Xiu Liang [POV]
The absolute second Xiaofan stepped foot out of the Crown Prince's private palace, the sheer, delayed weight of what had just happened slammed into my nervous system.
My face wasn't just red—it was radiating heat like an overclocked corporate server during a cyberattack.
My cheeks were practically glowing a high-visibility hazard sign color.
*The absolute audacity!*
What is it with this tyrannical Crown Prince and his pathological obsession with hovering directly over people and cornering them against mattresses? Does the imperial curriculum not include a mandatory seminar on basic workplace boundaries and personal space?!
If I ever make it back to the modern world, I am filing a formal complaint with the celestial human resources department.
I looked to the left. I looked to the right.
Longwei Zian had briefly turned his back to inspect his ceremonial regalia, his long, majestic silver robes catching the light. It was a classic tactical oversight. A textbook lapse in security compliance.
*This is it,* I thought, my heart hammering against my ribs like a trapped bird.
*This is my window of opportunity. Strategic relocation phase: GO!*
Without utilizing a single drop of high-realm spiritual energy—mostly because I didn't have any—I executed the most flawless, silent, middle-management tactical retreat in human history.
I slid off the edge of the imperial bed, ducked beneath the heavy silk curtains, and bolted straight through the open side door leading to the grand hallway.
I didn't dare look back.
Did I look cool? Absolutely not. Was I sprinting down the golden-tiled corridors like a corporate intern who had accidentally hit "Reply All" on an email mocking the CEO? 100% yes. Every single instinct in my fifty-year-old soul told me that if I turned around and saw those piercing, possessive blue eyes chasing after me, my survival rate would instantly plummet to zero percent.
I kept running, my heavy ceremonial robes rustling aggressively against my legs, until the suffocating, incense-laden air of the Crown Prince's palace was finally replaced by the crisp, open air of the main imperial grounds.
And oh, man. The second I burst out onto the grand plaza, the sheer scale of the scenery hit me right in the face.
=====°°°°°
The 5-Star Corporate Gala of the Century
It was a beautiful, yet completely nerve-racking spectacle. If my former company had attempted to throw an event of this scale, the budget alone would have triggered an immediate, hostile bankruptcy.
The entire plaza was a sprawling ocean of absolute luxury.
Thousands of people were packed into the grand courtyard, every single one of them draped in the highest-class silk imaginable, embroidered with shimmering silver and gold threads that practically blinded the eye under the morning sun.
From the massive marble stages, a beautiful, lovely, yet incredibly powerful and imposing sound erupted from a hundred different traditional instruments.
The drums shook the very dirt beneath my feet, while the stringed instruments wove a melody so grand it made your soul vibrate.
In the center of the main walkway, a troupe of imperial performers was executing a graceful dance.
Yet, despite the elegance of their long sleeves fluttering through the air, every movement was so sharp, precise, and powerful that you could tell they were secretly trained martial artists capable of snapping a man's neck mid-pirouette.
High above, flocks of rare, spiritual birds were released into the sky, their colorful feathers trailing glittering dust. All around me, people were laughing, cheering, and drinking premium spiritual wine.
You could see the literal, sparkling joy in their eyes. They were genuinely, deeply happy for the crowning of their new King. They truly believed they were witnessing the dawn of a glorious, peaceful era.
*"Poor, sweet, delusional extras,"* I thought, pitying them from the bottom of my stressed-out heart.
*"If only you knew that a hostile corporate takeover involving military force and lethal poison is scheduled to kick off in approximately twenty minutes."*
I immediately lowered my head, slouching my shoulders to minimize my height. I didn't look a single soul in the eyes.
Using the ultimate art of middle-management camouflage, I smoothly slid into the thickest waves of the crowd, letting the bodies of enthusiastic citizens swallow me whole as I navigated my way toward the high-status viewing platforms.
While I was expertly slipping through the crowd like a corporate spy, I initiated an emergency mental Microsoft Teams meeting with my digital companion.
*"System 888, wake up! Where on earth is the Female Lead located right now?"*
*"Ding! Host! Oh my goodness, you actually escaped from the terrifying clutches of the Crown Prince!"*
System 888's electronic voice suddenly chimed inside my brain, sounding so incredibly cheery, bubbly, and enthusiastic that it instantly grated on my last remaining nerve.
*"Wow! I honestly gave you a 12% chance of breaking containment without getting your ankles broken for plot compliance! Congratulations on preserving your basic human rights for another chapter!"*
*"Will you please shut up and answer my question for f*ck's sake?!"*
I snapped mentally, my irritation spiking as I accidentally stepped on a noble's expensive velvet shoe and had to mutter a quick, panicked apology.
*"We are on a strict timeline here! Give me the coordinates!"*
*"Oh, right! My bad, Host!"* the System said, still vibrating with an unexplainable, gossipy excitement.
*"The official Female Lead is currently located at the top-right corner of the VIP podium, right where all the ultra-wealthy nobles, high-ranking ministers, and corrupt billionaires are seated!"*
I paused for a brief second, narrowing my eyes.
*"Why do you sound so extra happy right now? What are you hiding from me, you mechanical toaster?"*
*"Innocent! I am completely innocent, Host!"* System 888 chirped quickly, though its digital gears practically whirred with hidden mischief.
*"I am simply excited to witness the grand, historic meeting between the tragic substitute protagonist and the actual, plot-armored heroine! It's peak content!"*
Deciding I didn't have the emotional bandwidth to argue with a literal piece of software, I let the matter go and focused my gaze toward the high-elevation VIP platforms to the right of the grand throne.
=====°°°°°
Assessing the High-Tier Visual Assets
I adjusted my stance, peeking through a gap between two massive, heavily armored imperial guards. My eyes scanned the elite seating area, and then, my gaze locked onto her.
*Holy mother of corporate visual assets.*
The absolute second I saw her, I didn't even need the System to confirm it. I knew in one single glance that this girl was, without a shadow of a doubt, the official Female Lead of this world.
She was an absolute, ethereal beauty. She looked like she had been painstakingly rendered by a million-dollar CGI studio. Her skin was flawless porcelain, her eyes sparkled like literal starlight, and her entire aura practically radiated pure, unadulterated main-character energy.
[Author's Direct Interjection from the Void:]
*Listen, my beautiful readers... I am going to be 100% honest with you right now. I completely forgot the exact paragraph of aesthetic descriptions I wrote for the Female Lead's face in my original character design sheet three months ago. I lost the notepad document. Just imagine the most breathtaking, top-tier, glowing anime goddess you have ever seen in your life, multiply it by ten, and boom—that's her. Love you guys, haha! Let's move on!*
Staring at her from the safety of the crowd, I couldn't help but let out a long, paternal sigh of relief.
*"For goodness' sake, look how stunningly beautiful this child is,"* I murmured to myself, feeling a sudden, strange sense of peace.
*"The Male Lead is honestly so incredibly lucky to have a future wife like her. Look at that pure, innocent smile. She's perfect for him! She's the ultimate romantic buffer. Please, young lady, I beg of you, initiate your romance arc immediately. Take that possessive, red-flag Crown Prince off my hands so I can finally retire to a quiet village and open a small, stress-free consultancy firm!"*
My brief moment of peace was instantly shattered, however, when my gaze drifted past the Female Lead and landed on the surrounding VIP seats.
Seated gloriously in rows of carved jade chairs were the visiting royalties of the neighboring empires. There were Kings, Queens, Princes, and Princesses from four different foreign realms, all dressed in a dizzying display of emerald, crimson, and midnight-blue silks.
On the outside, they looked absolutely magnificent—elegant, refined, and peak-society.
But looking at them through the lens of System 888's data packet, all I could see was a literal rogue's gallery of white-collar criminals.
*"F*ck every single one of them,"* I thought, my jaw clenching.
*"They all look so sophisticated, but they are completely rotten to the core inside. Look at Prince Jin over there, casually sipping his tea while actively financing a rebel militia. Look at Princess Hua, smiling sweetly while her sleeve is literally stuffed with illegal state secrets. This isn't a royal coronation; it's a convention for high-level white-collar fraud and international terrorism!"*
I remembered the plot details with terrifying clarity. This was the exact day. This very hour was the scheduled timeline for the grand Crown Prince assassination attempt and the coordinated palace invasion.
If Longwei Zian dies here today, the plot derails, the world line collapses, and my soul gets permanently liquidated by the corporate overlords of the transmigration bureau.
I couldn't let that happen. I needed to take proactive, managerial action to protect our primary corporate asset: the Crown Prince.
*"System, I need your immediate technical assistance,"* I commanded, my tone turning completely serious.
*"What is it, Host? Are we purchasing a premium defensive buff? A legendary sword? A spiritual laser pointer?"*
*"No. I need you to bypass standard spatial physics and transport me directly to the grand stage where the imperial throne is located,"* I instructed, mapping out the architecture of the stage in my mind.
*"But you must absolutely assure that you teleport me directly behind the thick ceremonial curtains at the back of the throne. No one can see me arrive. If I pop out of thin air in front of thousands of high-realm cultivators, they will turn me into literal minced meat before I can even utter a word of warning."*
*"Got it, Host! Initiating spatial displacement protocol! Standby for immediate relocation!"* the System shouted in its ever-cheerful voice.
I quickly navigated away from the open plaza, slipping into the shadow of a massive, ancient spiritual tree situated near the edge of the courtyard.
I pressed my back against the thick bark, ensuring I was completely hidden from the sightlines of the guards and the crowd.
*"Ready. Do it now."*
Before I could even blink, a strange, tingly sensation washed over my skin, and the world briefly turned into a blur of pixelated static.
=====°°°°°
The Arrival of the Great Fraud
The next second, the heavy scent of premium golden silk and aged wood filled my nose. I opened my eyes and realized I was standing perfectly behind a massive, embroidered curtain directly at the rear of the imperial stage.
Through a small slit in the fabric, I had a perfect, high-definition, birds-eye view of the entire coronation stage and the front rows of the audience.
Suddenly, a massive, deafening shout erupted from one of the heralds at the main gates, echoing across the entire plaza.
The lively music instantly ceased, and a tense, heavy commotion ripples through the sea of thousands of people.
I pressed my face closer to the slit in the curtain to see what was going on.
Down below, the dense crowd of thousands of commoners and lower-tier cultivators was actively separating in half, creating a massive, perfectly straight lane right down the center of the plaza.
And there he was.
The Great General Tang had officially arrived.
He marched down the center lane with an immense, slow, and measured stride.
His entire family followed closely in tow, every single one of them draped in fine, ultra-premium silk adorned with beautiful, intricate embroidery that practically screamed wealth and generational power.
But the main attraction was the General himself. He wasn't wearing his battle armor anymore, but his posture was so rigid, dignified, and full of honor that he looked like the living embodiment of martial discipline.
As he walked, he looked at the cheering citizens, a broad, incredibly warm, and benevolent smile stretching across his face.
He waved gently, nodding his head with absolute humility to the people who were screaming his name with deep gratitude and happiness.
He looked so magnificent. So powerful. So trustworthy.
*"What a phenomenal, Oscar-level actor indeed,"* I sneered internally, my eyes narrowing to tiny slits.
*"Look at that PR-friendly smile. If I didn't know any better, I'd think he was a saint. But under that fine silk lies a man who is actively trying to melt his sovereign's organs with illegal poison. If looks could kill, I swear to God this man would drop dead right on his face just from the sheer volume of hatred I am directing at his stupid, fraudulent forehead."*
General Tang proceeded up the marble steps, completely unaware that his entire career was currently being audited by a hidden corporate veteran behind the curtains.
With a sweeping gesture of his long sleeves, he smoothly settled down into his designated prime seat on the right side of the platform, surrounded by his family and the smiling foreign royalty.
The second he sat down, the crowd started to shout and cheer again, the volume rising to an absolute, deafening crescendo.
The heavy, gilded double doors directly beside the imperial throne slowly began to swing open.
I held my breath, my body freezing in place as a massive, suffocating wave of pure, unadulterated power rolled out from the doorway, making the very air currents in the room stall.
An old man stepped out from the darkness of the inner palace.
He walked with a heavy, gold-headed cane, his body frail from age and the hidden toxins coursing through his veins.
Yet, despite his physical decline, his eyes were sharp like a hawk's, and an incredibly imposing, majestic, and terrifyingly powerful aura radiated off his body like a physical wall of pressure.
I sucked in a sharp, deep breath, my heart skipping a beat.
*The Old King.*
The pieces were all on the board. The villains were smiling, the tragic heroine was waiting, the King had arrived, and the match was about to begin.