I Rely on the Collapse of the Character Setting to Survive in the Hands of the Male Lead Chapter 144

Chapter 144

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Jing Rouyin’s presence was extremely awkward, but her reputation was exceptionally good. It wasn’t just because she was both beautiful and talented; more importantly, her character was noble. Despite only being engaged and not yet married, she behaved like a virtuous wife. She didn’t overtly defend Yuan Ran in public, but she never resisted her previous identity. She wasn’t afraid of death, didn’t blindly follow, and even when faced with attacks and curses from irrational individuals, she maintained her purity, apologized to people, and endured blame that wasn’t hers to bear.

Because of this, the Empress Dowager protected her, and she didn’t face the harassment that someone like Chief Steward Ning had encountered. The Empress Dowager even wanted to arrange a marriage for her, but she knew her identity could burden others, so she consistently refused until Lady Yamo was replaced, and she took over.

So, when Jing Rouyin appeared in the original plot, Lin Qingyang had momentarily hoped for a change in the protagonist’s character, especially since the male lead had committed many ruthless acts by that point.

Moreover, all the other women in the story fell in love with Chu Lishu, but Jing Rouyin was the only one who loved the previous incarnation of Yuan Ran.

She endured persecution for him and remained unmarried, maintaining her virtue. It was considered a deep and sincere love.

In theory, the male lead should have been moved or touched. Even if he had become completely insane by that time, he should have treated her with the same kindness as he did to Lu Yi, Lu Shi, Mr. Cao, and others, right? Taking care of her a bit, treating her well.

But what the male lead did next shattered Lin Qingyang’s moral compass.

When the male lead was orchestrating a cheating scandal during the imperial examination, he unintentionally discovered that his former fiancée was secretly entangled with Yuan Ye. With such a good leverage in his hands, how could he let it go?

Alongside the cheating scandal, a scheme to catch the illicit couple began.

The male lead directly took the opportunity to drug them, helping Yuan Ye at the right moment. When the officials investigating the case arrived, they conveniently caught them in the act.

The Crown Prince having an affair with the former Crown Prince’s fiancée, what a sensational scandal! It instantly painted Yuan Ye with a dark brush, a stain that couldn’t be washed away.

Yuan Ye tried to explain, but there was no evidence to prove that he wasn’t a willing participant. Jing Rouyin even attempted suicide several times without success.

In the end, the Emperor decided to intervene, arranging a marriage between the two. Jing Rouyin once again became the Crown Princess.

Although, considering Jing Rouyin’s original status, it was technically acceptable, the way it was handled was indeed unsightly. Moreover, she now had the aura of being the former Crown Prince’s sister-in-law, making it even more distasteful.

This incident caused a significant blow to Yuan Ye’s reputation. It was the first time in the court’s history that there was a discussion about deposing him from the position of Crown Prince. Although it ultimately didn’t succeed, it greatly damaged Yuan Ye’s standing. As a result, his attitude towards Jing Rouyin, whom he had been desperately pursuing, became extremely hostile.

The ruthless maneuvers for power and the betrayal of close associates might be commonplace in the struggles for authority, perhaps even more so in ancient times. However, reading about it in a novel can be disheartening, especially when it’s all orchestrated by the male lead.

One might have thought that Jing Rouyin had already suffered enough, but after Yuan Ye was killed, and the male lead ascended to the throne, he did something even more unthinkable. When choosing the Crown Princess, the girls from the Qintian Observatory divined their fortunes. Jing Rouyin’s fortune was indeed that of the phoenix.

She became the Crown Princess twice, her husband was killed, and her former fiancé returned. People expected her to receive sympathy and compassion, so when the male lead didn’t hold her responsible and instead brought her into the palace, everyone thought she had finally turned the corner.

The result was that, on the second day of the male lead’s ascension to the throne, he issued two imperial edicts. The first edict appointed Jing Shi as the Empress, leaving everyone barely any time to react. But then, the second edict was read aloud.

It declared the abolition of the Empress position and sent her into seclusion in the cold palace.

So, in the male lead’s harem, there was only the highest-ranking Imperial Noble Consort; there was no Empress. There was only a former Empress, forever imprisoned in the cold palace.

When confronted by Jing Rouyin about this decision, the male lead smiled and said, “Didn’t you have the fortune of becoming an Empress? I am just following the will of the heavens.”

Being left alone until she went mad, the ultimate fate of Jing Rouyin remains unclear. This ambiguity arises partly from the original author’s inability to continue the story, leading to a somewhat rushed and incomplete conclusion. Additionally, the large number of characters introduced later in the story left many events unexplained, with only a brief overview of the outcomes.

While the earlier details about Jing Rouyin are quite comprehensive, the latter part lacks elaboration, providing only a single ending. Nevertheless, this doesn’t diminish the strong sense of sympathy that one might feel for this character.

She was undeniably a good girl, and according to the usual plot conventions, she should have been the male lead’s true love, capable of redeeming him from his dark path. However, in this narrative, she was thoroughly manipulated, used, and then discarded with a complete lack of humanity.

Although even without the male lead, according to Yuan Ye’s nature, sooner or later, he would find a way to win over Jing Rourou. Moreover, he would secretly support her without giving her an official status. What the male lead did was give it a push, exposing everything directly.

But being pushed by one’s admired person towards someone else, and also bringing along a tarnished reputation, that was truly a bit tragic.

So, when thinking about such a character, Lin Qingyang was genuinely worried and afraid. He feared that Chu Lishu would encounter her, feared that Chu Lishu would discover Yuan Ye pursuing her. Even more, he feared that Chu Lishu, driven by evil thoughts, would truly resort to any means to achieve his goals.

Although this would have severely hit the Cheng family and Yuan Ye, providing significant impetus to Chu Lishu’s overall plan, Lin Qingyang preferred to waste some time and find alternative solutions. Even if it meant letting him, this toolman, experience misfortune and injuries multiple times, he didn’t want the current Chu Lishu to follow the same plot as the original.

Lin Qingyang wasn’t unwilling to believe in Chu Lishu’s character now, but when presented with such an opportunity for revenge, would he truly give it up?

This mission system was indeed something else, actually issuing such missions. He might not be a saint, but certain things were absolutely impossible to do.

While Lin Qingyang was annoyed by the mission and the system for a while, he didn’t believe that failing one mission would result in losing all his points. This mission was something he absolutely couldn’t undertake under any circumstances.

However, Lin Qingyang wasn’t entirely giving up; he had already begun actively thinking about ways to exploit loopholes. As long as the system didn’t force him to follow this plot, there might be alternative methods to tarnish Yuan Ye’s reputation during the mission.

As Lin Qingyang pondered, he couldn’t help but tap his forehead. The available conditions were somewhat chaotic, especially since they were intertwined with the case of the cheating in examinations. Unlike Chu Lishu, he wasn’t as clever, and he couldn’t think of any opportune moment to utilize.

In another room, upon hearing the report from Lu Yi, Chu Lishu couldn’t help but furrow his brows. “Yuan Ye is pursuing Jing Rouyin?”

“Master, Cheng Yi came to gather information for Yuan Ye. This situation has happened more than once. I estimate that Yuan Ye will also come tonight. Yamo Garden has provided them with an opportunity to fish in troubled waters,” Lu Yi reported.

“Are you angry just because of this?” Chu Lishu found it somewhat uninteresting.

Seeing his master so indifferent, Lu Yi was a bit stunned. Initially, when he first learned about it, he was furious and wished he could teach Yuan Ye a good lesson—after all, how could he both covet his master’s position and try to snatch his fiancée? It was an extremely ugly mentality. Considering that Jing Rouyin had almost become their mistress and still showed such loyalty to his master, Lu Yi was genuinely infuriated. However, looking at his master now…

Lu Yi wasn’t as impulsive as Lu Shi, so he quickly lowered his head and said, “Subordinate was just expressing dissatisfaction on your behalf.”

“You’re overthinking it, but… this might be a great opportunity,” Chu Lishu said with a flicker in his eyes.

To be honest, after Lu Yi and Lu Shi learned about their master’s feelings for Lin Qingyang, they couldn’t possibly think that Lin Qingyang could openly join the harem. At most, he might do so secretly. As for the position of the Empress… they had always believed that Jing Rouyin was quite suitable to become the future empress. She possessed the grace and bearing to become the mother of the nation, and if she ascended to that position, it would undoubtedly be a tale of beauty and virtue.

After all, back then, there were claims that Jing Rouyin had a phoenix-like destiny and should marry their master. Moreover, Jing Rouyin, unlike the other women who once admired their master and later avoided him like crazy, genuinely seemed like a good match.

However, seeing their master’s reaction, could it be… that with Lin Qingyang by his side, he didn’t care about Miss Jing anymore? She seemed a bit pitiful in this situation.

However, considering their master’s own hardships, who else was more unfortunate than him? There was no spare sympathy for others.

With this thought, they became a bit indifferent.

“What opportunity is our master referring to?” asked Lu Shi.

After some contemplation, Chu Lishu realized that this could be used to damage Yuan Ye’s reputation. As long as the public knew he was pursuing Jing Rouyin, it would make him look bad.

Actually, tonight, if Yuan Ye were to come, it would be a perfect opportunity. However, it might give off the impression of catching them in the act, making Jing Rouyin look bad. Pursuing her passively would sound better. They could publicly state that Yuan Ye came to avoid his pursuit, yet he still persisted.

Maybe this was also an uncertain truth.

The current situation of Jing Rouyin was somewhat related to him, and Chu Lishu had tried not to harm her too much during the planning.

By avoiding tonight, the effect of spreading rumors might be slower, but it would still achieve the purpose. Chu Lishu wasn’t worried that Jing Rouyin would be seriously affected by this; after all, how many people related to him could walk away unscathed? Jing Rouyin had impressed Chu Lishu by reaching this stage. She wasn’t someone to be underestimated. Initially, she wasn’t part of his plans, but now he could make use of her. Although it might cause some damage, he could compensate her and her family in the future.

And tonight… he had a lantern-watching appointment with Lin Qingyang.

Chu Lishu snapped back to reality and said, “Leave that matter aside for now. Focus on keeping an eye on the people from the Ministry of Rites.”

With unwavering obedience, Lu Yi nodded, no longer dwelling on the issue with Jing Rouyin.

As Chu Lishu turned to leave, he noticed Lin Qingyang looking troubled, as if deeply distressed.

Curious, Mr. Cao observed from the side. Chu Lishu walked over and stood right in front of Lin Qingyang. Suddenly, he reached out and placed his hand on Lin Qingyang’s head, allowing Lin Qingyang’s fist to lightly strike his hand.

Lin Qingyang looked up in confusion, but Chu Lishu chuckled and said, “Hit any harder, and you might turn silly, Cousin.”

Mr. Cao suddenly shivered. Although he understood that Chu Lishu was currently wearing a mask in front of anyone, this overly affectionate cousin persona was both suffocating and not worth the trouble. It was really unfair to the Crown Prince!

Mr. Cao couldn’t help feeling a mix of heartache and confusion.

Why was His Highness, the Crown Prince, creating such a persona with his cousin? Even if he wanted to groom him as a trusted confidant, he shouldn’t be so close. What if there were no boundaries between ruler and subject in the future? What would they do then?

However, Mr. Cao didn’t dwell on it for long because Chu Lishu had already finished briefing and left with Lin Qingyang. Each of them harbored their own thoughts as they prepared to head back.

Lin Qingyang was still troubled by the mission. He considered preventing the male lead from having such thoughts, but he also wanted to complete the mission. Perhaps he could mislead the male lead a bit. Maybe he could tell Chu Lishu directly that he wanted to tarnish Yuan Ye’s reputation and emphasize not involving women. They could brainstorm together to find an alternative solution. Lin Qingyang believed in Chu Lishu’s intelligence; he was sure Chu Lishu could come up with something.

As Lin Qingyang was about to speak, they suddenly encountered a figure in blue at a fork in the road.

They noticed it was Cao Wanying accompanied by her personal maid walking towards them.

Naturally, they exchanged greetings upon the unexpected encounter.

Lin Qingyang asked, “Are you going to see Mr. Cao?”

“Yes, it’s getting late. I plan to go back to the residence, I will bid farewell to my grandfather, and then leave. I was initially worried about disturbing your conversation, but now seems like a good time.” Cao Wanying seemed to have become less distant and ethereal, probably due to the frequent conversations they had.

“Is Mr. Cao going to stay here?” Lin Qingyang asked, puzzled by the response.

Cao Wanying nodded. “Leaving my grandfather alone outside is really worrying. Unfortunately, as a woman, I cannot accompany him.”

Suddenly, Lin Qingyang thought of an idea. What if…

“In fact, Miss Cao can also stay here. I just saw that you and Miss Jing seem to have a good relationship. Miss Jing has been living in the rear courtyard, right? The rear courtyard is so spacious. Can’t you find a place to stay? I heard there will be a lantern festival tonight, which should be fun.”

Chu Lishu was taken aback, glanced at Lin Qingyang, furrowed his brows slightly, but didn’t say anything.

Cao Wanying resisted some of the enthusiasm from the man but, having heard about Lin Qingyang’s sexual orientation, didn’t immediately reject the suggestion. She just awkwardly explained, “Actually, I had thought about this idea before, but it seems that Sister Jing is not accustomed to hosting guests overnight, so she didn’t agree. Otherwise, I would have shamelessly stayed here a few days ago.”

Lin Qingyang was slightly stunned, feeling a sense of discomfort emerging, but he didn’t grasp it immediately. He just felt it was a pity; if Cao Wanying could stay overnight, then how could Yuan Ye dare to show up? The plan to catch him in the act would be impossible.

However, Chu Lishu, who was present and not pleased with Lin Qingyang’s warm greeting to Cao Wanying, heard this and couldn’t help but narrow his eyes.

Soon, a faint sneer appeared on the corners of his mouth.

Cao Wanying left after finishing her words.

Lin Qingyang felt a bit regretful, but quickly adjusted his mood. He still wanted to manipulate the situation with Chu Lishu. However, with more people around as evening approached, it was inconvenient to talk. He could only go back to the room and discuss it later.

But as soon as they returned to the room, they found that Qi Yan had already come back, wearing an expression of annoyance.

Seeing the two of them, he immediately looked like he was holding back some secret, wanting to speak but hesitating. He said, “You… you’re back.”

Lin Qingyang was just about to find an excuse to borrow the room from Qi Yan when he heard Qi Yan couldn’t hold back any longer and said, “Do you think… should I get a good result in the exam?”

Hearing this, Lin Qingyang’s heart skipped a beat. Oh no, the cheating business has expanded to his brother?! Getting caught would bring down accusations on him.

Lin Qingyang hadn’t spoken yet when Chu Lishu said, “Do you like being an official?”

Qi Yan was stunned and shook his head.

“If you don’t want to become an official, there’s no need to aim for a good result in the exam,” Chu Lishu said. He knew that given Qi Yan’s background and his mediocre grades, he would undoubtedly become the first choice target for the new officials. Unfortunately, they got one thing wrong—Qi Yan had no interest in achieving anything remarkable.

Some people were naturally inclined to be idlers. When it came to cheating, he found it too troublesome.

Sure enough, Qi Yan immediately appeared to have an epiphany, instantly relaxing and saying, “Come, let me take you to taste the food here. It’s really terrible…”

Lin Qingyang’s mouth twitched, also trying to ease the atmosphere. It was good that Qi Yan was extricated from this matter. Lin Qingyang couldn’t help but glance at Chu Lishu. He must have known that Lin Qingyang cared about his friend Qi Yan, so he subtly guided the situation, giving Qi Yan a way out. Would someone like him still engage in such deeds?

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