Chapter 9 Word Games "What a clever separation of topics! Long live Your Majesty..."
The mission has been issued, and the Imperial Tutor can no longer be chased away.
Ying Xi's delicate eyebrows trembled, and the finger she had just extended tightened its grip.
He and the Imperial Tutor remained in a stalemate in the warehouse passageway, one standing and the other kneeling.
The countdown timer on the system panel was flashing rapidly in front of him, as if reminding Ying Xi to execute the command quickly.
Ying Xi took a deep breath.
Sweet Tong quickly reassured her, "Your Majesty, this mission is very simple. You only need to share an important secret with the Imperial Tutor to solve it." In Sweet Tong's opinion, this was the least mentally taxing of all the novice missions Ying Xi had taken on.
Romance systems guide the host to engage in emotional exchanges with the character and share secrets—a classic trope in TV shows, movies, and novels.
Sweetie: "You've had a crush on someone, haven't you?"
"Whether it's an open or secret crush, as long as you reveal it to Zhuzhao, the mission will be automatically considered complete," Tian Tong said.
This caused Ying Xi to fall silent.
Ying Xi replied, "I have never loved anyone."
The host held back, leaving the poor system speechless.
"So, in your nineteen years of life, who have you ever had a crush on, even just a little bit?" Sweetie reminded her, "Both men and women count."
In a fleeting moment, a silhouette flashed through Ying Xi's mind, but it was too fast for him to catch.
"No."
Sweet Tong was utterly speechless.
The beginner's tasks, to some extent, represent the compatibility between the host and the system.
Ying Xi was resurrected because she was chosen by the system. If she is not compatible with the system, even Tian Tong doesn't know if Ying Xi will die.
—The countdown numbers jumped, enlarged, and flashed!
Sweetie asked anxiously, "What is your most important secret???"
"Chang'an's grain reserves, military deployment, imperial city map, and underground canal network."
What Ying Xi cared about were always news concerning the national economy and people's livelihood, and all of this information was stored in a secret place.
Now, the system is essentially asking him to share these with Zhuzhao, a spy with intricate connections to the Jiangnan rebels.
In an instant, Ying Xi was in a dilemma, Tian Tong was stunned, and the countdown continued to tick.
The Imperial Tutor, who was kneeling and pleading for forgiveness, remained seated for a long time, and Ying Xi had to make a decision immediately.
Fortunately, his personality allows him to maintain a highly efficient and calm mind when the situation is tense.
Ying Xi glanced to the side and saw the number plate hanging on the warehouse door frame above the left side of the passageway wall.
—Di Yi Ling Yi.
The character "地" represents Yongzhou, and "零一" symbolizes Anding County in the north. Yongzhou is adjacent to Chang'an, so this means that the information about the imperial capital Chang'an is not far away.
Ying Xi hurriedly turned her head to look at the core of the secret treasure.
Outside the passageway, several dozen feet away, in the Heavenly Zone warehouse, a symbol of the imperial city, Ying Xi spotted several guards patrolling in the distance.
The guards only lingered around a few designated warehouses, their spears standing tall and menacing. This area of the secret hideout was uniquely different from the rest of the area in terms of defense.
Ying Xi understood immediately, and then felt a surge of secret joy—the incompetent He Xuan had actually taken strict precautions to protect the warehouse where the imperial documents were stored!
The Tianzi area is a forbidden zone of the secret burial site.
Ying Xi recalled some details: Why did the Imperial Tutor make contact with the distant Li Yilong rebels, instead of the closer Qingniu Army?
He had no access to intelligence about the Gyeonggi region.
Task objective: Share the most important secret with the Imperial Tutor (0/1)
Time remaining: Eighty minutes
Seventy-nine, seventy-eight, seventy-seven...
Please complete this as soon as possible!
Ying Xi helped the Imperial Tutor up without making a sound, glanced at the countdown which was almost empty, and said to Zhu Zhao, "Sir, let's go, call He Xuan, and have him lead us into the largest storeroom. I see that it is heavily guarded there, and I'm curious about it."
Zhu Zhao raised his eyes.
Following Ying Xi's directions, he looked toward the storehouses the emperor had mentioned. Several magnificent buildings in the Tianzi area stood tall, with each storehouse built on a platform.
Several solemn steps make the warehouse, a symbol of Chang'an, stand out from the crowd.
The warehouses in this area are surrounded by numerous buildings, with the core building located in the very center of the entire secret storage area—Tianjia Zero One, which stores the highest secrets of the imperial city.
That was a place that Zhuzhao longed to explore, but never set foot in.
It was a forbidden zone that He Xuan, that coward, dared not enter, afraid of taking responsibility, and no one dared to let anyone else in.
The candlelight illuminates my heart, filling me with panic!
Completely unaware of the reason for the emperor's decision, Zhuzhao's pupils contracted to their maximum.
Ying Xi smiled calmly and said, "Aren't you curious, sir?"
***
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, Your Majesty, I have come before you to receive your homage!" He Xuan was breathless.
His face was deathly pale, and his legs swung wildly like wheels of fire. He Xuan was covered in a string of keys like chainmail.
From the very first day he was assigned to the Secret Treasury by his family, He Xuan could guess that trouble was about to break out with Tianjia Zero One! This hot potato!
The secrets of the imperial palace, the traces of countless court intrigues and betrayals, are all sealed within.
Although he had no idea what kind of shameful secrets were involved, He Xuan dared not enter or look because he was afraid of dying.
The emperor's visit was not a temporary one!
The emperor came to silence them!
Filled with terror, He Xuan shakily unlocked the door. The guards pushed the door open, and dust filled the warehouse.
Dozens of night-illuminating beads were carried into the warehouse by lampposts to supplement the lighting. The light from the night-illuminating beads illuminated the dust, and the tiny particles looked like scattered stars.
The brilliance of the pearl was far less dazzling than the jade records and golden books inside the storeroom.
The golden books of members of the royal family throughout history, the edicts of succession of emperors, the edicts of investiture of empresses, the golden cabinet containing information on important members of the royal family, and some imperial edicts on the promulgation of laws with great influence are all displayed on dark sandalwood shelves.
Even without reading the contents, one can sense the supreme authority of the royal family simply by looking at these.
"Uh, this..."
He Xuan stammered as he introduced the book to the emperor, improvising: "This is the Golden Book, it's made of gold. Just like the Yellow Book is made of yellow paper, it contains important information."
The room's solemnity vanished, replaced by a comical atmosphere. He Xuan felt a chill run down his spine and couldn't continue the story. He looked at Zhu Zhao, who dared not offer any further support.
Against the backdrop of these gleaming royal documents, the practical information—such as maps of Chang'an, maps of canals, and the distribution of official residences and civilian dwellings—is the least noticeable.
Ying Xi had no interest in listening to He Xuan's nonsense.
The information I cared about hadn't been touched. I pulled out a few maps and looked at them; they were covered with a thick layer of ash.
Ying Xi felt slightly relieved, but the smell of dust in the air made her cough lightly.
"Cough, cough cough." His body was weakened by overwork. He frowned, put down the map, and stirred up more dust, with specks of dust everywhere.
Ying Xi said angrily, "Cough... How long has it been since this storeroom was cleaned?"
As if all hope had vanished, He Xuan suddenly banged his head on the ground.
"Your Majesty, spare me! Your Majesty, forgive me! This humble subject has never dared to look at any of the documents in here!"
“Your Majesty, I am well aware that the Tianjia Zero-First Class Treasury is of paramount importance! When officials inspect it, they are afraid that palace secrets will be leaked. Therefore, I have taken the liberty of changing the monthly inspection to an annual one and designating this place as a restricted area, where no one is allowed to approach. As a result, the Tianjia Treasury has been left unattended and covered in dust.”
"Your humble servant swears on his life that the checks on the other warehouses are proceeding as scheduled!"
He Xuan was absolutely terrified.
Whether he was killed for dereliction of duty or silenced for leaking secrets, he did not want to die.
He Xuan began to speak incoherently:
"This humble subject is acting in the best interests of the royal family and to share Your Majesty's burdens in advance!"
“My father saved up his own money to give to his beloved concubine every month. Only my younger sister had seen it. Later, I found out, my brothers found out, and eventually it reached my mother’s ears. She was furious. Even family secrets are spread like wildfire. It’s clear that the fewer people who know the secret, the better!”
He Xuan is already talking nonsense.
Task objective: Share the most important secret with the Imperial Tutor (0/1)
Time remaining: 42 finger snaps, 41 finger snaps, 40 finger snaps...
Please complete this as soon as possible!
A strong sense of absurdity and helplessness made Ying Xi curl her lips and look down at this纨绔 (playboy).
How could He Xuan know? Because of his cowardice and laziness, he had inadvertently kept Chang'an's secrets strictly confidential. There are indeed people in the world who are foolish yet lucky.
The young emperor's smile completely misled He Xuan, who thought the emperor was laughing in anger.
He Xuan cried and begged:
"Your Majesty! Although I know I am mediocre and incompetent, I still have principles. Even if Mr. Zhu intended to enter the top-tier room to read, I did not agree to it, just as I do!"
"Therefore, your subject and the Imperial Tutor did not see anything they shouldn't have. We can testify to each other. Please, Your Majesty, spare us..."
Ironically, He Xuan still believes that the emperor is looking for an opportunity to silence him because of past palace affairs.
He still felt he had a past with Zhuzhao and wanted to win her over, but instead gave Zhuzhao the most severe death warrant.
Having confirmed her identity as a spy for the Candlelight Sect, Ying Xi slowly raised the corners of her mouth.
An invisible sense of pressure descended, and Ying Xi said calmly, "You always taught me that tranquility leads to far-reaching goals, but it seems that you yourself are not tranquil."
Task objective: Share the most important secret with the Imperial Tutor (0/1)
Remaining time: 20 finger snaps, 19 finger snaps, 18 finger snaps.
Please complete this as soon as possible!
For a fleeting moment, Zhu Zhao thought Ying Xi was about to launch an attack on the spot.
Sweat beaded on Zhu Zhao's forehead. He forced himself to remain calm, pursed his lips, and explained in a strained and diplomatic manner: "When I explained the ancestral system of the Ying clan to Your Majesty earlier, there were some unclear points. I dared not mislead Your Majesty, so I came to the secret archives to look them up."
Under intense psychological pressure, Zhu Zhao swallowed hard, only to be met with Ying Xi's enigmatic smile.
Task objective: Share the most important secret with the Imperial Tutor (0/1)
Time remaining: ten finger snaps, nine finger snaps, eight finger snaps.
Sweetheart: "Your Majesty, time is almost up!"
"Ha, hahaha..." Suddenly, Ying Xi's clear laughter rang out from the storeroom. Everyone was incredulous, wondering why the emperor was laughing, and each of them felt a sense of unease.
At this moment, fine beads of sweat appeared between Zhuzhao's brows as he slowly and laboriously adjusted his breathing.
Ying Xi bent down and patted He Xuan's left shoulder as he knelt down.
He Xuan was dumbfounded.
He Xuan stared wide-eyed at Ying Xi, thinking that the emperor had granted him permission to peek at the emperor's face before his death.
He Xuan stared blankly at those lips that moved in and out.
The emperor said, "The royal family has no secrets that cannot be revealed. Tianjia Zero-One is not a monster. You are overcomplicating things." This was, of course, a lie.
"I am deeply grateful for your meticulous teaching. Your words, actions, and conduct are all taught to me without reservation. Without you, I would not exist."
"I still remember that when I first entered Chang'an, I was afraid of the shadows cast by the magnolia trees on the window, which looked like ghosts, and I couldn't sleep at night."
"The Master said that if one has a righteous heart, evil spirits will not invade, one will not be ashamed of one's shadow, one will not be ashamed of one's quilt, and one will not be ashamed of heaven and earth. I always keep this in mind."
Zhu Zhao's brow trembled slightly, revealing beads of sweat.
The breath that had just been regulated became disordered again because of the emperor's words.
Yingxi's voice echoed repeatedly in Zhuzhao's mind, as if that voice was everywhere, a voice that spoke of being worthy of heaven and earth.
—To live a life without shame before heaven and earth.
The candlelight evoked a deep sense of oppression.
Yingxi said with even greater trust, "Sir came to the Secret Treasury to impart correct knowledge to me, but Consort He did not cooperate and instead obstructed you, which is truly disappointing to me."
He Xuan remained kneeling, stunned and confused.
Zhu Zhao's heart, which had been hanging in suspense, now drooped slightly; his initial panic turned into shame.
He couldn't tell whether this was the emperor's test or a result of his own feelings.
He didn't expect that Ying Xi would still speak highly of him after he had exposed his strong suspiciousness.
This was the boy he had watched grow up since childhood, and for the sake of his dream of peace in the world, he, as the emperor's tutor, betrayed the emperor and joined the boy's enemy.
Seven snaps of the fingers, six snaps of the fingers, five snaps of the fingers...
The numbers kept changing.
Ying Xi remained calm and said even more solemnly, "Whatever you wanted to borrow back then, you can borrow now. I will grant you permission to make Tianjia Zero One information completely public."
"I wish to share all the secrets with my mentor."
Four finger snaps, three finger snaps, two finger snaps...
Zhu Zhao was astonished in the darkness!
Zhu Zhao was horrified.
Whether out of conscience or to save his own life, how could he dare accept this exception?
If he dares to accept this, and if even the slightest information about the warehouse is leaked in the future, Ying Xi will immediately take his life without suspecting anyone else!
Just before the countdown ended, Zhuzhao, his throat choked with emotion, kowtowed in gratitude and desperately declined.
The hoarse voice of Zhuzhao echoed in Tianjia Zero One, lingering for a long time.
Sharing the most important secret with the Imperial Tutor (1/1)
Task completed.
System reward settlement: Charm value +500, account lock removed, level increased, all functions working normally.
Ying Xi breathed a sigh of relief. He had been secretly chuckling to himself, preoccupied with verifying whether they could return to the city from the island. He dropped the pleasantries and cleanup, and waved to dismiss everyone.
He Xuan remained shrouded in mystery from beginning to end, but he didn't die. He Xuan didn't ask for much, quickly expressed his gratitude, and then disappeared.
A moment later, accompanied by a flash of golden light, Ying Xi returned to the study in Weiyang Palace.
The study was empty.
Ying Xi walked over and nestled into the dragon throne, yawning like a cat.
Sweet Tong suddenly appeared, and asked with some doubt, "Your Majesty, the Imperial Tutor didn't even look at the secret files, so why is the mission still considered a success?"
Ying Xi closed her eyes to rest, but without holding back, she exposed the word game she had just played.
"I have already shared it; whether he dares to look or not is up to him. As long as I frighten him into not daring to look, the secrets of the court can be preserved."
"..." Tian Tong was silent, then suddenly screamed, "What a brilliant move to separate the topics! Long live Your Majesty!"
The cries were tinnitus-inducing; Yingxi shook her head, feeling utterly exhausted.
Today is another day of Sweetheart worshipping her host.
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