Feng Yusheng never expected that he would suffer such a great setback because of a rumor he had once prided himself on. Now he had become a fugitive in hiding, and even the Second and Fourth Princes, who had previously fawned over him, avoided him like the plague.
Yet someone still remembered him. Xia Luo, the princess, found him and brought him back to her fiefdom. As Feng Yusheng looked at this frivolous woman, he felt genuine affection for her for the first time.
"Host, the male lead's favorability has increased!" the system immediately announced in celebration. Xia Luo's face lit up with joy—she had finally moved the male lead!
"Rewarded with 3,000 points!" the system declared, while an indistinct current of energy flowed from Feng Yusheng toward the eyeball-like system.
Had Fang Zhiyi been present, he would have understood that the system was siphoning Feng Yusheng's fortune.
Without hesitation, Xia Luo exchanged the points for a top-tier healing pill and told Feng Yusheng it had been hard to obtain. Though hesitant, he swallowed it, and from that moment, his body fully recovered.
Both were overjoyed, but they failed to notice that the system had once again drained a significant amount of his fortune.
With his footing now secure, Feng Yusheng began investigating who had caused this upheaval. However, he no longer had any loyal subordinates to rely on—those who had been devoted to him had all met their end.
Fortunately, Xia Luo was there. Under her direction, the system scouted far and wide, eventually pointing the blame at the deposed Crown Prince's faction and the Old Emperor.
Upon hearing the news, Feng Yusheng let out a heavy sigh.
"Now that I’ve lost all hope of clearing my parents' names, how can I continue living in this world?" he lamented.
Xia Luo's heart ached, but she quickly made a decision. "I have troops at my disposal. If strategy fails, we’ll resort to force!"
Feng Yusheng's eyes brightened, and a thought struck him—there was one person he could turn to.
Prince Huai remained as carefree as ever, though that night, on his way back to his residence, he encountered a familiar face.
As the woman stepped down from the carriage, Prince Huai felt an uneasy chill. During Xia Luo's recent absence, he had been living his happiest days.
Meanwhile, Fang Zhiyi studied the eyeball-like system. After not seeing it for some time, he felt an unusual pressure emanating from it—the same kind of glow he had once seen on Xiao Hei.
"Brother Zhiyi, you never came looking for me," Xia Luo cooed.
Prince Huai scratched his head awkwardly.
"I need your help. If you agree, I’ll marry you," Xia Luo said, her expression strained. But for Feng Yusheng's sake, she endured. She couldn’t delay any longer—the system had warned her that the Old Emperor was already considering arranging a marriage to control Prince Huai.
Under Fang Zhiyi's urging, Prince Huai finally responded.
"Rebellion? No, no, no, absolutely not!" Prince Huai shook his head like a rattle-drum.
"Don’t you want to marry me?" Xia Luo gazed at him with deep affection.
Prince Huai froze. "No, no, no, no way!" As if joking, he had already decided never to marry—single life was far too enjoyable!
Xia Luo gritted her teeth. "System, didn’t you upgrade? Give me the strongest control talisman."
"Host, are you sure? Your points will be depleted."
"Confirmed. It’s a waste, but I have no choice," Xia Luo said. "If I could just slap this talisman on the Old Emperor, I wouldn’t be begging this fool."
The eyeball system emitted a bright flash, and a talisman firmly attached itself to Prince Huai.
Prince Huai's gaze softened. "Whatever you say, Luo Luo. Your wish is my command."
Fang Zhiyi was stunned—he couldn’t even touch the talisman!
When Feng Yusheng reappeared, now fully armored, he exuded his former confidence and began strategizing. The thoroughly controlled Prince Huai nodded repeatedly, and the three agreed on a time to raise their armies before parting ways.
Fang Zhiyi tried calling out to Prince Huai, but the prince acted as if he couldn’t hear, mechanically washing up before going to bed.
The next day, Prince Huai secretly departed for the Thunderstrike Army's camp. Under his forceful orders, the entire army began marching toward the capital.
At the same time, Princess Xia Luo also mobilized her forces from her fiefdom. The wealth she had amassed was enough to arm tens of thousands of soldiers.
The capital was thrown into chaos—Prince Huai had rebelled! Princess Xia Luo had rebelled!
The Thunderstrike Army, being elite troops, advanced swiftly, breaking through all resistance until they reached the capital's gates. Meanwhile, Xia Luo's forces, though slower due to their size, arrived shortly after under Feng Yusheng's command. The two armies merged, with Feng Yusheng appointed as the supreme commander.
Prince Huai knew the capital's defenses better than anyone, and many of the guards were his former subordinates. The outer walls fell within days.
But just as the army was about to push into the inner city, Feng Yusheng issued a baffling order.
"All troops, withdraw and encamp outside the city!"
The generals were stunned. Xia Luo knew nothing of warfare, but she trusted her man implicitly. Prince Huai stood there blankly, a puppet on strings.
"General Feng... retreat now?" a deputy asked in disbelief.
Instead of answering, Feng Yusheng raised his voice toward the inner city. "Inform the emperor—Zhong Qilin, second son of the Zhong Family, requests an audience!"
The message was relayed layer by layer until it reached the Old Emperor's ears. Upon hearing it, the emperor shuddered.
So the rumor was true—the youngest son of the Zhong Family had survived.
"Has the day of reckoning finally come?"
Xia Luo watched her beloved with excitement. Soon, she could even force the Old Emperor to grant their marriage—she would wed Feng Yusheng! No, wait, his real surname was Zhong!
Feng Yusheng turned to Xia Luo and gently explained, "I must clear my father's name and demand justice. I seek an apology from the emperor himself—for the Zhong Family's dozen wronged souls."
Though she already knew this, Xia Luo's heart swelled with admiration. Truly, the male lead—so heroic!
But at that moment, Fang Zhiyi grinned. "Xiao Hei, now."
In the next instant, Xia Luo, lost in her bliss, felt a sharp pain at the back of her neck before collapsing unconscious. The eyeball-like system panicked, swelling to several times its size—only to be ensnared by countless tendrils that descended from nowhere, dragging it into the sky before it could react.
"What are you doing?" Feng Yusheng demanded.
"What are you doing?" Fang Zhiyi's voice was icy. "We followed you with hundreds of thousands of men, risking our lives, and now you tell me this is your plan?"
Feng Yusheng declared, "I seek justice for the Zhong Family! I demand the emperor's apology! My family were loyal subjects, not traitors!"
Fang Zhiyi's expression twisted strangely. He glanced back. "Oh? Why don’t you take a look behind you first?"
Feng Yusheng hesitated. "I have my reasons!"
"Brother, I don’t know what’s going on in your head, but..." Fang Zhiyi pointed behind him. "These men followed you with their lives on the line. The moment we raised this rebellion, there was no turning back. And now you tell me you just want the emperor to clear your family’s name?"