I Rely On The Collapse Of The Character Setting To Survive In The Hands Of The Male Lead Chapter 198

Chapter 198

Chu Lishu told Lin Qingyang about the spying mission tonight.

Shortly after Chu Lishu and Xu Wenze left, they encountered Chief Steward Hai.

Chu Lishu made an excuse for Xu Wenze to leave first and then met Chief Steward Hai alone.

The news brought by Chief Steward Hai was that the situation with Imperial Concubine Huang and the Eldest Prince had been mostly settled. Currently, the royal officials were arguing about entering the palace to pay respects, delaying time. Because officials from outside needed to enter the palace overnight, Chief Steward Ning had already taken his men to help.

Chief Steward Hai always remembered the task given to him by Chu Lishu, which was to keep an eye on Chief Steward Ning’s palace and see when it would be worth sneaking in to find leverage.

Considering the significant events of tonight, Chief Steward Hai believed that Chief Steward Ning wouldn’t return for a while, making it the perfect opportunity. Chu Lishu, recalling what Yue Chen had previously told him about Chief Steward Ning starting to suspect them, made a snap decision to go investigate, completely forgetting Lin Qingyang’s previous warning.

Afterwards, Chief Steward Hai dispatched two nameless assassins to accompany him.

Chief Steward Ning’s stronghold was the same place where Lin Qingyang had been taken captive before. The place was heavily fortified, and anyone unfamiliar who entered would be courting death.

However, Chu Lishu still managed to sneak into Chief Steward Ning’s study with his men and uncover secrets.

This time, they found quite a few useful things.

The original plot did not mention the specifics of this espionage, but Lin Qingyang knew that Chu Lishu had caught Chief Steward Ning’s handle.

Now, as Chu Lishu revealed it, Lin Qingyang understood.

It turned out that the plan to deal with Chief Steward Ning and the Ministry of Punishments originated from here.

Chief Steward Ning had been secretly trading with officials from the Ministry of Justice, buying and selling death row prisoners, then using Du Yu’s drug to tame and control them before sending them to Tongjia Pass.

Listening to what Chief Steward Ning had been doing truly shocked Lin Qingyang. From a paranoid perspective, Chief Steward Ning was truly on par with Chu Lishu.

Originally loyal to the Empress Dowager, Chief Steward Ning later aligned himself with the Emperor, appearing loyal while secretly building his own power and networks.

He had been searching for survivors from the border incident behind the Emperor’s back, even engaging in financial transactions with all the officials at the border, including those from the Tianheng Country. Regardless of his intentions, such actions were punishable by death.

Unfortunately, such matters were impeccably handled by Chief Steward Ning, with no leaks or evidence. Chu Lishu only gleaned insights from the minutiae, making it impossible to immediately use this major accusation against him. They had to start elsewhere, such as with the Ministry of Justice’s dealings in buying and selling death row prisoners.

Dealing with the Ministry of Justice would implicate Chief Steward Ning, making it difficult for him to explain, resulting in a loss of trust and subsequent demotion.

This was also Chu Lishu’s plan as described in the original plot.

“Chief Steward Ning is quite crazy, isn’t he? Does he not believe his son is dead? Or perhaps… he wants to know about what happened back then?” Lin Qingyang asked curiously.

Chu Lishu chuckled and replied, “He probably holds onto a glimmer of hope that if there’s no body, there’s a chance of survival. But he doesn’t realize that the Great Zhou Dynasty has wiped out all survivors.”

As for Qi Ci, Chu Lishu believed it was impossible for him to survive. He was a leading general, a prime target for the enemy to eliminate, and being Chu Lishu’s confidant, there was no way the Great Zhou Dynasty would spare him. So even if ordinary personal soldiers like Lu Yi, Lu Shi and the deserters could survive, Qi Ci…

“Doesn’t that mean his efforts were in vain?” Lin Qingyang asked.

Chu Lishu’s eyes darkened. “He knows the chances are slim, so I think his ultimate goal is actually… to keep the Great Zhou Dynasty and the Tianheng Country locked in conflict until one of them perishes. Preferably, until one of them is buried with his adopted son.”

Hearing this, Lin Qingyang’s heart skipped a beat, looking at Chu Lishu in disbelief.

“Finding people doesn’t require so many border officials from both countries involved in money transactions. He was clearly attempting to infiltrate the border’s power. Someday, when he has accumulated enough influence, he’ll likely incite conflicts directly on the border. Given the precarious relationship between the Tianheng Country and the Great Zhou Dynasty, a major war is inevitable. Disturbing the world might be his desired revenge,” Chu Lishu remarked.

Chu Lishu originally thought that Ning Ziheng, this lunatic, was just seeking revenge against him for Qi Ci’s death. But he never imagined that Ning Ziheng was simply unwilling to accept defeat. He wanted to drag everyone who had a hand in Qi Ci’s death down to hell, and it was with this mindset that he had risen to his current position.

“Ning Ziheng was born a criminal slave, and his previous methods clearly showed that he was fearless of life and death. If even his only son, in whom he placed his emotions, were to die, then he indeed would have no desire to continue living. A frenzy of retaliation would suit his temperament perfectly.

Qi Ci’s death is related to Yuan Ran, the Great Zhou Dynasty, and the Tianheng Country. He knew this in his heart, so he planned to deal with each of them slowly, one by one.

His outward hostility towards Yuan Ran isn’t just because of resentment; it’s also a means to reassure the Emperor of his loyalty.

Lin Qingyang suddenly understood why the male lead in the original plot, despite being so insane, didn’t retaliate against Ning Ziheng, who had always opposed him. It was just a struggle between winners and losers, and eventually Ning Ziheng met his deserved end.

Even though Ning Ziheng would never stand on the same side as him and even targeted him after suspecting his identity, what he did was quite interesting to the insane male lead, even earning his admiration.

To the male lead, Ning Ziheng was a pity; he had ambition but lacked sufficient ability. Moreover, he became an obstacle on his path forward, so he was eliminated before achieving anything significant. Of course, this ability was relative to the male lead. Given another ten or twenty years, Ning Ziheng might have succeeded. After all, he was a determined and ruthless person, capable of single-handedly disrupting the world.

At the same time, on the other side of the palace, Ning Ziheng returned to his study with a grim expression. He burned everything that could expose his actions, leaving no evidence behind.

Though he didn’t know what the intruder had done that night, he couldn’t afford to leave any leverage for others to use against him.

Watching the flames dancing in the brazier, Ning Ziheng found solace in the feeling of destroying everything. Someday, inevitably…

He slowly raised his arm, wrapped around his wrist was the leather band he had once given to Qi Ci. Pressing his wrist against his forehead, he began to tremble, his suppressed voice murmuring softly, “

Xiao Ci, just wait a little longer. One day, I will send down all those who harmed you. Then, your foster father will join you.”

Meanwhile, after finishing discussing Chief Steward Ning’s affairs, Chu Lishu brought up the matter of Cao Wanying and Jing Rouyin.

“Truly, appearances can be deceiving,” Chu Lishu said, seemingly expressing some sentiment after speaking.

Indeed, Jing Rouyin was once his fiancée. Only a woman of exceptional beauty could match the standards of being the Crown Princess. She possessed a charm that would make all the girls in the country bow their heads in surrender.

But now, she’s capable of anything. While her initial actions might have been driven by the need to survive between several households, now she’s fixated on fulfilling her own destiny. Even her sister, who have treated her well, won’t be spared if they stand in her way.”

“Then, if this attempt failed, will there be more in the future….” Lin Qingyang asked with concern.

“After tonight’s incident with witchcraft, both families probably won’t let Jing Rouyin off easily. As for Cao Wanying’s situation, I’ve suggested she leave the capital,” Chu Lishu said.

Lin Qingyang was taken aback. Just… let Cao Wanying go?

Although in the original plot, Cao Wanying didn’t have much plot development later on, she had always stayed in the capital. Moreover, after confirming their relationship, the male lead would occasionally visit her for some quiet time to rest from his fatigue.

“What are you thinking? You’ve been acting unusually for Cao Wanying tonight,” Chu Lishu squinted.

Lin Qingyang’s heart skipped a beat, once again grateful that Xu Wenze didn’t have the habit of being too talkative, or else explaining his early visit to Cao Wanying would have been really difficult.

“Oh, nothing. I was just lost in thought, feeling a bit… tired. Aren’t you tired?” Looking at the sky outside, it was probably quite late already, so feeling tired was normal. He had just dozed off for a short while earlier.

Chu Lishu smiled faintly. “It’s late indeed. In four more hours, it will be dawn, and tomorrow will be another busy day. Time to rest up.”

With that, he rose and extinguished the lights outside before turning to approach the bed. He was about to undress when Lin Qingyang exclaimed in surprise, “Wait, what are you doing? Aren’t you going to rest? Didn’t Cao Wanying leave?”

Chu Lishu paused, then chuckled softly. “Cousin, what can I say? You’re really not very careful.”

“Ahh?” Lin Qingyang was momentarily puzzled.

“Just think about it. When I went to probe Chief Steward Ning’s study, he could have easily caught me off guard even in the midst of his official duties. Now, are you sure he no longer harbors any suspicions and won’t come back?” Chu Lishu said earnestly. “At other times it might be fine, but just now, after what happened between us, shouldn’t we be too tired to bother changing rooms? If we’re seen, won’t that raise suspicions again?”

Lin Qingyang immediately responded, “No, he won’t suspect anything.”

“How would you know?” Chu Lishu retorted. “It’s always better to be careful.”

Lin Qingyang was dumbfounded. The original plot didn’t suggest suspicion, so how was he supposed to prove it?

Suddenly, Chu Lishu’s expression changed, his mood instantly becoming somber. He chuckled dryly, “I understand now. Cousin is still embarrassed about the previous incident, and hasn’t really forgiven me, huh? Worried that if we really slept together, I would do something to you?”

“How could I? I never blamed you!” Lin Qingyang hastily replied.

“Cousin, we often sleep together. If I really had any ulterior motives, do you think I would have waited until today?” Chu Lishu said, his face darkening.

Now Lin Qingyang felt even more embarrassed. Yeah, what was he fretting about!

Chu Lishu sighed, still undressing and getting into bed. “Even if Cousin has concerns, for the sake of our safety, please bear with it tonight. There won’t be a next time.”

After speaking, Chu Lishu directly turned his back to Lin Qingyang and lay on his side, pressing against the edge of the bed as if he didn’t want to take up any space, as if afraid of touching Lin Qingyang.

His slender figure seemed pitiful, as if he had nowhere to belong.

“I… I didn’t mean it like that,” Lin Qingyang felt a surge of guilt from the bottom of his heart, stuttering as he spoke.

But Chu Lishu didn’t say anything else, just in a low voice, he said, “Go to sleep, don’t overthink it. Let’s just consider tonight as the last time. In the future, under any circumstances, I won’t share a bed with you again. Is that clear?”

This was clearly a resentful gesture, and Lin Qingyang panicked instantly.

Alright, the guy can have any woman he wants, and getting involved in this kind of misunderstanding with you is probably embarrassing enough. Yet here you are, acting like a victim and guarding against him, completely trampling on his dignity.

In reality, Lin Qingyang was also misunderstood. He wasn’t guarding against Chu Lishu, he was just instinctively… afraid. Afraid of Chu Lishu’s presence, afraid of sharing the same bed, and afraid of having more strange dreams. After what had just happened between them, sharing a bed was awkward, wasn’t it? Was it really because his own mind wasn’t broad enough, especially since Chu Lishu understood the bigger picture?

Lin Qingyang felt incredibly stifled inside, unable to stand Chu Lishu’s current demeanor. Chu Lishu had truly opened up to him, and acting like this seemed like bullying him.

After some thought, Lin Qingyang reached out and turned Chu Lishu over. At first, Chu Lishu resisted stubbornly, but when Lin Qingyang applied more force, Chu Lishu obediently complied.

But even after being turned over, Chu Lishu didn’t look at him. “What? Are you kicking me out?”

Lin Qingyang felt a pang of bitterness and hurriedly said, “Cousin, you’ve really misunderstood. It’s all my fault for not expressing myself clearly. I apologize to you. I swear I don’t mind what happened tonight at all. I… would be happy to sleep with you to show our good relationship, right? It’s just that I’m afraid of the heat in the middle of summer.”

“Oh, really?” Chu Lishu’s tone remained low, as if he thought Lin Qingyang was just trying to appease him.

“Really! How could I ever have doubted what you would do to me? Haha, Cousin, you think too much.”

As soon as the words fell, Chu Lishu suddenly flipped over and pressed onto Lin Qingyang’s body. His deep eyes stared directly into Lin Qingyang’s, and at such close proximity, he slowly asked, “Like this? Still no suspicion?”

Lin Qingyang’s heart raced in an instant, as if he had suddenly returned to a bathtub, with the breath of those words hitting his lips.

Lin Qingyang held his breath, his mind quickly reacting, guessing that Chu Lishu must still be angry, deliberately testing him to see if he really minded what happened tonight.

With determination, Lin Qingyang reached out and hugged Chu Lishu directly, seeing the shocked expression on Chu Lishu’s face as expected.

Lin Qingyang chuckled and said, “It’s okay like this, haha. You think too much. In fact, I’m the one who’s homosexual, not you. Shouldn’t you be the one who’s cautious and afraid? This way, I’m taking advantage of you.”

Chu Lishu’s expression quickly softened, his eyes smiling as he lowered his head to rest on Lin Qingyang’s shoulder. “Don’t worry, I believe in you too.”

Lin Qingyang forced a smile, feeling quite awkward now. However, Chu Lishu soon rolled over and naturally lay down beside him as usual.

Gradually, Lin Qingyang began to relax too. Just as he was about to drift off to sleep, he heard Chu Lishu speak again in a daze, “Cousin, will you still sleep with me in the future?”

“Still asking? Didn’t I already say it? I will!”

“No matter what the situation? Time, place…”

“Yes, as long as you want, I’ll be there for you. Is that clear enough? Have I answered clearly?”

“Remember your words today.”

“Alright, I’ll remember. So tired, let’s sleep.” Lin Qingyang was truly indifferent to everything when he was on the verge of falling asleep.

But he seemed to hear Chu Lishu’s laughter, which was quite pleasant.

He didn’t expect the male lead to have such childish moments. Well, it should be considered that he has completely appeased him now. He can finally sleep peacefully.

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