“During this period, vassals who are willing to assist the lord can choose to stay in this world at any time and fight alongside the lord. If they find that serving their lord is not what they expected, they can return to the card pool and sleep after the one-year period is over.”

Ying Yue was stunned.

The girl suddenly remembered what Bai Qi had said to her when they were outside the capital.

“As long as I am by your side, I will never let you get hurt.”

“So that’s what it means…” The girl murmured softly as she realized the true meaning of those words.

Seeing the girl lost in thought and talking to herself, Jia Xu carefully refrained from asking further questions.

After a moment, Ying Yue asked him again, “Really… not forced by the system?”

Jia Xu smiled and said, “Really not. We are not under the system’s control. If there is any restriction, it is simply that we cannot harm the lord, nothing more.”

This single rule mainly restricts certain generals who act impulsively. But for someone like him, who relies on intellect, the rule is hardly a limitation. Although the system holds vast knowledge, it lacks the adaptability of individuals like him who survive through cunning. Even a simple action from him might already be part of a larger scheme, which the system wouldn’t recognize as significant.

What Jia Xu had said earlier, “After all, the system still prefers talented people. People like me are naturally not welcome,” was not false but needed context.

Indeed, the system favors talented people. It is also true that it does not like him. Despite being a capable individual, his reputation as a troublemaker in the systems of previous lords made him unpopular. But Jia Xu saw himself as innocent; his actions were always in self-defense. When lords began eliminating N-card-level subordinates like him, seeing them as inferior, he had no choice but to act to survive.

“Ah?” After hearing Jia Xu’s explanation, the little girl asked, “Then if we encounter an evil person, we can’t do anything?”

Jia Xu replied, “The system has standards for selecting hosts. Such individuals won’t even be candidates.” He added, “So, my lord is actually one in tens of thousands and is quite exceptional.”

Although, she hasn’t yet demonstrated any talent.

Then he continued, “Similarly, the system’s card pool doesn’t include such individuals. According to the system…”

[The system’s card pool does not include individuals who bring disaster to their nation. Rest assured, even if subordinates have poor personal morals, they are absolutely reliable in matters of justice.]

A mechanical voice suddenly spoke.

Jia · average morality · Xu: “…”

Although he suspected the system was taking a jab at him with that extra remark, he was actually surprised that he was included in the system at all. After all, his actions objectively led to the fall of the Eastern Han Dynasty, and his role in those events was significant. But through repeated awakenings, he realized that the system’s words referred to those who colluded with foreign forces and betrayed their homeland.

Listening to Jia Xu and the system, Ying Yue nodded as though she understood. Suddenly, Jia Xu asked, “What about the lord?”

“What?” Ying Yue was confused for a moment.

The scholar in green looked at the girl and asked, “My lord, you comforted me before by saying I would be a late bloomer, but how do you feel about your own future?”

“Me?” Ying Yue raised her hand and pointed at herself. When the young man nodded slightly, she lowered her eyes and said softly, “I want to live.”

Her crow-feather-like eyelashes trembled, and her voice became even quieter. “I don’t know if Wen He will think I’m useless, but this is my biggest wish now.”

When she was sent to the bridal chamber of Prince Rui’s mansion, she wanted to die. In her despair, a system suddenly appeared and brought Bai Qi, saving her.

Ying Yue had thought many times about why the system chose her. The system claimed she had talent, but deep down, she believed it was because she was desperate for someone to save her. Her emotions at that moment must have been very strong.

She also thought that if someone could rescue her, she would work hard to not remain useless in the future. So, she believed there must be some connection between her desperation and the system’s arrival; otherwise, how could such coincidences exist?

Now that she had been saved, she wanted to live well and work hard not to be a waste. However, she was unsure in which direction to put her effort.

“No.” Hearing Ying Yue’s answer, Jia Xu laughed instead and replied vaguely, “How can this be considered as having no future?”

He explained, “Many things I’ve done were to save my life because only by living can there be a future.”

If Ying Yue had spoken grand ideals, he might have been disappointed. But her answer satisfied him.

The scholar in the green shirt shook his head and said, “My lady, please go back and rest.”

“Ah?” Ying Yue responded blankly.

Jia Xu pointed at her eyes. “There are dark circles under your eyes. How long can you endure?” Her fair skin made the shadows under her eyes stand out. Anyone could see she hadn’t slept all night.

He continued, “Go and rest. When you wake up, you’ll probably see General Bai Qi.”

After a moment’s thought, he added, “And you might also receive a gift from me.”

“…Oh.”

Ying Yue found Jia Xu’s words strangely convincing. After thinking all night, she was indeed tired. She obediently returned to her room to sleep.

As she walked away, Jia Xu’s expression turned thoughtful.

“She carries Guangwu’s^[1]refers to the founding emperor of Eastern Han, associated with resilience and restoration.. luck Let’s see if she can achieve what Guangwu did.”

Meanwhile, in Ying Yue’s card album, Jia Xu’s card began glowing faintly with a golden light. The dim black “N” in the upper right corner disappeared, replaced by a gold-plated “SSR,” identical to Bai Qi’s card.

Additionally, the black word “文” ^[2]Wen, meaning literature or culture. in the upper left corner remained, but everything else changed:

Jia Xu’s new title, “Poisonous Scholar,” appeared before his name, similar to Bai Qi’s title “God of War.” His portrait also transformed. Instead of the green shirt, he now wore a purple robe, his hair tied with a silver crown. Sitting cross-legged before a chessboard, his deep and intense gaze seemed to exude aloofness, arrogance, and an unpredictable aura.

The character introduction changed to read:

“One word can make a country prosper, and one word can destroy it. A top strategist who knows when to advance and retreat, and understands gains and losses.”

The card’s edge shimmered with a golden circle.