Chapter 6: Return to Base — Discovering Another Practical Function of the Dating System…
As the golden light faded, the exhaustion from staying up late into the night made Ying Xi’s body feel exceptionally heavy; he swayed a few times upon landing.
Ying Xi rubbed his eyes.
He looked up and saw the study: a sandalwood desk, five or six feet long and two feet wide, piled high with memorials as it had been year-round. A gauze lamp decorated with dragon patterns sat at the head of the desk. Due to the special circumstances of the day, he hadn’t returned to the study earlier, so the lamp remained unlit.
This was… Weiyang Palace, his place of work?
A strong sense of strangeness mixed with disbelief washed over him. Ying Xi took a deep breath.
Before he could fully recover from the trip to the brothel, he heard Yu Jing’s voice coming from behind the large screen that separated the inner and outer sections of the study.
He observed secretly, listening carefully.
Yu Jing said, “Go outside and call Doctor Bull into the hall. Then, leak word that His Majesty is unwell. If the ministers come looking tomorrow, he will see none of them.”
“Yes, Eunuch,” a young eunuch subordinate replied.
Yu Jing paced back and forth on the carpet, his footsteps light and frantic, before asking, “Is the light in the sleeping quarters on?”
“Replying to the Eunuch: It was lit for a while, but it has been extinguished in accordance with the Emperor’s usual sleeping hours.”
Yu Jing let out a breath of relief, but instantly tensed up again. “Be careful. You must not go out and speak nonsense. If even a whisper of wind leaks out, this Superintendent will skin you alive!”
The young eunuch tremblingly affirmed.
On the other side of the screen, Ying Xi let out a scoff. In the span of just two or three snaps of the fingers, Yu Jing had arranged the trivial matters of the Imperial Palace. He then ordered several young eunuchs: “Fetch my clothes, and secretly mobilize manpower! Deploy our trusted people. Find the clever and sensible ones to enter the city and search with this Superintendent!”
Presumably, a eunuch’s “trusted people” would just be other eunuchs?
At most, perhaps some palace maids or handymen. Ying Xi pursed his lips.
Yu Jing had analyzed that since Ying Xi had just ascended the throne, there were very few people in the court he could use, so he dared not entrust this to the court officials. This mindset was actually quite subtle and astute.
The young Chief Eunuch’s voice trembled, actually revealing a trace of sobbing. A eunuch’s voice was naturally high and thin; crying made it sound raspy. Yu Jing actually gave Ying Xi a start.
“My Majesty, my living ancestor. You must be unharmed.”
“Even if this slave’s lifespan is shortened by several years in exchange for His Majesty’s return, this slave would do it willingly. Your Majesty, Your Majesty…”
Ying Xi was not unaware that Yu Jing’s anxiety also stemmed from the fear of bearing the responsibility for losing the Emperor.
But the separation had its own reasons, and having observed from the shadows for a while, he saw that Yu Jing was consistent in his loyalty and his deployment was appropriate. Ying Xi felt somewhat gratified. He stepped out from behind the screen and coughed lightly.
“I have returned to the palace. No need to go.”
The whisk in Yu Jing’s hand dropped to the ground with a clatter. He wore an expression that couldn’t decide between crying or laughing, looking a bit comical. “Your Majesty—”
Ying Xi nodded. “Mn.”
Naturally, he couldn’t wait for Yu Jing to ask curious questions and reveal the existence of the System.
Ying Xi covered it up lightly: “I went to stroll around the lantern market. later, seeing it was late, I walked back to the palace by a different route. It is rare for me to go out, so I stayed outside a bit longer. You have suffered.”
“You crush this slave; I dare not accept His Majesty’s words of hardship!”
In truth, Ying Xi couldn’t judge how much of the other’s words were true or false.
But as a reward for Yu Jing’s performance just now, Ying Xi decided to treat it as genuine for the moment. He reached out to gesture a helping hand to Yu Jing and said indifferently, “It is rare that Liu Huichun is on duty tonight. You said just now to have him called into the hall. He is famous for both his temper and his medical skills. No need for him to see me; simply ask him how he can treat you until you are fully recovered.”
Yu Jing: “……”
A few days ago, after the Emperor’s reminder, Yu Jing discovered he suffered from Heart Bi. Because of this, his view of the Emperor had changed drastically, and he had resolved to become a close minister to the Emperor.
Now, the Emperor was bestowing the best Imperial Physician upon him.
This meant he could use the Emperor’s doctor, rare and precious spirit medicines, and every method available to salvage his life, which could have slipped away at any moment.
Since his family fell into misfortune and he became a eunuch, Yu Jing hadn’t been treated like a human being by anyone, nor had anyone ever cared about him.
Yet, the Emperor valued this cheap life that had lost its roots.
For the first time, the Grand Superintendent of Weiyang Palace couldn’t think of any flowery language. His clever mind went blank for a moment; his eyes grew hot and red, and unable to hold back, two tears rolled down.
Fearing a loss of decorum before the Emperor, Yu Jing went from bowing to prostrating flat on the ground, covering his head with the ornate sleeves of his official uniform, like an ostrich.
System Notification: Charm +500.
“?” Ying Xi was baffled.
Before going to sleep, Ying Xi summoned Sweet Tub.
Sweet Tub was a highly anthropomorphic AI. When speaking with Ying Xi in the middle of the night, it let out a long yawn, its voice sticky with sleep. “Your Majesty.”
Curious about the “Return to Base” function, Ying Xi asked about it directly.
Sweet Tub answered naturally, “Ah, aren’t most dating games like this?”
Suddenly considering that the host bound this time was a genuine ancient person, Sweet Tub tried to explain in a way Ying Xi could understand. It said that in the future, there was a type of dating game often divided into a main storyline and branch storylines. The main line connected the entire story, while branch lines scattered into various different ways to play.
“Whether the user is experiencing the main line or a branch line, they must go through a switching phase.”
“This phase might be called ‘Return to Main City,’ ‘Home Panel,’ or ‘Go Home.’ Here, it is called ‘Return to Base,'” Sweet Tub said.
There was a brief silence on Ying Xi’s end.
Sweet Tub immediately assumed this was the generation gap in thinking caused by the rapid advancement of technology over a thousand years.
Sweet Tub waited, planning to continue educating Ying Xi.
But clearly, it had underestimated its host’s ability to accept new things. Ying Xi summarized for it: “I can return to the Weiyang Palace study at any time.”
Sweet Tub stood dazed. “Yes.”
Ying Xi continued, “If I encounter danger again, or am in a very distant place, I can also return to Weiyang Palace, avoiding many troublesome matters.”
Just like shaking off the brothel and Prince Yong in an instant today.
Sweet Tub: “Yes.”
Although Ying Xi was lying down, having discovered another practical function of the Dating System, his weary eyes lit up slightly. “I understand.”
Some people could always speak ordinary dialogue with the tone of a superior.
It was like whenever Ying Xi opened his mouth, Sweet Tub wanted to hug his thigh and shout “Your Majesty.”
Even though it used to be a system with a bit of pride and temper.
Sweet Tub said obediently, “Then, goodnight Your Majesty, I’m logging off.”
Ying Xi adopted its linguistic habit, trying to slowly imitate: “Goodnight.”
Receiving the cool voice that sounded like ice striking jade, Sweet Tub’s voice trembled: “Wuu wuu, can Your Majesty say goodnight one more time?”
“No.” Because he didn’t do meaningless things.
Sweet Tub was about to log off with regret.
Ying Xi said, “But as a reward for you standing by until now, I will continue to cooperate and complete the missions you arrange.”
These two novice missions were somehow very difficult, Sweet Tub knew.
But the host was so good and so charming.
Sweet Tub was hyper-excited: “Mwah!”
The next day.
Due to the incident with Doctor Bull entering the sleeping palace late at night, rumors that the Emperor was unwell spread, even though Ying Xi had already returned to the palace.
Thus, without much burden, Ying Xi took a small sick leave, doing something he hadn’t dared to do in his past life.
The Emperor’s sick leave, of course, did not require anyone’s approval.
Even if the Emperor was on leave, if there were major state affairs, they had to be reported to the Emperor; minor matters were decided by the Department of State Affairs.
Only by truly taking a vacation did he realize that even in a vast empire, it was impossible to have major events every single day.
Ying Xi lay in the sleeping palace until Sishi (9-11 AM). No one disturbed him, and he only got up to wash and eat when he couldn’t lie there any longer.
He idled away the time until noon, feeling only that the days were long. After pacifying the Qingniu Army rebellion, the largest bandit force in the north claiming to be a righteous army had been eradicated, and the rest were mediocre. In his past life, the situation during this period had been similarly peaceful.
Ying Xi took a moment to think about Prince Yong.
By rights, he should now send Ying Dang a “grand gift package” of torture, guaranteed to make Ying Dang lose his bearings.
But Ying Xi didn’t want to bicker with Prince Yong, or rather, he couldn’t be bothered to bicker with Prince Yong anymore.
In his past life, he had exhausted his mind and spirit, actively taking on many causes and effects.
He had given his all but received no good results, even being betrayed by his own brother.
If he were to earnestly advise Prince Yong again in this life, only to receive Prince Yong’s defection to the enemy at the front lines again—he thought it unnecessary.
The thought of punishing and educating Prince Yong only circled briefly in Ying Xi’s mind.
Afterward, Ying Xi put aside the matter of Prince Yong. Deliberately not bringing his ceremonial guard, and not letting Yu Jing follow, he said he wanted to walk alone and arrived at the most secluded scenic pavilion in Weiyang Palace.
He hadn’t come specifically to admire the scenery.
When he stood in the center of the pavilion, he summoned the System and selected “Return to Base.”
The same golden light wrapped around him, accompanied by a sudden lightness of body. In an instant, Ying Xi found himself indeed standing back in the Weiyang Palace study, in front of that sandalwood desk used for work.
Ying Xi slowly hooked up the corners of his mouth.
He tried going a bit further.
It took some effort to reach Shanglin Park. The plum blossoms in Shanglin Park were perfect at this time.
Red plums were like snow, petals falling profusely in the wind. Ying Xi bent down, hiding himself within a cluster of plum trees where his figure was almost invisible from a distance. A branch of winter plum blocked his view; he snapped the branch off and attempted to “Return to Base” again.
Sure enough, he returned to the Weiyang Palace study again.
“……”
How magical is the ingenuity of creation. Ying Xi sighed in admiration inwardly.
As his thoughts wandered, Ying Xi lowered his eyes and saw the winter plum branch reflected in them. The flower branch lay obediently in his palm; it had been transferred directly back to the base with him from Shanglin Park.
Ying Xi stared at the flower branch in a daze.
After a long while, a smile curled at the corner of his mouth, as if inferring the whole from a single detail, thinking of even more interesting possibilities.
He tested the “Return to Base” function a third time, going to the Imperial Palace Secret Archives.
The Secret Archives was the storage place for important documents from Chang’an and various regions. It included not only local household registration data, population levels, and topographical features, but also recorded the local customs and traditions, famous aristocratic families… It was said that many other palace secrets were also kept here.
To ensure the site was open and convenient for storing various court materials, the Secret Archives was located in the most remote part of the Imperial Palace.
Even more unique was that the Secret Archives faced a bridge on one side and was surrounded by water on the other three.
This design meant that entering and exiting the Secret Archives relied solely on this drawbridge, ensuring to the greatest extent that the confidentiality of the archives was not leaked.
It was now the end of the month inventory inspection for the secret files, which Ying Xi just happened to catch. Ying Xi wanted to verify: could he “Return to Base” while situated in an isolated island environment?
Compared to Sweet Tub’s functional introduction, he trusted his own personal practice more.
Even though he had just tossed about in Shanglin Park for a while and was already physically weary, setting off for the Secret Archives made Ying Xi even more tired, as his health wasn’t good to begin with.
But curiosity still gained the upper hand.
The early spring was chilly. Covered in a layer of fine, dense sweat, and after much trouble, Ying Xi finally arrived at the outer ring road of the Secret Archives, facing the drawbridge.
He was already out of breath, barely maintaining his elegant appearance.
Ying Xi looked up; the inspection work on the island had not yet begun.
Several teams of scribes wearing standard green robes, each holding a thick stack of books, were filing into the main gate of the Secret Archives with orderly steps.
Ying Xi could hardly conceal his excitement. Dragging his heavy legs, he stepped toward the Secret Archives to verify his conjecture.
However, at this moment, a sharp, piercing noise rang out in his mind!
Alarm—
Ying Xi frowned.
Sweet Tub reminded him urgently: “Detected abnormal account status. Partial services have been disabled. Please adjust in time.”
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