"I didn't want to disturb you, Master Yan, as you seemed so busy,"
As they spoke, Lin Qingge and the other person, who should have been resting in their rooms, emerged from the shade of the trees.
"If you ask me, you're just afraid you'll miss out on some juicy gossip."
"Never mind, this isn't the place to talk. Follow me first."
Master Yan glanced around, then led Lin Qingge and the other person to a more secluded spot. He then called the Silver Dragon Guards, who were hidden in the shadows, to stand guard further away before reluctantly opening his mouth:
"Speak, what do you want from me?"
"Master Yan, you're prescient, haven't you already guessed?
Also, doesn't naming the Silver Dragon Guards something so chuunibyou put you at risk of having your nine generations of ancestors executed?"
It wasn't that Lin Qingge was being nosy, but in this era, anything associated with high positions could easily be used against you.
Master Yan awkwardly rubbed his nose, no longer exuding the same authority as he had in front of others. Instead, he spoke casually, even a bit roguishly:
"No one is born with a perpetual frown. When I transmigrated here, I was also an ambitious young man, so my actions were bound to be a bit ostentatious.
But I had my limits. While the Silver Dragon Guards are my secret intelligence unit, they were also officially recognized by the former Emperor.
Back then, your advisor, the Tenth Prince, had caused such a stir in the Imperial Secret Guard camp that after a thorough search, no one was willing to take on the troublesome task.
Finally, after a suggestion from Old Master Xiao, the former Emperor, albeit with some doubt, found me and ordered me to rebuild the Secret Guard camp, as the imperial family needed their own intelligence.
However, as I had already been transferred away from the capital at that time, the former Emperor granted me special permission to establish the Secret Guard camp at the Zhennan Royal Residence, as long as I sent people to the capital on time.
But, naturally, I'd keep the good recruits for myself first.
Moreover, the capital has been very peaceful in recent years, and the new Emperor relies on the same elite guards that the Tenth Prince took from the Secret Guard camp back then. So, in recent years, my Silver Dragon Guards haven't had much to do."
"Amazing!"
Lin Qingge couldn't help but wave his hand, but he didn't forget to get to the main point:
"When did you transmigrate here? And how did you know we were also transmigrators?"
"We?"
Master Yan's gaze swept over Lin Qingge and the other person, finally settling on Leng Ningyue's expressionless, peerless face.
Then, Master Yan's usually confident and assured expression flickered with a deep shock.
"She's a transmigrator too?!"
Seeing the genuine surprise on Master Yan's face, Lin Qingge couldn't help but feel a bit speechless:
"Don't tell me you had no idea?"
"Seeing how you two are inseparable, always together, I assumed you were just incredibly close and had no secrets from each other."
"So, Master Yan, you're not omniscient and omnipotent after all."
After Lin Qingge's taunt, he briefly recounted how he and Leng Ningyue had transmigrated.
"I see.
Unlike you, I died of overwork in front of my computer. When I opened my eyes, I found myself transmigrated into a novel.
And not just any novel, but one with the most insignificant of background characters!"
"What?! Into a book?!"
This time, it was Lin Qingge's jaw that dropped in astonishment.
"Yes, I transmigrated into a power fantasy novel where the male protagonist levels up and ruthlessly defeats all his rivals.
It tells the story of the male protagonist, unloved by his parents, who was raised like a wild dog by a maid. He then rises through the ranks, becoming a renowned general, personally killing his father whom he viewed as a disgrace, and reclaiming everything that belonged to him.
After lying low for years, he joined forces with his few newfound friends to launch a rebellion, eventually ascending to the imperial throne.
With peace reigning across the land, the story concludes."
"Wait, the male protagonist you described sounds a bit familiar."
Meeting Lin Qingge's gaze, which could only be described as horrified, Master Yan nodded affirmatively:
"Don't doubt it, it's exactly who you think it is.
Isn't the 'beautiful, strong, and miserable' male protagonist trope popular these days?
So, when I was writing the novel, I made the male protagonist as miserable as possible.
But is the name Yan Liang really that unpleasant to say?
Why are readers leaving comments complaining about the male protagonist's name?
I personally think it sounds quite smooth. He has a destined-for-greatness aura, a naturally indifferent disposition, and is focused on his ambitions. How cool is that!" httpδ:/m.kuAisugg.nět
Lin Qingge, who had been listening for a while, finally grasped the crucial point and asked incredulously:
"This novel, with its plot as tangled as a foot-binding cloth, was written by you?"
"You don't understand. This kind of mindless power fantasy is all the rage now.
I forgot to reintroduce myself to you all.
In my past life, my name was also Yan Xiuping. I was an ordinary history graduate.
After failing to find suitable employment after graduation, I started writing web novels and accidentally transmigrated into a luckless character in my own work."
"Oh."
Lin Qingge, surprised to learn that the other person was even younger than himself before transmigrating, quickly changed the subject:
"Right, who are the male protagonist's companions?"
"They are the four sons of King Wucheng.
In the book I wrote, King Wucheng was just a minor villain mentioned in passing. After failing in his bid for the throne, he was executed by the former Emperor.
His four sons, in order to avenge him, not only secretly contacted each other but also became overlords in their respective domains. Then, through various coincidences, they met the male protagonist.
Finally, the five of them joined forces and launched a rebellion."
"Wait, could King Wucheng's four sons be the ones I know?"
As if amused by Lin Qingge's exaggerated expression of "You dare lie to me," Master Yan patiently explained:
"My appearance created a butterfly effect, altering their destinies.
In the original plot, Xia Chengcheng was the second prince with noble status.
Lian Chengyi was indeed training in the Northeast Barracks and then became a general.
Zhou Zeli's mother, upon hearing the news of King Wucheng's death, gave birth prematurely. Master Qian, in order to save his frail grandson, sought out famous doctors everywhere, thus narrowly escaping the mansion fire.
And the grown-up Zhou Zeli naturally inherited his maternal grandfather's fortune, becoming the wealthiest man in Great Xia.
As for Xu Shouxin, his mother Wang Xiuxiu did not marry Steward Xu. Instead, she found a distant relative of the Wang family to marry her.
Wang Xiuxiu poured all her resources into raising this son.
This time, Xu Shouxin was not led astray. He pursued a career through the imperial examinations, and with the influence of the Wang family, he rose rapidly through the ranks. Within a few years, he took over as the head of the Wang family and secured a position in the imperial court.
In order to avenge their father, King Wucheng, or rather, to fulfill King Wucheng's last wish, the four of them joined forces with the inherently rebellious male protagonist, who suffered greatly from bullying on the borders of Great Xia in his childhood.
With the principle of finding a reason to fight even if none exists, the male protagonist launched what could hardly be called a long-planned coup.
In order to correct this idiotic plot, I first played matchmaker for King Wucheng and several of his confidantes.
I leaked the affair between King Wucheng and Wang Xiuxiu to the Wang family head in advance. In a fit of rage, the Wang family head married Wang Xiuxiu off to Changzhou.
I even saved Lian Chengyi's mother before King Wucheng did, making her loyal to me.
Finally, I racked my brains to protect King Wucheng's life, cutting off the possibility of the four of them turning into villains from the root cause.
Of course, some of this was also due to personal reasons."