Chi Zhao trembled. He silently stretched out a hand, grabbed the quilt and tried to keep his voice calm, "….Leave it there. Zhen will drink it later." (KKnotes: Zhen (朕): Basically the imperial version of 'I'. I have seen 'we' used instead for the English translations, but I think I'm going to stick with using Zhen.)
The palace maid frowned and continued to persuade, "Your Majesty, it isn't good for your health to drink the medicine when it's cold. You should take it now."
It isn't good for my health to drink the medicine when it's cold, and it isn't good for my task if my heart goes cold!
He didn't want to be poisoned to death as soon as he arrived!
Chi Zhao resolutely turned over, pretending to still want to sleep and hurriedly read over the information of this world that he hadn't read yet.
Everything that he had read just now was just a summary of the background setting and the real drama started from the time Shen Wumian was reborn.
Please read this from kk translates
Shen Wumian was reborn to relive his life so he naturally would not be as useless as before. The first thing he did was to imprison Shen Sixteen and the second thing he did was to put the poison Chen Yi once gave him back into Chen Yi's bowl as a way of returning his deeds.
When Chen Yi began to poison him, he was exceptionally careful for fear of being discovered by Shen Wumian but Shen Wumian didn't have to worry about that because Chen Yi didn't know martial arts. He also secretly changed up most of the palace servants such that the palace was basically like his own home. Even if someone found out that the medicine was poisoned, they wouldn't say anything.
Chen Yi thought Shen Wumian really cared about his health and very cooperatively drank every bowl he was given without much thought.
In addition to the poisoning, Shen Wumian also deliberately pretended to be the person who had saved him back then. This time, he knew what had happened back then, so he naturally did it successfully. Chen Yi who couldn't see Shen Sixteen nor notice the flaws in his words came to believe that the person who had saved him was Shen Wumian. He was completely devoted to Shen Wumian and listened to his every word but Shen Wumian's attitude towards him got worse and worse each day.
In the beginning, it was only mental abuse; being reprimanded daily and being insulted daily. Later, he was punished to do difficult jobs only palace servants would do and there was naturally also physical abuse following that. All these weren't done by Shen Wumian and was instead the eunuch's Shen Wumian had bought over.
The dignified emperor lived a live no better than a little palace maid and the most terrible thing was that Shen Wumian didn't come over to beat or scold him and had instead, slowly, step by step, little by little, worked on Chen Yi's endurance. By the end, even after noticing that something was wrong, he could no longer ask for help because both his body and spirit had grown used to this kind of abuse.
Shen Wumian's actions were known by the officials and there were still many in the royal faction amongst them. Some saw him treating the emperor like this and were very angry but whenever anyone raised any objection, they would be demoted to other places by Shen Wumian for various reasons. In more severe cases, they even lost their lives.
In an instant, all the objections faded, and no one dared to provoke the prince regent again. Several officials secretly conspired to rescue the emperor but when they were finally able to meet Chen Yi, Chen Yi refused to leave as he didn't want to do anything that could hurt Shen Wumian.
Chen Yi had been 'trained' for three entire years. When he was seventeen years old, Shen Wumian stopped poisoning Chen Yi because his body could no longer bear any more of the toxins. Even if he no longer did it, Chen Yi only had less than a month to live.
Shen Wumian sought a lot of imperial physicians for their diagnosis and the final result was that "the Emperor has unfortunately contracted a cold and cannot be cured". When people learn that their lives are about to come to an end, their moods would naturally turn bad and Chen Yi was no exception. Shen Wumian showed an upset expression in his face and stayed in the palace, accompanying Chen Yi for a few days before proposing to take him out of the palace to have some fun and stop by to see his prince regent mansion along the way.
Chen Yi was extremely touched. He felt that Shen Wumian wanted to lessen the amount of regrets he would have before he died so he cooperatively dragged his sickly body out. When he reached the mansion, he saw Shen Sixteen who had already been rendered unrecognisable locked up in the dungeon. Chen Yi was dumbfounded for a long time and didn't understand what was going on.
It wasn't that he didn't understand but that he refused to accept this reality. At this moment, Shen Wumian told Chen Yi all the things he had done over the years in the gentlest and most cruel voice as well as admitting to the fact that he wasn't the person who had saved him. Chen Yi was greatly stimulated by this revelation and, together with the effect of the toxins in his body, he died before he could leave the door of the mansion.
Chen Yi was dead, and Shen Sixteen was no longer useful. After sorting out two of his greatest enemies in one night, Shen Wumian calmly left the mansion. There were no changes in his expression the entire time, as if nothing had happened, while the sedan chair behind him contained Chen Yi's body. That night, the palace bell rang. The prince regent notified the officials and they held a national funeral overnight. With this, the last emperor of the Chen Empire was gone.
The next day, Shen Wumian ascended the throne as planned and changed the country's name to Shen. After his grievances were avenged, his heart was no longer full of resentment and Shen Wumain's mood improved a lot. Having experienced great joy and great set downs in his life, he was able to gain a new perspective on life and his country. In the days to come, he worked hard to govern and appoint people with true merits, just like how he did as a prince regent in his previous life.
Only this time, he never let another person approach him again because he couldn't trust anyone. Although all his grievances had been avenged, everything that had happened couldn't be completely erased from his memory he would remember that feeling of betrayal for the rest of his life, unable to forget.
Having finished reading the plot, Chi Zhao didn't think too much, and his mind was only on the bowl of medicine, "It's really poison!!"
[Of course, it is. This is something you will have to drink for three years straight. Get used to it early.]
Chi Zhao: "...."
Chi Zhao didn't respond for a long time. He laid on his side in bed, internally shedding tears.
His life was too difficult. Not to mention dying at a young age, when he finally had a chance of resurrection, the process of achieving it was too difficult. He not only had to cheat on someone, betray the country, go to jail and poison another person, he also had to experience all kinds of deaths!
Hearing his inner laments, the system spoke up.
[Don't speak nonsense. Although the plot says that you have to experience different kinds of deaths, did you experience it in the end? Haven't you always lived until old age?]
Having mentioned this, Chi Zhao couldn't refute. Seeing that he had nothing to say, the system quickly changed its tone and even added a few fake sobs as it spoke in a sad and pathetic manner.
[You only know to fall in love, you don't even spare me a thought. Look, it has already been so long. I have been with you all this time unable to eat or drink anything. During all these years of turbulence and struggle, I worked hard and took care of everything for you. You not only didn't show consideration, you're even complaining. Do you still have a conscience?]
Chi Zhao: "…."
For a moment, Chi Zhao felt as if he was being reprimanded for abusing his wife.
Chi Zhao was the type who would fall for gentle means of persuasion rather than force. Hearing this, he paused for a moment and quickly compromised, "Alright, isn't it just drinking poison? What else do I need to do besides drinking poison?"
[Very simple. As stated earlier, you just need to do everything Shen Wumian tells you to do. Before Chen Yi found out about the truth, he was very cooperative. You just have to keep treating him well. That is one of your strengths so it will definitely not be a problem!]
It really wasn't a problem.
But….
In the past when he kept treating the protagonist poorly, the protagonist still fell for him so if he now treats the protagonist nicely, wouldn't the protagonist fall for him faster?!
Before Chi Zhao could voice this concern, the system was a step ahead of him.
[You're worrying too much. That will definitely not happen this time. He has personally experienced Chen Yi humiliating him, and he also heard with his own ears Chen Yu and Shen Sixteen sleeping together. Unless he is a cheap masochist, it's not going to happen, impossible.]
Please read this from kk translates
Alright then.
Chi Zhao peeled away the quilt and sat up. He silently sighed and then, carrying the feeling a warrior with a broken wrist would have, he said tragically to the palace maid, "Bring the medicine over."
...
Shen Wumian's rebirth was a month ago so most of the people in the palace had already been replaced by him. For example, this palace maid in front of him was one of his loyal servants under his command and had very good martial arts skills. Planting her next to Chen Yi to watch over him, she could kill him as soon as he showed signs of fighting back before returning to report to Shen Wumian.
…. Too damned scary.
Chi Zhao tremblingly drank the medicine and then returned the bowl back with two hands. In his eyes, that palace maid wasn't his palace maid, it was someone who had control of his life.
The palace maid who moved to receive the bowl saw this action of Chi Zhao's and raised a brow in surprise. She was silent for a moment. She then quickly recovered and looked over at Chi Zhao, "Your Majesty, you haven't practiced calligraphy today. If the prince regent knows about it, he will not be pleased."
That was clearly a threat. Chi Zhao blinked a few times and raised his head, "He won't. Zhen will go practice now."
As he said this, Chi Zhao had already hurried out of bed. The palace maid watched in shock as he ran out without wearing his shoes. She quickly chased after him. In any case, this person was still the emperor. Even if he wasn't regarded as one, he was still the person with the highest noble status in this country. If he was seen like this by the others, who knew what kind of rumours would come about.
She didn't want to cause any trouble for her Lord.
Chi Zhao ran out too fast and the palace maid couldn't catch up. When she finally reached him, Chi Zhao had already opened the door. Someone outside was about to enter and was slightly stunned when they saw the door open on its own. When Chi Zhao saw the other person, he couldn't help but freeze in the middle of his act of opening the door.
The person before him wore a black robe and a golden crown. He had a pair of straight eyebrows and his lips were thin. His expression was as cold as ice and despite clearly only being in his twenties, there was a faint furrow between his brows, making him appear stern.
The only person who could enter the emperor's palace without notice was Shen Wumian, the prince regent.
Chi Zhao took a deep breath and used the acting he had worked on for the past few lifetimes. He revealed a smile he believed was especially brilliant, pure and dependent, "Imperial Uncle."
Chen Yi and Shen Wumian were from different generations so even after Shen Wumian became the prince regent, he continued to call him Imperial Uncle despite the two not having any blood relations. Chi Zhao's call just now was so affectionate, he almost deceived himself.
Shen Wumian didn't answer. His expression remained the same, but his eyes moved slightly. That small change was something that would go unnoticed unless you looked carefully but who was Chi Zhao? He was someone who has lived for hundreds of years and his perceptive skills were naturally refined during that time. As a result, he clearly saw a flash of disgust and disdain in Shen Wumian's eyes. It seemed to say, disgusting fool, I will kill you sooner or later.
Chi Zhao: "...….."
It seems that this world can really be cleared without having to do anything...