[Regent's Residence · Study · Several Days Later · 9-11 PM]
Yin Wuwang pushed through the door and slapped a roll of intelligence reports onto the desk. "Xie Lan, Prince Huai has three thousand private soldiers!"
Xie Qingyan's head snapped up. His brush paused mid-stroke, a drop of ink falling unnoticed onto the document he had been reviewing.
"Hidden at an estate outside the city." Yin Wuwang dropped into the seat across from him, lowering his voice. "There's also five hundred soldiers lying in ambush at the southern pass, disguised as merchants and laborers. They could be moved into the capital at any time."
Xie Qingyan took the report and unfolded it, his eyes scanning the contents. His frown deepened with every line.
"My people also discovered," Yin Wuwang continued, "that Prince Huai has been frequently meeting with officials from the Ministry of Rites and Ministry of War these past few days. Care to guess what he's planning?"
Xie Qingyan was silent for a moment. "He wants to replace the Emperor."
"Exactly." Yin Wuwang nodded. "The young Emperor is young and his foundation is unstable. If Prince Huai wants to usurp the throne, he'll need to first bring down you, the Regent, then eliminate me, the Duke. Once the young Emperor is isolated and helpless, all Prince Huai needs is some pretext to depose him and declare himself sovereign."
Xie Qingyan set down the report and walked to the window, hands clasped behind his back.
Outside, the night was deep and still. Occasionally, the distant sound of the night watchman's wooden clapper drifted through the silence, hollow and haunting. The entire residence had gone to sleep; only this study still glowed with candlelight.
"This is how the plot was supposed to go." Xie Qingyan suddenly spoke, his voice soft. "The Regent and the Duke of Zhenguo fight until both are destroyed. Prince Huai reaps the benefits of their mutual destruction and successfully usurps the throne."
Yin Wuwang rose and walked to his side. "So the author who wrote this broken world never intended for us to win."
"It's not that he didn't intend it." Xie Qingyan shook his head. "He simply couldn't figure out how."
Yin Wuwang blinked. "What do you mean?"
"Look at this plot." Xie Qingyan turned, his gaze falling on the intelligence report on the desk. "Prince Huai's scheme is actually riddled with holes. Three thousand private soldiers hidden at an estate outside the city—how could troop movements of that scale possibly escape everyone's notice?"
Yin Wuwang's brow furrowed as he considered this. "You're saying..."
"The author probably got stuck when he reached this point." Xie Qingyan's tone was dry. "He wanted Prince Huai to successfully usurp the throne, but he couldn't devise a plausible process. So he simply had the Regent and the Duke kill each other—the simplest, most brutal way to clear the obstacles."
Yin Wuwang considered this. It made sense. He had read countless webnovels in the cultivation world—stories that circulated among bored cultivators during long meditation retreats. The worst ones always did this: whenever the author couldn't figure out how to move the plot forward, they simply killed off characters or introduced deus ex machina disasters.
This broken world is literally a first draft that never got revised.
Realization dawned on his face. "No wonder the Little Deer keeps suggesting I kill you. That broken system's brain is filled with exactly this kind of garbage plotting."
"Correct." The corner of Xie Qingyan's mouth curved up with a hint of mockery. "The original author couldn't write compelling political intrigue, so he just had the characters slaughter each other. Lazy writing at its finest. We're essentially cleaning up someone else's mess."
"So what do we do?" Yin Wuwang leaned forward. "Rewrite the whole thing?"
"We do what the author couldn't." Xie Qingyan walked back to the desk and picked up his brush. "We fill in what he failed to write."
"Such as?"
"Such as this." Xie Qingyan returned to the desk and drew several lines on a sheet of paper with his brush. "Prince Huai's private soldiers are hidden outside the city. They require a military tally to mobilize. He doesn't have one yet, so he can only rely on bribing the city defense forces. Who commands the city defense?"
"Commander Zhou of the Court of Judicature." Yin Wuwang answered immediately. "The Prime Minister's man."
"Exactly. So if Prince Huai wants to usurp the throne, he must first cooperate with the Prime Minister." Xie Qingyan drew another line on the paper. "But the Prime Minister may not be willing to serve as Prince Huai's stepping stone. Sooner or later, cracks will appear between them."
Yin Wuwang's eyes lit up. "You're saying we can drive a wedge between them?"
"Not yet." Xie Qingyan shook his head. "Acting now is too premature. We need to wait for them to reveal their own weaknesses, and then we—"
Before he could finish, footsteps sounded outside the door, accompanied by a woman's voice: "Your Highness, this humble wife has prepared ginseng soup for you."
Both men froze.
"It's the Princess Consort." Xie Qingyan said in a low voice.
Without a word, Yin Wuwang's form blurred. He leaped soundlessly up to the rafters and melted into the shadows.
The door opened to reveal a woman in elegant robes carrying a tray. The Regent's Princess Consort appeared to be around thirty, with refined features and a gentle expression. A faint scent of osmanthus followed her into the room. She was Xie Qingyan's "wife" in this world—an NPC, but one who couldn't be allowed to notice anything amiss.
"So late, and Your Highness is still reviewing documents?" The Princess Consort set the ginseng soup on the desk, her gaze sweeping across the papers scattered there. "This humble wife heard from the servants that Your Highness skipped dinner again today. You must take better care of yourself."
Xie Qingyan's expression remained unchanged. "Court affairs are demanding. I lost track of time."
"Your Highness must take care of your health." The Princess Consort spoke softly. "This humble wife won't disturb you further. Please rest soon."
She curtsied gracefully and withdrew.
The door closed again. The sound of footsteps gradually faded.
Yin Wuwang dropped from the rafters, his face as dark as the bottom of a pot.
What Princess Consort?! Fuguang is mine! He roared internally. This broken world even gave Fuguang a wife?!
He had known, of course. He had read the character profiles. "Regent Xie Lan, married to the daughter of the Duke of Chen, no heir." But knowing it as text and watching another person bring Fuguang soup in the middle of the night were two entirely different things.
No heir, huh? He thought sourly. And she comes bringing soup in the middle of the night? Clearly hoping to change that situation. What a shameless woman.
An NPC, he reminded himself fiercely. She's just an NPC. A background character. She doesn't matter. She's not real. None of this is real.
But the irrational jealousy churning in his chest didn't seem to care about logic. It burned hot and bitter, completely disproportionate to the situation.
Get a grip, he scolded himself. You're three thousand years old. You've conquered realms. You've faced down armies. And you're jealous of a fictional wife bringing fictional soup?
Yes. Yes, he was.
Xie Qingyan glanced at him. "Why does your face look so terrible?"
"It's nothing." Yin Wuwang's voice was stiff. "Too much dust on the rafters. Made me choke."
Xie Qingyan didn't press further. He lowered his head and picked up the bowl of ginseng soup, blowing on it gently.
Yin Wuwang stared at that bowl, his gaze intense enough to bore a hole through the porcelain.
I can make soup too! My soup would be a hundred times better than hers!
He had never made soup in his life. Three thousand years as the Demon Sovereign, and not once had he set foot in a kitchen. But in this moment, he was absolutely certain that if he tried, his soup would be superior. It would have to be. Because it would be made for Fuguang, and anything made for Fuguang deserved to be perfect.
This is ridiculous, he told himself. She's an NPC. A background character. Her soup means nothing.
But the irrational jealousy continued to churn.
He raged silently in his mind, but his face remained impassive. He said coldly, "Let's talk business. You mentioned waiting for Prince Huai to reveal weaknesses. How exactly do we do that?"
Xie Qingyan set down the soup bowl, his expression returning to its usual coolness. "The imperial examinations are approaching. If Prince Huai wants to win hearts and expand his influence, the examinations are his best opportunity."
"You want to make a move through the examinations?"
"Yes." Xie Qingyan nodded. "I will personally serve as the Chief Examiner. That will cut off this path for Prince Huai."
Yin Wuwang considered for a moment. "What about the Prime Minister? He won't sit idly by."
"Of course he won't." The corner of Xie Qingyan's mouth curved up. "That's why I need to strike first and force him to show his hand."
Yin Wuwang looked at him and suddenly laughed. "You—your belly is full of nothing but schemes."
"Takes one to know one." Xie Qingyan's tone was level. "Without you watching so closely these past few days, I couldn't have gotten such a clear picture of Prince Huai's situation."
Yin Wuwang froze. Was that... was Fuguang praising him?
Little Deer Assistant 9527's voice crackled in his mind: "Suggestion: Confess now! Tell the Regent how you feel!"
Confess my ass! Yin Wuwang snarled internally. Can this broken system not read the room?!
He ignored the Little Deer and affected a casual tone. "Naturally. When this sovereign does something, it's always thorough."
Xie Qingyan looked at him, was silent for a moment, then suddenly spoke: "Yin Wuwang."
"Mm?"
"In this world," Xie Qingyan's voice remained cool, yet carried an almost imperceptible weight, "you are the only one who can match my moves."
Yin Wuwang's heart skipped a beat.
He opened his mouth, momentarily at a loss for words. A thousand thoughts churned through his mind, but in the end, all he could manage was: "Naturally."
Xie Qingyan didn't respond further, lowering his head to continue reviewing the documents.
Yin Wuwang stood rooted to the spot, watching his focused profile, his heart in turmoil.
Fuguang acknowledged me. After all these years, he had never been this close to Fuguang before. Not as an enemy. Not as an opponent. But as... an ally standing shoulder to shoulder.
This round, I absolutely will not let you lose.
The thought surprised him with its intensity. When had protecting Fuguang become more important than winning? When had standing beside him become more valuable than standing against him?
Don't think about it, he warned himself. Focus on the mission.
Xie Qingyan suddenly looked up, catching that foolish grin on his face. "What are you smiling about?"
"N-Nothing." Yin Wuwang hastily composed his expression, clearing his throat. "It's late. This sovereign should return to his residence. How do you plan to make your move at tomorrow's court session?"
"I'll volunteer to serve as Chief Examiner." Xie Qingyan said slowly. "The Prime Minister will certainly object. Remember to play along."
"Don't worry." Yin Wuwang turned and headed for the door. At the threshold, he suddenly paused. "Oh, that ginseng soup..."
"What about it?"
"Nothing." Yin Wuwang hesitated, his tone turning sour. "The Princess Consort is truly virtuous."
With that, he pushed through the door and vanished into the night.
Xie Qingyan stared at the doorway, his brow furrowing slightly.
That tone Yin Wuwang used just now... did it sound like jealousy?
...I'm overthinking it. He shook his head to dispel the notion.
Looking down at the bowl of ginseng soup, now completely cold, he found he had lost all interest in drinking it.
Strange. The Princess Consort had been nothing but dutiful since he arrived in this world. She managed the household efficiently, never interfered with his affairs, and maintained exactly the proper distance expected of a political marriage. By all accounts, she was performing her role flawlessly.
So why did Yin Wuwang's sour comment about her being "virtuous" leave such an odd taste in his mouth?
He pushed the soup aside and returned to his documents.
Outside the window, a night breeze stirred gently, rustling the leaves of the courtyard trees. In the distance, the faint sound of the watchman's clapper echoed through the darkness, marking the passage of another hour.
The imperial examinations were approaching. A greater storm was about to break.
And somewhere in the back of his mind, a question he refused to examine too closely continued to linger: Why did he care what Yin Wuwang thought about the Princess Consort?
[End of Chapter 13]
Next Chapter Preview:
The Regent announces he will personally oversee the imperial examinations. The Prime Minister objects. The court erupts. And somewhere in the chaos, a certain Demon Sovereign discovers that playing the loyal general is far more exhausting than conquering the Nine Hells.
Chapter 14: All Examinees Tremble! The Regent Personally Serves as Chief Examiner!