The Whistleblower Toaster
After that deeply traumatizing "pretend sleeping" stunt on the imperial bed, the Crown Prince finally picked up his high-realm spiritual sword and glided elegantly toward his private training grounds to unleash his unresolved aggression on some innocent training dummies.
As for me? I am still thoroughly, completely, and legally locked up inside his lavish bedchamber like a prized, non-consenting trophy.
But I didn't have time to mourn my lack of basic human rights, because System 888 had finally zapped its digital rear end back from its corporate espionage mission.
The little mechanical toaster proceeded to download a massive, multi-megabyte data packet of pure treason directly into my brain.
The System reported absolutely everything it had witnessed while lurking in the rafters of the Tang Clan Manor.
It started with the horrific, incompetent plot to poison the Old King to death, moved on to the identities of the corrupt high-status Nobles who were actively collaborating with the General, and concluded with the grand finale: a coordinated, hostile coup where they plan to launch a full-scale military attack on the palace today.
"Wow," I murmured mentally, rubbing my aching temples.
"What an absolutely, profoundly corrupted world. If my old corporate compliance department saw the sheer volume of insider trading and literal treason going on in this kingdom, they would collectively faint."
"Right, Host?" System 888 chimed in, its electronic voice matching the gossipy tone of a corporate secretary during a lunch break.
"It's literally a total mess. General Tang was throwing a literal baby tantrum because the poison wasn't melting the King's organs fast enough. It's highly dramatic stuff! I give their villain synergy a solid 2 out of 10."
*Sighs~* I let out a long, heavy breath, staring at the locked doors. I need to help this bratty Crown Prince.
Not because I have suddenly developed an intense, high-definition romantic affection for his blue eyes and suffocating embraces, but because of one absolute, undeniable truth: if the Crown Prince goes down, my transmigrated ass goes down right along with him! The system rules are brutal. If the Male Lead dies before the plot concludes, I face immediate, permanent termination.
"No, no," I muttered to myself, pacing across the rug again.
"I need to think strategically. I am a fifty-year-old corporate veteran. I have survived hostile company takeovers and aggressive audits. What kind of managerial consulting can I provide to save both my own skin and the Crown Prince's empire?"
=====°°°°°
The Stealth Awakening and the Maid Invasion
A few days quickly passed in a blur of intense tactical planning and severe anxiety, and the fateful Coronation Day of the new King finally arrived.
Thanks to System 888's non-stop, 24/7 high-fidelity surveillance of the palace corridors, I had recently learned absolutely everything that was happening both inside and outside the imperial court.
The atmosphere throughout the entire kingdom was stretched as tight as a high-realm bowstring.
I honestly didn't even know how to react anymore.
My brain was completely fried from processing troop movements, poison antidotes, and the fact that I was still essentially an imperial captive.
On the morning of the coronation, I was sitting cross-legged on the edge of the mattress, completely lost in my own thoughts, mapping out escape routes and defensive strategies in my head.
I was so completely deep in my own mental boardroom meeting that I didn't even notice the spatial air currents shifting.
Suddenly, a warm, calloused hand gently pressed against my cheek, slowly caressing my face.
*BOOM!*
My soul practically leaped out of my throat from pure, unadulterated shock. My eyes bulged to the size of absolute dinner plates.
I hadn't felt the Crown Prince's high-realm presence at all when he approached me! He had literally deployed a maximum-tier stealth maneuver just to touch my face like a romance novel protagonist!
Before I could even finish gathering the oxygen required to launch a fierce, macho-man verbal protest, Longwei Zian spoke first.
His baritone voice was incredibly deep, vibrating with a majestic, heavy authority that left zero room for negotiation.
"You need to dress up properly for this special event," the Prince commanded, his striking blue eyes locking onto mine with a dark, intense gravity.
"You must not think about running away today, Xiu Liang. If you try to escape... I will punish you accordingly."
*Gulp.*
The graphic, high-definition memory of what his "punishments" looked like immediately flashed across my brain.
I could only nod my head in frantic, silent compliance, gulping down my overwhelming nervousness like a corporate intern being threatened with immediate firing by the CEO.
"Good," the Crown Prince murmured, thoroughly satisfied with my submissive response.
He stood up to his full, imposing height and proceeded to call inward his personal attendants and the palace maids.
The heavy doors flew open, and a small army of severe-looking women marched in, carrying layers of premium, lavish silk robes embroidered with silver threads.
Before I could even state that I was perfectly capable of putting on my own pants, I was forcefully dragged into the dressing alcove by the enthusiastic maids.
They began aggressively fixing my hair, pinning up my robes, dusting my face with imperial powders, and treating me like a high-end luxury doll.
*Someone please save me,* I wept silently inside my mind.
*I am a middle-aged corporate warrior! Why am I being aggressively accessorized for a tyrant's coronation?!*
=====°°°°°
The Villains Ride at Dawn
Meanwhile, over at the grand Tang Clan Residence, the atmosphere was thick with overwhelming arrogance and villainous pride.
The entire Tang family was dressed perfectly, draped in the finest ceremonial garments to attend the historic coronation. But the main attraction was the Great General Tang himself.
He stood in the center of the courtyard, fully clad in his legendary, high-tier spiritual armor.
A literal aura of sharp, murderous sword-intent practically radiated off his body, making him look like a tragic war hero to the untrained eye. His face was a completely stoic, unyielding mask of martial discipline.
But deep, deep inside that fraudulent mask lay his true face—a face that was currently sneering with absolute malice, smiling with a sinister, dark satisfaction.
Today was the day. This was the exact day he would launch his coordinated attack on the palace with the combined military might of the four foreign kingdoms.
Soon, the old dragon would be dead, the bratty Crown Prince would be executed, and he—General Tang—would ascend the throne as the new supreme King! He would be a ruler whose very name would make the common people tremble in absolute, paralyzing fear.
With a sweeping flourish of his heavy war cape, the Great General marched out of his residence. He scanned the courtyard, seeing that all of his family members were dressed flawlessly, their hidden weapons secured, and every single coup detail prepared to absolute perfection.
"Move forward!" the General roared.
The treasonous battalion departed toward the imperial palace. The Great General proudly rode upon his absolute favorite, massive Black War Horse, thoroughly enjoying every single heavy step the beast took toward the palace gates.
In his mind, he was already rehearsing his victory speech. Soon, this entire empire would belong to him!
...Or so he completely and utterly thought. (The 4K cameras of System 888 were already preparing to ruin his entire career).
=====°°°°°
Enter the Female Lead and the Assassin's Confusion
Back at the Imperial Palace, the grand plaza was a sight of unimaginable luxury. Everything was flawlessly, meticulously prepared—from the mountain heaps of rare delicacies to the gold-leaf decorations, the high-realm musical entertainment, and the massive gatherings of elite citizens.
All that was left to complete the historic event was the grand arrival of the ailing Old King and the Crown Prince, who was officially about to be crowned as the new sovereign of the realm. Every single soul in the Yang Kingdom was looking forward to the crowning ceremony with bated breath.
Sitting gracefully in one of the highly exclusive VIP podiums where the topmost Nobles resided, a young girl with an incredibly beautiful, innocent face adjusted her silk sleeves.
She had specifically requested to perform a legendary spiritual dance for this highly important event. Why? Because she wanted to capture the attention of the future ruler.
"I want to witness the Crown Prince's crowning with my own eyes," she thought to herself, her heart fluttering with pure romance-novel anticipation.
"I just know deep within my soul that it will be completely amazing."
The young lady who possessed that sweet, innocent smile while her eyes sparkled like literal starlight was none other than our official plot-armor Female Lead of this world:
**Jiao Shu Heng**!
She was entirely ready to initiate her main-character romance arc, completely unaware that the position of "Imperial Pillow" had already been filled by a fifty-year-old corporate veteran.
Meanwhile, hidden away in the shadows of the western hallway, little Xiaofan—the fourteen-year-old secret assassin—was leaning against her broom, her mind in a state of absolute, unadulterated cognitive collapse.
[Xiaofan POV]
I have officially done my duty as a sister and a secret agent. I have successfully told the Crown Prince every single piece of treasonous information I gathered while spying on the corrupt people who betrayed the palace from within.
But despite my successful mission, I am still incredibly nervous, and my brain is completely full of severe confusion because of the highly disturbing, illegal sight I witnessed before walking out of the Crown Prince's private chambers.
My tiny assassin fists clenched tightly around the wood of my broom as the vivid memory played across my mind.
*Why on earth was the terrifying, cold-blooded Crown Prince actively hovering directly on top of my beloved Liang gege on the bed?!*
Xiaofan's eyes narrowed into intense, fourteen-year-old analytical slits.
*The positioning was completely illogical for standard combat! The Prince must have been deploying a high-realm, soul-crushing weight technique to paralyze Gege's meridian points before administering the tongue-rending torture! Yes! That must be it! The tyranny of the royal family knows no absolute bounds! I must accelerate my seduction rescue plan before Gege gets squished to death!*
Giggling with a terrifying mix of sisterly determination and absolute, plot-blind madness, she began to plan her next diplomatic move, completely setting the stage for the most chaotic coronation in human history.