Zhao Shun, the sovereign of the Southern Dynasty, is 24 years old. He ascended the throne at the age of six, with his mother, Lady Zheng, serving as regent. When Lady Zheng passed away at the age of 19, Zhao Shun resumed direct rule. However, during Lady Zheng’s reign, she heavily favored her relatives, establishing a powerful network of Zheng family allies throughout the court—effectively dominating the political landscape. Moreover, Lady Zheng deeply cherished Zhao Shun, nurturing in him a lifestyle of indulgence in beauty and leisure, making him a carefree, pleasure-seeking prince. Consequently, Zhao Shun showed little interest in state affairs and continued to rely on his relatives, leading to widespread discontent among the officials and the people. Yet Zhao Shun remained indifferent, even viewing this as a paradise of divine fortune. With beauties at his command and a life of opulence and splendor, enjoying the highest honors without any responsibilities—what could be more like heaven on earth? "Only this much memory? Even the names of the eunuchs at my side I can't recall... Hmm, the game world seems unwilling to share even a single piece of information with me..." Zhang Yuanqing groaned as he rose Side quests activated: survive for 24 hours. Beep! Side quest activated: identify the spy hidden within the palace. Beep! Side quest activated: gain public favor. Note: Each completed quest unlocks a portion of your combat capabilities and inventory items. Note: Please remember that your current identity is Zhao Shun—do not reveal any information regarding your status as a Lingjing Traveler. There are simply too many side quests... Listening to the continuous beeps in his ears, Zhang Yuanqing looked momentarily bewildered. One of the side quests requires survival for 24 hours, while the "Fallen Kingdom" campaign is a large-scale war scenario—clearly impossible to conclude within that timeframe. With so many tasks already in place at the initial stage of the campaign, what about the mid- and later stages? Moreover, his skills are currently sealed, his inventory is restricted, and his physical condition has deteriorated to the point of being frail and unable to perform even basic tasks—how is he supposed to survive under these circumstances? "To others, this is a Tier A raid—yet to me, it feels like a Tier S... Clearly, 'The Last Emperor' is the heart of this raid, and he's been unlucky enough to draw the most challenging character card. 'Ah, I don't know where the others have gone—can anyone find me? Where are my left and right attendants, My Mage-Eye and My Young Officer Xiao Fu? I need your protection...' This scenario I've experienced before—during the last 'Five Elements' raid. At that moment, the young girl beside him stirs, awakened by the quiet movement. With a small fist, she rubs her eyes, then gently wraps her snow-white arms around him, speaking softly, 'Your Majesty~' Her youthful, delicate body gently shifts, performing a graceful, practiced allure. How capable is she for someone so young? What a dreadful feudal society... Zhang Yuancheng prefers plump, mature beauties and has no interest in such young, delicate attendants. He gently pushes her aside, issuing a command: 'Go change your clothes!'" The young lady nodded and quickly climbed down from the bed, squinting her smooth, pale bottom, picking up the imperial robes lying on the floor. With the nimble movements of her small hands, she swiftly arranged and fastened the elaborate garments. Ah, a maid indeed... Zhang Yuqing, observing the modest attire, deduced the young lady's status. After all, a noble consort would not dress herself. Once dressed, the young lady guided the Emperor to the screen, one by one removing the casual robes hung upon it and skillfully helping Zhang Yuqing put them on. Throughout the process, Zhang Yuqing needed only to extend her arms, lift her feet, or remain still—reminding him of the childhood scenes when his father used to dress him. This was one of the few memories Zhang Zizhen retained. Chen Shu was a strong-willed woman, and her parenting style was both strict and hands-off. From the age of three, she required Zhang Yuqing to dress himself. Zhang Yuqing had never managed it—his memory was always of large, warm hands gently helping him fasten each garment. While the attendants were helping him change clothes, Zhang Yuanqing racked his brain, thinking about what he should do next. "What exactly are my side quests? Oh, memory's fading too..." Zhang Yuanqing opened his attribute panel to review the quest logs. The main quest could be set aside for now. There were three side quests: "Survive for 24 hours," "Identify the spy," and "Win the people's favor." The latter one, "Win the people's favor," was unlikely to be achievable in the near term. So, the two side quests he needed to focus on were "Survive for 24 hours" and "Identify the spy." "Surviving for 24 hours suggests my palace is not safe—these two quests may be connected. The threat likely comes from a spy embedded within the palace." Thus, his next clear objective became: identify the spy! To identify the spy, he would need solid intelligence—first, he needed to gain a better understanding of the palace's inner workings. As he was pondering this, he heard a steady, somewhat labored voice calling from outside the curtain: "Your Majesty!" It's time you took your medicine. The imperial physician has said that it should be consumed hot; otherwise, its efficacy will significantly diminish. Outside the curtain, that broad-shouldered, tall figure reappeared. "I know," Zhang Yuanqing replied with some impatience, while waiting for a palace maid to place a golden silk crown upon his head. Then he walked to the bronze mirror and examined himself. A young man of refined appearance, slender and tall, with a pale complexion indicating a chronic illness, his eyes dull and lacking brightness. A classic case of someone drained by wine and suffering from severe suboptimal health—back in this era, a sudden illness could easily prove fatal. Zhang Yuanqing mused to himself. How could this be the image of the celestial prodigy, the Primordial Sovereign? Even if Guan Ya stood before him, she might not recognize him. He pulled back the curtain and stepped into the outer hall. The hall was opulently furnished: a costly carpet woven with gold threads, fine calligraphy and paintings hung on the walls, antique porcelain and jade displayed on the bookcases, and rare varieties of orchids planted by the windows. On a circular table covered with bright yellow silk, a bowl of gradually cooling medicine stood. At the table’s side stood a middle-aged eunuch of sturdy build, with fish-scale wrinkles at his eyes, hair like frost at his temples, and a furrowed expression of impatience, as if he might strike anyone at any moment. Zhang Yuanqing sat down at the table, lifted the bowl, and took a deep sip—only to find the medicine bitter and unpleasant, almost making him retch. He deliberately declared aloud, “What is this medicine? It’s worse than excrement. Take it away, take it away—I won’t drink it.” What toxin is this? I am the True Dragon Emperor, the sovereign of the ninth and fifth rank, invincible against all poisons. The middle-aged eunuch, whose hair is now white with age, raises his brows, steps closer, and peers down at him with an air of superiority: "Indeed, you are the sovereign of the ninth and fifth rank, but a single vial of arum root could have taken your life. Three days ago, you were poisoned. Had it not been for my timely discovery, you would have already passed away. Although Your Majesty has been indulging in feasts and pleasures, living a carefree life, the fact that even the eunuchs can now treat you with disdain reveals that you hold no real power. Perhaps the eunuchs are connected to the Zheng family. You were poisoned three days ago—this indicates that the spies have already made their move. Within the next 24 hours, I expect to face another assassination attempt or poisoning. Unless I identify the spies, I will surely fall. Zhang Yuanqing reflects internally, deeply moved: Magic-eyed Officer Fu, the lonely king truly needs your protection! "This medicine is so bitter—it's hard to swallow. Take it down. Zhang Yuanqing pushed the bowl aside. Since the original host had nearly died from poisoning, he absolutely could not touch anything in the imperial palace anymore. Perhaps the spy was already within the imperial quarters—perhaps even among the attendants or eunuchs present. Any moment of carelessness could prove fatal. The sturdy middle-aged eunuch grew furious: "Your Majesty, if you don't take the medicine, I shall have to administer it myself." "Dog! Dog!" Zhang Yuanqing stormed, forcefully shattering the bowl on the ground, his voice rising in rage. "You, a eunuch with no feathers, dare to threaten the Emperor!" The eunuch's chest heaved, and he finally turned and walked away. Watching the eunuch depart, Zhang Yuanqing's gaze flickered. He dismissed the attendants and summoned the young maid who had served him last night, coldly asking, "Who is he?" Among the vast imperial chambers, he currently trusted only this young maid. If she were the spy, then Emperor Zhao Shun would have perished already—no matter how vigilant he was, the person closest to him remained vulnerable. The young maid was likely a pre-set NPC from the "He is Li Changshi..." The young court lady looked slightly puzzled, unsure why the Emperor had asked this question. "Li Changshi? Is he trustworthy?" Zhang Yuanqing inquired. The young lady's expression grew even more confused. "Li Changshi is an elder in the Empress Dowager's household. Before the Empress Dowager passed away, she assigned him to serve at your side. Li Changshi is certainly trustworthy, though he has a rather difficult temperament..." Ah, someone from the Empress Dowager's circle—then they must not be spies! Zhang Yuanqing thought, and asked, "He just said that I've been poisoned—has that really happened?" The young lady nodded vigorously. "Indeed, several days ago, the Emperor suddenly fell ill, suffering severe abdominal pain. It was Li Changshi who noticed your unusual condition and summoned the physician to attend to you." "Before that, where did I go?" Zhang Yuanqing asked again. The young lady bowed her head and thought for a moment, then hesitated. "The Emperor visited many places and had interactions with numerous consorts and attendants..." The unspoken implication was clear—the Emperor's pleasures were numerous, and no one knew exactly how he had been poisoned. This is starting to bother me... Zhang Yuanqing paused for a few seconds, then, drawing upon his deep literary and historical knowledge, suddenly said, "I'd like to see the daily account." The young maid replied, "The Emperor may request it from the Ministry of the Interior." The official responsible for the Emperor's daily records is called the "Record-keeper of the Daily Affairs," who belongs to the Ministry of the Interior. Zhang Yuanqing shook his head, clarifying, "Not that one—the one about the Emperor's official orders and conversations with ministers. I mean the one about my daily activities within the palace." The Emperor maintains two such records: one compiled by the Record-keeper of the Daily Affairs, documenting his commands and conversations during court sessions; the other, a record of daily life in the palace, kept by eunuchs. The maid responded, "The Emperor may ask for it from Li, the attendant." I'm afraid he'll scold me... Zhang Yuanqing ordered, "Go fetch it." The maid looked startled, her mouth slightly drooped in embarrassment, and said, "Yes!" She bowed and hurried away. A minute later, she returned with a thick volume in her The young attendant was instantly delighted. After all, who among the palace staff—whether imperial consorts, attendants, or even court musicians—wouldn’t long to serve in the imperial bedchamber? As long as one could bear a dragon’s child, one could soar and become a phoenix. Zhang Yuancheng dismissed the attendant, opened the daily record, and carefully read through it. The regular楷script was perfectly readable for a top student at Songhai University. The daily record contained details of Zhao Shun’s interactions and activities—there must surely be clues hidden within. After flipping through several pages, however, Zhang Yuancheng found himself overwhelmed, realizing that he had significantly underestimated Zhao Shun’s indulgences.