The Framed Tool-General 08

"Where are the Emperor and his beloved Empress Liu?" Fang Zhiyi asked again.

The scout replied, "Yesterday, because the Emperor was in a bad mood and Empress Liu kept insisting on leaving the palace, he scolded her. Now they’re not speaking to each other."

Fang Zhiyi smirked. He had wanted to see if their love could withstand hardship, but it seemed so fragile. With a wave of his hand, he dismissed the scout and reclined comfortably in his chair.

"Host, you could have taken the throne long ago and completed the mission. Why haven’t you?" the system materialized.

Fang Zhiyi didn’t even glance at it. "And what happens after I complete the mission?"

The system replied, "You can move on to the next world and continue fulfilling new tasks, earning points to ensure your survival."

"Cut the nonsense. Once I complete the mission, the original host will take over, won’t he?"

"Uh... yes."

Fang Zhiyi sat up. "And then he’ll find a way to bring Liu Guxia to his side, and without fail, he’ll even raise the child in her belly as his own, right? Dream on!"

"Host, this behavior of yours isn’t ideal."

"Besides, let’s be honest—is the Emperor’s position really that great? Endless paperwork, constant worries. I’d much rather stay as the powerful minister, leaving the exhausting labor to the Emperor. What’s wrong with that?"

"......" The system fell silent.

Meanwhile, in the imperial harem, the young Emperor was drowning in frustration. He had once promised Liu Guxia a lifetime of devotion, but now he wondered how he’d ever failed to see how unreasonable she was. Buried under piles of memorials, forced to request funds and supplies from Fang Zhiyi, he was already humiliated enough. Yet she had the nerve to complain that he didn’t spend enough time with her, accusing him of no longer loving her! Had she forgotten that if she hadn’t been captured by Fang Zhiyi, he wouldn’t be in this miserable position today?

The more he thought about it, the angrier he became—cursing Fang Zhiyi one moment, resenting Liu Guxia the next. When a eunuch delivered another stack of memorials, his fury erupted. "Go summon Fang Zhiyi at once!"

The eunuch flinched. "Your Majesty, Prince Fang said that if you wish to see him, you must first submit a written request. He’s been very busy lately."

"Absurd! I am the Emperor! Since when do I need to write a request to see him? This—" Before he could finish, the eunuch stood up. "Your Majesty, it’s best to focus on reviewing the memorials. Some words are better left unheard by the Prince."

A sudden image of his grandfather’s severed head, eyes wide open, flashed in the Emperor’s mind. A chill ran down his spine. "Fine! I’ll review them!" At least the throne was still his—for now. When the time came, he would rally the people and execute that treacherous usurper...

"Your Majesty, you’re drooling."

Yet his words were faithfully relayed to Fang Zhiyi that very afternoon.

Another scout arrived. "My Prince, Empress Liu requests an audience with you."

Fang Zhiyi shook his head like a rattle drum. "No, no." By his calculations, she was already carrying the Emperor’s child. What did she want from him now? Probably more of that "Brother Zhiyi" nonsense.

But then an idea struck him. "Actually, go find the most renowned courtesan in the capital and send her to the palace. Tell the Emperor it’s my gift to him."

The scout obeyed and left.

That night, a lavishly dressed courtesan entered the palace and stayed in the Emperor’s chambers.

Liu Guxia, of course, received the news. Weeping, she stormed in to confront them. By then, the Emperor was utterly enchanted and had no patience for her. Only after everything was over did he lazily order the doors opened. Liu Guxia, her eyes red from crying, saw him lounging in the courtesan’s arms, lazily eating grapes she peeled for him. Her suppressed emotions exploded.

"You heartless scoundrel! You swore you’d love only me!"

"I must have been blind to trust you! You’re not even worth a fraction of Brother Zhiyi!"

Enraged, the Emperor lunged at her and struck her across the face. Liu Guxia wasn’t one to take a beating quietly—she clawed back. The eunuchs and maids turned away, pretending not to see. After all, Prince Fang had decreed: unless someone was dying, they were not to interfere.

The brawl continued until blood pooled beneath Liu Guxia. A maid finally cried out, "Her Majesty is bleeding!"

The Emperor froze, a dreadful realization dawning.

The imperial physician arrived, examined her, and sighed regretfully. "Her Majesty was with child, but... alas..."

The Emperor’s mind went blank. "Impossible! You quack! Guards, execute him!"

No one moved. The physician gave him a pitying look, picked up his medicine box, and left.

The courtesan collected her reward and departed, leaving only a weakened Liu Guxia and the stunned Emperor behind.

That night, both dreamed of the future they should have had—she, a revered empress who reformed the empire; he, a mighty conqueror expanding his domain.

When they awoke and looked at each other, a thousand words hung between them. But the memory of the child lost to the Emperor’s violence made Liu Guxia bury her face in her hands and weep.

The system relayed the scene to Fang Zhiyi—a bonus feature of the one-point dream he’d purchased.

"Host, what’s the point of all this?"

Fang Zhiyi grinned. "None. I just wanted them to understand exactly why they’re suffering."

Though they now remembered their past lives and recognized Fang Zhiyi’s vengeance, they were powerless. Their relationship had deteriorated beyond repair—the Emperor had bedded a courtesan, and Liu Guxia found him repulsive. Now, the Emperor spent his days as a puppet ruler, mechanically processing paperwork, while Liu Guxia exhausted every means to see Fang Zhiyi, only to be blocked at every turn.

Seeing them living apart, Fang Zhiyi ordered the demolition of unused palaces, forcing the Emperor and Liu Guxia to share quarters—trapped together in mutual loathing.

The Emperor had long abandoned any pretense of dignity. Every attempt to resist proved futile—the court was filled with Fang Zhiyi’s loyalists, either handpicked through the imperial exams or former local officials who had once been overlooked.

Meanwhile, rumors spread among the people: Prince Fang governed wisely, while the Emperor hid in his palace, accomplishing nothing. Yet one benevolent policy after another was issued under Prince Fang’s name. Any local official or noble who resisted would find their head mounted on the city gates by dawn. Regional garrisons, all under Prince Fang’s command, acted with terrifying efficiency.

On the frontier, Fang Zhiyi reformed the military, purging corrupt units—like the capital guard, which claimed 80,000 men but barely mustered 50,000. With better weapons, he drove the northern barbarians beyond the borders for good.

Decades later, only Fang Wenyuan remained in the imperial prison, his mind broken as he clutched the bars, questioning the guards about the outside world every time they brought him food.

The new emperor had died twenty years prior, worn down by ceaseless labor and the weight of unspoken sorrows, passing away in melancholy.

Liu Guxia spent her days staring blankly at the ceiling, murmuring to herself.

Fang Zhiyi had died—of old age, just a few days earlier. He had finally accepted the court officials' recommendation and ascended the throne. As he gazed down at the kneeling ministers with emotion, the real Fang Zhiyi returned. Stunned, he looked at his hands, touched the dragon throne beside him, and opened his mouth to speak—only for a eunuch to rush in with urgent news.

"Your Majesty, Empress Liu has passed!" Upon hearing that Fang Zhiyi had taken the throne, Liu Guxia had muttered to herself for a long while before her head slowly drooped. When the palace maids checked on her, they found her lifeless.

A sharp pain seized Fang Zhiyi’s heart, and from that moment, he took to his bed, never to rise again.

Since he had left instructions beforehand, the court swiftly elevated a young man to the throne—Fang Zhiyi’s adopted son, whom he had meticulously groomed for over a decade. The original Fang Zhiyi, now unable to speak, could only offer a bitter smile at the sight.

Fang Zhiyi’s death plunged the nation into mourning. Historical records state that the second emperor of the Great Xia Dynasty had long been lost in the harem, neglecting state affairs, while Fang Zhiyi had purged the court of corruption, exposed Liu Wenhui’s schemes, and devoted decades of exhausting labor to the nation, enacting countless policies for its prosperity. He never married, and rumors persisted that he had loved Liu Guxia until the end—indeed, he followed her in death shortly after her passing.