.

Jin Chen lay on the dragon bed, thinking, "This isn't just depression, is it?"

No wonder the original self is so lazy—yet it's also understandable: losing blood each month with no personal freedom, such a life lasting six years would make anyone depressed.

He pondered these things; after a while, the sound of steady footsteps approached, and a voice asked, "Your Majesty?"

Jin Chen quietly pulled back the blankets and opened a slit of his eyes to look.

Xie Zhiwei stood at the foot of the bed in dark python‑patterned regular attire, tall and upright, his hair bound high; he possessed the handsome visage of a jade‑faced gentleman, only the faint narrowing of his phoenix eyes gave a murky gleam that made one dare not meet his gaze, nor discern what lay in his heart.

Jin Chen glanced, then burrowed deeper into the covers, seeming fearful.

The original self was indeed terrified of this Regent Prince, Your Highness.

Xie Zhiwei then stopped at the bedside, like a tolerant elder, saying, "Imperial Physician Liu says the emperor is…… burdened by repressed emotions and also fearful dread."

He seemed puzzled, lowering his gaze with a helpless smile.

"Your Majesty, as the ruler of a nation, you can have anything you want; why would you need to fear anything?"

Jin Chen: "……" What nonsense—am I not just afraid of you?

The startled young emperor seemed to take those words to heart, slowly extending a trembling finger from under the blankets and saying, "Then…… I want the little imperial uncle to leave."

Xie Zhiwei's expression paused.

The palace maids and eunuchs attending in the hall immediately bowed low, daring not to disturb their breathing.

Gazing intently at Jin Chen's somewhat pallid visage, Xie Zhiwei only withdrew his gaze after a long while.

"If so, then Your Majesty, please rest well; I take my leave."

Jin Chen let out a long sigh.

It's not that he doesn't want to stay with his beautiful wife; it's really that the fear left in this body is a bit too deep—he simply can't control it, ah.

He pulled the blanket over himself, and Jin Chen instantly fell asleep, unaware of day or night.