A bird in a cage

Memories of Zhu Zigui, Prince Huai, surged through Ren Ye's mind. Yet they contained neither images nor details of daily life. They were more like a firsthand account, an internal monologue.

Standing before the bronze mirror, Ren Ye slowly came to his senses and muttered inwardly, unnerved, I'm Prince Huai, so the eldest uncle mentioned in those memories must be the emperor, and Dad was the previous prince? And this emperor has been secretly searching for someone whose fate bears Heaven's Pardon all along?!

At that thought, Ren Ye couldn't help shivering. What does that bastard emperor want with me?

And this body's original owner, Zhu Zigui, was a complete waste of space. Judging by those narrated memories, he didn't even qualify as a wastrel. He knew nothing except screwing women, and the court already had him under house arrest.

While Ren Ye was thinking, the icy voice sounded in his ears again.

[Mysterious legacy quest activated-Act One: "Hidden Pawn"]

[Story introduction: The struggle for the Great Qian Dynasty's throne has ended. The wastrel Zhu Zigui inherited the title of Prince Huai, but is currently confined to his residence by the imperial court. The emperor of Great Qian is cautious and suspicious by nature, yet for unknown reasons, he has not killed you. Instead, he has planted ten Hidden Pawns in Prince Huai's residence to serve as his eyes and ears. His plans remain unknown.]

[The ten Hidden Pawns: Played by ten players, currently divided between the imperial court faction and the fence-sitter faction.]

[Your identity card: Prince Huai, belonging exclusively to the Prince Huai faction.]

[Identity card trait, "Royal Edict": You may persuade any two players to defect to your Prince Huai faction, but this requires personal charisma. The defecting players must swear allegiance.]

[Token item-Imperial Brush: A relic left behind by Great Qian's founding emperor. Before his death, the old emperor gifted it to you. Inscribed on the brush: "With brush in hand, I write a legacy for the ages; upon the stage, I paint the mountains and rivers." The Imperial Brush currently lies dulled by dust and possesses no supernatural abilities. It is said that the old emperor once used this brush to write a secret edict, which your father kept in the residence.]

[Special item-Nation-Guarding Sword: The national treasure of the Great Qian Dynasty, long held by your father. After his death, the Nation-Guarding Sword wailed for three days before losing all its radiance. It is currently no different from an ordinary weapon and possesses no supernatural abilities. It is said that the Nation-Guarding Sword acknowledges only those bearing special fortune.]

[Current objective one: Survive for 72 hours.]

[Current objective two: Find a way to restore the Imperial Brush's supernatural abilities. You may wish to search for the secret edict left by the old emperor.]

[Current objective three: The emperor has been searching for someone whose fate bears Heaven's Pardon. Conceal your identity to avoid utter destruction. Each Hidden Pawn whose true identity you discover will earn you a substantial reward.]

[Special rule: During this act, players may kill one another and seize other players' tokens.]

[Special warning: The current emperor is suspicious by nature and decisive in killing. If he detects any "strange occurrences" within Prince Huai's residence, everyone may die! Everyone may die! Everyone may die!]

[Departure countdown: 71:57:32]

[A blessing from the startrace gate: Throughout history, princes stripped of their power have met miserable ends. May you be an exception...]

The icy voice gradually faded. Life returned to Ren Ye's blank eyes, and an inexplicable excitement stirred within him.

So here's that Star Gate quest Huang Wei mentioned!

After taking a moment to settle his thoughts, Ren Ye walked slowly through his bedchamber and began examining the details.

Clearly, this was a role-playing legacy quest. Aside from him, there were ten other players, and the gameplay probably revolved around faction conflict.

Damn, what a shame. This second-generation Prince Huai I'm playing is a little too useless. No ability, no teammates, no brains.

Most importantly, he had an entire faction to himself. Judging by the current situation, he might be facing a one-against-ten battle right from the start...

Hard!

Way too hard!

The thought filled Ren Ye with anxiety.

According to the hint in objective two, his first priority should be finding a way to restore the Imperial Brush's supernatural abilities and give himself another card to play. The clues suggested that this was connected to the old emperor's secret edict.

Objective three was to identify the Hidden Pawns concealed in the residence, but that wasn't a high priority. He had few cards in his hand, so he needed to lie low and avoid drawing attention...

After pacing several circuits, Ren Ye gradually organized his thoughts. With his hands behind his back, he studied the bedchamber, trying to familiarize himself with his surroundings.

Tap, tap!

Just then, hurried footsteps approached.

Ren Ye looked toward the sound and saw a maid run to the doorway in a panic. Trembling, she dropped to her knees and cried, "Something terrible has happened, Your Highness!"

As he looked at the maid, memories of her automatically surfaced in his mind.

Huh, I've slept with this woman...

The maid, Lian'er. On a dark, windy night, Zhu Zigui had downed some booze and shamelessly dragged her into bed.

Wait, that's not right. Why aren't there any detailed images of us sleeping together?

I want details! Details!

Ren Ye composed himself slightly and deliberately put on a princely air. "What is it?"

"The Qingliang Prefect and officials from the Chief Secretariat, the Qingzhou Guard, the Spy Battalion, the Internal Affairs Bureau, and other offices have gathered in the Conscientious Hall. They ask Your Highness to adjudicate a case." The maid knelt with her head bowed. "The princess consort has already gone to the Conscientious Hall. She sent this servant to invite Your Highness to join her."

"Adjudicate? What case?" Ren Ye looked utterly bewildered.

"These officials claim that Commander Wang of the Personal Guard Battalion intended to rebel. They have caught him with incriminating evidence and ask Your Highness to adjudicate," the maid replied.

Ren Ye froze briefly, then instantly "remembered" what had happened the night before.

The commander of the Personal Guard Battalion was Wang Jingzhong, a capable veteran who had served the previous prince. He was also one of the few loyal retainers left at Zhu Zigui's side.

The two had drunk together the night before. With tears streaming down his face, Zhu Zigui had pitifully asked Wang Jingzhong to secretly win over the commander of the Spy Battalion, building strength in the shadows so they could protect themselves at a critical moment. Wang Jingzhong had readily agreed.

He got arrested?

Wang Jingzhong had probably failed to win the man over, and the officials had turned around and accused him instead. After all, Prince Huai's residence was now full of the court's lackeys.

Wang Jingzhong hasn't implicated me too, has he? Ren Ye felt an inexplicable pang of unease.

"How many officials have come to the Conscientious Hall?" Ren Ye asked.

"More than forty."

"...!" That number left Ren Ye utterly speechless.

Clearly, this had crossed a line for the court's lackeys. They were outraged and had come to force his hand. Staying away wasn't an option.

Ren Ye gathered his thoughts and reluctantly ordered, "To the Conscientious Hall."

Leaving the bedchamber, Ren Ye strode forward. Along both sides of the broad corridor, maids waiting with bowed heads dropped to their knees to pay their respects.

"Greetings, Your Highness!"

"...!"

Their greetings rang out as Ren Ye glanced curiously to either side, his heart jolting again and again.

Huh, I've slept with this one.

Hmm, this one too?

Holy shit, I've slept with her too??!

"...!"

With only a cursory glance to either side, Ren Ye discovered that all these young, beautiful maids had shared a passionate and very straightforward relationship with him.

Fucking impressive, he marveled inwardly.

So this young Prince Huai was an assassin, huh? Never did an honest day's work, just went around stabbing everywhere?

Not a single maid in this corridor had escaped him. He hadn't even spared one ripe peach who had to be at least thirty-five...

The original owner wasn't merely a useless man. He was a useless man with one very particular talent in his pants.

The emperor's blade was already at his throat, yet he was still this indiscriminate in his appetites. He really didn't have a care in the world.

About a quarter of an hour later, surrounded by eunuchs and servants, Ren Ye arrived by carriage at the Conscientious Hall in Prince Huai's residence.

This was where Prince Huai handled affairs of government. Its blue tiles and red walls gave it a magnificent air. A nine-dragon screen wall to the left of the main entrance stretched more than thirty meters. Ripples shimmered across the reflecting pool before it, making the reflections of the nine enormous dragons seem alive.

In Great Qian, a prince's fief was effectively a country within a country. Put plainly, the prince ruled supreme there and enjoyed the treatment of a second emperor. Zhu Zigui, however, was an exception. His power had long since been hollowed out, and any senior official beneath him probably lived better than he did.

Alighting from the carriage, Ren Ye entered the hall through a side door. Looking up, he saw more than forty officials standing with their heads bowed and their backs to the hall's main entrance.

In the middle of those forty-odd officials knelt a heavily bound, burly older man with graying hair. He was at least fifty, and wounds covered his body.

This was Wang Jingzhong, commander of the Personal Guard Battalion.

"Prince Huai enters the hall!" The young eunuch accompanying him stood beside the side entrance and called out loudly.

"Greetings, Your Highness Prince Huai."

The officials called out and bowed together.

Feigning composure, Ren Ye swept an expressionless gaze across them and started toward the throne. Then he noticed a stunning woman seated beside it.

She looked about twenty. Her beauty was pure and refined, like a lotus rising unstained from the mud. Her bright, clear eyes could not conceal their cool, aristocratic air, and her shapely figure had alluring curves.

Yet for some reason, she wasn't wearing sumptuous, formal attire. Instead, she wore a loose, understated Daoist robe, with a wooden hairpin in her glossy black hair. It lent her an even colder air of inward detachment.

She was Xu Qingzhao, Princess Consort of Prince Huai.

Huh, I haven't slept with this woman?

Zhu Zigui really was useless. He wouldn't spare a maid in her thirties, but he couldn't manage his own Princess Consort?

According to his memories, the princess consort was the legitimate daughter of the current chief grand secretary. Her marriage to Zhu Zigui was purely political, with no affection between them. After Prince Huai was placed under house arrest, their relationship had grown even colder.

Moreover, although Xu Qingzhao was in the prime of her beauty, she devoted herself to Daoist cultivation and never involved herself in court politics. Within these high walls and deep courtyards, she was more like an outsider.

After a brief pause, Ren Ye ascended the dais and took the principal seat.

The princess consort sat beside him, her beautiful face cold and her eyes indifferent. She didn't even greet her husband.

In fact, she had spent more than half a year at her family home. She had returned from the capital three days earlier, but had not met Prince Huai after entering the residence.

Inside the solemn Conscientious Hall, Ren Ye surveyed the officials, deliberately keeping his expression dark and saying nothing.

He had worked within the government system. Although the maneuvers of ancient and modern officialdom differed somewhat, their essence was the same. When he didn't understand the situation, he couldn't speak first. He had to let others make their moves.

Sure enough, after a brief silence in the hall, an official stepped forward.

After bowing, he declared, "Your Highness, Wang Jingzhong, commander of the Personal Guard Battalion, attempted last night to suborn Wu Asi, commander of the Spy Battalion. Both witnesses and material evidence are present. Please order immediate punishment and severe interrogation to uncover his accomplices and eliminate this threat to Qingliang Prefecture once and for all."

Ren Ye glanced at the official. He was the Chief Secretariat's Ji Shan, responsible for remonstrating with the prince and recording his every word and action.

Since Great Qian's founding, every princely residence had housed a Chief Secretariat. This office existed specifically to monitor the princes, serving as the emperor's eyes and ears. They probably even recorded the color of a prince's shit each night and reported it.

Dressed in red robes, Ren Ye sat upright in the hall and tried to imitate the language of the ancients. "Liu Ji Shan, Wang Jingzhong commands the Personal Guard Battalion and holds high rank and authority. From the age of eighteen, he accompanied my father on campaigns north and south, earning countless merits throughout his life. What reason would he have to rebel?"

"Qingliang Prefecture borders the Southern Border. If Wang Jingzhong intended to rebel, he must naturally have colluded with one of the small southern kingdoms. Had we not discovered this early, Your Highness's safety might have been imperiled." Liu Ji Shan kept his back bent, his eyes sharp and a vicious smile touching his lips. "Please order severe punishment immediately, Your Highness!"

"Your Highness, last night Wang Jingzhong invited me to meet him under the pretext of drinking. After sounding me out several times, he promised substantial rewards and proposed that we secretly collude to seize an opportunity to take control of Your Highness's front bedchamber. This was clearly an act of rebellion. Please order severe punishment!" The Spy Battalion commander stepped forward. "My maid and personal guards can all testify to this."

Ren Ye's heart sank at those words. He had intended to try to save Wang Jingzhong. After all, he had started as a puppet prince with few trustworthy people around him. If he could keep this man alive, he would certainly prove useful later.

But now it seemed Wang Jingzhong would be difficult to save-and Ren Ye himself might be finished too.

Both Liu Ji Shan and the Spy Battalion commander had demanded severe interrogation to uncover Wang Jingzhong's accomplices, not execution.

What does that mean? They're obviously trying to make Wang Jingzhong implicate me publicly, right here in this hall.

If that happened, the question wouldn't be whether he could save face. It would be whether he could survive...

After a moment's thought, Ren Ye suddenly smiled and looked up at a middle-aged man in the hall.

The man was tall, with graying temples, and wore a black robe embroidered with pythons. He had remained silent throughout.

He was Li Yan, the chief secretary of the Chief Secretariat. He oversaw the residence's government affairs and was the emperor's foremost lackey assigned to watch Ren Ye.

Liu Ji Shan and the others were attacking like rabid dogs today. Li Yan must have put them up to it behind the scenes.

"Chief Secretary Li, I have important matters to discuss with you. Shall we speak in the side hall?" Ren Ye tried to communicate directly with the leader of the court's lackeys.

Chief Secretary Li stood with his head lowered and didn't even lift his eyelids. "No matter is more important than rebellion. Please order Wang Jingzhong's interrogation, Your Highness."

Communication failed...

Ren Ye secretly gritted his teeth, then looked over the officials again. Finally, his gaze settled on the princess consort's exquisite profile. "Does anyone have a different opinion?"

The princess consort silently accepted a teacup from a maid, her beautiful face languid. She paid no attention whatsoever to Ren Ye's gaze.

The hall was quiet enough to hear a pin drop. Not a single person stepped forward to speak on Ren Ye's behalf.

Liu Ji Shan shot Ren Ye a sinister look, then stepped forward again and shouted, "Please order severe interrogation, Your Highness, and uncover Wang Jingzhong's accomplices!"

Tap, tap...!

As his words fell, more than forty officials stepped forward together and cried, "Please order severe interrogation, Your Highness, and uncover Wang Jingzhong's co-conspirators!"

Watching the officials advance so aggressively, Ren Ye felt almost hopeless.

Fine, Zhu Zigui, you're a bird trapped in a cage under house arrest. But did you have to be this stupid too?!

If you're this useless, could you at least stop making reckless moves? You had one loyal retainer with military authority, and you sent him personally to recruit a defector? And he got fucking reported!

Are you a fucking idiot?!

You left me this impossible mess. What the hell am I supposed to do? I'm asking you-what am I supposed to do?!

Just then, the princess consort took a sip of tea. Her eyes, bright as stars, turned indifferently toward Wang Jingzhong, who knelt on the floor.