The next morning, Cao Zhengchun led Zhao Zheng to familiarize him with the magnificent and majestic Imperial Palace.
The palace was towering and awe-inspiring, filling one with a sense of solemnity. Once inside, it became a prison for life—a place fraught with peril where one's life could be at stake at any moment. He had to be cautious; a single wrong step would be fatal.
To think that as a transmigrator, he had arrived at the pinnacle, becoming an emperor in one go—he had skipped years of struggle compared to others! Even if he were only an emperor's body double, was there no chance he could become the real thing?
Since he was a body double, his identity could never be exposed, and those who knew the truth must be few. Aside from the Emperor of Dazhen, there was only this eunuch before him, as formidable as a seasoned general. Judging by last night, this man was clearly a trusted confidant of the Emperor. Other than him, the only others who knew his secret were likely the eunuchs who had seen him last night.
Just then, a young eunuch scurried up to Cao Zhengchun.
"Godfather, the group of eunuchs who accompanied us to the countryside recently and to Jiade Villa last night have all been taken care of."
Cao Zhengchun smiled and said, "Little Guizi, when doing things for His Majesty, one must be airtight and leave no room for error. If any rumors leak out, don’t blame me for disregarding our past ties."
The young eunuch trembled as he knelt, kowtowing. "Rest assured, Godfather. I guarantee there will be no mistakes."
"I hope so. Go about your work."
The young eunuch wiped beads of sweat the size of beans from his brow and retreated, trembling.
Zhao Zheng narrowed his eyes. If the secret of the body double was so sensitive, the fewer people who knew, the better. The old eunuch's godson certainly wouldn't know the inside story. Now, the only people who knew his true identity were the Emperor of Dazhen and this old eunuch.
Cao Zhengchun struck a warning note to Zhao Zheng: "Serve His Majesty well, and you shall have wealth and glory beyond measure! If you dare to harbor any devious thoughts against him, I will see to it that your head is separated from your body. Do you understand?"
Zhao Zheng took a deep breath, feigned trembling, and nodded repeatedly.
Cao Zhengchun let out a scoff and then led Zhao Zheng, who was dressed in eunuch robes, to familiarize himself with the vast palace.
After visiting several halls, the two arrived at a place of decadence. The palace was shrouded in mist. Through the haze, one could see several beautiful palace maids in thin, cicada-wing-like silk dresses, frolicking in a pool and giggling like orioles.
"This is where His Majesty loves to spend his time, the Yuxiao Palace. Since you are his double, you must remember that this is a place he frequents."
Zhao Zheng swallowed, feeling somewhat dumbstruck. He had only seen the indulgent and debauched life of emperors on television before, but he never expected to experience such luxury firsthand. Was this not the very definition of a "pond of wine and a forest of meat"?
It seemed this Emperor of Dazhen was a lecher who neglected state affairs, lived in endless debauchery, and knew only how to seek pleasure. No wonder he was struck by such a grave illness at a young age!
According to the memories of his predecessor, the Dazhen dynasty was now riddled with holes. Landlords and gentry were plundering at will, the people were suffering in deep misery, and every province and county was filled with wails and cries. Yet, the Emperor turned a blind eye, instead increasing taxes, selling official titles, and embarking on grand building projects that drained the people and the treasury. With persistent natural disasters and no harvest, public resentment boiled over, and rebel armies were rising everywhere. When someone in the court suggested disaster relief, the Emperor had even uttered the absurd phrase, "Why not eat minced meat?"
No wonder such a ridiculous remark could come from that dog of an emperor! Living such a depraved life, how could he possibly understand the suffering of the common people? If he could find a way to take his place, wouldn't it be an act of justice for the heavens?
After touring Yuxiao Palace, Cao Zhengchun said coldly, "Next, you must properly learn the court etiquette of Dazhen. You must master His Majesty's every word and action so that no one in the palace spots any flaws. If you mess this up, you know the consequences."
Zhao Zheng agreed verbally, but in his heart, he was already calculating how to put Cao Zhengchun to death. Once he was removed, the Emperor of Dazhen would be isolated and helpless!
***
After three days of study, Zhao Zheng had learned to mimic the Emperor's every word and gesture almost perfectly. Cao Zhengchun led him once more to Jiade Villa.
From behind a screen, Cao Zhengchun kowtowed and said, "Old servant greets Your Majesty."
"Cao, you have arrived. How did the task I assigned you go?"
"Reporting to Your Majesty, although the man is dull-witted, he has learned the court etiquette quite well."
"Is he here? I wish to see him."
Cao Zhengchun gave Zhao Zheng’s shoulder a hard slap. Zhao Zheng kowtowed and said, "Commoner greets Your Majesty."
The Emperor of Dazhen walked out from behind the screen, wearing a kindly smile. "Not bad, you have shown improvement. How familiar are you with everything in the palace?"
"Reporting to Your Majesty, thanks to Grand Eunuch Cao's guidance, I am quite familiar with all the halls."
"Have you been to Yuxiao Palace? Do you like it there?"
Zhao Zheng did not answer. Whatever he said could easily irritate the Emperor. If he said he liked it, the Emperor might suspect he had designs on taking his place; if he said he didn't, the Emperor might suspect he wasn't committed to the role.
Cao Zhengchun smiled and stepped in to mediate. "Your Majesty, this fellow was so frightened by the sight of Yuxiao Palace that he stood there like a wooden post, completely motionless."
The Emperor laughed heartily. "A rustic country bumpkin indeed! Such a luxurious palace must have been quite the eye-opener for him."
Zhao Zheng prostrated himself and replied in a trembling voice, "It is all thanks to Your Majesty that a commoner like me could gain such insight. I dare not covet anything that belongs to Your Majesty."
The Emperor said in a deep voice, "Raise your head! Now that you are my double, not only can you roam that one palace as you please, you may even enter my harem at will!"
Zhao Zheng slowly raised his head, locking eyes with the Emperor. The Emperor stared into Zhao Zheng’s clear eyes, desperately looking for a flicker of fear, but he was left sorely disappointed.
"You may go! After tonight, I will have Cao lead you to familiarize yourself with the concubines."
Once Zhao Zheng left, the Emperor clenched his fists, a flash of murderous intent crossing his face. To choose this man as a double meant he would inevitably have to touch the harem. And he, the supreme Emperor, was actually going to be made a cuckold!
*Clang!* The Emperor smashed his wine vessel onto the floor.
Cao Zhengchun knelt, trembling. "Your Majesty, please calm your anger. The overall situation must come first."
The Emperor sat on the dragon couch, appearing incredibly weak; his body seemed to have aged significantly. How could an emperor not visit his harem? Especially when the Emperor of Dazhen’s lechery was known to everyone in the court. If he suddenly ceased his interest in women, it would appear abnormal. If he wanted to prevent others from noticing flaws in the double, he had to clear the hurdle of the harem. If he couldn't pass this, how could he convince others that the Emperor of Dazhen had fully recovered from his illness?
The Emperor clenched his fists. After a moment of internal struggle, he gradually let it go. "As long as this base commoner survives the harem, he will be able to face the court for me later, leaving me without worry."
Cao Zhengchun hurriedly kowtowed. "Your Majesty is wise. In any case, this man's life is always in your grasp. Once the task is complete, his fate rests on a single word from you."
The Emperor took a deep breath and said heavily, "Cao, though this commoner is a rustic, once he is enlightened by the life of the palace, he will inevitably harbor ambition. You must watch him every moment; there can be no mistakes."
Cao Zhengchun replied solemnly, "Rest assured, Your Majesty. This old servant is your hawk; I will gladly give my life for you. Once the court situation stabilizes and Consort De's son is officially named the Crown Prince, we will secretly execute this commoner and end the trouble forever!"
"The servant obeys."
The Emperor waved a listless hand. "Leave. I am tired."
"Understood."
***
Now far from the surveillance of the Emperor and the old eunuch, Zhao Zheng suddenly felt a sense of relief. Although the Emperor appeared to give him the power to visit the harem, he had long harbored murderous intent.
Once Zhao Zheng stepped into the harem, it would be the equivalent of planting a massive green hat upon the Emperor’s head. What man could stand that? Let alone an Emperor who saw himself as the Son of Heaven! Even if the Emperor were forced to endure this humiliation to keep his own life as a pawn, once the timing was right, he would have a thousand reasons to kill Zhao Zheng.
Though his life was temporarily saved, entering the harem brought endless trouble. It wasn't just the Emperor who wouldn't let him go; the concubines, who were as clever as demons, would show him no mercy if they realized he was an imposter.
Zhao Zheng’s current situation was like walking on thin ice, licking blood off the edge of a blade.
"Now, the only way to survive is to turn this lie into the truth."