Chapter 9

Chapter 9

My remains have finally been laid to rest.

Previously, I had gone to great lengths to preserve that body, believing that Che’er and I had simply swapped shells.

But now, the situation has become a bit more complicated.

After conducting a few experiments with the nearby palace servants, I discovered that it seems only I can hear Che’er’s voice.

Could it be… that he has become a wandering soul?

Just as I was about to seek out some experts in the occult, Che’er spoke up.

“Imperial Father, stop fussing. I am also inside my own body.”

I nearly jumped out of my skin.

Damn!

What kind of situation is this?

A quarter-hour later, I was forced to accept the reality.

Two souls, one body.

My soul had squeezed into Che’er’s body, causing his consciousness to fall into a temporary coma.

Once I understood this, I immediately had the remains on the ice crystal bed sent to the imperial mausoleum.

I’m not joking-you have no idea how terrifying it is to look at your own corpse every single day.

Che’er tried to stop me; he wanted to find someone to help me return to my own body.

“Forget it. That shell is long dead and gone.”

After some research between us father and son, we discovered that the two of us could take turns controlling the body.

Upon realizing this, I immediately went on strike.

“I have already passed away. This is your job now. You go to the morning court assembly.”

Che’er let out a helpless sigh. “Yes.”

Wonderful. I can finally rest.

Life without being the Emperor is incredibly pleasant.

Once Chancellor Cui regained his momentum, his habit of picking a fight with anyone he saw returned. The morning court became as lively as a wet market every single day.

In the past, I had to brace myself to listen to them bicker and provide my input from time to time. If I was even slightly negligent or missed a detail, everyone’s firepower would immediately pivot toward me.

Attending court was truly not an enjoyable experience.

But now, I love it more than anything.

I’ve only just realized how wonderful it is to watch people argue from a bystander’s perspective. If we weren’t sharing a body, I’d truly want to hold a bowl of melon seeds and munch on them while watching the show.

It was genuinely entertaining.

The Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Works got into a spat. Neither side would back down, and the argument was reaching a fever pitch.

The Minister of Revenue was red-faced and thick-necked with rage, brandishing his memorial as if to poke it into the Minister of Works’ face. Not to be outdone, the Minister of Works reached up to snatch the Minister of Revenue’s official cap.

If this were the past, I would have had to step in to stop them, either by offering consolation or by reprimanding both sides.

But at this moment, I laughed at Che’er with schadenfreude. “Hahaha! Guess which of them has more strength?”

Because we shared a body, Che’er didn’t need to speak for me to hear his thoughts.

He sighed helplessly. “I don’t even know why they’re fighting. Can’t they just speak civilly?”

Then, he spoke up to stop the two of them, analyzing the issues point by point and proposing solutions along the way.

Once that matter was handled, the next piece of government business followed immediately.

As I listened, I drifted off to sleep.

By the time the morning court ended, I had finished my nap.

This was the first time I had ever slept during a court session.

Mm, it felt quite good.

The next day, the Minister of Revenue submitted his resignation, claiming he was old and infirm and wished to retire to his hometown.

I let out a scoff. “That old man is in great health. Every winter, he goes for a swim in the moat. He can eat two pork hocks in one sitting; he’s stronger than an ox.”

“He just wants to slack off.”

“Quick, give him work. Lots of it.”

Under my brilliant guidance, the various ministers who wanted to play tricks and shirk their duties had nowhere to hide.

“Marshal Ji loves his wine; he’s prone to getting drunk and neglecting his duties. You have to keep an eye on him.”

“Duke Wu is henpecked.”

“Vice Minister Qian is afraid of dogs.”

“Censor Sun loves to tattle.”

…

One day, I suddenly remembered something.

I excitedly took Che’er to the inner palace and pointed at the beauty before us with pride. “A beauty sent by the Wei State. What do you think? Do you like her? Your Imperial Father accepted her on your behalf.”

Che’er was silent for a moment before saying, “Imperial Father, I am still in the mourning period.”

“…”

I also fell silent. “What are you thinking? I’m just letting you have a look first. Besides, with the current situation… it would be quite inconvenient.”

At the very least, he’d have to wait until I was gone…

From the moment Che’er woke up, I had made a plan. I needed to disappear as soon as possible.

However, I didn’t intend to tell Che’er.

This child is good in every way, but he’s stubborn.

I’m afraid he might start getting ideas he shouldn’t have.