Whether it was related to the emperor or not, his survival within the palace was in jeopardy. So why not take a gamble? Embracing anyone’s thigh is the same, so it’s better to embrace the thickest one.
Yan Ge finally made up his mind: to embrace the emperor’s thigh. However, the problem was that you can’t embrace a thigh just because you want to. How can you embrace it when you can’t even see the emperor’s face?
“System.”
The doll’s voice came quickly, “Master, you called me. Have you finally changed your mind?”
“Don’t you find it tiresome to say the same thing every time?” Yan Ge quipped.
“I exhaust myself for my master, so I’m not tired!”
Yan Ge could almost imagine a little doll patting its chest, which made him laugh. “Do you have a name? It’s not appropriate to just call you ‘system’ all the time.”
“No,” the doll suggested, “Master, why don’t you give me a name?”
“Alright,” Yan Ge pondered, “Let’s use my surname. You’ll be called Yan Jin, and your nickname will be Xiao Jin. How does that sound?”
“Okay,” the system cheerfully replied, “I like this name.”
Yan Ge brought up the main issue, “Xiao Jin, tell me, what rewards can I obtain besides silver when I level up?”
Yan Jin asked excitedly, “Master, are you planning to level up?”
Yan Ge shrugged, his eyes curving, “Only if the rewards are worth it.”
Yan Jin spoke seriously, “Master, due to certain reasons that are not detrimental to you, I currently can’t tell you what the rewards will be in the future. I can only mention the rewards for the next level after you complete each mission. But I can assure you that the higher the level, the greater the value of the rewards. Trust me, you won’t regret it.”
“You said ‘currently,’ meaning you’ll tell me in the future?” Yan Ge wasn’t too disappointed. The system hadn’t been particularly forthright since their first conversation.
“Yes,” Yan Jin’s tone was earnest.
Yan Ge pondered for a moment and said casually, “Alright then. Let’s try leveling up.”
Yan Jin immediately became happy and asked eagerly, “Master, how do you plan to embrace the Emperor’s thigh? Right now, you have one Transformation Pill, one Poison Immunity Pill, and the book ‘The Eighteen Arts of Yufu.’ The Transformation Pill and Immunity Pill aren’t needed for the time being, but ‘The Eighteen Arts of Yufu contains several methods to capture the Emperor’s heart and mind.”
Yan Ge had a vein popping on his forehead but let out a long sigh and said, “Then bring it out and let me see.”
The next second, a book appeared in his hand. The cover had an ancient style with the words “The Eighteen Arts of Yufu” written vertically, and the characters “Yufu” were particularly large and bold.
Yan Ge flipped the first page open. The calligraphy was in a cursive style and somewhat difficult to decipher, but luckily, he had studied calligraphy before and was familiar with cursive script:
“The First Technique, Culinary Arts. To capture someone’s heart, one must first capture their stomach.”
There were detailed explanations following this sentence, spanning nearly a thousand characters, and it concluded with hundreds of recipes.
Yan Ge was speechless as he flipped through several pages until the Second Technique.
—The Art of Gentleness. Being gentle is paramount. By being gentle, even the hardest steel can be made pliable. There were four or five fascinating examples following it.
—The Third Technique, Music. There was a musical score provided.
—The Fourth Technique…
Until the Eighteenth Technique, Seduction. To conquer someone’s heart, one can also start by conquering their body. Attached was a prescription of the best aphrodisiac, which has a long-lasting effect and does not harm the body.
Yan Ge clicked his tongue and put the book back in the system storage, feeling that the system was unreliable. It seemed that he had to rely on himself. As a modern person, he had many advantages. He needed to think about how to use them specifically.
He stood up and Wan Xiang and Xiao Chuanzi, who were waiting outside the door, bowed respectfully.
“Let’s go out for a walk.”
“Yes!” Wan Xiang and Xiao Chuanzi almost burst into tears of joy.
In the past few days, Yan Ge had intentionally kept his distance from them. He spoke no more than three sentences a day and didn’t ask for their help unless necessary. He even went for walks in the small courtyard without allowing them to accompany him. Both of them were cautious, fearing that Yan Ge might become angry and send them back to their original place.
Where would they find such a good master then? Now that Yan Ge allowed them to follow him again, they knew that the master had forgiven them, so they quickly caught up.
Yan Ge estimated that they had truly understood, so he gave them a few more reminders. “There’s no need to be so restrained. Just remember one thing: If this young master is good, then you should be good as well.”
“Yes, we understand, master,” Xiao Chuanzi and Wan Xiang said in unison.
As Yan Ge walked out, he smiled and said, “Wan Xiang, Xiao Chuanzi, you’ve caused trouble for each other this time. Xiao Chuanzi, you should find some time to apologize to Wan Xiang.”
Xiao Chuanzi smiled, “I understand, master. I will definitely find time to apologize.”
Wan Xiang asked, “Master, where are we going?”
“To the Imperial Garden,” Yan Ge said with a hint of helplessness in his eyes. It was said that the Imperial Garden was the most likely place to encounter the emperor. At least he had to give it a try.
The Imperial Garden was located to the east of the Spring Breeze Palace, quite a distance away. It took them nearly half an hour to get there. Before they reached the garden gate, three people came out from another alley: Song Ruhao, Du Zhengfeng, and Zhou Wenhann.
Yan Ge was somewhat surprised but didn’t stop his steps. The calm and composed atmosphere made Song Ruhao and the others momentarily stunned. They could only wait for him to approach them unhurriedly and watch him bow.
Zhou Wenhann’s gaze fell on Yan Ge, a hint of sarcasm appeared in his eyes, mocking him for finally being unable to resist.
Song Ruhao quickly regained his composure and smiled. “How could Brother Yan bear to go out today? It seems like you don’t enjoy going out much, so we didn’t invite you along.”
Du Zhengfeng added, “Indeed, it’s rare.”
Yan Ge said, “The weather is nice today, so I thought I’d take a casual walk.”
Song Ruhao said, “Since we’ve encountered each other, let’s go together then.”
Zhou Wenhann chuckled softly, “Song Guiren, I’m afraid Brother Yan may have prior arrangements and it would be inconvenient for him to accompany us.”
“Song Guiren, please,” Yan Ge smiled and glanced at Zhou Wenhann, disregarding his rudeness. He raised his right hand and made a graceful gesture, inviting Song Ruhao to go ahead.
This gesture exuded an air of elegance, and Song Ruhao was momentarily taken aback. He took a step forward and couldn’t help but feel puzzled. He had seen Yan Ge twice before, but when did he become so composed?
The four male consorts walked ahead, while the palace maids and eunuchs followed a few steps behind, aware of their positions.
A rich floral fragrance wafted through the Imperial Garden, and the sound of trickling water could be faintly heard, gentle and pleasant. The birds sang from time to time in the grove, as if in joyous celebration. The melodious sound of a qin floated in the air, but it was uncertain which consort was expressing her emotions through its strings.
Upon entering the garden gate, a fragrant breeze greeted them, and the scent of fresh green leaves refreshed their hearts. Yan Ge was in a cheerful mood, silently understanding why both the emperor and the consorts enjoyed strolling here when they had free time. It truly was a delightful place. Looking around, there were flower beds, artificial hills, lotus ponds, covered walkways, pavilions, and towers, all arranged in an enchanting manner, creating a harmonious and picturesque scene.
The group followed a winding cobblestone path through the secluded woods. Suddenly, they came to a serene lake. Willow branches gracefully swayed by the lakeside, reflecting the water’s emerald hue. Floating willow catkins danced like snowflakes in the air.
Zhou Wenhan’s poetic spirit soared as he exclaimed, “The grass and trees know that spring will not last long, competing in a myriad of red and purple hues. Willow catkins and elm pods lack poetic thoughts, only causing a snow-like flurry.”
Song Ruhao clapped his hands and praised, “Excellent poem! Brother Zhou is truly talented.”
Yan Ge also joined in with a couple of compliments, “Indeed, a remarkable poem.”
“Song Guiren and Brother Yan have praised me too much,” Zhou Wenhann’s face was filled with a smile, showing satisfaction. However, when he turned to see Du Zhengfeng’s indifferent expression, his smile faded. Du Zhengfeng was too rigid, and Zhou Wenhann didn’t think the emperor would take a liking to him. Thus, he had never regarded Du Zhengfeng as a threat. With this thought in mind, he quickly regained his composure and discreetly looked around, hoping to be the first to spot the emperor’s presence.
After walking a few steps, they noticed a pavilion not far away, where a concubine was playing the qin, surrounded by two rows of palace maids. The concubine caught sight of them, and gave them a faint smile tinged with mockery, and continued playing.
The four of them had no choice but to avoid the pavilion and turn in another direction. Unexpectedly, as they passed by a flowerbed, they encountered two elegantly dressed concubines holding exquisite flower baskets, carefully pruning flowers. Their postures, grace, and smiles were perfect from every angle. The beauties smiled and laughed with each other, looking picturesque and they didn’t feel like disturbing them. Helpless, the four of them changed their direction once again, only to come across another concubine who was feeding the fish by the pond, her gauzy robes and ribbons fluttering in the breeze, her shadow dancing on the water, playfully mingling with the fish.
Yan Ge was speechless. Obviously, he wasn’t the only one who believed that the Imperial Garden offered the highest likelihood of encountering the emperor.
“Song Guiren, Daying wishes to take a stroll in that direction,” Yan Ge observed that Song Ruhao and the others had no intention of leaving, so he casually pointed towards a certain path.
Song Ruhao nodded, and Yan Ge led Wan Xiang and Xiaochanzi to depart through a secluded pathway, making an effort to avoid encountering others.
“Master, are you leaving so soon?” Wan Xiang asked, puzzled.
Yan Ge casually plucked a willow twig and played with it in his hand. “The fragrance of powder here is even more intense than that of flowers. Why linger in this place?”
Wan Xiang offered reassurance, saying, “Master, please don’t be disheartened. Male consorts have always been a symbol of fortune, and His Majesty will surely summon you one day.”
Yan Ge smiled without speaking, actually engaging in conversation with Yan Jin.
“Yan Jin, the plan for the Imperial Garden was a complete failure.”
Yan Jin advised, “Master, I believe you should consider trying the ‘The Eighteen Arts of Yufu.’”
Yan Ge spoke leisurely, “How can you be so dull? He is an emperor, not a ‘husband.’ The ‘Eighteen Arts of Yufu’ are utterly irrelevant, as I cannot even catch a glimpse of the Emperor. May I inquire if I can lodge a complaint with your superiors?”
Yan Jin was at a loss for words. “Um… Well, what is the master’s next step?”
Yan Ge confidently stated, “Just wait. Since we can’t make a move within the palace, we’ll start from outside.”
“Has Master already come up with a plan?” Yan Jin asked eagerly.
“Indeed,” Yan Ge replied, his hands clasped behind his back. He leisurely admired the beautiful scenery along the road, with a relaxed and contented gait that left others envious.
“Your Majesty, is that also one of your consorts?”
Behind a cluster of green trees stood two men. The one speaking was a man dressed in black robes, about twenty-five or twenty-six years old. He had a mischievous smile, handsome features, and in his right hand, he played a transverse flute with a playful gaze, watching Yan Ge’s receding figure.
The other man was tall and robust, with a straight and slender physique. He wore a yellow imperial robe and a golden crown on his head. His ink-black hair reached his shoulders, and his well-sculpted facial features exhibited majesty. His deep, dark eyes burned like torches, his nose was tall and straight, and his perfectly shaped lips exuded an air of Indifference. Upon hearing the words of the man in black, he uttered calmly, “A man.”
The man in black chuckled and didn’t dare say anything more.
