Who was the regent? He was the actual ruler of the Great Chu empire, with the power of life and death, and he did not tolerate any nonsense.

The first sight of him left people speechless due to his extraordinary appearance, but no one dared to look at him a second time, fearing that a frown from the regent would lead to an unknown fate.

It was at this moment that Chu Zhaoyou woke up.

He felt that his posture was a bit strange, half-kneeling and half-leaning, with his forehead knocking against the ground. He opened his eyes slightly and saw a magnificent ancient-style stage in front of him.

Wasn’t he in the grand theater?

As soon as he moved, someone next to him pressed him down and said in a hushed voice, “Sister Qing, don’t speak.”

Sister Qing?

Sister?

Chu Zhaoyou’s hair stood on end. His gaze quickly scanned the surroundings and he realized that this stage was not a replica; the palace walls, the roof tiles… they were all real!

He also heard the call of “Regent,” and instantly felt as if struck by lightning, stiff as a board.

Was it the same regent he had just heard about three hours ago?

The reactions of the people present were genuine. The suffocating atmosphere, where no one dared to breathe, felt like the despair of a prisoner on the execution ground, with their head on the guillotine, the chilling sensation of impending death. It was a feeling that no acting troupe could replicate.

Was that Sister Qing also real?

Amidst the silence and tension, Chu Zhaoyou, without considering anything else, silently apologized to the unseen person behind him and resigned himself to the situation. He reached for his chest, away from the view of others.

A man.

Chu Zhaoyou’s tense nerves relaxed slightly.

But he was quickly infected by the atmosphere of despair. When the regent wanted someone dead by the third watch, not even the King of Hell would keep them until the fifth watch.

Whether dying as a man or a woman, did it make a difference?

Time seemed to stretch infinitely. Chu Zhaoyou played the role of a corpse with great care, feeling a glimmer of hope that perhaps this was just a dream. Unable to move, it felt like sleep paralysis.

From the conversation of the young couple, he deduced that the regent’s character did not include wanton killing. He had a premonition that this body was more than just a female lead. It would be best if he could play dead and avoid a direct confrontation with the regent.

Xiao Heng’s gaze lingered on the Main female lead lying in an awkward position on the ground for a moment. In that instant, everyone mourned for the unfortunate Main female lead. It was not a good time for an accident. If they didn’t make it to the regent, death was imminent.

Chu Zhaoyou remained motionless, feeling as if his back was being scrutinized, breaking out in a cold sweat.

With his back to the crowd, he gently lifted the sleeve of his garment and saw a bright yellow lining!

It was indeed the puppet emperor!

In an instant, all the character descriptions mentioned by the young couple came to his mind—male lover, puppet, house arrest…

The three words swirled around Chu Zhaoyou like a crimson spell, and their common executor—the regent—was standing less than ten meters away from him, seething with anger.

As the puppet emperor, he had been imprisoned in the imperial mausoleum after four hundred thousand words, without causing any ripples in the court. He wasn’t sure where the story had progressed to, and if this was the forty thousandth word, and the regent discovered that he, a perfectly good emperor, was not fulfilling his role, in a fit of rage, he might—

Chu Zhaoyou quickly hit the brakes and continued to play dead.

A quick-witted eunuch explained, “Reporting to Your Highness, the person on the ground is an actor from the opera troupe. She hit her head as soon as she came on stage, and we don’t know if she’s alive or dead.”

Fool—Chu Zhaoyou felt the regent’s gaze filled with naked contempt.

Flashes of distant memories crossed his mind. Xiao Heng closed his eyes and didn’t bother to look at the incompetent troupe, taking a few steps out of the Qinghui Hall.

Once the regent had walked away, the eunuch finally straightened up and scanned the entire area. “The regent has spared your lives. Now get out of here!”

“Thank you for sparing us, thank you for sparing us!”

The opera troupe fled, following the impolite directions of the guards, and quickly disappeared through the palace gates.

A chaotic mess.

The guards thought to themselves that the regent’s dislike of actors was justified.

Chu Zhaoyou was caught up in the chaos, running around in a panic.

It was truly pitiful. Despite being invited by the emperor, the regent had ordered them to leave.

But nothing was as pitiful as being a male lover.

Chu Zhaoyou remembered the “evidence” the girl had mentioned—the regent would openly enter the emperor’s bedchamber every month and not emerge until the next day, preventing the emperor from attending court.

It was an outrage!

How could he endure such injustice?

I’m too precious to let someone else dictate my life, especially not this unpredictable regent, who probably has some undisclosed quirks.

Chu Zhaoyou was internally ranting and raced ahead faster than anyone else.

He was leading the way when he suddenly felt something was amiss. As an injured female lead, running too fast would raise suspicions, so he strategically slowed down his pace.

Then, he remembered something and turned around, spotting another actress dressed similarly to him emerging from behind the stage, anxiously blending into the crowd.

Someone had just called him “Sister Qing,” indicating that the original owner had likely secretly replaced the troupe’s lead actress.

Since the real lead actress had also joined the escape, he could now run away with peace of mind.

Fortunately, the thick makeup on his face concealed his identity, and with everyone preoccupied with leaving the palace, no one noticed the addition of an extra actress to the troupe.

The guards, aware of the regent’s aversion, were practically wielding knives behind them. Chu Zhaoyou, feeling flustered, dashed out of the palace in one breath.

Regent, without an emperor, you can surely govern the country better.

Well then, I’ll take my leave.