Holding the script, I want to give up.

Let me see how my brother is doing after I left.

Shangguan Zitong opened the video and started playing Shangguan Nuoyou's daily life.

During the Lantern Festival, when Shangguan Zitong had just gone to marry a foreign ruler, the Nanning Imperial Palace was deathly silent, completely devoid of the festive joy that should have been present.

"Your Majesty, it's time to rest."

Xuan Ye handed Shangguan Nuoyou a bowl of bird's nest soup.

"Am I too cold-blooded and heartless?"

He put down the memorial, rubbed his temples, picked up the bird's nest soup, drank a few sips, and then put it down.

"No, Your Highness, you must have your reasons for doing this."

"Don't care too much about other people's opinions, just be yourself."

Xuan Ye walked up behind him and massaged him.

"I...really want to protect them."

"I... really don't want them to go on marriage alliances."

"But I... am really too weak."

"I knew the fate of the princess who was sent to marry a foreign ruler, but I was powerless to do anything about it. Zitong must hate me in her heart."

Shangguan Nuoyou relaxed and leaned back in her chair, letting Xuan Ye massage her.

"Oh dear, I did resent you a bit back then, and I wished I could be emperor in your place."

Shangguan Zitong looked at her brother in the video, and even in a relaxed state, she still frowned.

“Your Majesty, some things are simply unavoidable. Even if you are unwilling, the princess will choose to sacrifice herself for the greater good.”

"Besides, you have only just taken power. How much power do you have? Nanning is a weak country to begin with."

“Weak countries have no voice. Even if they choose to maintain relations through marriage, they are still inferior to others.”

"Your Majesty, you must gradually become stronger."

Xuan Ye comforted him.

"Oh my! Is my image in Xuan Ye's eyes really that good?!"

"Sacrifice yourself?! I'm not that selfless. I'd be the first to run if anything happened."

Shangguan Zitong felt that even if the sky collapsed, there would be giants to hold it up, and it was not her turn to help as a dwarf.

"Well, rest."

Shangguan Nuoyou stood up, and Xuan Ye followed behind him.

Holy crap... my brother...

Shangguan Zitong stared at the screen full of pixelated images and the suggestive panting sounds, her heart pounding with excitement. This was practically a paradise for yaoi fans! The system quickly turned off the screen and covered her ears and eyes with its tail.

Your smile is harder to suppress than an AK-47.

The little fox exclaimed in sincere admiration.

"Ah Li, you don't understand the joy of a fujoshi!"

"Then you can skip to the next day or just skip to the next one, and I'll continue watching."

Her eyebrows curved, and her smile was as beautiful as a peach blossom.

【Fine. 】

The system continues playing the video from the following day.

There's an atmosphere of utter despondency everywhere.

"No, let's skip to next month."

Shangguan Zitong didn't like this rather depressing scene, so she directly dragged the progress bar to the video next month and selected to watch it.

"Your Majesty, do you wish to leave the palace in person?"

Xuan Ye followed behind Shangguan Nuoyou.

"Yes, my sister saved a child while she was playing in Lushui. I heard that his parents have all passed away."

"I intend to bring him to this palace."

"The people over there have already said they have news and sent the person over. I want to go and see for myself."

"You come with me."

As she spoke, Shangguan Nuoyou called for the chief eunuch to prepare the carriage, while she and Xuan Ye walked towards the palace gate.

"it is good."

Xuan Ye acted as his coachman.

"They're not going to choose that child as the crown prince, are they?"

"My God, why didn't this incredible wealth fall on my head? Why did it have to fall on a little kid?"

She grumbled about this unfair fate; she also longed to live in Rome. It was as if she was born in Rome, and even after her marriage alliance, she would still be in Rome! Thinking this way made her feel much more at peace.

No, it's not about Rome or not; it's about her working like a factory worker to complete tasks, while that child can be a complete couch potato for years. She started feeling resentful again, wallowing in self-pity.

It's possible.

"Let me be that child."

......

"Are you the child my sister saved?"

"Didn't she give you money? How come you're still so destitute?"

Shangguan Nuoyou squatted down, wanting to help the kneeling child up.

"I am very grateful to her, but she can only save me temporarily, not forever."

Do you think anyone would want a beggar?

When the child saw the hand extended to help him, he immediately dodged to the side, kowtowed deeply, and seemed afraid that his dirty hands would offend the nobleman. After all, they love to speak kindly to you from a position of superiority, only to throw you into a quagmire where you can't move or struggle.

Those high-ranking officials were opportunistic; before the emperor sought him out, they treated him coldly and suppressed him. But when the emperor, who was far away in the palace and unaware of the ways of the world, suddenly came looking for him, they all panicked and treated him like an ancestor, talking and laughing with him, just to get him to speak well of them in front of the emperor.

He was fed up with those hypocritical people and left that scheming place, only to be forcibly taken back by them. He was locked in the woodshed, starving and freezing, and only released a few days before the emperor arrived. He was then fed and cared for, and taught to say flattering words. If he said a single wrong word, he would be severely beaten.

"What's your name?"

"Get up and talk."

Shangguan Nuoyou was not annoyed by this and let him get up to talk to her.

"Zhou Jiyang, a commoner."

The child stood up and was the same height as Shangguan Nuoyou, who was squatting down.

"You have hands and feet, why doesn't anyone want you?"

For an emperor who had never experienced the hardships of life, he could not fathom the reasons behind this and would only conclude that the child was incompetent.

"Because I am a beggar on the street, and this place is already strictly hierarchical, how could anyone possibly be willing to hire a beggar as a servant?"

Zhou Jiyang calmly looked into his eyes to answer his question. He didn't want to say nice things to this seemingly benevolent emperor; he just wanted to tell the truth.

"What if I take you back to the palace?"

"At that time you will enjoy endless wealth and glory."

"But in return, you also suffer some hardships."

"Would you like to come with me?"

Shangguan Nuoyou reached out her hand to him again.

"Is that what that older sister meant?"

"If so, I can go to the palace with you."

Zhou Jiyang hesitated whether or not to go with him.

If I don't go with him, the days ahead will be terrible; if I do go with him, things won't be much better.

"Yes, so come with me."

Shangguan Nuoyou's hand was still outstretched towards him.

"it is good."

Zhou Jiyang handed his hand to Shangguan Nuoyou, letting him get up and lead him away from the Lu River, away from the place where he had lived for so long. They then boarded the carriage.

"I respectfully send you your Majesty's greetings."

Zhang Peng, the city lord of Lushui, led his entourage to bow to Shangguan Nuoyou in the carriage and watched them depart.

"Did I even express this to my brother? How does he know everything I did during those three years of traveling!"

Shangguan Zitong looked at the person on the screen and couldn't say anything more.

He's your older brother; he wouldn't hurt you.

"But he's different from my brother from the original world."

As she spoke, she thought of her brother in the original world, and large tears involuntarily fell from her eyes.

Once you complete the last task, you can return to your original world and reunite with them.

"Will you let me go?"

[This assumes you've completed the task.]

You bear the mark of my soul; I will pursue you to the ends of the earth until I find you.

"But I feel I won't seize this last chance; I can't assassinate Huangfu Hongxi."

You need to complete this yourself; I cannot help you.

"Okay, I understand."

Shangguan Zitong continued watching the people in the video.

Inside the Nanning Imperial Palace.

"This is the palace where you will live. There will be dedicated servants to take care of your daily life."

"Your task is to study under my tutor. He will teach you many things, and you must learn them."

"You also need to learn from the teachers who teach the Six Arts."

"I will come to assess you at the end of each month, and you will be punished if you fail."

Shangguan Nuoyou explained all these arrangements to Zhou Jiyang.

"Damn, this is exploitation!"

Shangguan Zitong couldn't help but sigh at the hardships of working people; a child's carefree childhood had turned into a miserable existence spent with books as companions.

"okay, I get it."

"Where is my sister? Won't she come out to see me?"

Zhou Jiyang scanned the surroundings of the hall but did not spot Shangguan Zitong.

"For the sake of the nation, she chose to marry into the Bei family in a political alliance..."

"Your palace is very close to the hall where I handle state affairs. If you have any questions, you may come to me. Do you understand?"

Shangguan Nuoyou looked at him and said.

"Okay, I understand. You may go now."

Zhou Jiyang replied with a curt bow.

......