Am I going to be controlled by the players too?

Ji Yushen, however, was not angered. He silently bent down and gently rested his head between the mermaid princess's soft, warm legs. His tense body completely relaxed, and the sharp edge of his previous rage was completely concealed.

At this moment, she was no longer an emperor who held the power of life and death, but just an ordinary girl who was exhausted and had nowhere to put her emotions.

Outside the hall, the wind was still, and inside, the thunderous rage of moments before had vanished, leaving only a peaceful and tender atmosphere.

The mermaid princess extended her slender fingers and gently stroked the emperor's hair with a tender and soothing gesture: "Freya has angered Your Majesty so much. How does Your Majesty decide to punish her?"

"Of course, I'll take away what she loves. I'll make her experience what it's like to lose everything!"

As Ji Yushen was speaking, she suddenly remembered something and asked, "I remember she was about to announce her marriage, and then her fiancé disappeared?"

"That's true. The Eastern Depot says that the entire kingdom was searching for that prince, but they haven't been able to find him for the past two months. It seems they've already found him." The mermaid princess gently stroked Ji Yushen's forehead, then presumptuously pinched her ear. "Has Your Majesty seen that prince?"

"I vaguely remember him. When we fought her in the dungeon, the one standing next to the throne... What a waste! He couldn't even keep his own man. How dare he call himself king?"

Ji Yushen tapped the dragon throne, resting his head on his soft, supple thighs. Looking into the mermaid princess's gentle, ocean-like eyes, he suddenly curled his lips into a wicked smile: "I've decided. Once I conquer the kingdom, the first thing I'll do is take that prince into my harem, and then, in front of Freya, I'll make that prince kneel down and lick her feet, thoroughly humiliating them!"

The thought of Freya, that brat, only able to cry outside the door and unable to come in to help, made Himeko want to laugh!

"His Majesty has finally decided to take a concubine." The mermaid princess was overjoyed upon hearing this. "The foundation of the nation is in hope, and the court officials will be very happy when they find out... I just don't know how I should conduct myself then."

"Ridiculous! How could I possibly allow such a mere Prince Konoma to touch my imperial body? He is nothing but a toy for me to humiliate Freya, merely a plaything in our game!"

Ji Yushen sneered, then narrowed his eyes and said with a hint of longing, "Only a man who is stronger, more arrogant, and more greedy than me is worthy of spending the night with me."

The mermaid princess smiled wryly: "Then I'm afraid there is no man in the whole world who can meet Your Majesty's requirements."

"If I don't have it, I won't look for it. You'll stay with me until I find it!"

Ji Yushen buried his face in the girl's arms, throwing a little tantrum. After a while, he suddenly said, "Lord Jianqi, I am already planning to issue the Evil-Dyeing Decree."

The girl was startled. Her finger stopped on the emperor's cheek, and her eyes involuntarily turned melancholy: "...Is it really going to be like this?"

"This is my trump card... You need not be sad, I will bear all the blame."

Ji Yushen slowly sat up, looking at the falling snow outside the door. The beautiful scene was like a dream: "How could I not have fantasized that if I hadn't been born into this imperial family, I could have lived a peaceful and obedient life with the man I loved... But I have committed heinous crimes by killing my brothers for the throne. If I don't achieve something, how will I face my father, the former emperor, and the countless emperors of the empire after I pass away?"

…………

Appendix: Belated Character Introductions:

Chapter 119, "A Memorial Speaking Frankly on the Most Important Matter Under Heaven"

As the twelfth lunar month draws to a close, auspicious snow blankets the sky.

Upon receiving news that the eastern front had run out of food, firewood, and cotton clothing, and that thousands of soldiers had frozen or starved to death, Tong Chuxue tidied herself up briefly and then left her official residence to report to the palace.

As the New Year approaches, the streets of the capital are filled with festive atmosphere. Every shop is decorated with red lanterns, vendors are enthusiastically hawking freshly steamed buns, and pedestrians are coming and going in an endless stream. It is a magnificent scene. After all, even if tens of millions more peasants die on the battlefields on the eastern and western fronts, how could it affect the leisurely and elegant mood of the gentlemen of the capital who are raising birds in cages?

However, Tong Chuxue did not possess the composure and ease of a seasoned capital city dweller.

Walking along the long bluestone street, the thought of soldiers on the eastern and western fronts marching in the cold rain and snow on empty stomachs made Tong Chuxue feel depressed. The more lively the hawking and drumming around her became, the colder she felt.

"Pfft!"

The dull thud of a cleaver piercing a human body instantly alerted Tong Chuxue. She looked up and saw that a man had come to buy melons, had a conflict with the stall owner, chopped the stall owner with a cleaver, and then left.

Tong Chuxue wasn't a police officer and couldn't manage the situation, so she continued walking forward.

But after walking a few steps, I felt a bit hungry and thirsty, so I found a roadside shop to have breakfast before going to work.

The stall wasn't big, and the menu wasn't extensive either. Tong Chuxue glanced up and saw only—

Spiced Beef and Radish Stew... 10 Credits.

Spicy dry pot potato slices... 8 credits.

Carrot, corn, and pork rib soup... 12 credits.

Jasmine lotus seed paste and white fungus soup... 6 credits.

Beef balls with urination and rice noodles... 13 credits.

Tong Chuxue looked at the menu and thought for a moment before saying to the owner, "Give me a spicy loli pee."

"Alright! Please wait a moment, sir!"

After paying with credits, the shopkeeper took the bowl out to find ingredients. Tong Chuxue was getting bored and was about to say a few words to her master in the ring when she suddenly heard a voice coming from the beef noodle shop on her right: "Sir, Iron Bull Beef Noodles, no scallions, please eat it while it's hot!"

"Hehe, I don't eat beef!"

"boom!"

A gunshot rang out, and the owner fell to the ground, shot. The assailant sat down, picked out the beef, and slurped up his noodles as if no one else was around. The surrounding diners were not surprised at all; they neither ran away nor called the police. Instead, some people kicked the owner's corpse because the beef in the noodles was too thin.

The rules of war instilled a sense of malice in everyone, leading to murder at the slightest provocation. She had witnessed such things countless times, but somehow, she felt there were an unusually large number of such incidents today.

There was cursing and fighting everywhere, there were free purchases everywhere, and there was the sound of clattering bells everywhere.

After finishing breakfast and burping, Tong Chuxue continued on her way. On the street, goblins were selling luxury handbags. Two vendors were fighting passionately over the boundary of their stalls. Two cars collided, and the drivers exchanged gunfire. Only after they were all dead did a child run up to loot the corpses and steal the cars.

Cheng Cheng suddenly felt as if he had returned to the streets of the kingdom, where violence was rampant and people's hearts were restless.

"Something's not right." Tong Chuxue frowned, a deep sense of bewilderment rising in her heart. "The war hasn't made any major progress, yet the murderous aura today is far too strong..."

"Try using the magic glasses," Cheng Cheng suggested.

Magic glasses are common magical artifacts that allow one to see things that are not normally visible. For example, Cicero's underlings and the owner of the pet shop both wore these glasses to see Sylvia's combat power.

Tong Chuxue nodded, took out the lenses from her bag, put them on, and looked up at the sky above the capital.

The sky above was no longer clear and bright; a thick layer of dark gray aura pressed down on the entire city, blocking out the sunlight and shrouding the palaces. The aura surged and churned, its wisps descending to the mortal realm, tightly enveloping the entire capital.

Enemy attack!

This overwhelming malevolent aura is not a natural phenomenon, but rather the result of human-caused evil spirits or enemy magic. However, even during wartime, the capital city is protected by defensive formations; how could such a dense malevolent aura possibly have invaded?

Unless the enemy has already entered the city!

Thinking of this, she no longer hesitated, tightened her robes, and hurried towards the palace, wanting to enter the palace immediately to see the emperor, report the strange phenomenon, and ask for advice on countermeasures.

As I turned onto Zhuque Avenue, a truck came towards me.

It was a military troop transport vehicle, surrounded by thick black mist. There was no one on the vehicle, but a pitch-black coffin lay flat on the ground.

The coffin was entirely black, its lid half-open, and an almost tangible aura of malevolence was seeping out from the cracks. As the car passed, the roadside trees withered at a visible speed, their leaves curling and turning yellow before falling to the ground. Two strangers suddenly turned on each other, grabbing each other's collars and wrestling.

Tong Chuxue paused, stepping aside to block the middle of the road, her cold gaze locking onto the officials in the carriage:

"parking!"

The accompanying officials and soldiers were all taken aback. When they saw that the person blocking the road was Tong Chuxue, the newly appointed top scholar of the imperial examination, their expressions immediately became restrained, but no one dared to stop the convoy.

The leading sixth-rank official stepped forward and bowed respectfully, but his eyes showed no sign of yielding.

"The top scholar in Tongzhou."

"What is this coffin? It emits evil energy in public, disturbing the hearts of the people in the capital. Do you know your crime?" Tong Chuxue's gaze swept over the black coffin, the evil aura entering her eyes making her heart sink. "Stop immediately, seal the coffin, and dispel the evil energy!"

The official bowed his head and said calmly, "Please forgive me, Scholar. I was acting under orders, which were personally issued by His Majesty as the decree to punish evil."

Tong Chuxue's pupils narrowed slightly: "The 'Dyeing Order'? How come I don't know about it?"

"His Majesty's decree, without the cabinet's approval, is naturally unknown to the top scholar." The official raised his eyes and met his gaze frankly. "The decree states: 'You are granted special permission to set up coffins of malevolent energy in thirty-six locations in the capital to draw in evil spirits and gather vital energy, thus stabilizing the dragon vein.' Everything is His Majesty's holy decision, and I am merely following the decree. Please, top scholar, make way immediately."

Holy judgment.

The decree of Princess Mikami.

Tong Chuxue froze on the spot, her heart suddenly empty. She stared at the black coffin that was constantly exhaling evil energy, and the increasingly violent and out-of-control people on the street. All the crises, strange phenomena, and turmoil suddenly had a single source.

What is His Majesty thinking?!

Why did His Majesty bypass the Grand Secretariat and issue such an imperial edict? Does His Majesty even consider the people as human beings?!

Tong Chuxue said no more, turned around and ran quickly toward the palace—she wanted to see Ji Yushen and persuade His Majesty to prioritize the people and stop the Evil-Dyeing Decree!

The palace gates opened wide, and the guards, seeing that it was Tongchuxue, did not stop them and let them pass without any hindrance.

However, Ji Yushen was neither in the Huangji Hall or the Jinluan Hall where she met with ministers, nor in the Zichen Hall where she usually resided. Guided by eunuchs and palace maids, Tong Chuxue wandered through the palace for a long time before finally arriving at the gate of Ji Yushen's palace.

Before even entering, one could hear Himeko's cheerful voice:

"Place that vase under the window. Yes, the one with the blue and white floral design. Be careful, it's an antique from the dynasty before that, you won't find another one like it in the entire empire."

Tong Chuxue was slightly taken aback. As she entered the room, she saw that His Majesty was not wearing a dragon robe today, but only a loose moon-white long gown. He was barefoot on the cold gold bricks and was tiptoeing to reach the jade ruyi on the shelf.

"Your Majesty... Your Majesty."

"Ah, it's Minister Tong!" Ji Yushen turned around, a smile spreading across his face. "You've come at the perfect time. Come, let me show you something."

Before Tong Chuxue could explain the situation, Ji Yushen grabbed her wrist with surprising strength and dragged her outside.

After passing through the long corridor and around the screen wall, a bright and open space suddenly appeared before me.

They arrived at a brand new palace.

The new palace, named "Wanchen Palace," is magnificent, with eaves and brackets far exceeding those of the old imperial palace. It occupies a vast area, ten times the size of the former imperial residence. The palace walls are brand new, the halls are majestic, and everywhere is adorned with carved beams and painted rafters, showcasing the ultimate in luxury.

Himegami looked around the brand-new palace with great interest:

"Come! Come with me to see this new palace!" Ji Yushen's eyes crinkled with laughter, his tone full of anticipation. "Since I am unparalleled throughout history, the scale of my palace should also be unparalleled! It took me three years to build this palace, and it is ten times larger than the old palace. I will officially move here on New Year's Day, three days from now!"

As she spoke, she led Tong Chuxue slowly through the hall, pointing out each of the furnishings.

The beams and pillars are all made of century-old sandalwood, the floor is paved with warm jade square bricks, the walls are hung with authentic works of famous artists from all dynasties, and the tables are displayed with rare and precious antiques from the Western Regions, each of which is priceless; the huge main hall is spacious and magnificent, enough to accommodate a thousand people for court assemblies.

Passing the main hall, behind it is an extremely luxurious giant banquet hall, with high platforms and spacious seats, and thousands of lights reserved to accommodate a hundred banquets, with an unprecedented grandeur.

"Aside from Jianqi Jue, you are the first foreign official to see this palace. What do you think?"

She turned her head to look at Tong Chuxue beside her, her eyes gentle and earnest:

"I have reserved some elegant side rooms on the side of the new palace. After the New Year, you can move in and live closer to me. This will make it easier for us to see each other every day and have discussions."

Himeko was in high spirits, listing the benefits of the new palace, her eyes full of anticipation for the future, while Kiri Hatsuyuki slowly closed her open mouth.

A faint, lingering aura of malevolent energy lingered around the tip of his nose.

What flashed through my mind were the tyrannical people on the long street, the ominous aura that blotted out the sky, the ominous coffin that was on an imperial tour in the street, the countless heroes who died on the eastern and western fronts, the artillery fire that blotted out the sky, the soldiers who froze and starved to death, and the tragedies of countless families.

She remained silent, quietly watching the emperor with a bright smile before her.

The light in his eyes faded little by little, and layers of loneliness spread silently, as heavy as an impenetrable cold night.

…………