Chapter 1

It was two o’clock in the afternoon, and the subway was not crowded. A young couple sat closely together on the seats.

“The Regent?” the young man raised an eyebrow. “You said I should ignore this because I get to engrossed over it than on you, but now you’re the one who’s into it?” He touched his girlfriend’s hair in disbelief.

“I found it quite good. The brotherly love portrayed by the male author is so emotional and touching. For example, this general, the right-hand man of the regent—”

The young man had a look of “I knew it” and quickly interjected, “He dies from poisoning after just two hundred thousand words!”

The young woman was taken aback but continued stubbornly, “The Emperor and His Subject is also good. The book describes the appearance of the powerless little emperor the most! He’s as beautiful as spring flowers, graceful in posture, and has an extraordinary voice…”

The young man hurriedly stopped his girlfriend’s dangerous rambling. “Chu Zhaoyou? A marionette/Puppet emperor who sings opera, utterly foolish. He’s imprisoned for life in the imperial mausoleum after just four hundred thousand words!”

“Impossible! It clearly implies here that he later becomes the regent’s lover!”

A lover… with a man?

As he silently listened all the way, Chu Zhaoyou, who shared the same name as the puppet emperor, felt a sudden pain in his knee.

Suddenly turning around, his eyes, clear and bright, revealed an undisguised surprise.

He was exceptionally handsome, with a translucent complexion, a faint blush, bright black eyes, and long, thick eyelashes. Unlike some young people who spend long hours staring at electronic screens and suffer from myopia, his eyes sparkled with vitality when he looked over.

The Chu family had been singing Peking Opera for generations, and he was the only heir of his generation. When he was six years old and sang a few lines of opera, his grandfather concluded that his operatic voice was a rare talent and designated him to study it.

Sixteen years flew by, and within the Peking Opera circle, everyone knew Chu Zhaoyou as a prominent figure. Despite his young age, he had been invited to numerous evening events, received by leaders, and led cultural exchange delegations abroad.

The young couple chattered incessantly about the plot for several stops. The young man, in a spoiler-like manner, dampened the mood, earning several slaps from his girlfriend in response. “I have evidence for everything I say! What’s wrong with the imperial mausoleum? Is the regent not allowed to have a secret meeting there?”

Listening in, Chu Zhaoyou had a rough idea that “The Regent” was a male-oriented political intrigue novel, with over a million chapters serialized to date. It extensively praised the regent’s outstanding contributions in politics, economy, culture, and people’s livelihood. The regent, Xiao Heng, was a classic Mary Sue character, with exceptional abilities, a sharp mind, and the capability to strengthen the country’s military and economy, propelling the Chu Empire to become the most powerful force in the entire continent, with surrounding smaller nations bowing down to it.

As for the marionette emperor who shared his name, he had always been fond of opera and would personally play the female lead whenever he felt like it, neglecting his official duties.

Chu Zhaoyou couldn’t help but be surprised. For a moment, he suspected that this was a fanfiction written by some enemy.

He touched his face and felt it was quite possible.

The girl, engrossed in the novel, suddenly met Chu Zhaoyou’s gaze and felt as if the characters from the novel had come to life.

She whispered to her boyfriend, “See, at least the puppet emperor has the looks of the person sitting across from you. Look at his face and his physique. Can the regent not be moved? I’m even moved!”

“How dare you!” The young man covered his girlfriend’s eyes with his hand. “No more looking, you are  not allowed to look.”

Chu Zhaoyou pursed his lips, not taking it to heart. He was probably different from that emperor after all.

Two hours later, at the National Grand Theater, the highly anticipated Peking Opera troupe’s first performance was in full swing.

Nearly seventy to eighty percent of the audience had come specifically for Chu Zhaoyou.

Chu Zhaoyou looked at his reflection in the mirror, adorned in the appearance of a female lead, with a delicate nose, vermilion lips, slender phoenix eyes, and a deep blush. His willow-leaf eyebrows gracefully framed his temples, and the sparkling blue phoenix crown exuded a dignified elegance.

A poem from the Tang Dynasty reads, “The hem of the skirt drags six folds of Xiang River water, and the hairpin rises like a cloud on Wushan Mountain.”

At the age of twenty-two, Chu Zhaoyou was still in college, but it seemed as if he could see his entire life in the mirror.

…

In the Grand Chu Palace, Eunuch Xue’s aged face was deeply wrinkled. The emperor had turned nineteen this year, well past the age of assuming full political power. However, not only did the regent outside the palace hold all the power, but the empress dowager within the palace was also not to be trifled with.

The emperor had no interest in court affairs and favored singing opera. Not only did the palace house opera troupes, but he also frequently invited troupes from various regions to perform in the palace.

Today, a troupe from the south was performing in the palace.

Eunuch Xue worriedly suggested, “The regent dislikes these ostentatious performances the most. Your Majesty, since the regent is coming to the palace today, perhaps it would be best for this troupe to leave the palace early.”

However, the listener paid no heed, waved his hand to dismiss the concerned eunuch, and then changed into attire resembling that of the female lead on stage, quietly and inconspicuously swapping places.

Actors and actresses dressed as palace maids and eunuchs lined up, and the dignified empress finally made her entrance.

Before reaching the center of the stage, she tripped over her voluminous costume, stumbled, and collided with a table, causing a loud crash as her hairpin scattered across the floor.

The troupe leader gasped and anxiously looked around. Seeing that His Majesty had not yet arrived, he felt a slight sense of relief. “Quickly get up after falling… and you want me to help you up! Xiao Jiu, help Qingniang up.”

Xiao Jiu, the person called, went over and patted Qingniang’s shoulder. “Sister Qing, are you okay?”

With a swift movement, Qingniang was turned over, her eyes tightly shut, her face thickly coated with makeup, making it impossible to discern her original appearance.

“Sister Qing?” Xiao Jiu called out softly. Seeing no response, his face suddenly turned pale. He squinted, afraid to look at her, and tentatively reached out to check her breathing.

“She… she’s not breathing…”

Everyone on stage heard this, and chaos ensued.

This was the imperial palace, and His Majesty would arrive shortly. At such a critical moment, the lead actress had died unexpectedly. Not only was there uncertainty about whether the play could continue, but also the fact that someone had died in the palace, which would bring misfortune upon His Majesty, was a grave taboo. The survival of those involved was now in question.

The people on stage were in disarray. Suddenly, the entrance to the Qinghui Hall became solemn, and several agile guards cleared the way, standing guard on both sides with lowered heads, showing utmost respect.

Was His Majesty coming?!

The troupe leader was so frightened that he knelt on the ground, his face ashen. This was his first time entering the capital, and it was supposed to be a proud moment. Now, he wished he could go back two months and kill his past self who had prepared to come to the capital.

The troupe leader was paralyzed with fear, and the others, who were used to the ebb and flow of life, were now like headless flies, not knowing which way to kneel. The scene was chaotic, as if a thunderstorm had swept through a brothel, leaving everything in disarray.

At the entrance of the Qinghui Hall, a figure dressed entirely in black, without any adornments, exuded an air of authority that made people think twice before approaching.

Xiao Heng furrowed his brow, his expression stern. Every detail, from his hair to the hem of his robe, exuded an aura of danger.

Seeing the chaotic scene inside the courtyard, his forehead throbbed. A fiery rage surged from the depths of his heart, but the more intense it became, the less his emotions showed on his face.

Even the kneeling eunuch who had come to greet him softened his knees and knelt down, calling out “Your Highness” as if a stone had been thrown into the water, causing a great commotion.

The eunuchs in the palace who had some connections knew that the regent despised actors, yet His Majesty liked them and often invited troupes from all over to perform in the palace.