The Imperial Palace.
Ju'an Hall.
This was the residence where princesses of the Great Zhou dynasty lived before their weddings. However, the only princess of the current reign was not yet of age and lived in the rear palace with a consort of high rank, leaving Ju'an Hall vacant.
Until a little over two years ago, when a newborn prince, just a few days old, came to live here.
It was now the depths of winter.
The main room of Ju'an Hall was cold enough to freeze, with only a pitifully small brazier of charcoal for warmth.
A thin, cat-like child, not yet three years old, listlessly lay by the bedside. He was taking sips of medicine from the hand of a young eunuch.
"Your Highness, is it bitter? This servant still has some sugar."
The sugar Ye Xiaoyuan pulled from his robe was only the size of a fingernail, a very cheap kind, the sort that would have been obsolete in modern times. Yet for him now, it was a rare and precious treat.
The medicine was unbearably bitter.
Qu Dubian shook his head. "Finish it, then eat."
Ye Xiaoyuan's eyes reddened again. "Your Highness, they are just bullying us. If you weren't so gravely ill, the medicine wouldn't have been delivered at all." Let alone such sugar.
Qu Dubian drank the medicine in silence, then opened his mouth to eat the sugar. He then curled up under the thin, barely warm quilt. As the sweet taste melted in his mouth, he sighed inwardly.
The pronunciation of modern language and ancient language was quite different. Even though he had inherited the original body's memories and physical instincts, he still wasn't very accustomed.
He was not from this era.
In his previous life, due to certain circumstances, he had entered a very popular talent show and successfully debuted as the center.
On the show, he had used the schemes of jealous contestants and the underhanded tactics of a bribed mentor to his advantage, crafting for himself a pitiful, tragic image. Their hatred and the fans' love paved a star-studded path for him.
But the consequence was that his fans, starting from the show, developed an increasingly thick filter for him. Even after his debut, they firmly believed he was being bullied and exploited by his company to the point of collapse.
The more he explained that the company treated him well, the more his fans believed he was being forced to say so by a ruthless corporation.
Qu Dubian: I am the company's cash cow. If the company mistreated me, it would be like throwing money away. I'm really doing fine.
Fans: Look at what state they've driven our brother into, speaking up for such a company! Isn't the cash cow the one who works the hardest?! Brother, don't say anymore, we understand!
Qu Dubian: ...Alright then, as you wish.
Just as he was about to become a top-tier celebrity in the industry, his newer fans, influenced by the veterans, also came to see him as a once-in-a-century tragic figure. As he grew more popular and his schedule more packed, this "our brother is being bullied so badly" filter grew thicker and thicker.
Finally, one day, to Qu Dubian's utter bewilderment, a group of young men and women shouting, "Brother only has us!" stormed the company building.
Back on the talent show, he had truly loved to perform, but he had also genuinely cherished his fans.
He felt no guilt over his actions, and after his debut, he never took any sincere affection for granted. Those who loved him loved him deeply, and those who hated him hated him fiercely.
That day, after patiently calming his utterly indignant fans, he got into a car heading to a work engagement. Then, an extreme anti-fan drove a truck straight into him.
He died at the young age of nineteen.
When he opened his eyes again, he had become this little prince who shared his name, was unloved by his father, had lost his mother early, and was bound to something called a [Disease Simulator].
Ah.
Qu Dubian sighed with immense regret. He wondered if those fans he had just persuaded to leave would go berserk after his death, and if his company could manage the fallout.
After brooding for a while, he accepted reality and began to study the simulator in his mind.
After some simple exploration, he found that the simulator seemed to lack an intelligent system; it would only answer some basic, fundamental questions.
The simulator's interface was extremely rudimentary, with three main sections:
【Methods to Increase Lifespan:
1. Daily martial arts check-in +1 day lifespan. Check in for fifteen days, draw one lottery.
2. Submit one qualified disease insight essay +90 days lifespan.
3. For each non-blood-related human whose favorability towards the host exceeds 60, +1 year lifespan.】
【Remaining Lifespan: 3 days】
【Simulator Backpack: Empty】
Qu Dubian almost wept when he saw the words "Remaining Lifespan: 3 days." So he had transmigrated, fine, but why did he only have this tiny bit of life left!
There was no other way. To survive, he had to look at the three lifespan-increasing methods.
Focusing his intent to delve deeper, he found general introductions.
For example, the first method, martial arts check-in. The only available activity for him to check in for currently was Tai Chi.
He had only ever seen elderly people in parks practice Tai Chi; it looked familiar, but he was completely clueless when trying it himself himself. As for the third method involving favorability, getting someone's favorability towards him to reach 60 was simply not something that could happen overnight.
So he focused his attention on the second method.
【Submit Disease Insight Essay】
Status: Submitted 0 essays
Currently Simulatable Diseases: Fever [Level 1, Level 2, Level 3]
Note:
1. Simulation duration is customizable, but cannot be less than 24 hours.
2. Submit a disease insight essay with 100% realism value for +90 days lifespan per essay. If the realism value is below 100%, the lifespan reward will be discounted according to the percentage.
This meant he had to write about the sensations of being sick while simulating the state of illness, experiencing it for at least a day.
The realism of the illness could be adjusted, but if the realism value was lowered, the lifespan gained would also decrease.
For example, setting realism to eighty percent would make the suffering a bit lighter, and the final lifespan reward would be 90 days multiplied by 0.8, equaling 72 days.
Qu Dubian cautiously selected 【Fever - Level 1】, set the duration to the minimum one day, and the simulation realism to 100%.
Having seen too much vanity in his past life and dying young, his only obsession now was living well. Suffering a bit was just something he had to endure.
But then it turned out that the damned disease insight essay wasn't to be written in his mind; it had to be handwritten, and it had to be in the script of the Great Zhou dynasty, even though the characters on the simulator were all in the Chinese script he recognized!
But—
This godforsaken Ju'an Hall didn't even have enough food, let alone ink, brushes, paper, and inkstones!
So why wasn't such an important detail explained upfront, instead of popping up as a reminder only after his body had already started to burn with fever?
After cursing inwardly a couple of times, he flopped back down listlessly.
Ju'an Hall was so desolate even mice would shun it. The only one willing to care for the little prince was the eunuch named Ye Xiaoyuan.
Ye Xiaoyuan was around fifteen or sixteen years old. He had once received kindness from the little prince's deceased mother and was a grateful soul. If not for him, the little prince wouldn't have lived to two years old, let alone survived long enough for him to transmigrate into the body.
Ye Xiaoyuan was very attentive. He noticed something was wrong almost as soon as the fever started.
In the palace, the chance of a young child dying from fever was not low. With trembling hands, he wrapped Qu Dubian in thick quilts, his face pale as he ran out to beg for medicine.
After struggling for most of the day, he still wasn't reassured even after feeding the medicine, and stayed by the bedside keeping watch.
Knowing he couldn't write any insights after that, Qu Dubian adjusted the simulation realism to zero. Therefore, although his body felt feverish and weak, he himself experienced no actual discomfort.
Well, except for being extremely sleepy, mainly because this young child's body was simply too frail.
The simulation countdown for [Fever · Level 1] still had 18 hours and 36 minutes remaining. His young, frail body meant he could hardly do anything else during this time.
Qu Dubian sucked on the candy in his mouth to dispel the bitter taste, his gaze dazed as he stared at the canopy of the bed, thinking, why doesn't this simulator have a function to play TV dramas?
To Ye Xiaoyuan, who was keeping watch by his side, it looked like the child was delirious from fever. He gently stepped forward and, as usual, patted the quilt, speaking softly, "Your Highness is sleepy, go to sleep. Would you like this servant to sing for you?"
Qu Dubian said listlessly, "Attendant Ye, what's for lunch..."
Ye Xiaoyuan replied, "I don't know yet. This servant will go to the Great Kitchen to check later. Is Your Highness hungry?"
"A little," Qu Dubian said. In this body's limited memories, he had never eaten anything good. Compared to hunger, he was more concerned about his own survival.
If he didn't think of a solution soon, his lifespan would run out in two days, and it would still be over.
So, Ye Xiaoyuan heard his little master murmur, "When you go out, go and ask if there are any palace maids or eunuchs who know Tai Chi."
Ye Xiaoyuan was taken aback, thinking the little master's mind was starting to ramble from the fever. He replied with concern, coaxingly, "Alright."
He then kept watch until Qu Dubian fell asleep.
-
Ye Xiaoyuan lowered his head, wrapped his worn-out eunuch's robe tightly around himself against the cold wind, and hurried towards the Great Kitchen.
The Residence of Peace Hall was also very far from the Great Kitchen.
Originally, if princes and princesses didn't live with their imperial consort mothers, their three daily meals were supposed to be delivered by the Great Kitchen. But in the palace, these supposed routines, once one lost influence and still dared to demand them, became 'not knowing one's place.'
The Great Kitchen was responsible for preparing meals for the various palace mistresses and masters. The Emperor's meals were separately handled by the Imperial Kitchen.
It was now time for the various palaces to come collect their noon meals. Ye Xiaoyuan arrived early. The eunuch in charge of distributing meals, Eunuch Fu, raised his eyes and said in a sharp, drawn-out voice, "Oh, here so early. Don't usually see you so diligent."
Ye Xiaoyuan bent at the waist with an apologetic smile. "What are you saying, Eunuch Fu? On ordinary days, would I dare come this early? I always wait until all the mistresses and masters from the other palaces have collected theirs before I come. But the little prince is terribly ill. This humble servant thought to come early so His Highness could have something warm."
"Ill?"
Ye Xiaoyuan: "Probably caught a chill from the cold."
Eunuch Fu naturally knew about the little prince living in the Residence of Peace Hall. In this palace, whether it was imperial consorts, princes, or princesses, once they lost the Emperor's favor, life wouldn't be easy.
"It's hard on you too," Eunuch Fu said. "But perhaps this is a good thing. Children are hard to keep alive in the palace. If... you might find release from there, no?" He spoke vaguely. "Anywhere you go afterwards would be better than the Residence of Peace Hall."
Ye Xiaoyuan: "Thank you for your advice, Eunuch. I lack your foresight. But we servants are all at the mercy of circumstances, aren't we?"
Flattered by this, Eunuch Fu was in a good mood and found the latter part of Ye Xiaoyuan's words quite relatable. For once, he didn't make things difficult for him.
"Alright then. I'll be busy soon myself. Go take today's evening meal now, and take a piece of sweet cake as well."
Ye Xiaoyuan was immensely grateful, showering him with pleasantries one after another.
After securely packing the food and the hard-won sweet cake into the food box and leaving the Great Kitchen, he walked a good distance, turned a corner, and in a deserted spot, his expression suddenly changed.
He turned his head. The obsequious, humble smile was completely gone, replaced by an icy coldness. He spat in the direction of the Great Kitchen.
"You wretched skin! You'll die before the little prince does! The little prince is blessed and protected by fortune, he'll live a hundred years!"
Still not vented, he spat again, but accidentally choked on the cold wind and coughed violently, cursing his bad luck under his breath. Only then did he protect the food box and continue on his way back.
The cold wind made it hard to keep his eyes open. At a corner, Ye Xiaoyuan suddenly tripped over something. Before he could cry out, an ice-cold hand clutched his ankle desperately. "Save me..."
The hair on Ye Xiaoyuan's body stood on end. He stiffened and looked down.
It was just a little eunuch on the verge of death.
He heaved a huge sigh of relief, having thought it was a ghost.
Every winter, young palace maids and eunuchs froze to death in the palace; it wasn't a rare occurrence. Ye Xiaoyuan pulled his foot free and muttered quietly, "I can't save you. May you be reborn into a good family in your next life."
After walking a few steps, he inexplicably remembered the little prince's request. He couldn't help but look back, hesitated, then walked over. "Do you know Tai Chi?"
"I do... I do."
The little eunuch seemed to have grabbed a lifeline, raising his head slightly with an extremely strong will to live, his pitch-black eyes burning like fire.
Ye Xiaoyuan was momentarily stunned by that gaze.
"Fine then, consider yourself lucky."
He hooked the food box over his arm, freed both hands, grabbed the collar of the eunuch on the ground, and pulled hard.
Ye Xiaoyuan was only in his teens himself, slender and not strong enough to carry someone. He could only haul the little eunuch by the collar, dragging him along the ground, panting heavily as if dragging a corpse.
"Whether you ultimately live or not depends on His Highness's decision. I can only take you there first."
The little eunuch clung to his last breath, barely staying conscious. Several times he almost fainted. He bit his tongue until it nearly bled, swallowing his own blood while using the pain to stay awake.
He didn't want to die.
The little eunuch struggled to breathe, alleviating the choking sensation from being dragged by the collar. He hoped the residence of the 'little prince' this eunuch mentioned was close, otherwise he might really die on the way.
Finally, they reached the Residence of Peace Hall.
Ye Xiaoyuan dumped the eunuch he'd picked up in a wind-sheltered corner and hurried inside with the food box.
To him, this half-dead servant he'd picked up was far less important than the little prince's meal.
The little eunuch coughed a few times, slowly curled himself up, and carefully used his sleeve to wipe the grime from his face, afraid of dirtying the noble's eyes.
