Montage-style lies

Qi Yuanzuo did not want to return so early.

He had Fat Eunuch settle Jiang Erya in while he continued strolling through the streets with his father.

They bought plenty of little folk trinkets and only turned back as the night market was winding down, still wishing they could linger.

Inside the carriage, Qi Yuanzuo slept soundly while the guard who had stayed at the Qi Emperor's side throughout reported in a low voice.

"I have verified it, Your Majesty. The father and daughter came from Jiang Family Village, sixty li away. Their family has been poor commoners for three generations. They have no access to news of Your Majesty, much less any way of knowing your whereabouts."

The Qi Emperor tapped his fingers. "You mean it was a coincidence?"

Su Changhuai lowered his head. "That is my assessment, Your Majesty."

The Qi Emperor said quietly, "Commoners happened upon the heir apparent during the Double Ninth Festival. Their tragic circumstances won the Crown Prince's pity, and the girl entered the palace to serve him."

"What a coincidence."

Su Changhuai gripped the saber at his waist. "I am willing to remove this concern for Your Majesty!"

The Qi Emperor considered it.

Lowering his eyes to the string of blood-jade beads at his beloved son's waist, he remembered that night's promise to get angry only once in his entire life. Despite himself, he took the beads and rolled them between his fingers.

His killing intent gradually faded.

"That girl surnamed Jiang is blessed with good fortune. Since the Crown Prince likes her, let her stay."

"Yes, Your Majesty," Su Changhuai replied.

Apart from the soundly sleeping little Crown Prince, only the Qi Emperor and Su Changhuai were inside the carriage.

"Changhuai, sit down."

Su Changhuai raised his head and obeyed.

The Qi Emperor said fondly, "You are twenty-eight this year. It is time you married and had children."

Su Changhuai replied stubbornly, "My life is devoted solely to repaying Your Majesty. I have no thoughts of romantic attachments."

The Qi Emperor sighed.

"I remember Changhe was two years older than you. Back then, one of you brothers pursued letters and the other martial arts, and I was still the Crown Prince."

"Changhe danced with his sword, you wielded your saber, the Crown Princess ground ink, and I painted and inscribed poems."

The Qi Emperor slowly poured out the melancholy in his heart. "Year follows year, and those feelings remain, forever recalled."

"Changhe has been gone for six years. The Orchid-Born Wine has been buried for six years, too."

"When the first snow falls, we will dig it up. Join me and get drunk."

Su Changhuai listened quietly, then answered softly, "All right."

After a long silence, the Qi Emperor said, "Do not resent me."

Su Changhuai answered earnestly, "I do not resent Your Majesty. That was my elder brother's choice. Your Majesty is as magnanimous as the sage-kings Yao and Shun. It is I who feel ashamed before you."

"If Your Majesty needs me, I will gladly be a pawn before your horse, sworn to repay your grace unto death!"

The Qi Emperor urged him, "Once we have drunk the Orchid-Born Wine, let everything pass. Find a wife soon. You are all that remains of the Su Family's direct line. Do not leave Changhe worrying even in the world below."

Su Changhuai did not answer.

The Qi Emperor did not mind. He merely patted the son in his arms in silence. When the carriage stopped, he stepped down with his son, supported by Su Changhuai.

He personally carried his son to the Hall of Inherited Blessing, removed his clothes and boots, and tucked him into bed, still deep asleep. Only after instructing the servants to attend him carefully did the Qi Emperor leave.

Dim bronze lamps burned in the Hall of Inherited Blessing. Behind the bed curtains, Qi Yuanzuo quietly opened his eyes.

88 blurted out, "Holy shit!"

"Host! You weren't asleep!"

Annoyed by its noise, Qi Yuanzuo replied, "I was. I woke up partway back."

"Right when they were reminiscing."

The jolting carriage was uncomfortable, and he had not slept deeply.

He had woken fully upon hearing the name Changhuai.

Su Changhuai, commander of the Imperial Guards-the man who helped the Eldest Prince's rebel troops enter the palace.

In the end, the Eldest Prince's rebellion failed, and Su Changhuai killed himself.

From what his father had said, Su Changhuai had an older brother named Su Changhe, two years his senior.

One brother had pursued letters and the other martial arts. They had known his father for years and were close to him. Six years ago, Su Changhe had died for some unknown reason.

Combined with the words "that was my elder brother's choice," it seemed highly likely that Su Changhe had willingly gone to his death.

Something must have happened six years ago that led to Su Changhe's death, and it was connected to his father. Otherwise, his father would not have said, "Do not resent me."

Judging by Su Changhuai's words, his father might have been a victim as well. Otherwise, Su Changhuai would not have said he felt "ashamed before Your Majesty."

Could this have something to do with Consort Xian?

Su Changhuai was twenty-eight and unmarried. In a world where the average lifespan was fifty, that was like still being single past fifty. Could Su Changhuai really be in love with Consort Xian?

A lovesick fool who could abandon everything and help stage a rebellion for a woman could not be allowed to command the Imperial Guards.

Unless he uncovered the reason, Qi Yuanzuo would not even sleep peacefully. This was the commander of the Imperial Guards! The palace's last shield!

A man who enjoyed the emperor's deepest trust!

After thinking that through, he asked another question.

"System, how did the female lead end up selling herself?"

"The female lead's early storyline was supposed to be cozy farming. But look at her father today. How could anything about him be cozy?"

88 reminded him, "Host, the original novel began when the female lead was thirteen. She is only seven now. The author never wrote about her life before thirteen."

"At the beginning, she had a disabled, mute father, a gentle and virtuous mother, and a younger brother who had passed the preliminary scholarly examination. It also briefly mentioned that her grandparents had died of strokes."

Qi Yuanzuo looked thoughtful. "The father we saw today was neither disabled nor mute. He was prone to domestic violence, had a filthy mouth, and wanted to sell his daughter."

A word came to Qi Yuanzuo: montage.

This was like writing a montage-style lie. Readers believed they stood in an omniscient god's vantage point, when in fact they stood in the female lead's!

If the original novel's events had unfolded the same way, how had her father gone from the able-bodied man he was today to being disabled and mute later?

At the beginning of the original novel, the author described the female lead as hardworking and resilient, kind and unyielding. She was understanding toward her disabled father and helped him see reason, acted sweet and filial toward her mother, and lovingly guided her scholarly younger brother.

Given her father's beatings and curses today, and the female lead's hatred for him that wished him dead, understanding him and helping him see reason?

Threatening and tormenting him would be more like it!

So the female lead was definitely no pushover!

Then the contents of the original novel could not be trusted.

Because they were montage-style lies fabricated by the author from the female lead's perspective!

The entire story was a lie!

Alarm bells went off in Qi Yuanzuo's mind.

If that was the case, keeping the female lead right under his nose was actually a good thing.

If the whole story consisted of the female lead's lies, then what secrets did her cheat hold?

Was it really just a simple crop system?

The more Qi Yuanzuo thought, the more dangerous it seemed.

He could not gamble on the female lead treating him sincerely after learning that he was also a transmigrator.

Rather than fellow countrymen meeting with tear-filled eyes, fellow countrymen meeting with two knives between the ribs was closer to reality.

Whether it was the reborn Eldest Prince or the Transmigrated Woman, he could not expose himself to either of them.

He had to prepare for the worst. What if all his brothers had been reborn and joined forces against him again, or the Transmigrated Woman teamed up with them against him too?

Qi Yuanzuo's scalp prickled. He desperately wanted the ability to protect himself.

The Transmigrated Woman, who was no pushover.

His reborn brothers.

His father, who might someday go mad and become wary of him.

Fuck!

Qi Yuanzuo did not feel even remotely safe!

Like someone suffering from persecutory delusions, he imagined everyone joining forces against him alone in the future!

His heart sank into fear. His breathing grew increasingly rapid, his heart pounding wildly. He rolled over, scrambled up, and rang the bell.

The maids and eunuchs hurried into the hall, only to find the little Crown Prince reaching toward the head of his bed with a trembling hand.

After the last time thunder had frightened him on a rainy night, the imperial physicians had developed pills for him. He carried a bottle with him every day, and another was kept beside his bed.

Realizing what was happening, Bolao hurried to bring warm water.

Qi Yuanzuo calmed considerably after taking the medicine. He pressed a hand over the scar on his chest, his eyes still and quiet.

I have to learn martial arts.

No matter what, I have to build up my health and learn martial arts!

Bolao supported the little Crown Prince anxiously.

"Your Highness, shall I fetch an imperial physician?"

Qi Yuanzuo lay down and shook his head. "I had a nightmare. I'm fine now. All of you may leave."

"Do not disturb Father."

The little Crown Prince pulled up the covers, pressed his back against the wall, and curled up at the innermost edge of the bed. He closed his eyes, unwilling to say anything more.

Bolao froze for a moment.

That position...

Was he afraid to leave his back exposed to anyone?