Chapter 4, the Lantern Festival: This romance system isn't entirely without merit...

Chapter 4, the Lantern Festival: This romance system isn't entirely without merit...

Ying Xi stopped half a street away from the scene of the arrest.

He sent Yu Jing to negotiate with the other party, revealing his identity as the chief eunuch. There was no way the matter could not be accomplished, so Ying Xi casually glanced around.

Then, distracted, he asked Tian Tong, "Is this a reward for letting them go?"

Tian Tong asked blankly, "Whom does Your Majesty release?"

Ying Xi closed her eyes.

Sweet Tong sensed that she and her host were not talking about the same topic, so she adjusted her words and said, "It's the reward for cleaning General Xie's gun last time."

Ying Xi nodded, her eyelids slightly lowered, and commented indifferently, "Your government office is inefficient."

Sweetie weakly defended herself: "This system just connected to the Daqin service area, there's a slight delay."

Sweet voice sounds like someone who is at most fifteen or sixteen years old.

Ying Xi has a younger brother of the same generation as the system, and a cousin who is about the same age as her. Ying Xi was taught from a young age to take on more responsibility and to comfort children with ease.

"I was referring to the government office, not you. You're alright."

His haughty voice made the system chuckle for a moment.

Sweet Tong said in a charming voice, "Then these 500 charm points will be awarded." As soon as she finished speaking, a bright light appeared around Ying Xi.

Ying Xi secretly marveled at the wonder of the binding system.

However, he still couldn't understand it.

He condescends to clean guns for his subordinates and receives a reward, yet he forgives so many slanderers but receives no reward. What are the reward standards for the romance system?

Ying Xi pondered this privately, but had not yet found an answer.

What is the charm value used for?

As he was engrossed in exploring the system's functions, a convoy of vehicles squeezed into the alley. The lead vehicle was wide, but it did not have a lantern displaying the name of the residence hanging in front of it.

If the convoy were to pass by Ying Xi, the dirty water kicked up by the wheels would surely stain his entire body.

Ying Xi absolutely could not stand this.

Therefore, before the convoy arrived, Ying Xi stepped out onto the side path to make room for the convoy.

The carriages moved forward in single file, one after another, until finally there were so many that it was impossible to count them all. To make way for them, Ying Xi unconsciously walked a long distance away.

Fortunately, no carriages splashed sewage while traveling at high speed.

Strangely, when the coachmen saw him, some scratched their heads, some blushed, and some young men gave shy and silly smiles.

The young emperor Ying Xi stood blankly in the middle of the street, tilting his head.

"..." This is not good.

He left the path for a long time and did not reunite with his subordinates for a while.

He should go back to them now, but they might look for him and find him nowhere to be found.

Ying Xi gently lowered her brows.

After a long silence, Tian Tong asked with concern, "What's wrong, Your Majesty?"

"I was separated from my subordinates," Ying Xi replied briefly.

Sweet Tong, however, thought this was a matter of utmost importance, raising her voice eight octaves: "We must find them quickly, His Majesty is in great danger alone."

But Yingxi remained calm: "It's alright, I'll just take a walk by myself."

Sweet Tong was skeptical.

The young emperor, however, had already begun to stroll leisurely around Chang'an.

In early spring, the capital city is just beginning to show signs of green. The grass appears green from afar but not up close, and the damp green is particularly pleasing to the eye.

Yingxi strolled through several long streets.

I saw that even before the first month of the lunar calendar was over, the wealthy families who were still decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations were setting off firecrackers, and the air smelled of gunpowder as the firecrackers burned out.

There were also alleys that were even dirtier and smellier than the previous path, with piles of clutter haphazardly forming small mountains, the smell of sour soup permeating the air, and one or two large rats scurrying by, their fur shiny and glossy.

The peddler carried his wares through the streets and alleys, calling out his wares.

A woman holds her son while basking in the sun.

...These were things he had never seen in his previous life.

Before I knew it, I had entered the market of Chang'an and saw a huge market with shops neatly arranged along the street.

Colorful lanterns still hang everywhere in the East and West markets.

Even though the Lantern Festival has passed, the people's love for lively celebrations and their yearning for a prosperous life have never diminished.

Yingxi strolled along the lantern market.

Having been in the palace, he was used to seeing the world's finest luxuries. However, the trinkets sold in the countryside were different from those in the palace. He observed them discreetly and found them dazzling everywhere.

Standing next to the candied hawthorn stall, the red hawthorns coated in sugar were crystal clear.

Ying Xi was drawn to the agate-like fruits.

The stall owner, a young woman, had already picked the plumpest string of candied hawthorns and handed it to Ying Xi.

"Give--"

Ying Xi realized she hadn't brought any money: "I left in a hurry, my purse wasn't with me, and I got separated from my attendants."

The girl smiled and said, "Take it first. Young master, you look like you come from a wealthy family. Please come and patronize my business in the future!"

Ying Xi was caught in a dilemma, unsure whether to accept it or not, and finally politely accepted it.

Thank you.

However, he was forbidden from eating out since childhood, so when he got the candied hawthorn, he walked a distance and gave it to the children running around in the lantern market.

Then the children thanked him and gave him many unique little trinkets from the lantern market.

Ying Xi couldn't take that many, so she picked out one of the rabbit masks and put it on.

"Thank you, big brother~"

"Brother, you are the white rabbit, and I am the tiger. I'm going to chase you now, so you have to run..."

It's been more than ten years since I came to Chang'an, and I haven't played like this with anyone else.

Yingxi acted before she could think, and immediately started running. She was chased to the end of the lantern market, where the children dispersed.

Ying Xi stood there for a moment and thought about it.

Perhaps this is the effect of the charm value; having a certain charm value will make people around you feel good about you?

So, this dating system isn't entirely useless.

At least he once had the most distinctive candied hawthorn on the whole street, and now he even wears a rabbit mask.

"Have you heard? The emperor has decreed that all those who slander the court are being released!" a passerby said.

"Even those martial arts practitioners who threatened to assassinate him were released!"

"Sigh, back then, the Jingzhao Prefecture arrested people based solely on their word. If they said you were slandering, you were slandering; if they said you were innocent, you could pay enough money and be released immediately. Good riddance, they shouldn't have arrested you in the first place."

"So that means the imperial court isn't afraid of what the people will say?"

"If you have nothing to hide, what does it matter if others criticize you? I think this new emperor is magnanimous."

He didn't recognize the people speaking, and they didn't recognize him either, but this was the first kind word Ying Xi had received since his rebirth.

The streetlights were dazzling, and behind the rabbit mask, Ying Xi's lips slowly curled into a smile.

In the instant he smiled, his gaze met that of another masked person. The other person was familiar, taller than him, with broad shoulders and a narrow waist, and wearing a fox mask. The fox mask was alluring and mysterious, easily giving the person an unpredictable and charming air.

The man gave a flippant hum.

Ying Xi frowned.

Ying Xi took half a step forward, instinctively intending to sternly reprimand the person, but the person in front of her had already disappeared.

The lantern market shimmered with dazzling light, and the grand encounter amidst thousands of lights seemed like a fleeting dream.

Ying Xi took off her mask and was stunned.

...

***

"Young master, the lantern festival is almost over, and curfew is approaching. Do you have a place to stay?"

It was a servant boy dressed in blue cloth who asked if he had a place to stay.

Ying Xi thought about it and realized he had made a mistake.

He was so engrossed in admiring the lantern festival and feeling the changes brought about by his charm that he forgot to find his subordinates to reunite with. In addition, he was still wandering around the market, so Yu Jing didn't dare to go looking for him openly.

The emperor, a man of great stature, is about to end up sleeping on the streets.

Yingxi: "Do you have any good recommendations?"

Perhaps these are the followers the system attracted to him after his charm value increased.

If so, this is an opportunity, Yingxi inquired.

The servant bowed even more respectfully, repeatedly saying, "Yes, yes, yes, the place I recommended to you is perfect. Please come with me, please come with me..."

While exchanging pleasantries, the servant led Ying Xi to the depths of Chang'an's marketplace, to several rows of brightly lit high-rise buildings.

Chang'an had both official and private post stations, all set up for merchants and travelers coming to Chang'an.

It was late at night, so why not find lodging? Although she had no money, Ying Xi thought about the accessories she still had, each one a precious tribute from various places.

Therefore, the emperor allowed himself to continue leaving the palace to observe the people's conditions.

In this life, Ying Xi can easily overcome any psychological barrier, so she follows along.

The servant pushed open the door, and the two entered the post station through the back door: "Please, young master."

Entering through the back gate, you first arrive at the courtyard. The courtyard is not large, and clotheslines hang in a crisscrossing pattern like a spider web, with clothes on them fluttering like flags in the evening breeze.

Ying Xi noticed that these clothes were brand new, of the highest quality, and completely different from those of the common people in the city. They were brightly colored and had few patches, which were their common characteristics.

This aroused Ying Xi's suspicion.

He clearly saw many poor people in the capital city that afternoon, but here, in an inn, people who couldn't possibly be in the capital on business were all dressed in fine silks and satins.

Ying Xi slowed her pace.

But now that he was inside, he couldn't easily get out. He could smell the ambiguous scent of perfume wafting through the corridor.

Through the windows on both sides of the corridor, Ying Xi could vaguely hear furniture shaking inside, as well as the mixed breathing of a man and a boy.

So this was the downside of his sudden increase in charm. Ying Xi thought that he must have become a commodity that could be sold at a high price. He was being targeted and became the object of pursuit for men who preferred male homosexuality.

Ying Xi curled her lips in a mocking smile.

Sweet Tong recalled her last conversation with her host and learned that Ying Xi was alone outside. She also heard some embarrassing noises and asked with concern, "Is Your Majesty alright?"

“I’m at a brothel,” Ying Xi added calmly. “A place of prostitution.”

The emperor's excessive calmness left the system speechless.

After a moment's reaction, Tian Tong raised her voice: "That's bad! Your Majesty, run away!"

The romance system guides users to develop emotional connections with the characters; physical intimacy without emotional connection is considered R18. Sweet romance is discouraged.

But it's just code that doesn't even have a physical form, so even if you're anxious, you can't do anything for Yingxi.

Instead, Ying Xi asked more calmly, "Can you change other stats? Like charm?"

Sweet Tong asked blankly, "What value does Your Majesty want to adjust?"

Ying Xi glanced at the servant and the few pimps brushing past her in the corridor, and said disdainfully, "For example, make me as good at fighting as Xie Qianli."

"I'm sorry," the system said regretfully, "I'm only responsible for two values: charm and favorability."

The romance system is not a combat system.

Even if some romance involves combat, the core is still not combat.

The system shattered Ying Xi's dream of being able to defeat a thousand men single-handedly.

Sweet Tong, in despair, said weakly, "If...if..." It tried to salvage the situation, "If Your Majesty truly cannot escape having your innocence stolen, I can provide props to protect Your Majesty's experience and health."

Ying Xi pinched the bridge of her nose, feeling completely uncomforted.

As she walked through the intricate doors, which closed one by one behind her, Ying Xi knew that she couldn't escape by force with her physical strength.

"What props do you have?" Yingxi asked.

Unexpectedly, the system became energetic and excitedly cracked its voice: "I...I have all kinds of props! Aphrodisiac whips, candles, collars, beads, powerful aphrodisiac sprays, sheep intestines, sacs, jade horns...So Your Majesty likes this kind of thing, do it first and then have sex?"

The emperor maintained his final composure and took a deep breath.

The emperor said, "I want that spray."

The situation was urgent; he had reached the end of the corridor.

The room at the far end of the corridor had door frames decorated differently from the others, appearing exceptionally luxurious and extravagant, clearly a den of iniquity.

Ying Xi now had a spray bottle filled with pink liquid.

The Qin Dynasty had never had such a product, but that didn't stop Ying Xi from seeing through it at a glance and knowing to press down on the pump at the top of the nozzle with her finger.

At this moment, the human trafficker, who was disguised as an innkeeper, revealed a greedy glint in his seemingly simple eyes. He opened the door, but the room was dark and he couldn't see anything inside.

Unable to contain his excitement at the impending reward, the trafficker rubbed his hands together and said to Ying Xi, "Young master, the room inside is the one I have carefully prepared for you. Please rest for a while. Don't lock the door. If you hear any noise later, don't worry, it's just the waiter bringing hot water and food."

"Um."

The trafficker's face was half-hidden in shadow, so he was completely unseen. Ying Xi had long seen through his thoughts and stood behind him with an extremely dignified and indifferent expression.

As the kidnapper stepped over the threshold and one foot left the ground, he suddenly lost his balance, and Ying Xi kicked him hard from behind!

Ouch!

Screams echoed throughout the house as the human trafficker was found face-planting in the mud!

Then a dense spray of perfume enveloped the trafficker from head to toe. He tried to get up, but his limbs were too weak.

The uncontrollable heat and thirst made the trafficker drool. He tore at his clothes with his hands, and his vision became increasingly blurred. He could only look up at Ying Xi's chin from below, and the light from behind Ying Xi gave him a sandy gold outline.

The door is locked from the outside!

Clang.

The golden house was located in a secluded spot with excellent soundproofing, so the incident went unnoticed.

Ying Xi covered his nose with his sleeve and wiped the entire bottle of powerful aphrodisiac clean in the corridor, determined to make sure that both the scoundrel who sold him and the scoundrel who bought him would have an unforgettable night together before he was satisfied.

The young emperor let out a cold laugh unintentionally.

He casually disposed of the spray bottle, then turned back and walked out of the corridor with his hands behind his back.

To make it out more easily, he needs to act like a buyer.

At this moment, it is the system that is not at ease.

Ying Xi's mind was filled with sweet screams: "Ahhhhh, Your Majesty, you're so handsome! I'm so excited! I'm shipping the emperor!!!"

A headache was coming on from the noise, and she couldn't understand what was being said, so Yingxi frowned.

As they approached the last fork in the road leading out of the brothel, with escape in sight, Ying Xi relaxed slightly.

But then they heard a low, hoarse sob coming from a closed room in a direction they hadn't been before. It was a boy, and his voice was filled with despair.

"Help me... Someone save me, I don't want to be sold here..."

"Brother, do you know I'm here? Brother?"

Ying Xi should have left quickly.

But after a moment's hesitation, he chose to stop.

He leaned closer and poked open the paper windowpane with his finger.

In my line of sight, I saw the silhouette of a person dressed in thin clothes. The person was huddled in a corner with their knees drawn up to their chest, their face buried in their legs, and their voice was trembling terribly.

Ying Xi pursed his lips. The sense of responsibility etched into his instincts made it impossible for him to turn a blind eye to the suffering of his people. Ying Xi frowned, and he had an idea. So he went over and pushed open the door.

But as the door opened, Ying Xi stepped into thin air and suddenly lost her balance!

He was suddenly pulled into the arms of the downtrodden male prostitute in the room by his wrist, and the suppressed crying in the room instantly turned into shrill laughter.

Where is this down-on-his-luck male prostitute? He's clearly a man with lightning-fast reflexes.

Then, Ying Xi's hands were pinned behind her back and restrained. The numbness and pain in her muscles and bones made Ying Xi frown instantly.

He was captured.

He recognized the man!

They had just bumped into each other at the lantern market. Prince Yong licked Ying Xi's earlobe, and a tingling sensation ran up her spine. Ying Xi was ticklish, and her teeth were trembling.

He suppressed his demeanor and emotions.

His younger brother was always absurd and unpredictable. Even now, dressed in the semi-transparent clothes of a male prostitute with his chest half exposed, Prince Yong showed no shame and was enjoying provoking the Emperor of Qin.

"I had anticipated that an ordinary scheme would be no match for Your Majesty, so I personally invited you. Please come and rescue your humble brother from this life of hardship, Your Majesty."