The system took the initiative to explain that it didn't understand its master's actions. If it wanted the commander to complete the task, wouldn't it be faster to simply change it to a main quest?
They deliberately set this up as a side quest, allowing the commander to choose which one to complete.
What are the benefits of completing this?
Chu Qing closed his eyes and communicated with the system in his mind. Since it was not a task that had to be completed, he began to think about whether it was necessary to complete it.
"Completion will be rewarded, increasing the host's mission progress by 50%. The mission completion rate for one plane is 150%."
Even the system itself felt a little envious when it said those words.
If it were me, I would definitely be more than happy to complete such a rewarding side quest.
"good."
Chu Qing agreed without much thought, partly because he was genuinely tempted by the reward, and partly because he knew very well that, given his current status, his interactions with the emperor were unavoidable.
If nothing unexpected happens, he will live his whole life in this deep palace. Regardless of whether he succeeds in winning over the emperor, the ending will not change.
"Master, the Commander has agreed."
"Um."
Bai Yuan was not surprised by this result at all. Chu Qing was an absolutely rational person, and she believed that in the face of this situation, he would definitely choose to maximize his interests.
Just as Chu Qing agreed, she saw a particularly tall person standing at the palace gate.
At this point in time, there is no one but an emperor who can be here.
After finishing dealing with the memorials, Wei Yutang still couldn't sleep. Everything that had happened today felt like a dream to him, so he decided to go for a walk.
Unexpectedly, I ended up here without even realizing it.
She wanted to leave after Chu Qing rested, but he discovered her. She froze instantly, her hands clenched into fists inside her sleeves.
Trying to hide his nervousness, he cleared his throat before speaking:
"It's so late, aren't you going to sleep yet?"
"Hmm, I can't sleep."
Since he was her target, Chu Qing immediately changed her attitude towards him. She put the fan aside, looked up and stared straight at him, asking:
"It's already so late, isn't Your Majesty going to rest?"
Wei Yutang, of course, could not admit that the reason he wasn't resting was because he wanted to come and see him. After thinking it over and over again, he finally replied:
I've come to see Xiaxia.
Chapter 74
When Chu Qing heard Wei Yutang say those words, she could almost immediately tell that he was not being sincere.
The reason he agreed to this without any hesitation was for those two reasons.
Another important reason is that he felt the task was far too easy for him.
To be more precise, it's far too simple for the identity he's now inhabiting.
If the original owner had even a fraction of a brain, she wouldn't have squandered such a good hand.
He had the emperor's favor, a child, and a remarkable background. From any perspective, he was a true winner in life.
But he couldn't let it go, and his mind was preoccupied with those who had previously competed with His Majesty for the throne.
If it weren't for the fact that the emperor standing in front of her was so fond of the original owner, even if the original owner had several more lives, it wouldn't be enough.
"It's already so late. If Your Majesty wishes to see the Crown Prince, you should go as soon as possible. I was just being presumptuous."
Chu Qing held the fan in his slender hand, shook it gently a couple of times, then tossed it aside. Without even saying hello to Wei Yutang, he walked into the house on his own.
The attendant serving the Empress hesitated for a moment, then bowed to the Emperor and followed him.
He had served the Empress for quite some time, and he could vaguely sense that her attitude towards His Majesty today was not the same as before.
Wei Yutang stood alone in the courtyard, the cool night breeze blowing on him. It was a long time before he gradually regained consciousness.
When he was born, his father abandoned him in a tribe on the grasslands under the pretext of bad luck.
The relationship between the grasslands and this place can hardly be called friendly; it's merely superficially amicable. Once either side recovers, they will not hesitate to go to war.
Under such circumstances, even as a prince, he would not have a good life if he were to be relegated to the grasslands. If any conflict or war broke out between the two sides, his status as a prince would be a death sentence.
To survive under such conditions, Wei Yutang had to put in double the effort, and he developed a very keen sense of observation and judgment from a young age.
Unfortunately, even so, the situation he is now facing still leaves him somewhat bewildered.
Reason told him that the Empress seemed unhappy because of his words about coming to see Xiaxia, but his emotions told him that it was impossible.
Caught in a dilemma, he could only stand there with his eyes wide open until the time was up. After a long while, the eunuch serving him came over to remind him that if he didn't go to bed soon, he might miss the morning court session the next day.
Wei Yutang instantly came to his senses and left with the eunuch. That night, he tossed and turned on the dragon bed, still unable to figure out whether the truth was as he had guessed.
It is precisely because I like it so much that I am extra careful, and I can't help but doubt even the slightest progress, wondering if I am just overthinking it.
Chu Qing slept soundly after returning home. Although he had slept for a long time in the afternoon, the original owner's body was too weak, which meant that he needed to spend more time sleeping and recuperating than the average person.
Even he never expected that a casual remark he made would keep a king tossing and turning all night.
The first thing Xiaxia did after waking up was to run over and see if her father was still there.
He slept soundly last night and got up very early this morning.
After getting up, as is customary, one must first practice martial arts with the master.
But today, after he got dressed, he secretly went over to see if his father had woken up, without telling the nanny or the people who served him.
Chu Qing was not awake at the time, but opened her eyes after hearing footsteps.
The original owner was a light sleeper under certain circumstances, which is why the cicadas in the courtyard were cleaned up by the servants as soon as they started chirping.
Xiaxia had only intended to come and take a look. If her father hadn't woken up yet, she would obediently go back to study with her teacher.
Unexpectedly, he met his father's open eyes, and a big smile instantly spread across his face.
"Father, you woke up so early."
After hearing this, Chu Qing gave a soft "hmm" without telling Xia Xia that he had clearly woken her up.
Why are you awake so early? Is something wrong?
The crown prince had previously complained that his father and son were too strict with him, leaving him no room to breathe in these matters.
Every time he ran over to his father and brought up this topic, his father would say with great righteous indignation that it was because he was the crown prince of the country.
Bearing the hopes of an entire nation on their shoulders, they cannot afford to be too lax, especially when it comes to martial arts, which naturally requires starting training from a young age.
But in front of his father, the little guy didn't complain at all, not uttering a single word of complaint, and instead nodded gently.
"That's because I am a prince from a foreign land, so naturally I have to be more diligent than others. For me, these things are very simple."
The young prince seemed completely unfazed, as if he hadn't taken the hardship of the matter to heart at all, which made Chu Qing feel a little sorry for him.
"That being said, you are only three years old now, and your father is still in good health, so there is no rush to let you inherit the throne."
If the original owner's relationship with His Majesty hadn't been like that, Chu Qing wouldn't dare to say such things directly now.
After listening to his father's words, the young prince tilted his head in confusion and subconsciously asked.
"But that's not what my father said. Whom should I listen to?"
Although the young prince said this and pretended to be young and ignorant, his thoughts had already shifted to his father's side.
Staying by Father's side, that's where the good days are.
Unlike when I was with my father, who would only tell me to work hard and send me to study with the tutor, he rarely cared about my daily life.
Although his father had been like the King before, hadn't the Emperor already told him all of this?
The reason why Father was like that was because he was not in good health before and did not have the extra energy to take care of me.
My father is so strong he could kill a bear with his bare hands, yet the blind man looks just like him. This is enough to show that my father is far inferior to him.
"I will go and talk to your father. He only needs to practice the basics every day."
Chu Qing did not want this child to bear too much pressure at such a young age and lose the joy that childhood should have.
But at the same time, I don't want to raise him into a useless person who can't do anything. Let him learn some basic skills first, and the rest can be learned slowly when he grows up.
"Really, Daddy? If it's true, then I won't practice today."
As Xiaxia said this, her little eyes were fixed nervously on her father.
Fearing that his father might suddenly change his mind after such a short time, he wished he could finalize the matter right now.
"Of course. I'll have someone inform your tutor first, and we'll go find your father together later and discuss the rest after he finishes court."
After what happened last night, he kept thinking about it and decided that he had to see His Majesty again today, since his plans were different from before.
Chu Qing herself wasn't quite sure what exactly the memories she needed to retrieve were.
But the only thing I can be sure of is that if there is only one thing I need in life, it is to find my past self.
Given their current identities, and the fact that there will always be some unresolved entanglements in this world anyway, any strategy guides would just be icing on the cake.
Moreover, it will add 50% to the progress, which is a great deal for him from every perspective.
His Majesty tossed and turned in his bedchamber, unable to sleep all night. As dawn approached, he heard a commotion outside and simply sat up.
He hadn't slept all night, but he seemed to be in pretty good spirits.
In the imperial court, when he heard the ministers discuss certain issues with him, he was able to offer very rational judgments and solutions.
After the discussions in court concluded, His Majesty originally intended to summon a few ministers to his study to discuss the remaining matters that had not been fully addressed.
Just then, he suddenly heard a eunuch beside him come and report that the Empress and the Crown Prince had been waiting for him there for a long time.
Wei Yutang's thoughts immediately shifted. In fact, these matters of state were not particularly important, nor did they necessarily have to be dealt with today.
In contrast, the queen waiting there had a more urgent matter to attend to than these things.
Those ministers, who had served His Majesty for many years in the court, had already discerned His Majesty's next plan.
They had prepared themselves for His Majesty to summon them to his study, but to their surprise, His Majesty did not speak until the end of the court session.