Chapter 5: The So-called Exploitation of Loopholes

Chapter 5: The So-called Exploitation of Loopholes

When Zhuo Fan woke up, the snowstorm had stopped.

He opened his eyes and hazily saw a man sitting quietly by the bed, reading a book quietly. Hearing the movement, the man glanced at him and smiled softly, "You're awake?"

"...King Wen?" Zhuo Fan recognized who he was and, in shock, tried to get up to pay his respects, but the man gently pressed him back down.

"You're still sick, no need for formalities," Wen Muyan said, his warm palm resting on Zhuo Fan's forehead for a moment. "I had the royal physician examine you. He said you caught a chill, but fortunately, the fever has subsided. Drink the medicine later and get some more rest."

Zhuo Fan stared at him wide-eyed and murmured a dazed thank-you.

He knew of King Wen back then. It was around the time he began to fall out of favor that Wen Muyan, then the eldest prince, came to the capital to meet the Emperor. Emperor Qing conferred the title of King Wen upon him and invited him to stay in the palace for a while. They had met a few times in court, and for some reason, King Wen seemed to have developed a fondness for him.

Back then, Zhuo Fan's heart was entirely devoted to Emperor Qing, and he ignored the overtures of friendship from both his classmate Shao Ze and King Wen. Now that he had fully realized Emperor Qing's coldness, he found this timely act of kindness all the more precious.

"Earlier, Xian Fu came to see you," Wen Muyan said as he returned to his chair and picked up the book again, as if it were a casual remark.

Zhuo Fan smiled bitterly, "I didn't expect to disturb Eunuch Xian Fu..."

Wen Muyan's gaze remained on the book, but his thoughts seemed to wander. After a long pause, he added, "It was His Majesty who specifically sent him to check on you."

Hearing this, Zhuo Fan stiffened. He sat on the bed with his head lowered, his voice tinged with sarcasm, "His Majesty, in the midst of his affection for his new favorite, still remembers whether I live or die. Should I be grateful for such boundless imperial grace?"

King Wen put the book down and shook his head gently, "If such words were overheard by someone with ill intentions, it could lead to complications."

Zhuo Fan drew his knees to his chest, stubbornly saying, "Let them hear it! Let them laugh at me! I don't care! I'm just a fool!"

He buried his head in his arms, not noticing King Wen's expression. After a while, he felt a warm hand gently patting his back, and a warm, soothing voice came from above, "Lift your head, and you'll find there are others in this world worthy of your love."

The words were spoken slowly, as if King Wen had mustered great courage to say them. Zhuo Fan looked up and saw his handsome face, suddenly feeling flustered, "Your... Your Highness, I..."

"No need to say more," Wen Muyan quickly withdrew his hand. "If you ever face difficulties, you can always come to me."

"Your Highness, please forgive me! I must take my leave now!" Zhuo Fan breathed a sigh of relief and, despite his still weak body from the fever, hurried out the door as if fleeing.

For some reason, the place where King Wen had touched him felt as if it were on fire, and his heart was pounding.

When he returned to the Zhuo residence, Zhuo Fan was still feeling disoriented and nearly collided with his longtime classmate and friend, Shao Ze, who had been waiting for him.

Shao Ze was of average appearance, slightly overweight, and not particularly tall—at most, he could be described as sturdy. His square face was usually stern, but over the years, he had always been open and sincere with Zhuo Fan, treating him genuinely well.

"What happened yesterday? I heard you stayed at King Wen's place overnight?" Shao Ze grabbed Zhuo Fan's arm, his face showing displeasure.

Though his tone was harsh, Zhuo Fan could sense the underlying concern. He smiled bitterly and nodded, "I got caught in the rain and snow last night, likely caught a chill and fainted. King Wen happened to pass by and saved me. I woke up at his place today."

"What? Are you still feeling unwell?"

As he spoke, Shao Ze reached out to check Zhuo Fan's forehead, but Zhuo Fan quickly dodged, "I'm much better now. A few days of rest, and I'll be fine."

Shao Ze silently withdrew his hand, not showing any annoyance, and returned to his usual stern, lecturing manner. After a moment of thought, he said, "At this morning's court session, King Wen asked for leave on your behalf. His Majesty's reaction was quite subtle. It's said that after court, he sent Eunuch Xian Fu to King Wen's place to check on you. And the fact that you stayed overnight at King Wen's residence... hasn't been well-received in the palace. If you hear anything, don't let it bother you. You know the Empress has always seen you as a thorn in her side. The gossip in the palace might just be someone behind the scenes trying to stir up trouble for you."

Seeing that Zhuo Fan didn't respond, Shao Ze continued to press on, "His Majesty has never been short of beauties by his side. Now you've seen it for yourself. I've always told you not to get entangled with that person in the palace. You, the top scholar of the imperial examination, why should you act like someone from the palace—"

He suddenly stopped, but Zhuo Fan let out a miserable laugh, his smile uglier than a cry, "You're right. I, the top scholar of the imperial examination, have my pride! Why should I let him trample over me? I gave him my whole heart, and he couldn't see it. Someone as cold and heartless as him, I will never, never grieve for him again!"

"Exactly! You've finally come to your senses. It was worth playing the bad guy. It's good that you've realized!" Shao Ze, in his excitement, grabbed Zhuo Fan's hand. Seeing that the latter only blushed and didn't pull away as he used to, he was even more delighted. Lowering his voice, he said eagerly, "Zhuo Fan, we've been classmates for years. You should know how I feel about you. It's no less than anyone else's. I—"

Seeing the rare, animated expression on Shao Ze's square face, Zhuo Fan was startled. For some reason, the image of King Wen's graceful demeanor flashed through his mind. He quickly pulled his hand back, flustered and apologetic, "Shao Ze, I know you've been very good to me, and I'm truly grateful. But I've always only seen you as a close friend, nothing more. And that won't change in the future!"

Shao Ze was caught off guard, his expression a bit awkward as he forced a bitter smile and casually put his hand down, saying, "I was just saying it casually, no other meaning intended, haha, don’t dwell on it, just let it go."

Zhuo Fan breathed a sigh of relief and tentatively asked, "So we’re still friends like always, right?"

Though heartbroken by the outright rejection, Shao Ze still nodded earnestly, "Of course."

Reflecting on their childhood together and how he had been in love with Zhuo Fan for almost ten years, Shao Ze sighed. He couldn’t blame Zhuo Fan; even though his love ran deep, he couldn’t make Zhuo Fan return his feelings. As long as he could remain by his side and see him live a happy life, that would be enough.

But who could have guessed that Zhuo Fan would fall for Emperor Qing, a cold-hearted ruler? To make matters worse, Emperor Qing disregarded Zhuo Fan’s genuine feelings, toyed with his emotions, and then tossed him aside!

Zhuo Fan was someone he held dear!

To have devoted his heart and soul to that scoundrel, only to be treated so harshly? Emperor Qing was a real jerk!

His Zhuo Fan, who should have been a noble and distant flower, so kind, so loyal, so beautiful—how fortunate anyone would be to be loved by someone like him! That ungrateful man was totally oblivious to his luck. Fortunately, Zhuo Fan had now completely moved on from Emperor Qing. Let Emperor Qing realize what he’s lost and regret it forever!

Shao Ze’s mind raced with these thoughts, carefully concealing his infatuation as he watched Zhuo Fan disappear through the door before he turned and left.

Zhuo Fan hadn’t expected that a single night of fever would lead to such a situation. His mind was filled with images of Emperor Qing and King Wen. He shook his head, his face pale, completely oblivious to Shao Ze’s thoughts. As soon as he returned to his room, he collapsed onto the bed and fell into a deep sleep.

In a half-dream state, he seemed to find himself in a white room, facing a white bed on which lay a cold man with the exact same face as Emperor Qing.

This was a dead man.

Zhuo Fan seemed to hear himself shouting at the corpse, "Where’s the 'I’m heartbroken, and now you’re chasing me'? Where’s the 'kneeling, crying, and taking bullets for me'? Where’s the 'possessive, forced love'?!"

"Wake up! Even if I don’t love you anymore, you can’t stop loving me! Even if I dumped you, you should immediately regret it and keep me in your heart at all times!"

"Even if you’re a scumbag, after some resistance, I’d still generously, reluctantly, and barely forgive you!"

"It’s definitely because you’re clingy and threatening to die, and absolutely not because you’re a devoted, handsome, and rich man that I’d forgive you!"

"But how could you just die?! Who’s going to compete with backup options 1, 2, and 3, and make me secretly enjoy the drama if you’re gone?!"

"This isn’t how the script goes!"

He felt extremely angry, so angry that he died of rage.

The scenes and shouts in the dream were exceptionally clear, but when Zhuo Fan woke up, he couldn’t remember any of it, only feeling a splitting headache and a throbbing at his temples.

A servant waiting outside hurried in, bowing and scraping, "Master, master, you’re finally awake! Someone from the palace has come to summon you to the palace!"

"...Someone from the palace?" Zhuo Fan’s face turned ashen as he muttered, then sneered, "Could it be His Majesty’s messenger?"

The servant nodded quickly, "Yes, yes, and it’s Eunuch Xian Fu himself! This is such an honor—"

"I’m not going!" Zhuo Fan fell back onto the bed, turning his back to the servant, his tone resolute, "I’m not a dog that he can summon and dismiss at will. Go tell Eunuch Xian Fu that I’m bedridden with a cold and can’t get up, and ask him to apologize to His Majesty on my behalf."

"Ah? Master, this is... Oh, master, please be reasonable! What if His Majesty gets angry?" The servant was frantic, kneeling on the ground and kowtowing repeatedly, hoping the minister would change his mind.

But the man on the bed remained motionless, seemingly determined to be stubborn.

Just as the servant was at his wit’s end, a commotion suddenly arose in the courtyard. He hurried to the door and was shocked at what he saw, "Long live His Majesty! Long live King Wen!"

At the entrance, escorted by several robust guards, two men walked slowly, one after the other—Emperor Qing and King Wen.

The servant had never been this close to the emperor in his life and was nearly scared out of his wits, stammering as he spoke.

Xiao Han held one hand in front of his waist, his bright yellow robe trailing behind him. He walked forward indifferently, not glancing to either side, and stopped in front of the bedroom door, slowly asking, "I heard that Minister Zhuo is unwell and couldn’t even come to the palace when summoned. I thought it must be serious, so I came personally to visit. Why is the door closed?"

The servant knelt on the ground, staring at him in a daze, until King Wen signaled him to rise. He suddenly realized he was being addressed and hurriedly explained, "Your Majesty, my master is gravely ill and not in his right mind, hence he cannot come to the palace. It is definitely not intentional defiance or disrespect towards you, Your Majesty!"

"Are you a die-hard fan of your master or just a professional critic?"

Xiao Han was speechless for a moment, then lazily pointed at the door, "Tear it down."

"Huh—what did you say?"

Before the servants in the minister's residence could react, Emperor Qing's guards had already begun dismantling it.

Not only was the servant stunned, but even King Wen felt a bit awkward, though he wisely kept his objections to the whimsical emperor to himself.

Although the script indicated that Emperor Qing should be left outside to reflect on his mistakes, it didn't specify the duration. So, Xiao Han decided to limit the script to one second. As for whether he was feeling remorseful or thinking about having chicken wings for dinner, who cares? Let the script try to stop him if it can!

After playing the role of a villain for a while, Xiao Han gradually figured out the nature of the script. For instance, unless the script explicitly required him to say or do something, he could do as he pleased, and the script wouldn't bother him, except for his thoughts, since the script had no power over his mind.

That is to say, if the script told him to stand, he couldn't sit, but if it didn't specify how long to stand, he could stand for just one second.

Moreover, after the last painful lesson, failing to follow the script led to a gruesome death and endless reincarnation. However, things the script didn't mention, like deciding which beauty to spend the night with or sneaking into the imperial kitchen to snag a chicken leg to nibble on, were completely stress-free.

During his time as emperor, Xiao Han had gradually mastered the first-hand skill of dealing with the script—finding loopholes. Except for the occasional annoyance of Zhuo Fan flitting around, his life was quite comfortable.

Unfortunately, it was impossible to stay comfortable forever because the much-anticipated 'heart-wrenching loyalty' plot had arrived.

What? You ask what 'heart-wrenching loyalty' is? Of course, it's about a heart turning to ashes, sudden repentance, and a loyal dog groveling!

Although Xiao Han had more means to resist the script this time, he still valued his life. If he died again, he had no idea which dimension or corner the script would send him to next, continuing to repeat the same plot.

Besides, being hit by a car was very painful, and Xiao Han was most afraid of pain. He just wanted to live a stable life. The experience of death was too overwhelming, and he couldn't handle it.

Thinking about these messy thoughts, in an instant, the door was torn down. With all the noise, Zhuo Fan couldn't keep pretending to be dead. Now the room was wide open, he sat up from the bed, dressed thinly, his face pale, looking tired, his eyes both empty and aged. If Shao Ze were here, he would surely think, ah, my tragically handsome idol!

Unfortunately, it wasn't Shao Ze here, but Xiao Han, and Wen Muyan.

Facing Zhuo Fan's hollow eyes filled with sorrow, Xiao Han slowly walked into the room, glancing at Xian Fu who was bowing beside him. The latter quickly and cleverly brought a chair for Emperor Qing.

"Your Majesty, I did not know of your visit. I am ill and could not welcome you from afar. I humbly beg your forgiveness," Zhuo Fan struggled to get up, turned over, and was about to kneel.

"My dear minister, since you are ill, you are excused from the formalities," Xiao Han was glad the script didn't make him go over to help the man up. The ever-resourceful Xian Fu somehow produced tea and snacks, obsequiously presenting them to him. Xiao Han immediately gave Xian Fu a thumbs up in his heart, this is true love in action! It's a shame he's a eunuch.

"Please forgive my rudeness, but colds are contagious, and my humble home has poor air quality. For the sake of Your Majesty's health, I suggest you return to the palace early," Zhuo Fan stubbornly refused to get up, kneeling resolutely, his eyes staring at the ground, his tone flat, exuding a coldness that kept people at a distance, as if he would never get up unless Emperor Qing left.

Emperor Qing took a sip of tea and ate a piece of pastry.

Zhuo Fan felt his kneeling legs getting a bit sore.

Emperor Qing took another sip of tea and ate another piece of pastry.

Zhuo Fan began to slightly regret not taking the opportunity to sit back on the bed.

Emperor Qing—why is this guy still drinking tea?!

After he seemed to have been thirsty in the desert for three days and nights, finishing the entire pot of tea, Xiao Han finally remembered to say his lines. Chewing on the palace drama's essential snack, osmanthus cake, he mumbled, "I heard my dear minister fell ill because he picked plum branches for me. I am deeply moved..." Emperor Qing seemed to choke a bit from eating too much, swallowed the pastry in his mouth, and then completed the last word, "touched."

Zhuo Fan: "..."

"Cough," King Wen, who had been standing silently without making much of a presence, suddenly coughed. Emperor Qing raised an eyebrow and glanced at him, wondering if it was an illusion, but Wen Muyan's face seemed a bit twisted.

Xiao Han stroked his chin, thinking that by bullying the little shou like this, as the eternal backup lover and tragic cannon fodder, Wen Muyan was about to get angry for the beauty? Shouldn't he show some reaction?

Would he scold him like in the previous life, or would he sneer at him with sarcasm, or simply come up and punch him?

The script didn't show, it was frustrating.

But it didn't make Xiao Han wait too long, as King Wen finally uttered the first line of today's grand scene. However, he neither spoke coldly to him nor showed tender care to the pitiful one.

His words were actually directed at Xian Fu.

"Eunuch Xian Fu, bring a chair for Your Highness," Wen Muyan said.