After a thorough beating, Ming Li leaped out the window, leaving Nangong Jin sprawled on the cold floor, utterly miserable.
The next morning, Nangong Jin awoke to find himself lying on the ground, the air still faintly perfumed with a lingering, cool fragrance.
His entire body ached intensely, yet he found no visible wounds.
Nangong Jin: ?! Dammit! That must have been a woman yesterday. If he ever found out who it was, he would never let her get away with it!
Just as Nangong Jin managed to get up, his subordinate Yuan Qi reported from outside the door, "Your Highness, Eunuch Zhao from the Emperor's side has arrived."
As Yuan Qi finished his report, the door opened, and his master hobbled out.
Yuan Qi: ?!
Nangong Jin cast a cold glance at Yuan Qi and walked away.
Yuan Qi: ?! Shuddering from the glare, he quickly followed.
In the South Royal Manor's living room, a eunuch, his face heavily made up with rouge, was sitting by the table, sipping tea. Upon seeing Nangong Jin, he quickly stood and bowed, "This old servant greets Your Highness!"
Nangong Jin: "Eunuch Zhao, please rise. May I ask the reason for your visit?"
Eunuch Zhao: "Replying to Your Highness, the Emperor is gravely ill and has sent this old servant to summon you to the palace."
Nangong Jin was taken aback, then immediately ordered a sedan chair to be prepared and followed Eunuch Zhao directly to the imperial palace.
Upon arriving at the Emperor's chambers, Nangong Jin saw the Empress and several concubines exiting his father's sleeping quarters. Nangong Jin entered the Emperor's chambers and saw his father reclining weakly on the bed, a palace maid feeding him medicine. Read books, read books.
Nangong Jin bowed and stepped forward, taking the medicine bowl from the palace maid's hand. He personally fed his father, "Father, why did you summon your son?"
The Emperor spoke with difficulty, "Jin'er, you know your father, the Emperor, is nearing his end. I have been contemplating who to entrust my empire to. Your imperial brothers are all incompetent and unfit to ascend the throne. After much thought, only you are suitable for this position. I hope that once you become Emperor, you will be more forgiving towards your imperial brothers."
With that, the Emperor's trembling hand lifted a scroll of imperial decree.
Nangong Jin immediately knelt and received the decree with both hands, "Please rest assured, Father! Your son will certainly remember your words!"
Having settled his affairs, the Emperor promptly "went offline" to collect his lunchbox.
Next came the funeral arrangements for the old Emperor. The new Emperor's ascension was smooth, thanks to the old Emperor's decree of abdication, and Nangong Jin succeeded to the throne without incident.
In the original plot, after Nangong Jin became Emperor, the female protagonist Su Ziyuan also became Empress. However, now, Su Ziyuan did not ascend to the position of Empress, being merely enfeoffed as a Noble Consort with no further development.
Two months after becoming Emperor, Nangong Jin launched a war, ambitiously aiming to conquer Feng Country, sacrificing many commoners in the process.
When Ming Li learned of this, the system knew that the male lead was about to be beaten again.
As expected, on another dark and stormy night, Ming Li, clad in red, appeared outside Nangong Jin's chambers without alerting a single guard.
The system watched its host disappear from the spot and reappear, with Nangong Jin's head once again covered by a sack.
System: ?! Such a familiar recipe, such familiar seasoning!
Following this, the system witnessed how the male lead of this world was beaten into unconsciousness by its violent host.
System: Silently lit a candle for the male lead in its heart.