Chapter 99 Just a Pawn 18
Ren Yi had seriously underestimated the impact of the remnant soul on his body within the illusion. In order to obtain sufficient repair effects for his soul, he had allowed the remnant soul to exert too much influence, making it somewhat difficult to weaken it again now.
Ren Yi had used all his willpower to overcome the emotions of his remnant soul. After Xuan Wei left, he didn't even have time to ask about the system's fusion results before he collapsed to the side and started vomiting. Ren Yi hadn't eaten anything, so of course he couldn't vomit anything now, but the nauseous feeling just wouldn't go away.
Ren Yi took a long time to catch his breath, as if he had just fought a battle. Even his fingertips were weak, and his voice was feeble as he asked the system, "[How is it? Can it be fused?]"
system:[……]
Ren Yi understood the system's meaning from this silence.
He breathed a sigh of relief, because he hadn't had much hope to begin with, so he wasn't too disappointed now. [Oh well, if it doesn't work...] He'll think of another way.
Unexpectedly, the system replied: [It's not completely impossible.]
Ren Yi: ?
What does "not entirely" mean? Is there an intermediate value in this kind of thing?
The system stammered: [At first, we could merge, but later the protagonist discovered it and he and I fought for control... The chosen one is favored by this world...] It lost the battle.
The system felt it could explain this; after all, this was the protagonist's favorite, favored by the world's consciousness, so it was normal that it couldn't win against him.
But the system was extremely frustrated. That fragment was its own, meant to be bound to its host. Now, it had ended up on someone else's body, and not only that, it couldn't even get it back?! This was unreasonable!
Ren Yi didn't immediately notice the system's subtle mood; he grasped another key point: [Is it because 'Xuanwei discovered it'? In other words, if Xuanwei had no consciousness, the fusion could have been successful?]
System: [In principle, that's correct.]
He initially took advantage of the Chosen One's lack of vigilance to re-establish a communication channel with the fragments, but unfortunately, he was quickly discovered.
Ren Yi fell into deep thought after hearing the system's response.
If Xuanwei were still the Emperor of the Nine Heavens at this moment, Ren Yi would certainly not dare to think about how to make him lose consciousness. However, the other party has no memory in this illusion and is just an ordinary mortal... Although he does not know the reason for this situation, for Ren Yi, this is an excellent opportunity, a good opportunity that will almost never come twice.
Even so, things are not easy.
Xuanwei is now an ordinary mortal, but so is Ren Yi. There is still a huge gap in status between the two. Ren Yi is still "alive" at this moment purely because of Xuanwei's feelings for Yuan Que. It would be difficult for him to do anything else, especially since the previous two "assassination attempts" had raised Xuanwei's guard... There was also some planning involved.
...
The system quickly detected what the host seemed to be doing lately. While its role in this low-tech world was limited, it was very proactive in sharing the host's workload, asking: "[Host, what are you planning to do?]"
Ren Yi was mentally piecing together the information he had recently gathered. Some things couldn't be written down; he had to rely on his intellect. Hearing the system's question, he spared a little attention and casually replied: [Rebellion.]
system:? ? ?
The description that came out of his mouth wasn't quite accurate, so Ren Yi paused and changed his wording: "[No, it's 'overthrow of the dynasty'."]
system:? ? !
Ren Yi's idea was simple and logical.
"Mu Qi" is currently in an awkward position in the palace. As a former prince, he is in a sense similar to a prisoner. He is at the mercy of others, and even his life or death is in the hands of others. Under such circumstances, it is not easy to make a move.
But what if it's the other way around? It's different if it's reversed.
Once he succeeds in overthrowing the dynasty, Xuanwei will become a prisoner, and then it will be much easier for him to do whatever he wants.
The system felt that something was wrong with the host's thinking, but when you followed the logic, it made no mistake.
After a moment's thought, it boldly inquired, "[Are you planning to subdue the people of Yunjia Palace first?]"
A rebellion requires manpower, and the only people the host can have long-term contact with right now are the palace servants of Yunjia Palace.
Ren Yi shook his head: [They're not very useful.]
That's not entirely accurate. It should be said that the people of Yunjia Palace had already fulfilled their role, and Ren Yi didn't need to do anything more. Because of the new emperor's attitude, the palace servants of Yunjia Palace didn't dare to neglect their master, who was in an awkward position, and they all acted according to Ren Yi's instructions. That was enough for Ren Yi.
Ren Yi only needed them to deliver messages, but the people delivering the messages didn't necessarily know the messages themselves. In fact, it was safer for them to "know nothing" and maintain the status quo.
Ren Yi's focus was not on the palace; after all, if he really wanted to launch a coup within the palace, the simplest way would be to assassinate the emperor. However, Ren Yi had already tried this twice, without success.
Are we relying on the palace servants of Yunjia Palace?
Putting aside whether they are reliable or have the guts, in terms of feasibility, it is not as realistic as Ren Yi doing it himself.
With the new dynasty newly established and instability prevailing, the new emperor was not surrounded by palace servants, but by imperial guards. The only person who could allow the new emperor to dismiss his attendants and be alone with him was Ren Yi, who was disguised as Mu Qi and impersonating Yuan Que.
But Ren Yi couldn't really let Xuan Wei die right now.
If the avatar in the illusion dies, Xuanwei's soul will be immediately extracted, and the system fragments will be taken away with it. Where else can Ren Yi find such a good opportunity?
What Ren Yi actually needed was power outside the palace; he needed soldiers.
According to the intelligence he has gathered these days, he is not the only one who wants to overthrow the dynasty.
The palace fire a few days ago was quickly extinguished, but the thick smoke that billowed out when it started was seen throughout the capital. Rumors immediately spread among the people that the new emperor had been raised by the Mu royal family in his early years, but he repaid kindness with enmity and committed such a tyrannical and cruel act. This fire was divine retribution for him.
Such news couldn't have just been spread casually, let alone spread so widely; there must have been someone behind it fanning the flames.
Moreover, the fire was also very strange; the flames were small, but the smoke was extremely thick.
As we all know, the range of firelight that can be seen is limited, but smoke during the day is different. Thick smoke rises into the sky, enough for people within a radius of hundreds of miles to see clearly.
At this time, when armies were marching and fighting, there was already talk of using beacon fires and smoke signals to transmit messages, so Ren Yi couldn't help but suspect that this fire was arson.
Besides the unrest among the people, the former officials of the Mu clan who had already submitted to the new emperor were also feeling uneasy.
They may not believe in divine retribution, but this incident is enough to remind them that this new emperor once spent time in the capital as a hostage.
If he reports that he is a member of the Mu royal family, what about those who served the Mu dynasty back then? Will they also be resented?
Furthermore, the sons of important ministers of the Mu Dynasty, as long as they were of suitable age, were all required to enter the palace to study with the princes. Such an immense favor was naturally welcomed by everyone in the court. To demonstrate the Mu family's benevolence, Ji Jing, who had served in the past, was also among them. These old ministers finally remembered these old stories and anxiously went back to ask their young sons if they had ever bullied the new emperor who was being held hostage—the answers they received were likely not optimistic. Each of them became increasingly apprehensive when they went to court.
...
In short, the fire, which was quickly extinguished, triggered a chain reaction, causing unrest throughout the capital.
It's obvious that someone wants to manipulate the mystical.
Ren Yi felt that they could cooperate.
Ren Yi had been gathering information these days, and as he collected more and more intelligence, he began to speculate about the leader's identity. Although he wasn't 100% certain, he was fairly confident that the leader was a subordinate of the Crown Prince of the Mu Dynasty.
In this way, Ren Yi's current identity is very advantageous, as Mu Qi is the legitimate son of the Empress and the younger brother of Crown Prince Mu.
If this person is a loyal subject, Mu Qi's unquestionable royal bloodline and status as the Crown Prince's younger brother are enough to secure their loyalty; if this person is an ambitious individual using the Crown Prince's name to seek some gain, "Mu Qi" is also a very useful target. Ren Yi doesn't feel there's anything wrong with being used, after all, his goal isn't to seize power, only to "Ji Jing". They each get what they need, it's practically a win-win friendly cooperative relationship.
After hearing Ren Yi's explanation, the system felt that it made a lot of sense, but something still felt off.
After some time, it suddenly realized: Isn't someone who goes to such lengths to deal with the Chosen One the villain?!
Are they really not going to be targeted by the world's consciousness?
The system became increasingly worried.
*
After gathering intelligence, Ren Yi finally confirmed the identity of the person who was secretly causing trouble in the capital.
That was Cheng Jihan, a military officer who once served under Crown Prince Mu. This young General Cheng was not old, but he was already highly regarded, a right-hand man specially groomed by Emperor Mu for the Crown Prince, destined to be a pillar of the state once the Crown Prince ascended the throne. However, when the Mu capital fell, this young general was dispatched to suppress bandits in the southwest. News of his great victory had already returned, and he was on his way back to the capital, but before he even reached it, he was branded a "rebel" en route.
Ren Yi tried his best to recall his impression of General Cheng Jihan from Mu Qi's memory, but he still felt that something was off.
Such a ruthless move doesn't seem like something Mu Qi would come up with, given that General Cheng is usually cautious and seeks stability. Perhaps he has a strategist by his side.
Ren Yi made this guess, but he did not expect that the way he would meet General Cheng next would also be beyond his expectations.
Ren Yi was strolling in the Imperial Garden at that time.
Ren Yi's identity was special, but Xuanwei did not restrict his movements. On the contrary, Ren Yi had been going out to gather intelligence and found that he could move freely throughout the palace without being stopped. This made Ren Yi suspicious that he might not even be stopped if he barged into the new emperor's study where he handled state affairs.
Although Ren Yi hadn't tried the latter yet, the current situation was enough for him to sigh with emotion.
It should be noted that "Mu Qi" is not only a member of the former royal family, but also a dangerous figure who has assassinated the new emperor twice.
Ren Yi sighed again and again: Xuanwei truly loves Yuan Que!
As Ren Yizheng strolled around, he pondered whether General Cheng had noticed the men he had sent out these past few days. If not, should he consider a different approach...?
Just as he was thinking, his thoughts were abruptly interrupted. As he passed a rockery, an arm suddenly reached out from behind the rocks, covered Ren Yi's mouth, and dragged him inside without saying a word.
Ren Yi was taken aback for a moment, then quickly listed Mu Qi's enemies, only to hear a hoarse chuckle in his ear.
Warm breath brushed against his ear, and a deep voice made his ears tremble slightly. The man chuckled, "Your Highness, I heard... you wish to see me?"
Ren Yi: ? ? ? ! ! !
Haoming! This must be Haoming!
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