ARC 1 - The Way to become an Empress Part 42

◇

When we arrived back at my palace, my maids immediately let me rest in my room. They immediately made me go to bed, but not before letting me eat and intake that bitter medicine the imperial physician prescribed yesterday again, along with the new health supplements Ji Zhen Tian just gave.

Bleeh. I feel like my tongue is rotting with all the bitterness of those medicines. Never again will I be careless and get sick.

As soon as my head reached the pillow, I immediately fell asleep. I guess the toll of the things I did just now to my body was greater than I expected.

When I woke up, the sky outside was already dim. I slept that long.

When my maids heard the commotion inside my room, they immediately sought permission to enter. When I gave them so, they asked if I want dinner to be served already. I'm not particularly hungry, but I need to recover as soon as I can in a critical time like this, so I let them bring the food in.

I ate a hearty meal, but afterwards, I didn't immediately go to bed. Not because I don't want to get indigestion, well, of course there's that too, but moreover, I need to think of back-up plans for Ji Zhen Tian.

...After thinking for awhile, I still haven't come up with a great idea. My power is very limited, and the Ye family doesn't have much influence as the Li's.

What should I do... What should I do...

Then the system appeared in front of me when I was in such a predicament.

"Host, you don't need to worry that much." It said.

Don't worry? How could I not? The plot's going way too fast and now I'm suffering the consequences of my idleness before, thinking things won't progress as quickly as they actually did.

Then the system continued, "Host's mission is only to become an Empress. It doesn't matter whose. The only thing host needs to secure is Ji Zhen Tian's favorability not dropping, and Li Zhen Zhen's original fate."

I looked at the system blankly.

Is that how it is? It doesn't matter whose Empress I become? As long as I attain that position?

...But if Ji Zhen Tian really gets overthrown, it's still not guaranteed who will become Emperor. The most likely would be Li Ming, but if he gets to be Emperor, then how can Li Zhen Zhen be beheaded in public? They're full-blooded siblings, not even siblings from different mothers. Surely he won't let his little sister suffer...

Then the system, hearing my thoughts, said,

"Host, according to this system's analysis, host's wishes are Li Ming's priority, above anyone else's, including his little sister's. If host wishes for Li Zhen Zhen to be beheaded, killed, or sent away, there's a very big probability that it'll happen."

.....How could that be?

"This system does not understand the way people think."

I too don't understand how that came to be. Why would Li Ming even choose me, a semi-stranger, over his full-blooded sibling?

.....

No matter how much I think about it, I still don't understand. Perhaps the system is mistaken?

"This system is not mistaken. This system is merely talking about probability, host. It's not 100% guaranteed that it'll happen. However, this system spoke up because it's more than 95% guaranteed that Li Ming will do anything as host wishes."

I knitted my eyebrows even deeper. I really don't understand. It's not that I don't trust the system, but... Just that... the scenario is just too absurd to be believable.

...Moreover, to be honest... I couldn't imagine any Emperor other than Ji Zhen Tian.

I... like the way his mind works. His thoughtfulness, the way he thinks about his people, prioritizing his subjects more than his ministers' wishes... that is a very great feat. Very admirable. Moreover, his thoughtfulness is backed up by his sharp mind, his wit. I've only been in this world for not a very long time, but I stayed long enough to understand that.

Even when I went out on the streets that time when I was dealing with Xi Jiu, I can see from the faces of the people... from the way they act... the way they live... how happy they are with their lives.

My opinion may be a little biased as I have only seen a very small part of Ji Zhen Tian's subjects, moreover, I've only seen the situation in the Imperial Capital, but... I believe this situation is not only evident in the capital, but also in other places across the land.

.....I can't believe I have this much faith in him.

Anyway, I just hope that in the end, it will be Ji Zhen Tian who sits on the throne.

When I was in the middle of such thoughts, I suddenly felt drowsy. I guess the medicine kicked in, huh.

Though I wasn't able to think of a back-up plan, I remembered the way Ji Zhen Tian reassured me of not needing to worry, and with that, I seem to have fallen asleep at ease.