The Seductive Beauty Breaks the Insecure Bottom Script [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 37

He Wen’s body jolted, and for a moment, he found himself utterly speechless.

The young Emperor was very close to him so close that he could almost smell the faint, lingering scent of ambergris emanating from the monarch’s body.

As Song Mingjiao bent forward, the jade pendant at his waist swayed gently, letting out a crisp, tinkling chime. That sound sent ripples through He Wen’s heart, which usually remained as still as stagnant water.

“This subject… has lost his composure before the Imperial Presence.”

He Wen spoke with great difficulty, not daring to lift his eyes to look at Song Mingjiao, who was mere inches away.

Song Mingjiao’s laughter was soft and slow. Noticing He Wen’s gaze fixed intently on the jade pendant at his waist, he casually untied it.

It was merely an ordinary jade pendant; in his bedchambers, one could find many more that were far superior to this one.

Song Mingjiao’s fingertips rubbed over the pendant a few times. It was Hetian jade reserved specifically for the Imperial family; the cold, crisp texture of the material was perfectly suited for the current summer heat.

He deliberately placed the jade pendant against He Wen’s neck. Because He Wen was wearing his official robes, the collar happened to cradle the jade, pressing it against the man’s exposed skin. The contact made the man shiver violently.

“Beloved Minister is the backbone of Our empire. It was merely a momentary lapse while enjoying the scenery; We shall not take offense.”

The Emperor’s fingertips brushed seemingly inadvertently against He Wen’s neck. His falling dark tresses were more supple and graceful than the willows by the pond.

Song Mingjiao leaned in very close, his voice carrying a hint of amusement. The crisp, soft tone entered He Wen’s ears, possessing a certain charm that was far different from the majestic voice usually heard atop the Golden Throne.

By the time He Wen regained his senses, the Emperor had already departed. He could only catch a faint glimpse of that bright yellow figure through the thicket of trees.

The jade pendant Song Mingjiao had just bestowed was cold. Pressed against He Wen’s skin, it even left the area feeling slightly numb.

Yet, He Wen felt as though he could sense the lingering warmth of another person from this piece of jade.

Compared to gold or silver jewelry, Song Mingjiao’s gift of a personal jade pendant even though it had been tossed to him and placed ungracefully against his neck carried an undeniable air of lingering tenderness.

The Chancellor, a man who had always been the epitome of calm self-restraint and a model for all subjects, quietly clenched the jade pendant the young Emperor had given him. He gripped it so tightly that the palm of his hand bore deep marks, yet he could not bring himself to let go.

On the other side, after successfully leaving He Wen in a state of mental disarray, Song Mingjiao returned to the Qionglin Banquet in high spirits. Even when the ministers began their noisy, chirping discussions again, it no longer affected his mood.

It was just a jade pendant; it wasn’t worth much to him, and he didn’t feel any regret.

Only Eunuch Zhao, standing nearby, stole a glance at the Emperor’s expression with a complicated look. He then asked cautiously, “Your Majesty, shall this servant select a new jade pendant for you?”

Song Mingjiao gave a noncommittal hum of assent. “Mmm. Go and have one fashioned in the shape of a lotus.”

“This servant understands.”

From just that brief encounter, Song Mingjiao could already sense that although He Wen bore a striking resemblance in appearance and personality to “He Wang” from the previous world, there were differences.

For instance, in this ancient world, Chancellor He Wen was clearly more disciplined, upright, and self-restrained. The barrier between Emperor and subject was like a natural chasm, impossible to leap across.

But for Song Mingjiao, that only made things more interesting.

On the way back to the palace, Song Mingjiao idly played with the amber-colored thumb ring on his hand, which made the skin of his fingers look even fairer.

Suddenly, he began to laugh.

The Emperor had left this morning harboring traces of anger, yet now, inside the imperial carriage, he was laughing softly to himself. This left Eunuch Zhao, who was following outside, completely bewildered, lamenting that “serving a monarch is like living with a tiger.”

“Does Your Majesty have any instructions?”

Song Mingjiao habitually went to wave his hand, but then remembered he was in ancient times and sitting alone in the carriage where the eunuch couldn’t see him. He spoke up and said, “It is nothing.”

Song Mingjiao was simply recalling certain performances of “He Wen” on the bed in the previous world.

By projection, the He Wen of this world was currently acting like a refined gentleman, but in private, perhaps his heart had already been flashed with many unspeakable thoughts regarding the Emperor?

He truly wanted to see it for himself.

In the days that followed, Song Mingjiao lived like a true emperor, rising early every day for court, reading memorials, and discussing state affairs with his ministers.

In his spare time, he would stroll through the Imperial Garden. His daily meals were like a Manchu-Han Imperial Feast, with various delicacies from the mountains and seas constantly served. Life was quite pleasant.

Because the task setting of this world required him to play the role of an Emperor who “obsessively pursued” the Top Scholar, he naturally needed to remain “chaste” for Shang Nanxuan.

Therefore, Song Mingjiao’s harem was devoid of any concubines. This didn’t bother him; instead, it made him feel like the palace was more spacious. Every afternoon, he would randomly pick a spot to wander, as if he were a tourist.

Meanwhile, the System was holding its breath.

It had specifically chosen a difficult world and a difficult identity for its host, waiting for him to fail at the tasks an Emperor should handle. It expected him to be forced to ask the System for help and spend points to open the mall. That way, the System could control the host and pull the main task back onto the right track.

But after watching for so many days, Song Mingjiao was actually living an orderly and even flavorful life, not at all troubled by so-called “state affairs.”

The System’s schemes had all fallen through, and it finally grew angry.

Host, please be cautious. If the decisions you make on the throne are incorrect, the System will not be held responsible for the consequences.

Song Mingjiao was momentarily confused. “When did I ever ask you to be responsible?”

“Besides, when I first entered this world, you clearly said that everyone was dissatisfied with me as a puppet emperor and that I could be overthrown at any moment which is why I needed to rely on Shang Nanxuan.”

“But looking at it these past few days, I think you’re slandering my ministers!”

“Everyone is clearly very respectful to me. But I don’t blame you; I know you’re a product of a technological world, so it’s understandable that you don’t understand the ancient social hierarchy.”

The System stopped talking. In truth, it was also harboring doubts.

In the System’s background information, this world was indeed supposed to develop in the direction it had described. But for some reason, as soon as this host arrived, the entire world’s trajectory became uncontrollable.

This uncontrollable trend was far faster and more urgent than in the first world, causing even the System with its limited processing capacity to feel panic.

Song Mingjiao didn’t realize that it was actually his personal charm that had changed the thoughts and choices of many people.

Right now, he was receiving the Minister of Personnel.

“Your Majesty, the new graduates have all been settled. However, regarding the top three scholars, does Your Majesty wish to personally arrange their placements?”

Host! This is a key node! Break the rules to promote the male lead, grant him titles and wealth, and show imperial favor! The points are right there! Host!

The System screamed desperately in Song Mingjiao’s mind, but it was useless.

Song Mingjiao casually flipped through the presented memorial.

“Just follow the usual precedents for awarding positions. Oh, right since the Top Scholar stood out among all the students, he should also set an example among the new officials. Take ‘special care’ of him; he must not be allowed to grow lazy. He must be diligent every day to repay the court as soon as possible.”

“Yes. Then this subject shall follow the old custom and appoint the Top Scholar to the position of Senior Compiler in the Hanlin Academy, at the rank of Follower Sixth Class.”

The Minister of Personnel bowed and took the order.

Having held this position for many years, he naturally knew that if the Emperor truly favored the Top, Second, or Third scholars, he would not have placed them in a leisure position at the Hanlin Academy according to the rules.

The “special care” mentioned was clearly not the good kind of care.

After finalizing the male lead’s destination and seeing off the Minister of Personnel, a familiar warning sounded in Song Mingjiao’s ear.

Ding—Host, the ‘Low Self-Esteem’ persona has collapsed by 10%.

“Sigh.” Song Mingjiao shook his head innocently. “Am I going to have to break the situation crudely like in the last world? You see, System, it’s you who isn’t giving me the chance to follow the task line normally.”

Actually, there was one thing Song Mingjiao hadn’t said to anyone. Even though he disliked the original male lead, he hadn’t crushed him completely in one go; he had merely let him go to the Hanlin Academy at an average level. If the male lead could stay there honestly and dutifully, Song Mingjiao didn’t necessarily have to drive him to a dead end.

However, Song Mingjiao was ninety percent sure that the male lead who was supposed to be the center of the world would never be content. How could he not cause trouble?

Sigh, he was truly too kind, but unfortunately, no one appreciated it.

Having finished the day’s memorials and dealt with the annoying matter of Shang Nanxuan, Song Mingjiao took Eunuch Zhao to the Imperial Garden to relax.

Summer had begun; the sun was bright and the weather was beautiful, but since it wasn’t midsummer yet, there was still a slight, cool breeze.

In the past, when Song Mingjiao watched television dramas, he thought the Imperial Garden would be massive and fun.

In reality, after being in ancient times for a while, he had already explored every inch of it. He had almost memorized the types of flowers and plants inside.

“It’s all so boring.”

Listless, Song Mingjiao walked aimlessly along the pebble path.

Eunuch Zhao, noticing the Emperor’s boredom, racked his brains for ideas.

“Your Majesty, how about this servant flies a kite for Your Majesty to watch?”

“Spring has already passed.”

The suggestion was too dull; Song Mingjiao didn’t even give him a glance.

“Then… at this time of summer, during the night, there are many fireflies in the northwest corner of the garden. Would Your Majesty like to see them?”

“We are already twenty years old, not a child!”

Song Mingjiao was somewhat unhappy and shot a look at the unobservant eunuch.

Eunuch Zhao smiled apologetically and quickly asked for forgiveness.

In truth, their young Emperor was focused and unapproachable when handling government affairs, but at other times, he would show a bit of lingering childishness.

Especially in an ancient environment that emphasized “cultivating the self, regulating the family, governing the state, and bringing peace to the world,” Song Mingjiao who had not married or taken concubines—was not considered a “true adult” in the eyes of some.

Song Mingjiao wandered aimlessly; since he owned the whole palace, he could go wherever he pleased. He eventually found himself beneath the palace walls.

Looking up at the towering palace walls, he suddenly felt a spark of interest.

Eunuch Zhao, following the Emperor’s gaze, felt a sense of foreboding.

Sure enough.

Before long, a large group of guards and eunuchs gathered at a quiet corner of the palace wall, all of them looking up with tense expressions.

Eunuch Zhao’s forehead was dripping with sweat as he tried helplessly to dissuade him. “Your Majesty, please be careful… Oh, watch out there!”

It turned out that Song Mingjiao was attempting to climb the palace wall.

Actually, the palace walls weren’t that high not like city walls and Song Mingjiao wasn’t climbing barehanded; he had prepared tools like a scaling ladder.

“Noisy! You are interfering with Our performance.”

Clearly, the pampered and precious Song Mingjiao was not naturally athletic, let alone suited for such climbing.

Every step he took looked precarious, as if he might fall at any moment. His loose robes seemed particularly likely to trip him up against the wall.

The palace maids and eunuchs below were terrified, hardly daring to breathe, yet no one dared to stop the Emperor.

Song Mingjiao wasn’t just being naughty or playful.

He had simply grown tired of the initial novelty of the palace. Looking at the red walls and green tiles that framed a narrow strip of sky, he felt that even though the entire palace belonged to him, it couldn’t hide the stifling atmosphere within.

So, for a moment, he wanted to use his own strength to reach the top of the wall and look out at the scenery beyond.

He wanted to see what that felt like.

Moreover, Song Mingjiao wasn’t as reckless as the servants thought; if his strength really failed, he would have climbed down himself.

But just as the young Emperor was about to reach the top, and the guards below were breathing a sigh of relief, Song Mingjiao suddenly spotted a familiar figure nearby.

Because the person was relatively far away, Song Mingjiao could only see the man’s stature and his official robes.

Is it He Wen?

Song Mingjiao thought about how he had flirted with He Wen a few days ago. He wondered if the man had become as distracted and restless as he had hoped. Seeing an opportunity, he suddenly felt like playing a prank.

And so, as the eunuchs and guards watched the Emperor nearly reach the summit, he “suddenly” slipped, as if he were falling.

Eunuch Zhao’s heart leaped into his throat. Without thinking, he let out a sharp scream, waving his whisk so fast it left an afterimage as he shouted to the guards: “Save him! Quick, save the Emperor!”

To be honest, calling so many guards had been for this very moment.

But unexpectedly, though the guards had been waiting for a chance to earn merit, another figure who had just verified his identity and entered the palace gates arrived faster than the guards waiting at the foot of the wall.

Song Mingjiao kept his eyes closed. The slip had been an act; if no one caught him, he would have found a way to avoid injury.

But Song Mingjiao was not disappointed. He was indeed embraced by a familiar aura.

“You’re quite fast, Chancellor?”

Song Mingjiao’s closed eyelids fluttered, and he gave a light laugh with a triumphant curve at the corner of his mouth, intending to tease He Wen further.

But when he opened his eyes, he saw a completely unfamiliar face. The man’s features were sharp, his nose bridge was high, and his thin lips were tightly pressed together. From this angle, he could see the man’s well-defined jawline.

Song Mingjiao was momentarily dazed, being held in the arms of a strange man, his head tilted to the side.

Nearby, Eunuch Zhao wiped the sweat from his face and rushed over, panting:

“General Gu Linyuan! Thank goodness you were here!”

He then hurriedly looked at the Emperor in Gu Linyuan’s arms. “Your Majesty, are you alright?”

Gu Linyuan… the General?

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