Chapter 378: Handsome Overseer Fiercely Flirts 01

【Congratulations, Host, mission completed, earned 2000 points, total!】

【Starting transmission……transmission successful.】

Qianyuan 36th Year.

Jin State Imperial Palace, Hall of Heavenly Mystery.

Inside the vast and empty main hall, silence reigned; only the Golden Beast incense burner sent up wispy white mist.

In the dim light, a dignified man in a dark purple python-patterned great cloak could be seen sitting cross-legged in the center of a gold-thread rush mat, his slender fingers constantly calculating.

Suddenly, his breath quickened for a moment, he opened his phoenix eyes, a thin sweat appeared on the tip of his nose, and his pallid skin made his lips look even more vividly red like blood.

After a long while, the man curled his lips into a faint smile, his eyes flickering slightly.

"Here I come."

As his words fell, hurried footsteps sounded from outside the hall.

"His Majesty has an edict……"

The man casually lifted his wide sleeve, revealing the wave-patterned embroidered edge, and rose to greet.

——

A few days later, in the Jiangnan region far from the capital.

Jin Chen had just opened his eyes when he saw a boy dressed as a servant clinging to his leg, sobbing heart‑wrenchingly.

"Your Highness, if you return to the capital, be sure to take care of yourself! I will miss you!"

Feng Zhu wailed bitterly, afraid that if Your Highness returned to the capital, that cold‑blooded and terrifying imperial palace would devour him, leaving not even bones.

Jin Chen: "……"

He tried to pull his leg away, "You go first."

"Your Highness, are you going to rest again? But you just got up; the relay station reported that the carriage sent to pick you up today has arrived at the manor."

Feng Zhu wiped away his tears, his voice still trembling.

"I'll take a nap."

Jin Chen stepped down the stairs and finally managed to drive out that noisy servant boy.

He looked around; this should be the main hall of some luxurious mansion.

【0731?】

【Here comes Host, I'll transmit your memories.】

Leaning against the couch, Jin Chen slightly closed his eyes.

【Transmitting memories……transmission successful!】

Since Emperor Qianyuan of Jin State ascended the throne, he has greatly exalted the practice of Dao cultivation and alchemy, yet his mind is clouded by lust.

Now the aging empress is seriously ill, spending all day worshipping alchemy in hopes of becoming an immortal; all authority has been seized by Nine Thousand Years Xuan Che and pocketed, yet Emperor Qianyuan trusts this person immensely, even granting him the special privilege of not kneeling upon receiving an edict and sitting as an equal in court.

Thus Xuan Che became the secret ruler of Jin State's court, holding the Feathered Forest Army command token and the Ministry of War tiger tally; even though he is ruthless, no one dares provoke him, giving off the air of holding the emperor hostage to command the feudal lords.

Xuan Che is the villain of this world's plot.

In Qianyuan 36th Year, the emperor's condition worsened, showing signs of collapse; he therefore followed Xuan Che's suggestion and recalled the three princes who had been sent away back to the palace.

The protagonist (gong) is the Eldest Prince of Jin State, Jin Huaxuan.

Although he was sent away by Emperor Qianyuan, due to his large family he remained in the capital, merely rarely entering the palace.

And Qi Yiqiu, son of the Red Feather General, who is the protagonist's (shou) childhood acquaintance; as they grew up, he took it upon himself to eradicate rival factions, wishing desperately to drive Xuan Che out of the capital.

The other two princes are the Third Prince Jin Chen and the Fifth Prince Jin Changyou, also the remaining heirs of Jin State.

But unfortunately, on the way back to the capital to be recalled, Third Prince Jin Chen was ambushed by bandits and was stabbed to death.

After the other two princes were recalled to the capital, the emperor received a check from Xuan Che and delayed establishing a crown prince.

Jin Huaxuan was plotting with Qi Yiqiu to seize back imperial power when he personally witnessed Xuan Che kill the emperor.

He finally held nothing back, devoted himself fully to opposing Xuan Che, and after overcoming numerous hardships, succeeded in driving Xuan Che to suicide, ascending the throne and proclaiming himself emperor.

However, the fact is not so.

In the plot, although Xuan Che is not a good person, he is also not utterly wicked.

Xuan Che was originally the son of the previous National Teacher, gifted from childhood in observing stars and divination.

Before the National Teacher passed away, he instructed him: Jin State is in trouble, the present emperor is foolish and incompetent, the people suffer and cannot save themselves; if one wishes to protect Jin State's several‑hundred‑year foundation, he must first seize ruling authority himself, sideline the incapable emperor, and only after selecting a suitable successor return the realm to the Jin family.

But Xuan Che did not expect that after his father's death, the emperor abolished the National Teacher position, demanding he become a rootless person to be trusted.

To safeguard his father's foundation for Jin State, Xuan Che, upon reaching his coming‑of‑age, gritted his teeth and endured, acting covertly according to his father's dying wishes; he never imagined that the emperor would have few heirs, and that the harem would see offspring die one after another due to scheming.

In order to protect the remaining three princes, he used the excuse that cultivating immortality and seeking the Dao cannot keep dragon heirs nearby, lest they absorb the emperor's dragon energy, and sent each prince to a different place, hoping they would grow up safely.

In the endless days of struggling against others, Xuan Che's temperament grew ruthless and cruel; he showed no mercy to rebels and conspirators, his methods exceedingly brutal, earning him the epithet "Living Yama, Nine Thousand Years."

Just that year when the emperor fell gravely ill, Xuan Che renewed his divination to calculate which prince was most fit for the throne, but the result was that among the heirs there was no heavenly‑mandated emperor star.

The Eldest Prince and Emperor Qianyuan are cut from the same cloth, caring only for power and never for the common folk; the other two princes are even less suitable, so when the Third Prince was assassinated, the disheartened Xuan Che simply refused to intervene further.

After killing the foolish and incompetent Emperor Qianyuan, he arranged everything, ensuring that even if the Eldest Prince succeeded, he could still safeguard Jin State's realm for a hundred years without disturbance; not long afterward he himself committed suicide.

Plot reception complete.

Jin Chen opened his eyes, Youyou sighed.

This original body truly is miserable; before age ten, in the palace he was bullied endlessly due to his mother consort's low status.

With difficulty, after turning ten he was sent to the Jiangnan mansion, where he spent eight peaceful days; just as he prepared to return to the palace he was killed, and the subsequent plot had nothing to do with him.

But… without a heaven‑mandated emperor star, how can I help my wife fulfill her wish?

He shifted his posture on the bed and began racking his brains for a solution.

【Host, this isn't something you should worry about now; the urgent matter is how to avoid this bandit raid and not raise suspicion among the people in the capital.】

0731 felt that the Host had mistaken the focus.

Jin Chen didn't hesitate, 【Of course they were all killed.】

【It's estimated that once you arrive at the palace, everyone will know that the Third Prince clearly indulges in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting in Jiangnan, but secretly cultivates peerless martial arts, capable of single-handedly dealing with all assassins.】

Spicy Comment, 【What's the difference between this and openly telling everyone that you've long coveted the throne?】

That makes sense.

Jin Chen turned over again, finding it strange.

【You're getting smarter and smarter.】

At that moment, the Main Gate was knocked on.

"Your Highness, the carriage sent from the palace to pick you up has arrived; are you ready?"

Feng Zhu softly called.

"Here they come, let them wait a moment."

Jin Chen rose leisurely, tidying his clothes before the bronze mirror.