Students Should Study Well

Count Huangfu, Huangfu Shan.

Xie Shenhong was no stranger to this name.

He was, after all, the kingdom’s traitor who had openly adopted Lyte and helped him conceal his identity as an imperial prince!

‘Truly, a fitting scheme for the Empire’s Third Prince, renowned for his ruthlessness and cunning.’

Xie Shenhong was astonished that, even with disaster looming, Lyte was still plotting how to win the hearts of his subordinates.

Was this fellow truly so certain she wouldn’t strike him down?

Or rather—

“That depends on your performance; if you’re willing to expose the others, I might consider it.”

Lyte initially froze, then lowered his head in shame.

“I apologize, Lady Hai Zhu, but I have no further contact with the Empire.”

‘As expected, that very excuse.’

Five years prior, the Emperor had stripped Lyte of his princely status and exiled him.

The reasons given were numerous and highly plausible, but in hindsight, it was nothing more than a smokescreen to conceal Lyte’s true identity as a spy.

Lyte, naturally, couldn’t have known that Xie Shenhong was aware of future events, which was why he used this as a shield.

After all, on the surface, his only crime appeared to be concealing his true identity and living in exile within the kingdom.

From the kingdom’s perspective, this crime was hardly significant; in fact, it could even be exploited for propaganda to discredit the Empire.

Even if such a plan wasn’t considered, imprisoning him as a hostage or coercing him into actions would still be highly advantageous.

Torturing him for information or outright executing him would be the most foolish and least considered options.

Xie Shenhong had no such intentions either.

“You may leave.”

In truth, given that she could speak Reinhardt’s name without triggering the price of rebirth, it was likely the kingdom’s high-ranking officials were already aware of Lyte’s situation, simply choosing not to expose him.

Indeed, the future would prove this approach to be a mistake.

But that was a concern for later.

She was currently Hai Zhu, the Saintess who saved the nation.

The strongest War Duke of the Three Kingdoms, an existence capable of single-handedly confronting the Empire’s million-strong army.

For someone of her stature to be unable to tolerate a mere exiled prince would only hasten the exposure of the truth: that Hai Zhu was no longer in the kingdom.

Therefore, her proper course of action was to feign indifference to such minor matters, thereby maintaining Hai Zhu’s invincible image and deterring the imperial spies lurking in the shadows.

Moreover, as she was merely temporarily borrowing the Hai Zhu doll, she was not truly qualified to handle such a significant affair.

Lyte paused, slightly bewildered.

“Lady Hai Zhu, are you implying… you’re pardoning me?”

“Not just you; I will not pursue Count Huangfu’s actions either.”

Xie Shenhong stated calmly, knowing full well her words held no actual sway.

Yet, for some reason, Lyte showed no joy, his brows instead furrowing deeply.

After a moment, he rose, his face etched with a resolute determination, like a warrior marching bravely to their execution.

“Lady Hai Zhu, I implore you to retract your decree.”

“What is your reason?”

“I do not wish for Lady Hai Zhu to commit an act of favoritism or abuse of power to protect me!”

What a masterful retreat to advance.

Anyone else would surely have believed Lyte to be the kingdom’s most loyal subject.

Unfortunately for him, he had encountered Xie Shenhong.

In his previous life, Lyte had not only caused her nation’s ruin and her family’s demise.

Throughout his existence, he had acted with utter selfishness and committed every conceivable evil.

Such a performance could not stir her heart in the slightest.

However, for now, she still needed to outwardly convey some response.

“There is no need. As long as one intends to join the kingdom, they are a citizen of the kingdom.”

Xie Shenhong naturally didn’t believe this nonsense, but since the true Lady Hai Zhu had once said it, she adopted the sentiment.

After all, Lyte’s true aim was clearly to continue acting as a spy within the kingdom.

Furthermore—

“As for Count Huangfu’s actions, they were merely to protect the kingdom’s citizens, to allow them to live happy lives. What crime have they committed?”

Since Lyte was so intent on playing the role of a master who wouldn’t abandon his subordinates in despair, and outwardly wished to appear as a devoted son, pretending to have fully integrated into the kingdom… Xie Shenhong saw no reason to spoil his act.

“Thank you, Lady Hai Zhu! I shall never forget your immense kindness throughout my entire life!”

Just as expected, Lyte trembled with excitement, immediately performing three kowtows and nine bows to her.

Following this, he knelt on one knee, placed his hand over his chest, and solemnly declared:

“I, Huangfu Lyte, hereby swear upon my life to dedicate everything to you, to become your sharp blade, to fight for you, and to fight for the protection of the kingdom!”

Even with her emotions dulled to such an extent, Xie Shenhong couldn’t help but feel a flicker of amusement.

She swiftly transformed this amusement into feigned affirmation and expectation, stepping forward to help Lyte to his feet.

“Then I shall rely on you, my knight.”

****

After respectfully bidding farewell to Xie Shenhong, Lyte departed.

Xie Shenhong retrieved a condensed wind orb from beneath her skirt – it contained a recording of her entire conversation with Lyte.

Indeed, from the very beginning, she had not intended to place all her hopes on the Empire’s side.

After all, the Empire still had the option of taking a desperate gamble, while the kingdom possessed only the paper tiger that was the Hai Zhu doll…

But frankly, even with the truth revealed, the kingdom’s situation remained grim.

Even if they could keep it secret for a time and achieve the ideal future of a Three Kingdoms alliance.

Once Saintess Hai Zhu’s true condition was exposed, the kingdom would inevitably be reduced to a mere vassal state…

Xie Shenhong’s mood involuntarily grew heavy… Wait, something felt off.

Where was the doll’s calming effect?

Before Xie Shenhong could even process what was happening, her vision went black.

When her sight returned, Xie Shenhong felt her blood regain its warmth, and her body reverted to its familiar form.

Yet, her surroundings remained unchanged.

“It wasn’t my consciousness transferring earlier; I truly became the doll?”

Xie Shenhong gazed in astonishment at his current body.

The slightly ample chest was gone, replaced by the expected appendage below.

His limbs hadn’t noticeably thickened, nor had his height changed… though this was because he was already quite slender and slightly shorter than an average male.

The most astonishing change was his clothing.

When he was the Hai Zhu doll, he wore a black, vintage Gothic court dress, but in the blink of an eye, he was back in the men’s attire he had worn when he left home.

“This is far too convenient!”

After a moment of wonder, Xie Shenhong noticed two items in his hand.

The first was the sound-recording wind orb; seeing that it hadn’t vanished when his body reverted, Xie Shenhong breathed a sigh of relief.

This was crucial for him to overcome the limitations of rebirth and convey information to Duanmu Yun.

The second item was a golden pocket watch.

Even though four years had actually passed, Xie Shenhong was absolutely certain that this item was not among his personal belongings.

“Could it be… this is the container for the doll?”

It must be.

And it was likely left behind inadvertently by Duanmu Yun…

In his previous life, he would still have been asleep at this time, so Duanmu Yun probably quietly returned to retrieve the pocket watch, which was why he hadn’t noticed it.

In this life, however, due to his excessive haste after rebirth, he hadn’t realized the pocket watch was in his pocket. This oversight had led to him accidentally activating it halfway, transforming into the Hai Zhu doll…

Now, all he needed to do was hand these two items to Duanmu Yun, and his rebirth would not have been in vain.

“…”

Staring at the golden pocket watch in his hand for a long time, Xie Shenhong swallowed, ultimately suppressing the urge to keep it for himself.

A War Duke was already among the top combat powers in the kingdom.

However, against an Empire boasting several War Dukes, it was akin to a mantis trying to stop a chariot.

Moreover, the doll had no potential for growth, and the future knowledge in his mind would only diminish in value once everything changed. It would be better to leave it with the kingdom to continue deterring the Empire for a while.

“Shenhong!”

The familiar voice from behind filled Xie Shenhong with joy, and he immediately turned to greet her.

“Sister Yun!”

In this world where people’s hair and eye colors were diverse, Duanmu Yun was a rare elegant woman with both black hair and eyes, possessing the traditional appearance of an East Asian person.

This was one of the reasons Xie Shenhong had quickly integrated into this world after his transmigration.

“What happened? Why are you out so late?”

Contrary to her appearance, Duanmu Yun was actually very warm and cunning.

True to form, upon seeing Xie Shenhong walk straight into her trap, she swiftly opened her arms and embraced him tightly, causing him to momentarily suffocate with her soft, ample chest, all while her hands playfully explored.

“Sister Yun, please don’t!”

Xie Shenhong struggled to push Duanmu Yun away; her antics had completely dispelled the rare surge of sadness and excitement he felt from their reunion.

“My apologies, my apologies, little Shenhong is simply too adorable, I couldn’t resist.”

Of course, knowing Sister Yun as he did, she had clearly sensed his emotional state and acted this way on purpose.

Under normal circumstances, filled with gratitude, Xie Shenhong would have allowed her to have her way… but now was clearly not the time for such things.

“Sister Yun, I have something for you.”

Taking a deep breath, Xie Shenhong handed the pocket watch and the sound-recording wind orb to Duanmu Yun.

The latter didn’t even glance at the wind orb, her gaze fixed intently on the pocket watch.

Seeing that its hour hand only reached the one o’clock mark, she sighed, then looked up at Xie Shenhong, revealing a rarely seen, extremely serious expression:

“Shenhong… do you want to become the Saintess?”