I Rely On The Collapse Of The Character Setting To Survive In The Hands Of The Male Lead Chapter 227

Chapter 227

Lin Qingyang’s scalp practically exploded, his blood boiling as he rushed forward without thinking, throwing a punch.

But Yu Suoxi easily dodged, raising his hands in a non-confrontational gesture.

Lin Qingyang stood protectively in front of Chu Lishu, glaring angrily at Yu Suoxi. Without a veil covering his face this time, Yu Suoxi’s strikingly handsome features were fully visible, exuding an aggressive charm that was unforgettable at first sight. Lin Qingyang understood that someone with such looks couldn’t be ordinary, but no matter how handsome he was, seeing his cocky grin, Lin Qingyang just wanted to punch him square in the face.

“Cousin, it’s okay,” Chu Lishu said, restraining Lin Qingyang’s shoulder.

“But he…” Lin Qingyang was agitated. Just now, this guy had actually pressed Chu Lishu down with his arm, getting too close to his face. What did this creep want? Was he trying to kiss… how infuriating!

“I was just having a conversation with Young Master Chu, why are people from the Great Zhou Dynasty so impulsive?” Yu Suoxi said with a smirk.

Lin Qingyang was still enraged and wanted to step forward, but Chu Lishu held him back.

Yu Suoxi squinted at Chu Lishu with a suggestive look. “What’s your relationship?”

Chu Lishu’s pupils contracted. “Didn’t you find out? We’re cousins.”

“Just cousins?” Yu Suoxi raised an eyebrow. He had indeed found out about their ambiguous relationship as cousins, but it wasn’t clear-cut, so he wasn’t entirely convinced.

This was Chu Lishu’s cautiousness. Besides those close to him, in the eyes of others Lin Qingyang was just a lovesick cousin. Athough it’s unfair to Lin Qingyang, it’s a way to protect him.

“This question sounds strange,” Chu Lishu said coldly.

But upon hearing this, Lin Qingyang’s heart skipped a beat. Perhaps he had been too greedy. He didn’t want Chu Lishu to publicly admit that they were just cousins, but he also didn’t have the standing to argue at the moment. So, he pulled Chu Lishu to leave. “Let’s not waste time with him!”

However, Yu Suoxi suddenly spoke up. “Young Master Chu, we’ll catch up another day. We still have much to discuss.”

Chu Lishu gave him a cold glance but remained silent. Lin Qingyang’s steps halted, and he turned back to look at Yu Suoxi.

“My cousin has no interest in reminiscing with you. Stay away from him. I know I can’t beat you, but I’ll fight tooth and nail to keep you from causing any harm,” Lin Qingyang said earnestly. It wasn’t mere rage but a firm determination. Both Chu Lishu and Yu Suoxi were momentarily stunned by his words. Yu Suoxi then looked at Lin Qingyang with some interest, but eventually, a disdainful expression appeared on his face. Lin Qingyang was just a nobody in Yu Suoxi’s eyes, not worth paying attention to.

However, Lin Qingyang wasn’t provoked by Yu Suoxi’s expression. He simply tightened his grip on Chu Lishu’s hand and walked away.

After leaving the artificial mountain and arriving at the lakeside, Lin Qingyang hurriedly asked：“Did he bully or hurt you? Did he do anything to make you uncomfortable? How dare he cause trouble in our territory! If I can’t beat him, I’ll find my uncle. If that’s not enough, we’ll get Mu Huichun to poison him. That annoying pest will regret ever crossing us.”

Chu Lishu looked at him somewhat dazedly. Since Lin Qingyang had uttered those harsh words just now, his heart had been pounding. The discomfort caused by the memories of his past experiences instantly replaced by a warmth his heart.

Lin Qingyang was probably the only person in this world who was wholeheartedly focused on protecting him, afraid of him being wronged or hurt, yet never seeking protection from him. Despite being the stronger one, Lin Qingyang instinctively and unreasonably wanted to shield him.

When Chu Lishu first realized this, he thought Lin Qingyang had ulterior motives, perhaps because he liked him and was trying to please him intentionally. Later, he considered that Lin Qingyang might have a sense of responsibility as an older brother. However, as time went on, Chu Lishu gradually discovered that Lin Qingyang’s actions were truly instinctual. It was as if Lin Qingyang regarded him as the most fragile existence in the world and strove to protect him.

Just as Lin Qingyang said, even if he lacked the ability, he would fight to the death to protect him.

The threat that Yu Suoxi looked down upon turned out to be the greatest protection for Chu Lishu.

Chu Lishu smiled slightly at Lin Qingyang, his smile as gentle as a spring breeze, causing Lin Qingyang’s face to flush red in an instant.

With many people around in the palace, Chu Lishu couldn’t make too many moves. He simply held Lin Qingyang’s hand tightly and said, “I’m fine, really. Just as you said, if he dares to provoke us on our turf we won’t let him get away with it.” There was a hint of fierceness in Chu Lishu’s eyes, and a slight smirk appeared at the corner of his mouth. He was not one to be bullied either.

The person still inside the artificial mountain didn’t pursue them outside, not because they didn’t want to, but because they couldn’t. The dagger that had wounded him was laced with poison, and the fact that the man had foolishly licked it only exacerbated the effect. While not lethal, it would render even a skilled fighter temporarily weak, so even if Lin Qingyang hadn’t intervened, Chu Lishu would have been fine. Without any inner energy to rely on, he naturally considered all aspects of the situation.

Relieved by Chu Lishu’s response, Lin Qingyang then asked what they had been discussing inside for so long.

Just then, Yue Chen also arrived. The three of them found a secluded spot, where Chu Lishu revealed Yu Suoxi’s true identity without disclosing the details of their conversation.

“Is it really him? How is that possible! Is he sick? Why would he disguise himself and come here?”

“It might be related to the spies from Tianheng Kingdom we eliminated last time, or maybe he doesn’t trust the Saintess to come alone. Otherwise, it could just be a whim,” Chu Lishu speculated. “And the Crown Prince of the Western Moon Kingdom came too, probably because of him. Otherwise, with Baya’s relationship with Great Zhou Dynasty, he wouldn’t dare to come. Baya has always wanted to curry favor with Tianheng Kingdom, so he wouldn’t refuse such an opportunity.”

Yue Chen gritted his teeth and said with hatred, “Both of our biggest enemies are here, I really don’t want to let them go alive. But if we don’t, it’ll probably be a two-against-one battle again. Right now, Great Zhou Dynasty doesn’t have the strength to resist.”

Chu Lishu said, “If they provoke us actively, we’ll naturally respond, but if they don’t, we should stick to our own plan and steps. The current situation doesn’t favor making too many enemies.”

Chu Lishu’s plan has always been to stabilize internally before dealing with external threats. Even with great hatred, he can endure it and wouldn’t be foolish enough to confront so many enemies at once.

Yue Chen couldn’t help but complain, “This guy must be out of his mind, doing things that normal people wouldn’t do.”

“I feel like he’s more here to watch the show. For now, we can only keep a close eye on him, just in case,” Chu Lishu said calmly. “If there’s a chance… maybe we can uncover some truths about the war from back then.”

Yue Chen thought of the miraculous drug that can make people tell the truth. Suddenly, he slapped his forehead and said, “Right, they were also involved in the battles back then. They could help unravel many mysteries for us. Okay, I’ll inform Huo Luo. This guy’s going to be shocked. Oh, and there’s a bit of trouble with the Western painter. He doesn’t seem willing to paint anymore. We’ll have to think of another solution.”

Chu Lishu frowned slightly, letting Yue Chen go first. Then he noticed that Lin Qingyang had been silent all along, looking at him with confusion. “What’s wrong?”

Lin Qingyang was speechless for a moment. “So, the person who imprisoned you while you were sick was the Regent of Tianheng Kingdom, as the Master said?”

Lin Qingyang didn’t expect that completing a special mission would bring such trouble to Chu Lishu. In the original plot, the Regent and the Crown Prince Baya did not appear. The only possible impact was the previous incident where they wiped out all the spies in Wu Xin Fort.

Regent Yu Suoxi was not mentioned much in the original plot, feeling like a background character from an enemy country. From the initial battle of Tongjia Pass, it was him who commanded the Tianheng Kingdom. Even until the end, when Yuan Ran was driven back, and the gates of the Tianheng Kingdom were opened, abandoning the city, it was him. He was simply a character that was indescribable and incomprehensible. Just as Yue Chen said, it seemed like he’s insane.

But they did not intersect in the original plot.

But little did he know, during the time when Chu Lishu disappeared, he had once stayed by Yu Suoxi’s side. Thinking back to the Master’s description, it must have been even worse than being a slave.

Such a dangerous character should never have appeared in front of Chu Lishu again, it’s all his fault.

Lin Qingyang felt extreme self-blame, and regret had already climbed up his cheeks.

Chu Lishu was a bit puzzled by Lin Qingyang’s emotions, was he worried about him?

“I can’t be sure, after all, I don’t remember, and that person’s personality is abnormal, so we can’t judge by common sense. Besides… am I not fine in front of you right now? What else is there to worry about?” Chu Lishu couldn’t help but reach out and touch Lin Qingyang’s earlobe.

Although Yu Suoxi’s words in Chu Lishu’s ear disgusted him, Chu Lishu wasn’t easily swayed by others. As long as it was something told orally, he would maintain a certain level of skepticism. Such verbally aggressive remarks were easily forgotten by Chu Lishu, so there was nothing to be concerned about.

Right now, all he hoped for was that Yu Suoxi wouldn’t cause trouble for him during this visit. However, leaving something valuable behind before he departed was necessary. As for their grudges, they could be settled another day.

Lin Qingyang’s ears were sensitive and easily ticklish, so when Chu Lishu touched them, his complex emotions dissipated, but he still felt guilty towards Chu Lishu.

Just as the two were about to head to the pavilion, the system presented a new task.

【Main Mission 2, Mission 19: Help the male lead sow discord between the Emperor and General Zhao.】

In fact, during the Longevity Festival, the male lead had two goals in mind. First, to support the Fourth Prince against Yuan Ye, creating opposition between the Cheng and Li factions. Second, to continue dismantling the power around the Emperor, including plans involving Ning Ziheng and General Zhao.

And General Zhao’s importance to the Emperor had already diminished considerably due to Huo Luo’s rise. Furthermore, his greatest weakness, which was also the biggest point of contention with the Emperor, was Concubine Mei.

The Emperor was unaware of General Zhao’s affection for Concubine Mei, as General Zhao had always been loyal to him, serving as his confidant. He had little interaction with the ladies of the palace, apart from being close to Prime Minister Li and the Fourth Prince, which was understandable given that General Zhao was recommended by Prime Minister Li.

However, if the Emperor were to discover that General Zhao had been enamored with Concubine Mei all along and had refused to marry, even if General Zhao had not done anything, the Emperor would inevitably harbor resentment. This would further tilt the Emperor’s favor towards Huo Luo.

And what they needed to do was create an opportunity for the Emperor to discover it.

By the time they arrived at the pavilion, the Western painter had nearly finished painting Concubine Xu. Each painting required many drafts, as the intricate details here were easy to mistake. To avoid offending the royal family, they had to be extremely cautious. Afterwards, it was Concubine Mei’s turn to be painted, but there were other arrangements to attend to, so the Western painter could only sketch an outline hastily, suggesting to finish it tomorrow.

Concubine Mei was visibly displeased, but since it was the Emperor’s request earlier, she could only swallow her frustration.

However, this didn’t bode well for Chu Lishu’s plan.

Originally, the painter was supposed to paint Concubine Mei first, and the extra drafts would have been useful. But now… they had to come up with something else. However, given Zhao Cheng’s cautious nature, he wouldn’t keep all of Concubine Mei’s belongings privately.

Chu Lishu wasn’t sure if using ink wash painting as a substitute would pique Zhao Cheng’s interest. Just as he was contemplating, he noticed Lin Qingyang, who had been sitting on the sidelines, staring fixedly at the Western painter.

Suddenly, Lin Qingyang turned and said, “If the plan must be completed today, then I can paint.”

Chu Lishu was surprised and frowned. Western painting? How could someone who had never been exposed to it possibly paint, even if Lin Qingyang’s painting skills were superb, it wouldn’t be possible to paint just by taking a glance, right?

“Trust me, I can do it,” Lin Qingyang said firmly.

As the gathering dispersed, Chu Lishu seized the opportunity to sneak into the painter’s palace with Lin Qingyang. The painter had just finished lunch and was dozing off after drinking wine. Chu Lishu then threw sleeping powder into the brazier, causing the painter to fall into a deep sleep.

Then the two of them entered the painting area.

Here, all the painting materials were available. On the huge easel in the corner was the completed portrait of Concubine Xu, while on the other side of the easel was only the portrait of Concubine Mei, which the painter was attempting to color. Perhaps the painter wanted to test the feeling of coloring, so he casually started experimenting.

Lin Qingyang came to the portrait of Concubine Mei, sat down directly, picked up the palette and brush beside him, and began to paint. At first, his movements were a bit awkward, but gradually they became skilled.

The more Chu Lishu looked, the more amazed he became, and gradually his expression changed.

When Lin Qingyang finished painting, a lifelike portrait of Concubine Mei was completed. Although it didn’t reach the level of Western painters, it was still enticing as a semi-finished product.

Time was pressing, so the two of them left with the painting. Chu Lishu even grabbed a cat and threw it into the painting room to make a mess, to avoid being caught for using the place.

There were rules in the palace; noble portraits couldn’t be privately kept to prevent leaks, so rough drafts of ordinary paintings were usually gathered and destroyed. Previously, when the Western painter finished Concubine Xu’s portrait, he had already handed over the drafts to the eunuchs, letting them destroy them.

And of course, this eunuch was naturally under the command of Chief Steward Hai.

So the portrait of Concubine Mei appeared at the top of the pile of paintings to be destroyed, while on Chu Lishu’s side, he had also arranged to meet Zhao Cheng at an appropriate place and time.

Zhao Cheng was walking when suddenly he bumped into a young eunuch carrying drafts. The scroll of sketches rolled to the ground, and naturally, Zhao Cheng caught sight of the portrait of Concubine Mei. Its lifelike depiction was astonishing compared to ink wash paintings, almost as if it were a real person.

Zhao Cheng’s heart fluttered suddenly. Unable to restrain himself, he inquired further, learning that the young eunuch was on his way to destroy the paintings. Evil thoughts surged within him. With his skills, he could easily conceal the painting while helping to pick them up. No one would suspect a thing, and the painting would remain safely hidden with him.

Just to be safe, Zhao Cheng personally tracked the eunuch, watching as he carelessly burned all the paintings. Once the task was completed, he finally felt at ease.

With the portrait of his beloved in his possession, Zhao Cheng’s desire intensified. When he saw Chu Lishu, he couldn’t contain the smile on his face.

Chu Lishu understood this well and then brought up the matter of tonight’s banquet with Zhao Cheng. He expressed concern that someone might trouble the Fourth Prince and hoped that Zhao Cheng would protect the Fourth Prince’s dignity when the time came. Zhao Cheng felt it was only natural and readily agreed.

After Zhao Cheng left, Lin Qingyang emerged and asked, “Are you sure he’ll carry it with him?”

“Anywhere in the palace, he won’t feel secure. Carrying it with him is the safest option for him,” Chu Lishu chuckled lightly. Then he raised an eyebrow, looking at Lin Qingyang.

Lin Qingyang chuckled awkwardly. “The plan is complete.”

“Do you want to explain to me why you can paint Western-style?”

“I learned it a long, long time ago. I’ll tell you about it slowly when we have the chance,” Lin Qingyang could only smile.

Chu Lishu didn’t pursue the matter further. They had other things to attend to. It was time to check on the guards and see if the performers responsible for the blessing ceremony had safely arrived.

【Main Mission 2, Mission 20: Help the male lead take over the responsibility of palace guards.】

Although he was suddenly assigned three missions, each mission had been laid out by Chu Lishu long ago, with Lin Qingyang also providing much assistance. They were well aware of the progress of things, so they felt that there wouldn’t be any major issues. They just needed to prevent any butterfly effects caused by changes in past events.

On the other hand, Ning Ziheng was about to head to the Zichen Palace to assist in completing the palace banquet when one of his subordinates happened to approach him. He had originally had four trusted subordinates, but three had already died. Now, facing his last remaining subordinate, even Ning Ziheng couldn’t help but feel the desolation of his dwindling power. Yet, he refused to surrender, refusing to accept his fate.

“Did you find anything?” These past few days, there had been a sudden surge in hiring assassins from the Blood Abyss Pavilion, and Ning Ziheng couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off.

“Master, I’ve investigated. There doesn’t seem to be any internal issues within the Blood Abyss Pavilion. They’re all just taking regular contracts, and the targets are all different. There doesn’t seem to be any suspicious patterns. It might just be a coincidence.”

“A coincidence… really?” Ning Ziheng couldn’t shake off the feeling that something was amiss, but he couldn’t quite figure it out. He could only say, “Keep an eye on one of the groups and see if they were truly taking on tasks.”

“Yes!” The subordinate acknowledged the order and left.

Ning Ziheng was about to emerge from the dark corner when he suddenly felt someone watching him. Instantly alert, he demanded, “Who’s there?”

But there was still no movement. Ning Ziheng gripped his dagger and cautiously approached the suspicious spot. His observation was sharp, and suddenly he noticed a slight movement in the reflection of a stone. Without hesitation, he lunged forward to capture the eavesdropper.

However, in the moment he moved, he saw only a shadow as he was swiftly overpowered and pinned against the wall. One hand was grabbed and pressed against the window grid above, while the other was twisted behind his back.

The massive figure pressed him down completely, and the unfamiliar aura instinctively alerted Ning Ziheng to danger. His hair stood on end. He hadn’t expected someone to dare to attack him within the palace.

“Who are you? Do you want to die?”

The person behind him remained silent, simply exerting pressure, but the hand gripping Ning Ziheng’s wrist continued to fumble, seemingly trying to pull off the leather strap on his hand.

Ning Ziheng, enraged by this discovery, fought back with all his might.

Suddenly, a voice came near him, sending shivers down Ning Ziheng’s spine. It was hoarse, as if the throat was already damaged.

“Weird, are you a woman?”

A eunuch… asking if he was a woman… and Ning Ziheng could feel the man behind him humiliating him, without even realizing it.

Like a shameless wild beast in heat.

Since he grew up, Ning Ziheng had never experienced such humiliation. His gaze turned fierce, as if it could draw blood.

The person continued to mutter to himself, “Strange… why?”

Ning Ziheng, risking dislocating his wrist, still attempted to strike back. The concealed weapon in his hand seemed to have drawn blood. The person behind him grunted, and in an instant, released Ning Ziheng.

But when Ning Ziheng turned around to look, the figure was already gone. Although Ning Ziheng was somewhat skilled, he was by no means a martial arts expert. Frustrated and humiliated, he swore to himself that he would find this person.

But as he stepped out of the corner, his figure suddenly swayed. Why… did that hoarse voice just now sound so much like… the deep, low voice that Xiao Ci had when he was sick and feverish? Was it him… had he remembered incorrectly?

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