Can I Uninstall This Dating System!? chapter 3.2

Part 2

He had started using his brain to make Ying Xi feel comfortable. Of course, he had also learned his lesson from yesterday and didn’t dare guess Ying Xi’s mind too closely, leaving the Emperor with ample right to choose.

Ying Xi pointed to the snow-white one with the magnolia pattern and put it on.

Once dressed, according to palace custom, he should take a small stroll before having breakfast, and only then handle official business.

In his past life, Great Qin was plagued by internal trouble and foreign aggression; Ying Xi hated to waste any time that could be used for work.

This life was different. He knew exactly what the situation in Great Qin was.

He had expectations, so he was no longer anxious.

Ying Xi relaxed his mind and breathed in the fresh air outside, listening to the chirping of birds. He saw long-tailed magpies he hadn’t noticed before, and a beautiful blue bird whose name he didn’t know.

A bit interesting, Ying Xi chuckled inwardly.

Yu Jing, trying to be engaging, pointed out other birds in Weiyang Palace to the Emperor. Master and servant were in harmony.

After the walk, they returned for breakfast.

The morning meal seemed much more flavorful than usual.

It was a pity the Emperor had an iron rule regarding meals: never take more than three bites of any dish. Otherwise, in his good mood, Ying Xi might have tasted a few more mouthfuls.

Ying Xi felt that his body, which was nearing burnout, should be recovering somewhat.

Since his rebirth, office work had actually become the easiest task, because he had seen and approved all the incoming memorials before.

Although he couldn’t remember the content of his past replies word-for-word, he at least had an impression, which increased his efficiency exponentially.

Ying Xi flipped through the documents in the study and found them largely the same as his previous life.

—Does this mean that after this year passes, I will ultimately still die?

Ying Xi could now feel the preciousness of life.

If yesterday he still had some thoughts of giving up and letting things smash, now, he was completely unwilling to die.

He wanted to have fun, he wanted to live, and he didn’t want the country destroyed by the Xiongnu.

Ying Xi planned to find time to figure out how to break this deadlock.

A whole day’s worth of official business was completed in less than an hour, leaving Yu Jing and the other eunuchs staring in disbelief.

Looking again, the Emperor placed the vermilion brush down and stood up from the dragon chair on his own.

“Yu Jing.”

“This slave is here!”

Ying Xi faced the large window of the study, hands behind his back, gazing into the distance at the layers of palace chambers. He looked toward the outside of the palace—a place he had never been able to visit since ascending the throne in his past life.

Ying Xi said, “Make preparations. I wish to travel incognito.”

Yu Jing couldn’t count how many times he had been stunned recently.

Huh? Incognito? And traveling?

Yu Jing trembled.

The Imperial Palace might still maintain a semblance of a great power’s dignity, but within Chang’an City, the disparity between rich and poor was vast. With the court riddled with holes, there was no shortage of prophecies circulating in the streets that Great Qin was about to fall… Going out there, wasn’t the Emperor just looking to make himself unhappy?

“Sla—” But Yu Jing only thought about it; he didn’t dare stop him. The Emperor’s chilling gaze pressed down silently, and Yu Jing was utterly defeated.

“This slave will prepare immediately.”

The Emperor chose to leave the palace in the afternoon.

Too early and the ministers would look for him; too late and he wouldn’t be able to stroll through the Imperial City. The beginning of the Hour of Wei (1:00 PM) was just right.

Just exiting the palace complex, they first arrived at the main road of Chang’an, Vermilion Bird Street.

Vermilion Bird Street was famous for its grandeur and width, capable of accommodating dozens of carriages side-by-side. It led straight to the Imperial Palace.

However, usually, no one dared to step on Vermilion Bird Street, because it was also known as the Imperial Way.

Only when the Emperor officially traveled, or when meritorious officials returned to court, or for the wedding of an Empress, would the main gate of the Palace open and Vermilion Bird Street occasionally be put to use.

Actually, Ying Xi felt it was a waste of resources.

However, many people believed this was a measure to display the Son of Heaven’s majesty.

Ying Xi, having not grown up in the palace, held reservations about this.

But Yu Jing seized upon the topic of Vermilion Bird Street and felt compelled to praise it quickly.

Sitting in the lower position within the carriage, Yu Jing pointed outside at the opportune moment: “Your Majesty, look how magnificent and spectacular this Imperial Way is! If you were heading out to offer sacrifices at the Ancestral Temple, the procession would stretch for miles along this road. Dragon flags fluttering, a scene of myriad grandeur—valiant Great Qin, who can compare?”

Compared to Yu Jing’s usual style, he was exaggerating today.

Ying Xi glanced at him. “Quiet.”

But Yu Jing had to force himself to continue, because once they passed this village, the shop would be closed—once they left Vermilion Bird Street, he certainly wouldn’t be able to utter any praise.

Sure enough, the carriage continued, turning off the main road. The scenery shifted drastically as they arrived at several small alleys where the residents of Chang’an gathered.

The main street just moments ago had been bathed in sunlight; the narrow alleys before them were cluttered with haphazardly built shacks overhead, and filthy water flowed across the ground.

Some homeless refugees lay casually at the street corners, usually with a chipped, broken bowl in front of them.

Some refugees had been sick for so long they couldn’t move from the ground. When dirty wild dogs passed by, they would snatch the dry rations from the bowls in their mouths.

Even the situation of the townspeople living in the city wasn’t much better.

Most commoners wore short, coarse clothing, their faces sallow and their bodies thin.

Words failed Ying Xi as he saw the mix of fear and envy on the people’s faces when facing the carriage.

As his carriage passed, his gaze happened to meet that of several women outside.

As the carriage moved away, the people behind it discussed: “Which family’s young lord is out for a spring excursion?”

“Reincarnation is a skill, too.”

“Ah-Nan, regarding the matter of becoming a concubine for a wealthy family you were asked to look into… we’re just short of carrying the person over there. Although that family’s rank is just an unrated clerk, the office is big and the perks are fat. Besides, with our status, we couldn’t reach anyone with an actual official rank anyway.”

“Don’t look down on clerks. These days, officials are corrupt, and clerks are corrupt too. The county magistrate is not as good as the one currently in charge; a clerk is just as majestic as an official.”

The more Ying Xi listened, the tighter his brow furrowed.

He signaled for the carriage to stop by the roadside so he could listen carefully.

Yu Jing, on the other hand, had cold sweat pouring down his forehead. If the Emperor wanted to vent his anger, he would be the first target.

But fortunately, Ying Xi didn’t take his anger out on anyone, though his expression was not friendly.

Yu Jing was just about to breathe a long sigh of relief.

But then, those women, loose-tongued and thinking no one could hear, huddled together and suddenly cursed: “Pah! What a broken court and a rotten Emperor. The world is getting worse and worse!”

“He just ascended the throne, and we have snow disasters in the northwest, famine in the southeast, plagues right at the foot of the Imperial City, and uprisings everywhere.”

“The Emperor caused the death of the Duke of Ying. Everyone says this is destroying one’s own Great Wall. Going on like this, Great Qin is finished sooner or later!”

“Some wandering heroes in the city can’t stand the sight of it. They want to storm Weiyang Palace and change the dynasty directly…”

— “Presumptuously discussing the Sovereign, stirring up trouble, disturbing the hearts of the people.”

— “Arrest them!”

Before Yu Jing could ask for Ying Xi’s opinion, a patrol squad in the city happened to be near the carriage.

At the squad leader’s command, the soldiers moved out. The women, unaware, were suddenly facing jail time. They wailed, yet skillfully fumbled for copper coins on their persons.

Ying Xi observed carefully from inside the carriage.

In his past life, Ying Xi knew there were rumors in the city unfavorable to the court, and he had indeed issued a decree allowing patrol squads to investigate and arrest.

But looking at it now, he felt this had become a tool for his subordinates to amass wealth.

Ying Xi was not pleased.

It wasn’t until Ying Xi saw that because they didn’t offer enough money to redeem themselves and avoid punishment, the women were all tied together on a rope and taken away to wait for their families to pay the ransom, that his expression became gloomy to the extreme.

Ying Xi: “Have someone release them.”

Yu Jing nodded sluggishly.

“Go to the Jingzhao Prefecture. Revoke their privilege to arrest people. Release anyone who cursed Me.”

Yu Jing: “This… This—Yes! This slave obeys the decree!”

I see the Emperor’s capacity for tolerance isn’t just enough to float a boat, it’s enough to hold the ocean, Yu Jing thought as he scrambled off the carriage to carry out the order.

Afraid of being recognized, Ying Xi also left the carriage.

At that moment, a voice rang in his ear.

Sweet Tub woke up: “Novice Mission Complete. Reward: Charm +500.”

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