Save That Miserable Protagonist - Chapter 36

As soon as Yan Buzhuo pushed open the door to the side chamber, he saw a figure standing with his back to him, head tilted upward as if admiring the calligraphy and paintings.

Hearing the sound of the door opening, the man turned around.

Yan Buzhuo was finally able to see him clearly. Liang Cong was dressed in a dark cyan robe with subtle brocade patterns and a jade belt at his waist; his posture was straight and tall.

He appeared to be around the same age as Yan Buzhuo, yet between his brows, the youthful spirit was entirely absent, replaced by a sense of composure far beyond his years.

The moment he saw Yan Buzhuo, Liang Cong displayed a perfectly measured, gentle smile. “Yufei, it has been a long time.”

Yan Buzhuo’s courtesy name was Yufei, which happened to be a coincidence with his real name. Since arriving in this world, this was the first time Yan Buzhuo had heard someone call him by it.

However, this affectionate greeting made the hair on Yan Buzhuo’s skin stand up.

[Host, be vigilant.]

It was not just Yan Buzhuo who felt wary; the System’s voice sounded promptly in his mind. [In the original timeline, the Second Prince, Liang Cong, was the primary figure behind the later coup. He is a man of deep schemes and skilled in deception.]

As the System finished speaking, Liang Cong’s voice rang out right on cue. “Forgive my abrupt visit late at night; I hope I have not disturbed your rest.”

Liang Cong’s voice was gentle, lacking any imperial arrogance, and his speech carried the same refined reserve characteristic of scholars like Ruan Suiyu.

“Your Highness, you are too kind.”

As he spoke, Yan Buzhuo bowed. When he straightened his posture, he wore the standard, somewhat dazed smile of a spoiled playboy. “Your presence brings light to my humble abode. However, I wonder what brings you here so late at night?”

Liang Cong reached out to help Yan Buzhuo up as he was bowing. He patted the back of Yan Buzhuo’s hand and said, “Why be so formal with me, Yufei? After all, we are brothers sharing the same blood.”

Before Yan Buzhuo could respond, Liang Cong sighed lightly, pulled his hand back, and donned an expression of concern and indignation. “The events in the prison… it was a grievance to you, Yufei.”

“My Imperial Father… sigh! He was backed into a corner by the Northern Frontier, and the constant badgering of the remonstrating officials confused his mind.”

Liang Cong’s words were full of apparent concern, yet he skillfully absolved the Emperor of all responsibility. Upon hearing this, Yan Buzhuo could not help but sneer inwardly.

Despite his internal disdain, Yan Buzhuo wore an indifferent expression on his face and waved his hand dismissively. “Your Highness, what are you saying? It was just me being young and ignorant, causing trouble for my uncle. Staying in the prison for a few days to sober up was probably for the best.”

As soon as Yan Buzhuo said this, Liang Cong’s gaze shifted slightly. Then, as if casually, he asked, “You must already know about the events in Suiyang City. I wonder, what is your take on this?”

It is here.

As soon as Liang Cong said this, Yan Buzhuo knew this was the true purpose of his visit.

However, Yan Buzhuo was not yet certain of Liang Cong’s stance on the matter. Was he here to win him over, or was he testing him?

Unable to discern his opponent’s motive, Yan Buzhuo dared not answer rashly.

He scratched his head and feigned a look of distress and indignation. “My take? What could I possibly think? I just feel… the Tatars are truly hateful, and those corrupt officials. If not for them embezzling military funds, how could Suiyang City have…”

“Sigh! I can only hate that I am useless in both literature and martial arts, unable to fight on the front lines like my father!”

Yan Buzhuo felt he had perfectly portrayed a passionate yet powerless playboy.

At the very least, Liang Cong gave him a deep look after hearing this, and his tone carried approval. “The Marquis of Yongjia is loyal and brave, a pillar of the nation; he is a model for our generation.”

Hearing this, Yan Buzhuo thought he had passed the test, but he realized he had relaxed too soon.

Liang Cong changed the subject, his tone implying more than he said. “It is a pity that there are too few loyal ministers in the court who are as selfless as the Marquis. Today, the political situation is treacherous and full of wolves; it requires men of ambition to work together to cleanse the heavens and the earth of our Great Zhou.”

Hearing this, Yan Buzhuo did not know what expression to make.

He forced a stiff smile and shouted at the System in his mind, “System, system! What does he mean by this? Is he trying to recruit me?”

Yan Buzhuo had not forgotten what the System just said: in the original plot, Liang Cong was a ruthless man who plotted rebellion.

[It seems so.]

The System provided a definitive answer to Yan Buzhuo’s question. Furthermore, it added thoughtfully, [In the original timeline, Liang Cong almost succeeded. He only lacked one fierce and skilled general to march into the Fengtian Palace.]

Without the System needing further explanation, Yan Buzhuo realized why Liang Cong had sought him out.

He was the only legitimate heir of the Marquis of Yongjia; by manipulating him, Liang Cong could influence the Marquis.

Once he realized this, Yan Buzhuo blinked his bright, innocent puppy eyes and pretended not to understand. “Your Highness is right, but I am someone who only knows how to eat, drink, and play; I know nothing else. I also hate that I cannot be the pillar that serves the Great Zhou.”

Upon hearing this, Liang Cong was not disappointed; instead, he nodded.

With a smirk, Liang Cong leaned forward, lowered his voice, and stared directly into Yan Buzhuo’s eyes. “Yan Buzhuo, if you were truly the good-for-nothing playboy you claim to be, then tonight, let us pretend that I, Liang Cong, never stepped foot in the Marquis of Yongjia’s estate.”

Liang Cong paused for a moment before laughing softly. “But if you are not a fish trapped in a pond, then I would be very happy to chat and converse with a person of your generation.”

With those words, Liang Cong said no more. He smiled at Yan Buzhuo with a meaningful glint in his eyes and then gestured, saying softly, “Anyue.”

Only then did Yan Buzhuo notice a cold-faced swordsman dressed in black standing in the dark corner.

Hearing Liang Cong’s call, the man stepped out.

From beginning to end, Yan Buzhuo had not detected this person’s presence. Cold sweat broke out across his entire body.

Until the two figures had exited the estate and were no longer visible, Yan Buzhuo angrily shouted at the System, “There was someone else there! Why did you not warn me? Look at how long that sword was! It could have sliced me like fruit!”

The System was unfazed by his temper tantrum and reminded him, [Host, you have exposed yourself.]

“What?”

Watching the two black figures disappear into the distance, the System continued, [The Second Prince was testing you from start to finish. It was only after your last sentence that he confirmed his purpose for coming tonight, which is why he finally made that genuine offer to recruit you.]

Hearing the System’s words, Yan Buzhuo’s expression froze, and his smile gradually faded.

That was correct. How could a genuine playboy have understood the Second Prince’s winding, layered speech? Not only had he understood it, but he had also used similarly layered language to parry the Second Prince’s probes.

A true Yan Buzhuo would have boastfully claimed to be the pillar of the state the court lacked.

No wonder the Second Prince’s smile had become so sincere by the end.

After forcing himself to reassure Princess Yongning, Yan Buzhuo stood alone by the window, contemplating the dark night for the entire night.

The stars twinkled outside, and vaguely, Yan Buzhuo felt he could hear distant, sorrowful weeping.

Only when he saw sparks drifting in the air did he recall that some of the servants in the Yan household had family members fighting alongside the Marquis of Yongjia.

This time, in addition to the residents of Suiyang City, a troop of soldiers stationed at Taicang Mountain had also perished with the city.

Thinking of this, Princess Yongning’s forced smile resurfaced in Yan Buzhuo’s mind. Since arriving in the Great Zhou, Yan Buzhuo had never met his nominal father.

The Marquis of Yongjia was stationed at the border year-round, so Yan Buzhuo had no particular emotional attachment to him. However, only now did he realize that war cost lives.

The Marquis was fighting for him, for Princess Yongning, and for the millions of people of the Great Zhou.

Yet, as the incident in Suiyang City demonstrated, the Great Zhou was already at the end of its rope. The country was riddled with systemic rot from top to bottom. If one wanted to save this nation, playing by the rules was useless; there had to be a complete, thorough overhaul.

In extraordinary times, use extraordinary methods.

Yan Buzhuo came to this era to save the Great Zhou. Think, he had to think carefully.

The Emperor, Liang Heng, was stubborn and went against the natural order; the Crown Prince, Liang Jie, was greedy and cowardly, unfit for the task; the Third Prince was still a child.

And the Second Prince, Liang Cong, had ambition and capability. At this moment, he was the only prince who had proactively offered an olive branch, and he seemed the most powerful and likely to change the status quo.

Compared to other, more uncontrollable or worse options, the Second Prince, Liang Cong, might be the “least worst” choice.

More importantly, Yan Buzhuo was confident. He felt that in this partnership, he would not necessarily be the subordinate one.

He had a System, he had wisdom that transcended the era, and he even knew the plot of the original timeline. Therefore, Yan Buzhuo was confident he could, to a certain extent, control this Second Prince.

If that failed, Yan Buzhuo could always find a way to replace Liang Cong.

As the sun crossed the horizon, Yan Buzhuo made his decision. “System, I have decided. What if we support the Second Prince to take the throne?”

Only by starting completely anew could the systemic rot be washed away.

The System, hearing this, had no reaction. It merely blinked its emotionless eyes and said, [Host, according to my search, most historical attempts to replace an emperor are only a superficial cure, not a root one.]

“Then we will not just replace the Emperor; we will replace the systems, the policies, and the officials. What if we reform the Great Zhou according to modern Marxism?”

[…]

Watching Yan Buzhuo, who was full of enthusiasm and ready to roll up his sleeves for a big fight, the System could not bear to discourage him. After a long silence, it said, [Host, I do not think the mission target will agree to that.]

Hearing this, Yan Buzhuo was not discouraged. “It does not matter; he just needs to stick to being himself. In any case, no matter what, I will not let anything happen to him.”

After all, his initial and ultimate goal for traveling through time to the Great Zhou was simply to save Ruan Suiyu.

And it was because of Ruan Suiyu that he had a connection to this world.