As soon as Tongtian's voice resounded, everyone calmed down, including Rong Guangyan outside the pavilion.
"Gu...Guoshi..." Rong Guangyan glanced around cautiously and asked, "Who was speaking just now?"
Ye Zhizhou snapped out of his daze, quickly lifted the small mirror in his hand, and forced a faint smile, "N-No one was speaking, Xiao Guoshi, you must have misheard. Yes, definitely a mistake..."
Rong Guangyan gazed at him intently, his round face displaying seriousness, "Third Prince, I'm not blind."
"..." I didn't ask you to go blind, I just hope you go deaf!
"Guangyan," Shaya pulled Ye Zhizhou's hand and placed it in her embrace, then turned to look at him, "Just now, Third Prince and I were drinking tea and playing chess, understood?"
Rong Guangyan's expression changed, and he hurriedly bowed respectfully, saying, "Guangyan understands." He then turned around and stood like a small pillar outside the pavilion.
Ye Zhizhou stared in astonishment and pulled at his clothes, lowering his voice, "Why does he listen to you so obediently? Weren't you in a deep slumber for many years and just woke up? How..."
"Fourteen years," Shaya drew him into her embrace and stroked his hair, her expression much gentler, "I've been here for fourteen years, and before you appeared, I had to remain in a deep slumber. Guangyan grew up under my watch, don't worry, he's very obedient."
Ye Zhizhou was a bit afraid when he felt her touch his head. He cautiously turned his head and said, "Fourteen years, isn't that the year you woke up? Wait! You didn't reincarnate yourself this time, did you?"
"The cycle of reincarnation has ended, and the rules of the heavens do not allow me to intrude into the three thousand small worlds on my own. Unfortunately, I can only borrow someone else's body. The real Shaya died fourteen years ago." He squinted, a cold smile on his lips, "He was killed by Shayue, and since I've borrowed his body, I naturally have to resolve his karma... Xiaozhou, if you want to save yourself, that's fine, I'll support you. But the matter of the Soul Banner is too significant; let me help you, alright?"
"You... You know all of this?" Today, Ye Zhizhou had been surprised too many times, and he felt unusually calm now. "What about Shayue killing Shaya? And why has Shaya's body been in a coma but hasn't aged? Did you do something?"
"No," Shaya liked how earnestly he looked at her. Her expression softened, "Being in a coma without aging is because he was poisoned; the lack of aging is just on the surface, his body has long been riddled with holes. If he hadn't been unable to hold on any longer, I wouldn't have come earlier than you... Suitable bodies are hard to find, and I didn't want to miss you."
Upon hearing this, Ye Zhizhou became anxious and hurriedly activated the scanning function on Tongtian to scan him thoroughly. He asked urgently, "How is your body now? Is there still poison?"
"Don't worry, I've already modified this body, and it can stay with you all the time." He placed his hand on the small mirror, then glanced at Rong Guangyan outside the pavilion. His tone turned cold, "And this body doesn't age now."
Rong Guangyan's spine stiffened, and the small mirror trembled in fear.
"Don't scare them!" Ye Zhizhou protected the small mirror, speaking firmly, "Tongtian and Guangyan are still children; what's with the jealousy?" He suddenly remembered that he had triggered this jealousy himself and felt a bit uncomfortable. He changed the subject, looking down at the small mirror and said, "Tongtian, you've always been able to speak?"
The small mirror remained quiet for a while, then a childish voice rang out, "Yes."
Ye Zhizhou was a bit taken aback and pleasantly surprised. He tapped it playfully and asked, "Then why have you been communicating with me using a screen?"
The childish voice disappeared, and the screen popped up with a swish. [I thought the host might prefer the form of an intelligent system... and it would appear more convincing.]
Ye Zhizhou stared at the screen, unable to refute. If the childish voice had been used when they first bound the system, he might have thought it was some prank show and wouldn't have diligently carried out his tasks from the beginning...
Shaya didn't like Ye Zhizhou ignoring her to chat with someone else, so she reached out and held his face, speaking coldly, "Saving the world is more important, Xiaozhou. Tell me who has the flags in this world, and I'll help you."
Ye Zhizhou was momentarily frozen by his tone, then he felt joy surge within him. He looked at him with sparkling eyes and said, "Since you know about the Soul Banner, you must surely know what it really is! I've been curious for a long time; please tell me! And you, what is your identity, and why can you follow me everywhere?"
Shaya looked deeply into his eyes and shook his head, "Due to the rules, I can't say."
The text on the screen changed, [Host doesn't have sufficient privileges to access information.]
"..." He really didn't want to be in a situation where "everyone knows except me" again! He was the one doing the missions, after all!
Ye Zhizhou tried to extract insider information through persistent questioning, but to no avail. He angrily got down from Shaya's lap, stared at him repeatedly, and then took out pen and paper from his space to jot down a few names and a rough storyline. He handed it to Shaya with a stern expression and said, "It's these... Can't you really see what Tongtian was talking about?"
The text on the screen changed again, [The system has a confidentiality mechanism.]
"Sooner or later, I'll be able to see it," Shaya took the list, glanced at it, thought for a few seconds, and asked, "Guangyan's banner has been removed, what about another one, Leng Ye? Is he one of the shadow guards?"
Ye Zhizhou nodded, "Yes, his banner was suddenly removed too... Father said Leng Xin gave me a group of shadow guards as part of my dowry... Oh no, Father misspoke, I should say I married him, not that he was part of the dowry." He chuckled smugly, looking at his lover, "In this lifetime, I married you!"
Shaya smiled and pinched his earlobe, "But in bed, I've always been the one marrying you."
Ye Zhizhou blushed, pushed him away, and said, "Let's focus on the task and not be indecent! Among the group of shadow guards that Leng Xin sent over, there should be Leng Ye. I'll confirm it after they are delivered."
"No need to confirm specifically; the removed banners don't need attention," Shaya returned to the task at hand. His finger traced over a few names, and he pointed to the names of Ruan Wanhe, Liu Jun, and Ying Qiong, saying, "Let's deal with their banners first."
Ye Zhizhou leaned in to take a look and asked, "How do we deal with them? I have a way for Liu Jun; although he runs a brothel, he secretly yearns for a monogamous life, so I just need to expose the protagonist's philandering in front of him. As for Ruan Wanhe, I plan to get close to him for now. Ying Qiong will require a more indirect approach; he's the type to go along with whoever he's marrying, and his love for the protagonist is solely because of his grandmother's arranged match. I'll talk to Father later and see if we can arrange a good marriage for him ahead of time."
Shaya saw him seriously contemplating the mission for the first time and found it somewhat novel. He also felt a sense of joy and couldn't help but stretch his arm to hug him tightly, saying, "No need to go through so much trouble. Liu Jun already has someone he loves; it's just a misunderstanding between them. As for Ying Qiong and Ruan Wanhe, they each have their destined partners. The fact that they fell in love with Leng Meier is entirely due to the influence of the Soul Banner. As long as we find the other end of their red threads, we can remove the banners."
Ye Zhizhou looked up at him, then excitedly leaned in to kiss his face hard. "You're amazing!" Having someone's thigh to cling to felt like a pie falling from the sky, and it was the kind with a filling, making him feel like he could fly with happiness!
"I just knew some things before you did; it's not that amazing," Shaya said contentedly, hugging him tightly. His tone became slightly solemn, and his gaze turned cold, "Rest assured, I won't let you suffer like before."
The small mirror lying in Ye Zhizhou's arms trembled and decided to quietly pretend it didn't exist.
After chatting with his lover for a while, Ye Zhizhou's heart finally returned to its place, and he walked out of the bamboo forest with quick steps. Dongfang Shu... his lover's name sounded so beautiful; he regretted not calling it out more times just now!
Degui Jun was anxiously pacing at the palace gate, and when he saw Ye Zhizhou return, he hurried over and asked, "Did you see State Preceptor Shaya? What did he say? Did he tell you how this marriage was arranged? What was your Empress Mother thinking?"
Ye Zhizhou was taken aback by his questions and felt a bit awkward. He had been so focused on discussing the mission that he had forgotten to ask how his lover had convinced the Emperor to arrange their marriage.
Degui Jun thought Ye Zhizhou's silence meant something bad and his expression turned desperate. "Is there no way... What should we do now?"
"Don't worry, Father. The situation is resolved; the State Preceptor knows my true gender, and our marriage is just a cover to protect me. He's our ally, not an enemy." Ye Zhizhou quickly reassured him, supporting him and saying, "I'm already seventeen now, and my two elder sisters have already married. If it weren't for State Preceptor Shaya helping me cover up this time, my gender secret would have been exposed sooner or later. If Mother Empress decides to arrange a different marriage for me one day, like a minister's son or a newly emerging talent..."
Degui Jun couldn't help but follow Ye Zhizhou's words and think ahead. He paled with shock as he realized, "So... State Preceptor Shaya won't reveal your secret?"
"No, Father," Ye Zhizhou shook his head and then gave him a word of caution, "Jun Father, I believe I will be with Shaya for the rest of my life. It will be just the two of us, and there won't be any children. This is the only way we can live peacefully in the imperial city."
Degui Jun was momentarily stunned, and his eyes darkened. He took a deep breath and said firmly, "As long as you are safe, we won't ask for anything else... Yan'er, will you blame me for making you spend your life with a... with a man, and not being able to have your own children?"
"Of course not!" Ye Zhizhou quickly shook his head and continued to feed him soup while helping him walk towards the palace.
After that day, Ye Zhizhou and Shaya did not meet again. The wedding preparations were in full swing, and both of them were surrounded by a crowd of people, making it difficult to find an opportunity. Half a month later, Ye Zhizhou received the decree of becoming a prince and moved to the Wang Mansion outside the palace on the same day. Five days later, the wedding took place. Shaya's presence was only known to a part of the palace, and the outside world believed that the third princess, Leng Yan, had married an orphan of a certain minister. So the wedding went relatively smoothly.
Degui Jun couldn't help but cry uncontrollably at the wedding. Others thought he was overwhelmed with joy, unable to contain his tears, and no one could see the guilt and sorrow in his heart.
On the second day of the wedding, Ye Zhizhou swallowed a pill and rolled off the bed with a stern look, glaring at his lover. He dressed and washed himself while demanding, "Spill it! What did you conspire with the Emperor, and why did she agree to our marriage?" He had signed a bunch of unequal treaties just to find out this information, and it felt like a big loss!
Shaya lazily leaned on the bed, squinting as if recalling the wonderful time from the previous night. He said casually, "I have some leverage over her."
Ye Zhizhou was provoked by his "post-coital" appearance and clenched his teeth angrily, saying menacingly, "People who speak in halves are eunuchs! Speak everything at once, don't beat around the bush."
"You know I'm not a eunuch," Shaya glanced at him meaningfully and continued, "The Emperor died long ago, and the one sitting on the throne now is not Leng Xin but Leng Yue. It's too easy to find evidence against him. I just mentioned one thing at random, and he agreed to all my requests. Now, I can decide whether he lives or dies. If I want him dead, he dies; if I want him alive, he lives. The initiative is in our hands."
Ye Zhizhou was shocked. "She is Leng Yue?!" What a dramatic twist!
He quickly dropped the towel, walked back to the bed in big steps, and stared at Shaya with wide eyes. "Then what about her height and face?" In this world, even though it was female-dominated, men were still taller than women. It's just that the setting in this world was a bit peculiar; taller people were weaker...
"Tienshan Sect has a secret technique that can change bone structure and alter appearances," Shaya explained. He reached out to hold Ye Zhizhou's hand and carefully examined him again, then suddenly smiled. "I used to think that people entangled in love affairs were just controlled by worldly desires, but now when I look at you, I only feel content and joy. If I can have you, I would rather be a useless person with no achievements."
Ye Zhizhou, who was analyzing the plot at lightning speed, was stunned by his words, and his thoughts were interrupted. He glared at Shaya with a mix of embarrassment and anger. "Sweet talk won't work! No touching for a week, or I'll castrate you!"
Shaya smiled and pinched his nose.
After dressing up, the two of them got into the carriage to return to the palace. Finally, Ye Zhizhou could think about the plot in peace.
In the original plot, the leader of the Tianshan Sect was killed shortly after taking in the protagonist. From what is known now, the traitor who killed Xia Qing was likely Shaya in disguise, with the aim of obtaining the Tianshan Sect's secret technique of bone-shrinking and face-changing, which was traditionally only passed down to the sect leader. No wonder the plot felt a bit strange before. Now, by replacing Leng Xin with Leng Yue, many things have become clearer.
The once cold and aloof Leng Xin, who had wanted to erase her dark history with Leng Mei, quickly accepted her as she grew up. The formerly promiscuous Leng Xin became sexually indifferent and no longer had any intimate relations with anyone. The timing of Leng Mei's entry into the military was quite delicate. As a new recruit, she surprisingly had interactions with the Grand General Ying Long. And the timing of the protagonist's gender reveal happened right after she attempted to assassinate the protagonist.
Wait a moment, the protagonist's secret guards were given by Leng Xin, and Leng Xin was impersonated by Leng Yue... So, was the protagonist actually under the surveillance of Leng Yue the whole time? Could the plot of sending secret guards to assassinate the protagonist and having them killed by the protagonist be just a performance? Furthermore, the eldest princess and the second princess, all their secret guards were also given by Leng Xin... Plus, those beauties who entered the palace in recent years... Since Leng Xin was actually Shaya in disguise, those beauties entering the palace seem suspicious... Could those beauties also be secret guards? Is there a network of spies loyal to Shaya throughout the palace now?
Suddenly, he felt a chill down his spine. No wonder the protagonist in the original plot was able to easily defeat the other princesses and ascend to the throne. The support behind the scenes was just too powerful, and the planning had been going on for too long.
"What are you thinking?"
His ear was suddenly pinched, and he looked at his lover beside him. A flash of insight struck him, and he said, "The birthmark on Shaya is fake, right? No, it's wrong. Shaya is the national teacher, not Leng Yue! It's him and Leng Xin who plotted together, right? For the throne?" So, there was no such thing as a three-year overlap! Shaya died fourteen years ago, and then Rong Guangyan was born, and the timing matched perfectly!
"The birthmark on Shaya is indeed real, but it just happens to look like the true mark on Shaya's body. As for Leng Xin, she actually admired Shaya, but the one who could help her was Leng Yue. She chose power over love. I lightened the birthmark on Guangyan to guard against Leng Yue, who was in control of the Mingyue Hall at the time."
Ye Zhizhou couldn't help but tug at his hair. Did Shaya plan all of this behind the scenes from the moment he got involved with Leng Xin? Otherwise, there was no explanation for how a national teacher who lived in the Mingyue Hall and the leader of the Tianshan Sect, who was far away on the border, became friends.
[Mu Yan, Ying Qiong, Yu Shuang's chances of falling in love with the protagonist have now increased to 100%. Please be aware, host! Please be aware!]
He snapped out of his thoughts and quickly took out pen and paper from the spatial storage to start writing furiously.
"What's wrong?" Shaya frowned.
"Mu Yan, Ying Qiong, and Yu Shuang's flags have become complete again, and Leng Mei is probably healed and preparing to join the army. I'm planning to remove the flag on Xia Yanyun. Can you send a message to the Tianshan Sect?"
"No need." Shaya held down his hand and took the pen from him. "I've already sent the message. Considering the time, it should have arrived by now. You don't need to worry about Mu Yan for now. Ying Qiong's flag can be removed soon, and as for Yu Shuang, rest assured, he won't have a chance to meet Leng Mei."
[Xia Yanyun's chances of falling in love with the protagonist have now dropped to 0%. The third soul flag has been removed. Congratulations, host! Keep up the good work.]
"..."
"What's wrong? Is Xia Yanyun's flag removed?"
Ye Zhizhou turned his dead-fish eyes towards him.
"So Leng Mei probably doesn't have the energy to join the army now. The Xia family is known for their revengeful nature." Shaya smiled, indulgent in his affection for him. "I told you, I won't let you suffer like that again."
Ye Zhizhou quickly turned his dead-fish eyes back to normal and rushed over to him. "My golden thigh, I'll be good to you for the rest of my life!" The feeling of lying down and doing nothing while being pampered felt so good!