Chapter 129 Brother Qi Reveals His True Colors

Zhang Ting stiffly and slowly raised her head.

For a moment, he thought there was something wrong with his ears—or perhaps his eyes. But his overly quickened mind had already arrived at an answer:

The smiling young man standing in front of him was so familiar; it was none other than Brother Qi!

I'm not seeing things, I'm not mistaken, it's definitely her. And the kind-looking woman next to her, isn't that the aunt I met the other day?!

so……

Brother Qi, that's Prince Rui. Brother Qi is the future... new emperor?

Zhang Ting suddenly stopped thinking.

His eyes widened, and he was having trouble breathing.

The wet nurse, Liu, had already pulled the bewildered Zhang Xian aside, patted her hand and smiled reassuringly: "You don't need to perform such grand ceremony in front of His Highness, good child. Just call me Auntie. This is a gift for you. Take it."

The wet nurse, Liu, who usually didn't wear hairpins, took off a jade bracelet she had prepared beforehand, made of icy jade with floating flowers, and slipped it onto Zhang Xian's wrist. The bracelet was of excellent quality, its color resembling a gentle painting of bamboo forest and clear sky.

When Xianjie saw it, the discerning girl was flustered and hesitated to accept it. But upon closer inspection, she realized that the girl who had given it to her was an old friend of the prince's wet nurse and aunt... Xianjie felt a warmth in her heart and lowered her head shyly to accept it.

The boy was still frozen in place.

Qi Chengming remained silent, maliciously waiting to see when Zhang Ting would react.

"So... today's meeting is the solution we discussed last time?"

When Zhang Ting spoke again, her voice became hoarse and stammering, and details of their previous meetings flashed through her mind.

He recalled dying with a complex mix of emotions, his last thought being of the new emperor, someone he had no connection with whatsoever. When he was reborn, filled with despair, he calmly threw himself into the water, and the boy, without hesitation, jumped in to save him…

Zhang Ting belatedly broke out in a cold sweat: "..."

No wonder he heard a panicked cry from the shore.

That's the new emperor!

He jumped into the water to save him, what did he do to deserve this...?

Thankfully, nothing bad happened.

"I... this humble citizen..." Zhang Ting was overwhelmed with mixed feelings and didn't know how to react.

"Stop calling me a commoner, Brother Zhang. I'll only look down on you if you change your attitude." Qi Chengming slapped Zhang Ting on the back, shattering his worries, and pressed, "So? Did this get you through today?"

"Yes." Zhang Ting composed himself, recalling the uproar the Zhang family had just caused, and a smile appeared on his face. "With the Prince's status as a backer, Uncle should no longer target me."

He made up his mind.

We must repay this great kindness no matter what.

At this stage, the Second Prince wasn't even the Crown Prince yet, so he probably lacked officials he could win over. His only option was to study hard, pass the imperial examinations, and strive to become a pillar of the Prince's power.

Xian'er, however, turned her head sharply and picked up on the clues from the few words of conversation. Her face showed some bewilderment: "Aunt, you said today is...?"

She looked at her brother for confirmation, then looked at Nanny Liu with concern.

The wet nurse was amazed that this girl, who seemed so dull and quiet, was actually so thoughtful. Not daring to act on her own, she glanced at her own prince.

"Yes, actually, what happened today was a plan your brother and I agreed upon, so that your uncle's family wouldn't bother you anymore." Qi Chengming noticed the girl's face paling and the wet nurse's expression changing, so he quickly changed the subject, "However—"

The wet nurse, Liu, knowingly took over the conversation: "Although I didn't know your mother before, would you be willing to call me aunt from now on?"

"Auntie...!" Xian'er called out gratefully.

Zhang Ting stood up respectfully and earnestly and echoed the call.

"Here, Xian'er's has been given. This is Ting'er's gift. Is it alright if I call you that?" Granny Liu smiled and took the set of writing brush, ink, paper, and inkstone from the table next to her. This was Qi Chengming's stock, of the best quality.

Zhang Ting respectfully accepted it.

The three of them enjoyed each other's company for a while.

Qi Chengming watched this scene with satisfaction, feeling another benefit.

There's no need to worry about Granny Liu's retirement; he'll make up for it in the future. However, her home is in turmoil; having a husband and children is worse than not having any at all. Qi Chengming keeps this in mind, observing that since acquiring her false identity, Granny Liu has been happy and cheerful with her old friends and younger relatives. Now that the Zhang siblings are around to keep her company (?), her condition should improve even further.

"Since you're here, have some food before you leave." Qi Chengming coughed, and Xiao Dezi very conscientiously went outside to call someone to set out the meal.

He knew perfectly well that the longer the Zhang siblings stayed in the Prince's mansion, the more unbearable it would be for the Zhang family, and they might not even be able to eat a single day!

Zhang Ting was happy to agree and calmly complied.

He soon discovered that dining at the Prince's residence was nothing like what he had imagined.

There were no eunuchs serving the food, no overly cautious manners, and no rules about not speaking while eating. The group sat harmoniously around the flower hall, the atmosphere as warm and comfortable as when their parents would eat together as children, and they even started chatting!

"Do you still plan to study? After things got chaotic in Yulin Prefecture, Liuzhou Academy is considered quite good." Qi Chengming spoke only to Zhang Ting, trying to ignore Zhang Xian.

Because of their vastly different social statuses, this meal now resembled a prince dining with a junior. However, he wasn't that much older than the brother and sister, and the Zhang family seemed to place great importance on etiquette. Seeing that Zhang Xian seemed somewhat uncomfortable, he worried that she was concerned about the proper separation of men and women, so he simply didn't speak to her.

"I want to study." Zhang Ting put down his chopsticks, his expression resolute. This was his obsession from two lifetimes; he had always dreamed of taking the imperial examinations!

"Your Highness... uh, Brother Qi, do you mean I can stay in Liuzhou?" Zhang Ting's expression shifted slightly. He turned to look at his sister with some unease. "We're all staying in Liuzhou?"

Escaping his uncle's family was his greatest dream. But if he had a powerful backer and wasn't afraid of his uncle anymore... would he still want to run away?

The eldest son's family business...

Zhang Ting lowered his eyes, his expression shifting for a few moments before turning firm and resolute: "I heard that there is a Lord Shen in charge of governing Yulin Prefecture. My brother said that he seems to be reorganizing and establishing the academy. I want to stay there."

"Alright, be careful in your daily life. I'll write you a few letters, you can take them with you." Qi Chengming didn't hesitate after giving Zhang Ting a choice, but he was still a little worried.

Although he had long anticipated the scenario of Zhang Ting and Zhang Rui fighting and restraining each other, gradually expanding their control over Yulin Prefecture, Zhang Ting was now completely weak, so he still needed to add a few more safeguards.

"Thank you very much, Brother Qi." Zhang Ting said solemnly, "I will study hard for the exams... and then I will come back to serve you. But I don't know if my sister will be able to stay in Liuzhou?"

The young man looked over somewhat embarrassedly.

He could get caught up in that difficult struggle, but he was worried about his younger sister. He also didn't want his aunt to keep Xian'er in her hands and harm her any longer.

"Will you keep me company?" Nanny Liu's face lit up with joy. Seeing Qi Chengming's tacit approval, she happily agreed, "Just stay at the Qi residence and say you're a distant relative of mine."

"...Brother!"

Zhang Ting then offered another excuse to shut her sister up: "Also, I'll definitely be living at the academy..."

Xianjie, who had been anxiously racking her brains for words, fell silent after hearing this half-sentence.

Her brother should focus on his studies; even if she went with him to Yulin Prefecture, she would only cause him worry and distract him...

A layer of tears immediately welled up on Xian'er's eyelashes, half-falling but not quite. She forced herself to nod and said, "I won't cause Auntie any trouble."

"Don't talk about causing trouble. Just act like you're at home! After all, our entire Qi residence is fake... You have to act out a normal daily life, the more natural the better." Looking at the well-behaved and clever girl, Nanny Liu genuinely liked her. So she casually made up a reason.

Xianjie was taken aback.

Is that so?

Qi Chengming has reached the point of enjoying the melons; July is the season for sweet melons. Although ancient melons weren't as sweet, they were still melons, after all.

He picked up a piece of melon with a silver skewer, chewed it, and then added with a smile, "Yes, for convenience, we always conceal our identities. To outsiders, I am called Qi Zhong, the son of an ordinary merchant. This is my mother, whom we should call Madam Qi. We have a residence called Qi outside the Prince's Mansion."

They even changed their surnames...

Xian'er, though small, straightened her face seriously. As if thinking about something, she said earnestly, "Should I change my name too? Since we're relying on a distant relative... I'm afraid things will get out today."

That makes some sense.

The Zhang siblings' connection to the Prince's mansion is completely undisguised today, and it's possible someone might discover a flaw, leading to suspicion of Nanny Liu, and then Qi Chengming. Exposing their identities wouldn't be a big deal... but before Qi Chengming has finished enjoying his incognito visit, being exposed would greatly displease him.

"What name do you want to give yourself? I'll have someone take care of the rest of the details for you," Qi Chengming calmly promised, already having a plan in mind.

The girl pondered intently for a moment, then raised her eyes, her gaze bright and clear: "...Tian Ya."

Tian is their aunt's surname, and the character "Ya" is connected with the character "Xian".

The girl had never used a pseudonym before, not even a given name or pen name. Now that she had this name, she was eager to try it out, her heart was pounding, and she felt her mood had improved.

"Your Highness! Are you alright?" Xiao Chengzi rushed over from the doorway with quick eyes and hands, wiping Qi Chengming's front with a handkerchief. For some reason, the young prince's hand trembled, and some tea spilled out.

"It's nothing, I'm going to change my clothes." Qi Chengming gestured apologetically, got up and left, as if he had just been listening intently.

In reality, Qi Chengming was in a state of turmoil.

"Tian Ya".

This is a familiar name...

In the later part of the original story, the major corruption case that laid the foundation for the Seventh Prince's victory in the struggle for the throne was first stirred up by an ordinary woman from the common people! Her name was "Tian Ya"!

Is it because they share the same name?

Qi Chengming wondered if it would be such a coincidence.

While being helped to change clothes by Xiao Chengzi in the main room, he absentmindedly opened the scanned files of the infrastructure system to look at the plot details of the original book that he had recorded when he first transmigrated.

Tian Ya... Tian Ya, found.

The Yizhou catastrophe forced Tian Ya to flee under an assumed name, carrying evidence of her husband's crimes. The case implicated hundreds of people, delivering a final, devastating blow to the Third Prince's faction...

Qi Chengming tried hard to recall, but could only remember that this name was something she made up when she was on the run. As for her real name, he hadn't remembered much of it when he read the book.

So is it this "Tian Ya"?

Qi Chengming frowned and pondered for a while, then calmed down.

It's pointless to think about it now.

Even if it's the same person, he changed Yulin Prefecture, changed everything, and the future Zhang Xian might not marry her original husband.

After all, the Zhang family probably shouldn't have been appointed officials in Yulin Prefecture in the first place, and the Zhang siblings might not have encountered the Second Prince's escape in the original story...

Our fates have long since diverged.

Qi Chengming calmed his emotions and wrote down the matter of the Yizhou disaster a few years later, intending to add it back to his list of key concerns when no one was around. He wouldn't wait until the disaster struck to take action; those officials had been doing this for more than a year or two—

He could easily use this as leverage against the Third Prince and detonate it prematurely.

...Since everyone wants to be emperor, it's best not to harm the common people or use them as pawns.

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Author's Note: Here's a recommendation from myself and my best friend~ (Feeling a little guilty, the art style doesn't seem to be from our circle).

In short, if you don't like it, please skip directly!! Page number warning, channel different warning, content not under our control warning.

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① "Being a Good Elder Brother with a System (Qing Dynasty Transmigration)" by Yuebanshi

Copywriting:

Before going to sleep, Jun Gu read a novel about a prince who was reborn in the Qing Dynasty. When he woke up, he found himself transmigrated into the body of the eldest prince in the novel.

a bolt from the blue!

Did he become the eldest prince, Yinqi, who, because he was the eldest son, had to become the whetstone for the crown prince, and whose love-hate relationship with the crown prince lasted for more than 30 years, resulting in mutual destruction and no good ending for either of them?

After being reborn, did that crown prince learn from his mistakes and begin to punish the dishonored and humiliated eldest prince, ultimately causing him to suffer an even more tragic fate than in his previous life?!

The future looks bleak.

Fortunately, he awakened the system in time. The shop sells everything: butterfly pills, antidote pills, power pills, contraceptive incense, and gender-predicting pills...

System: "Are you worried about your future? Are you heartbroken by the struggle for the throne among the princes? This system is the best helper for the host to protect himself!"

Jun Gu, who had been feeling hopeless, quickly straightened up: "Alright, alright, let Father Khan give up on that idea—no longer let me be the prince's whetstone. The ability to protect my life depends on you!"

.

The reborn Crown Prince Yinreng was equally shocked.

Everything in this life has changed beyond recognition:

Most of the brothers have mysteriously disappeared?! All of Khan's sons combined only number a few:

The eldest prince, skilled in martial arts, became the crown prince himself; the third prince, fond of literature; the fourth prince, pragmatic; the fifth prince, kind-hearted and plump; the sixth prince, who died young; and the seventh prince, who was born with a disability.

The fact that he had so few children made the Khan cherish each and every one of them.

The struggle for the throne among nine princes? That's gone.

The primogeniture struggle? That's gone too. This eldest prince is completely off! Yinreng swears he's not the reckless, impulsive older brother he was in his past life! Who is he really?

But... looking at the eldest prince in front of him, who was gentle and kind, with the air of an elder brother, and was waiting for him to go to the study together, Yinreng felt that it didn't matter who it was anymore.

The important thing is, you should never switch it back!

This guy... is actually pretty nice.

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The struggle for the throne among the nine princes was disrupted by butterflies, but the remaining princes will still be born in a reasonable manner. In the entire story, only the reborn crown prince has rebirth memories, and the male protagonist has time travel memories; the other princes are not special.

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② "The Great Ruler from Another World" by Hidden Whispers of the Wilderness

Synopsis: [Highlighted: This is a story of two close friends with no romantic pairing.]

Dazai has time-traveled.

He came from a world where only "eternal night" remained, a strange world with different rules, species, and cognition than Yokohama, where weirdness roamed everywhere.

Dazai followed the monsters, climbing through a black wormhole filled with fangs from the perilous "Eternal Night" to this colorful parallel world.

He will kill all these monsters, leaving none alive.

Everything was for the sake of the companions sleeping on the altar.

Goodnight, Chuuya, sweet dreams.

***

"He looks exactly like Dazai-san, could he be Dazai's son?"

"He really looks exactly like Dazai! He must be my son!"

"It's not surprising that Dazai does anything, and it's not impossible that he has an illegitimate child."

.

"What? Dazai has a son?"

"What? Dazai is pregnant?"

"What? Dazai is actually a girl?"

"What?! Dazai is actually a woman disguised as a man, and she's pregnant out of wedlock and currently giving birth in the medical ward?!?!"

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Armed Detective Dazai: ? ? ?

How did such an outrageous rumor spread?

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③ "I Transmigrated as Dazai While Cosplaying as Gojo" by Hidden Whispers of the Wilderness

Copywriting:

—The frail, white-haired, blue-eyed Dazai Osamu bent over and burst into laughter.

.

It only takes a moment to bend down in the car.

It really only takes the time it takes to look down at your phone.

I haven't changed into my cosplay outfit yet, I haven't entered the anime convention, and I haven't even been on stage.

No falls, no car accidents, sunny weather, everything is fine.

.

And that was it.

...

Since we've traveled through time, let's confirm our identities!

Gray hair √

Blue eyes√

360° unobstructed field of vision = six eyes √

Magic Resistance MAX = No Lower Limit √

In conclusion: You really do end up wearing what you're supposed to cosplay!

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*Vision refers to the overall game area, not six eyes; MAX magic resistance is from No Longer Human, not without limits; it's not Gojou, it's Dazai.

The male protagonist is extremely depressed, but his outward appearance is that of a sunny, cheerful, and bubbly big boy.

*It's Dazai, not Gojo.

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④《Beautiful Girl's Amazing Vest Cosplay》by Little Bear Nian Nian Le

Copywriting:

After Shi Lili's death, she transmigrates to a comic book world, using multiple aliases and following the script like 007 to try and survive.

[System prompt: Please adjust the plot direction accordingly based on forum readers' feedback]

Although the process was tough and exhausting, and the thought that she would die if the comic's popularity declined was terrifying, she persevered.

Everything was for his own life!

Shi Lili clenched her fist, encouraging herself to work hard.

But an accident still happened.

*

From now on, Cupid has broken free from his shackles and will only bring love to those destined to be together.

The God of Darkness willingly allowed himself to be bound by the Light, while the God of Light awkwardly learned to express his emotions.

All the people loved by the gods live in happiness, and the world is free from strife and war.

—This is a peaceful era in which humans and gods coexist!

And Shi Lili, who accomplished all of this single-handedly, thus became the sole true god who transcended all the gods of the small world.

Camille Shi Lili (Never Forget Your Original Intention): Yay, it's so great to have survived!☆

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⑤ "Online Survival Guide for Transmigrators, Urgent!" by Luo Shui Ban Yi Ren

Recommendation:

An ordinary high school girl is transported to a bizarre and terrifying world where religion is prevalent. Surrounded by lies, she tries to survive while constantly searching for a way home.

On her quest for the truth, she gradually uncovered the true nature of the world and ultimately discovered a shocking secret.

The entire story is devoid of romance-obsessed characters. The female lead is clear-headed, independent, and possesses a certain coldness and decisiveness. Furthermore, all the characters have their own stances, and there are no obvious logical flaws. It's worth reading!