On Friday, sunlight filtered through the gaps in the blinds, casting mottled spots of light onto Li Banjia’s workstation. The final version of his "Gold Idea" proposal was already resting quietly in his computer, complete with charts and illustrations—the crowning achievement of his career so far (or so he liked to think). Wang Mengmeng’s diagrams were the finishing touch. He looked forward to Zhao Dezhu’s "audience before the throne" this coming Monday with... well, at least five parts anticipation and three parts trepidation.
As per his routine, he opened the system app in the morning. The balance in the [Imperial Treasury] had increased by another 1 tael, reaching 350 taels. Though this "stipend" was insignificant, the feeling of collecting daily check-in rewards was still quite pleasant.
Just as he was about to close the system to start his day (which primarily consisted of slacking off and relying on Wang Mengmeng’s support), the pixelated eunuch avatar on his screen suddenly flickered, and a bright yellow (and still very cheaply animated) scroll popped up.
"Clang!"
[The Emperor’s well-being is the foundation of the nation. Recently, it has been detected that His Majesty’s health is slightly indisposed and his diet irregular, which may threaten the Imperial longevity.]
[Life Task Triggered: "Reorganizing the Imperial Kitchen for Imperial Health" (Beginner).]
[Task Objective: Starting from this moment, ensure a balanced diet for three consecutive days (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday). Eliminate or significantly reduce greasy takeout and late-night snacks. At least two meals per day must be prepared personally or chosen from recognized healthy dietary options.]
[Task Reward: [Constitution] +1, unlock [Health Recipe] x1.]
[Hint: The people view food as their heaven, and so do Emperors. Only by treating your digestive system well can you maintain the energy to plot for hegemony (i.e., getting a promotion and a raise).]
Li Banjia stared at the task, especially the words "Imperial health is indisposed" and "diet irregular." Thinking of his own pathetic 2 points in [Constitution] (a champion of staying up late), he blushed.
"The Imperial Kitchen? Isn’t my Imperial Kitchen just the squad of delivery drivers within a five-hundred-meter radius?" he grumbled indignantly. "And 'prepared personally'? I live in a shared apartment, the kitchen is as small as a toilet, and my only cookware is a non-stick pan that doesn't even stick when I boil instant noodles!"
Three days of healthy eating in a row? For a veteran takeout addict, midnight snacker, and culinary illiterate, this was practically torture. Plus, healthy food... it was expensive! His "Imperial Treasury" and personal bank account, which had only just started to look a bit better, couldn’t afford such a toll.
However, the temptation of +1 [Constitution] was simply too great. He didn't want to die young at his desk before he had even earned enough for a "Rank 9 Junior" salary.
"Let’s do it!" Li Banjia gritted his teeth. He opened his food delivery app, habitually about to search for spicy hot pot, but his fingers stopped halfway. He silently switched his search to "light meals" and "fitness meals." Looking at the prices, which started at thirty or forty yuan, he quietly closed the app.
"It seems I have to rely on myself." Using his [Intellect: 6] and [Frugality Lv.1] skills, he began to plan.
Friday evening, after work.
For the first time in his life, Li Banjia took the initiative to walk into a wet market instead of the instant-food aisle of a supermarket. Faced with colorful vegetables and various meats, he felt like Grandma Liu entering the Grand View Garden—completely lost. Eventually, guided by an enthusiastic older woman (and cross-referencing recommendations from several fitness bloggers), he bought a piece of chicken breast, a head of broccoli, a few tomatoes, and a small bag of brown rice.
Back in the greasy little kitchen of his shared apartment, he scrambled to prepare his "Imperial Meal." The chicken breast was boiled in plain water, the broccoli was blanched, and the tomatoes... he ate them raw! As for the brown rice, he spent ages studying the rice cooker, nearly setting the kitchen on fire in the process.
That night, Li Banjia looked at a plate of "plain boiled chicken with green vegetables" that looked entirely unappetizing and felt like weeping.
"My Imperial meal... is actually this drab and difficult to swallow." He took a photo and "submitted" it to the system with his mind.
Saturday, the second day of the Imperial Kitchen plan.
Having learned his lesson from the first day, Li Banjia got smarter. He searched online for tutorials on "fitness meals even a klutz can make" and decided to try a "one-pot stir-fry"—dicing the chicken breast, sautéing (or boiling?) it with various diced vegetables, and serving it with brown rice.
To ensure a "balanced diet," he made sure to buy several different colors of vegetables. This time, the presentation was much better, and the taste... well, it was at least better than plain boiled chicken. He made three portions at once: one for lunch, and two in food containers for his dinner and the next day’s lunch. This must be the legendary Meal Prep, he thought. The wisdom of a corporate-slave Emperor!
Sunday, the third day of the Imperial Kitchen plan.
Eating his homemade (and now slightly tiresome) fitness meal, Li Banjia felt like an ascetic monk over these last three days. He had never realized it before, but now he saw how delicious that bowl of heavy-oil, high-salt beef noodles downstairs truly was.
He even began to miss the unchanging cafeteria food at his company.
In the evening, as he swallowed the last mouthful of brown rice with difficulty, the sweet sound of the system finally echoed in his mind.
"Clang!"
["Reorganizing the Imperial Kitchen for Imperial Health" (Beginner) task complete! Rating: Good (Although culinary skills need improvement, the intent is commendable, and the Imperial health is now feeling slightly better).]
[Task Reward: [Constitution] +1, [Health Recipe: Goji Berry, Red Date, and Millet Porridge] unlocked.]
Li Banjia immediately opened the system panel.
The [Constitution] column had indeed changed from 2/100 to 3/100! The note behind it had also changed from "Champion of staying up late" to "Slightly improved (dietary adjustments in progress)."
He stretched his limbs. Was it his imagination? Did his body really feel a little lighter after these few days? At least waking up in the morning wasn't as painful as before.
He clicked on the newly unlocked recipe: [Goji Berry, Red Date, and Millet Porridge]. The method was simple and easy to learn, and it looked... actually, it seemed quite tasty?
"Fine, next time the 'Imperial Treasury' is a bit more flush, I'll buy some goji berries and red dates, and I'll learn to live a healthy life too."
The three-day "Imperial Meal" challenge was over. Li Banjia might have complained, but he felt a strange sense of accomplishment. This wasn't just completing a system task; it was as if he, this "modern Emperor," had finally started to truly care about his "Imperial body."
The body is the capital for revolution, and it is also the capital for "plotting for hegemony."
On Sunday night, Li Banjia lay in bed, feeling both physically and mentally more comfortable than usual. Tomorrow was the day to report to Zhao Dezhu.
"I hope that by replenishing my energy over these few days, I can achieve even greater success in the 'Imperial Court'!" Filled with a glimmer of expectation, he drifted into a deep sleep.