AEOGA CH10

They said they were going to subvert the world and disrupt the plot, but the exact method of disruption was still up for debate.

Sitting side by side against the headboard, Lu Xuechao and Xie Chongjin shared a brocade quilt and pored over the heavenly book together, searching for a way to break the deadlock. Unwittingly, the night had grown deep, yet they were still reading by lamplight. They hadn’t even studied this diligently when they were classmates in their youth.

The more Xie Chongjin read the so-called “game plot” written in the heavenly book, the darker his expression became and the more uncomfortable he felt. He quietly shifted his gaze to Lu Xuechao beside him. Under the flickering red candlelight, the young man with loose, cascading hair possessed a complexion like flawless jade, a high and elegant nose bridge, lips as red as blood, and a perfectly smooth, immaculate jawline. A mere side profile was enough to take one’s breath away.

Lu Xuechao had been exceptionally beautiful since childhood; as a boy, he was a porcelain doll as pure as jade and snow, and upon growing up, he became a cold beauty carved from ice and frost. Yet, such an ethereal being would melt like snow meeting spring waters when facing Xie Chongjin, turning into the gentlest wave wrapping around his finger. Outsiders all claimed Lu Xuechao was a flower on a high ridge, rising unsullied from the mud, but only Xie Chongjin had seen him completely yielding, flushed with desire, blooming in brilliant splendor.

With the world’s most breathtaking beauty already by his side, how could he possibly be as insatiably greedy as the plot dictated, falling for everyone he saw and scouring the land for beauties? Xie Chongjin thought disdainfully.

Those players had surely never seen Qingshu with their own eyes; if they had, they wouldn’t spare a glance for any of those ordinary, vulgar beauties.

Lu Xuechao’s long eyelashes cast faint shadows as he intently studied the plot in the heavenly book. It was hard to read the expression in his eyes, and his face remained largely unchanged, yet it made Xie Chongjin’s heart leap into his throat with mounting anxiety.

“You’re distracted,” Lu Xuechao suddenly spoke, his tone calm while his gaze remained fixed on the heavenly book. “Why are you looking at me instead of the text?”

Xie Chongjin abruptly snapped his gaze back and coughed twice. “There’s nothing much to see. Why would we even need to disrupt these plots?”

“Oh?” Lu Xuechao raised his eyes to look at him, asking softly, “Does that mean you’d like to experience them all once?”

“Of course not!” Xie Chongjin explained in a hurry. “I mean, since I’ve broken free from control, I will never do such half-hearted, unfaithful things again. It’s impossible for me to follow such a ridiculous plot anyway… You mustn’t… mustn’t take it to heart. That wasn’t my true intention; it’s all just nonsense written by those people.”

He finally understood. They were characters in a game called Xiang Jian Huan (Joy of Reunion). This was a harem game where the main gameplay for the Emperor Route was to act like a breeding stud and collect beauties, while the Concubine Route focused on palace infighting and fulfilling counterattack tropes.

Since it was a harem game, the so-called plot of the Emperor Route was simply the romantic development with various beauties.

In the Emperor Route of Xiang Jian Huan, consorts were divided into two categories: Common Consorts and Plot Consorts.

‘Common Consorts’ referred to those with randomized portraits and names, who wouldn’t appear in every single save file. For example, most of the selected young men who entered the palace during the triennial draft, the male concubines arranged by Yun Luo, palace servants encountered by chance, or attendants who periodically crept into the emperor’s bed… These consorts had no exclusive endings, no affection bars, and no special storylines. They were completely submissive and obedient, serving merely to pad out the harem.

Xie Chongjin frowned upon reading this. No wonder bed-climbing palace servants appeared in his Zichen Hall every few days while the guards acted like they were dead. As it turned out, this too was a game setting—a method for players to collect a harem.

In contrast were the plot consorts, who possessed fixed portraits and fixed names and appeared in every single save file. For this type of consort, players needed to grind stats and affection points. Only when the stats and affection met the requirements could sweet, special storylines be triggered, gradually warming the relationship. Only after collecting all the special plotlines would a character be considered fully romanced, allowing players to unlock their exclusive character ending.

If a player successfully romanced two or more Plot Consorts at the same time, they could unlock the ending [The Joy of Having Both].

If they romanced all Plot Consorts except Lu Xuechao, they could achieve the ending [The Dissolute Emperor].

There were quite a few Plot Consorts in the game. Lu Xuechao was one of them, and he even started with maxed-out affection right from the beginning, requiring no effort to grind stats—sounding like a perfect lover gifted by the system. However, experienced players all knew that Lu Xuechao was the hardest Plot Consort to romance.

When romancing other consorts, no matter how half-hearted or unfaithful a player was—even whispering “I love you” while simultaneously favoring someone else—as long as the stats met the requirements, they could still achieve a Happy Ending (HE). Only with Lu Xuechao, a single instance of infidelity would instantly result in a Bad Ending (BE), no questions asked.

Therefore, despite Lu Xuechao having the highest popularity and the sweetest exclusive ending, only his dedicated solo-stans had the patience to focus solely on romancing him. Regular players would choose to romance others so they wouldn’t lose the core “fun” of a harem game.

What Lu Xuechao was currently looking at was a guide meticulously compiled by players for romancing the various Plot Consorts:

[Helian Xi] Romance Difficulty: ★★

Requirements: Martial Arts > 60, Favor > 60, Affection > 60

[Hua Yan] Romance Difficulty: ★★★

Requirements: Appearance > 90, Favor > 80, Affection > 80

[Liu Yansheng] Romance Difficulty: ★★★★

Requirements: Shen Hezhou survives, Talent > 90, Affection > 90

……

[Lu Xuechao] Romance Difficulty: ★★★★★

Requirements: Diligence = 100, Harem Size = 1.

Friendly Reminder: If you do not plan to romance this character, it is highly recommended to banish him to the Cold Palace and execute him at the start of the game, otherwise you face a high risk of death.

The guide was incredibly detailed; besides specifying the exact stats required for each character, it even noted which year, month, time, and location would trigger which special plotline.

Thus, the game plot Lu Xuechao read unfolded as a chronicle of the Emperor’s romantic escapades:

• On a certain year, month, and day, during a hunt at the enclosure, the Emperor rode on the same horse as Helian Xi, teaching him how to draw a bow and arrow, and sparring with him. Amidst the sparring, a spark of passion ignited, and the Emperor carried him into the tent to continue “sparring.”
• On another year, month, and day, the Emperor sneaked out of the palace at night to visit a brothel, spending a fortune to buy the first night of the courtesan leader, Hua Yan. Thereafter, he frequently slipped out of the palace to tryst with Hua Yan under the moon and among flowers, boating on the lake, before eventually welcoming him into the palace and titling him a Beauty.
• On yet another year, month, and day, the Emperor visited Cuiwei Palace. Finding Noble Consort Liu and Imperial Concubine Shen playing chess, he ordered both consorts to serve him together, much to his royal delight. The following day, during a summer retreat at the imperial villa, he ordered both consorts to accompany his carriage, enjoying the joy of having both simultaneously.
• ……

Xie Chongjin couldn’t bear to look directly at it, completely unwilling to admit that the fatuous, lustful emperor was himself.

Yet Lu Xuechao was reading it with great relish. Xie Chongjin opened his mouth but stopped himself, feeling an overwhelming sense of social death.

“In those past worlds, I was indeed controlled to go through these plots,” Xie Chongjin said, lacking confidence. “But the moment I entered the tent, I immediately put Helian Xi down. Enduring that inexplicable, sinister urge, I did nothing but discuss military strategy books with him. And though I spent a fortune to buy Hua Yan, I never touched him; I merely had him play the zither to perform the ‘Mind-Clearing Tune’ all night long. As for ordering Liu and Shen to serve me together, that is utter nonsense—the two of them are actually a pair of true lovers. During the trip to the imperial villa, I spent the whole time watching them fly side by side like lovebirds, while I could only pine for you in solitude.”

“In this lifetime, no matter what happened before, it’s impossible for these plots to happen ever again from now on.” Xie Chongjin wanted to act without delay. “Tomorrow, I shall issue an imperial decree to disband the harem…”

“You mustn’t,” Lu Xuechao stopped him. “It’s not like we haven’t disbanded the harem in previous lifetimes, but did you ever see the cycle of reincarnation stop? In this game, we aren’t the only ones stripped of our free will—everyone in the palace is, though they may not realize it. All the storylines of the Plot Consorts revolve around the Emperor, as if their entire existence is merely for the Emperor’s amusement. But before becoming imperial consorts, they are human beings. They each have their own lives, their own destinies, and their own stories. No one is born just to revolve around someone else. This is true for the Plot Consorts, and it is equally true for the Common Consorts.”

“I believe that our disruption of the game’s plot should be a correction of everyone’s individual destiny,” Lu Xuechao pondered. “Having lived through countless lifetimes, I have interacted deeply with them. They are all extraordinary individuals who ought to shine brilliantly in their respective fields, rather than being trapped within the palace walls. You knew this as well, which is why, even when you were powerless against the system, you never took your anger out on them and instead maintained a relationship of gentlemen, didn’t you?”

Xie Chongjin nodded.

“A mere word like ‘disband’ is too dismissive. Relying on just the two of us isn’t enough; I want to help them,” Lu Xuechao said. “The more people awaken and rebel against these so-called game settings, the faster the game will break down.”

Xie Chongjin deeply agreed: “My perspective was too narrow. Then how do we change their plots?”

Lu Xuechao was calm and collected: “I don’t know. We’ll play it by ear.”

“……”

“Let’s set the matters of the harem aside for a moment,” Lu Xuechao shifted the topic. “Let’s talk about the imperial court. That is our pressing priority.”

For an emperor, a vast harem was not the critical issue, but neglecting the court for three years was a definitive sign of a collapsing nation.

In the game, players who neglected state affairs indeed faced the ending [The Fallen Emperor]. This was not something Xie Chongjin and Lu Xuechao wished to see.

Subverting the world and creating glitches meant manufacturing game exploits to break free from the plot; it did not mean they wanted to destroy the world itself. They still needed to urgently repair this crumbling empire.

After all, while this was a virtual world in the eyes of the players, it was the real home where they grew up, the homeland they deeply loved, and upon this land lived the subjects they cherished.

At the mention of this, Xie Chongjin’s headache returned.

“Over the past three years, the times the player actually attended court can be counted on one hand. I could only summon ministers to the Zichen Hall and the Imperial Study to discuss state affairs, squeezing in time to review memorials whenever I had a spare moment… But as you know, the player spent all day lingering in the harem, either summoning someone or on the way to do so. My free time was incredibly scarce.” Xie Chongjin massaged his temples helplessly.

“Having been out of the loop for so long, I know nothing about the situation regarding my subordinates. These three years of absurd behavior have also caused me to lose the people’s hearts entirely. The player recklessly initiated massive construction projects just to win a beauty’s smile, squandering rare treasures from the imperial treasury to reward the consorts, leaving the treasury completely depleted. Right now, talent in the court has withered, and officials across the regions harbor their own sinister designs, having long abandoned integrity and honesty. It is a complete and utter mess. Straightening it out will be a long and arduous journey.” Xie Chongjin paused. “Fortunately, from now on, we can finally move forward on our own without someone dragging us down.”

“I will walk with you,” Lu Xuechao said, holding his hand.

Xie Chongjin’s throat tightened. “Thank you for your hard work, Qingshu.”

“Out of the entire civil and military court, is there truly not a single useful person?” Lu Xuechao asked.

“It’s not that there isn’t a single one. Qin Yulong, the son of the Grand General of Weiyuan, is a rare military genius seen once in a century. He is brave, fierce in battle, and brilliant in strategy. In his very first battle, he won a resounding victory against the Xifeng Kingdom, forcing them to send their prince, Helian Xi, for a marriage alliance. With him as a military commander, how could the country’s gates ever have been breached by Yelang? If I had autonomy, I would definitely place him in high regard. It’s just a pity…” Xie Chongjin let out a mocking laugh. “He was collected into the harem by the player. From then on, his Jade Dragon Spear grew rusty. In past lives, he didn’t die on the battlefield; he died from the poison of players on the Concubine Route, or from being forgotten by players on the Emperor Route. In this life, he had just achieved the great feat of defeating Xifeng and was summoned into the palace by the player just days ago. A young hero subjected to such humiliation… right now, he probably hates me to the bone.”

“As for civil officials, Fu Xinian, the newly minted Tanhua (third place in the imperial exam) this year, is a pillar of the state. His essays are highly insightful, and he genuinely wishes to plead for the people. I originally wanted to summon him for an audience, but unexpectedly, the player moved even faster than me.” Xie Chongjin’s face was expressionless.

Lu Xuechao understood instantly. “He was collected into the harem too.”

Xie Chongjin sighed. “Exactly.”

Lu Xuechao sighed along with him.

This nation… its downfall is well-deserved.