Chapter 232 Extra 3

Chapter 232: Extra Story 3

After five consecutive failed simulations, each ending with his death at Han Zhang's hands, Du Wei's rose-colored image of Emperor Shengwu had completely shattered. He began re-evaluating and analyzing Han Zhang as a person once more.

"I was wrong. I was truly, utterly wrong."

"How could someone who sat on the dragon throne at the center of a political maelstrom and created a golden age possibly be a pushover? Doesn't everyone online say that people in politics are all dirty? Why the hell didn't I believe it and insisted Emperor Shengwu was an exception?"

"But why could he stay pure as jade for Shen Qinglan? Yet with me, he couldn't spare a moment without it holding back his career?"

"Is it because I'm not sweet and dutiful enough? Not gorgeous and captivating enough? Or does Emperor Shengwu just prefer Shen Qinglan's type—that petulant little drama queen?"

"Hmph, I refuse to believe it! I'm someone wielding a system with game-breaking advantages—how could I possibly lose to that petulant little drama queen Shen Qinglan?"

The more he thought about it, the more aggrieved he felt. Du Wei still refused to accept it, grinding his teeth and cursing for quite a while.

Only after blowing off steam did he restart the simulation.

"Sixth Life Sim Activated: After several painful defeats, your mentality has completely collapsed, but your intense will to win compels you to change strategies once again."

"This time, you still employ the fake drowning scheme as your first encounter, successfully marrying Han Zhang. After all, there's no other way to make Han Zhang wholeheartedly take you as his spouse."

"Then, you once again find ways to make Shen Qinglan marry a poor scholar and leave the capital. However, the difference is that this time you don't crack down on the Shen family."

"Therefore, your father remains firmly in his position as a third-rank official, able to provide you with solid backing and offer strong support to Han Zhang's political career. You hope this will prevent Han Zhang from taking concubines for career advancement after acing the imperial exams."

"Meanwhile, you also purchase the 'Looks Upgrade' cheat ability, transforming yourself from a flower-like beauty into a city-toppling beauty."

"Additionally, to guard against the possibility that Han Zhang genuinely prefers Shen Qinglan's petulant little drama queen type, you also study Shen Qinglan's personality..."

"You confidently calculate: with your ability to provide political support in court, your peerless beauty that could drive everyone wild, and the personality Han Zhang likes most—surely this 'perfect' spouse will make Han Zhang unwilling to let you down this time... right?"

"Mmm, it's clear that your consecutive failures have left you losing faith in yourself."

"But you're absolutely right to worry!"

"Because your city-toppling beauty did indeed dazzle Han Zhang—but it also dazzled Emperor Taixuan and the princes!"

"The emperor, advanced in years and protective of his reputation, felt a flutter in his heart but, constrained by the emperor's pride, took no action—merely sighing to himself at having missed such a rare beauty."

"But the young princes, young and reckless, unable to resist the allure of such breathtaking beauty, all privately approached Han Zhang, using carrots and sticks to 'steal a minister's spouse'!"

"And when faced with imperial pressure, Han Zhang hesitated for less than two seconds before decisively chickening out, declaring you 'dead from illness' and handing you over."

"Because Han Zhang felt that while you were beautiful, your personality was simply too dramatic. He didn't like drama queens, and defying imperial authority for your sake to court disaster simply wasn't worth it."

"You died again... The princes fought fiercely over you, and Emperor Taixuan, deciding you were a source of calamity, had you killed."

Du Wei's expression froze: "..."

Failed again. Why did he fail again?!

Don't they say beauty is the ultimate weapon? Why did it end like this for him? Why couldn't these people show some appreciation for beauty?

And that bastard Han Zhang—didn't he like Shen Qinglan's petulant little drama queen type? He'd become a drama queen too, so why did the man turn around and reject him?

Or was it truly a matter of personal taste—that Han Zhang's aesthetic preference was simply Shen Qinglan's face?

Otherwise, why would even his city-toppling beauty be treated so shabbily?

"Fine, fine, fine. It just has to be Shen Qinglan, right? Han Zhang, you bastard, I'm not backing down from this fight."

"Sim, run the sim again!"

Du Wei continued furiously pounding the system's holographic screen.

"Seventh Life Sim Activated."

"Host, you cannot accept the previous result. Han Zhang's abandonment of you again is absolutely intolerable."

"To test and determine Han Zhang's preferences, this time you simply have the system replace your face with Shen Qinglan's, and again study Shen Qinglan's personality frame by frame, researching all historical events between Shen Qinglan and Han Zhang."

"This time, you plan to replicate Shen Qinglan's path one-to-one to win Han Zhang over. Once you succeed, you'll immediately extract yourself and return to the modern era. Whoever wants this damn transmigration mission can have it!"

"But imagination is beautiful, reality is cruel..."

"Despite having the same appearance, the same personality, and even the same timing of encounter, Han Zhang still doesn't take a liking to you!"

"You're once again in disbelief, unable to figure out where the problem lies!"

"With no other options, you continue pestering Han Zhang until he grows impatient and issues another warning. Only then do you sincerely ask him the question from the depths of your soul: why doesn't he like you? And you swear that once you have your answer, you'll disappear from his sight forever."

"Han Zhang sees that your attitude is genuinely sincere and figures that killing you to avoid trouble isn't worth it either, so he simply tells you the reason."

"Han Zhang says your acting is too clumsy—the difference between sincerity and pretense is too obvious. He can tell at a glance that you're up to no good! So how could he possibly like you?"

"At this, you suddenly have an epiphany—so that's it!"

"You can copy the surface but not the soul. Though you imitated Shen Qinglan, you're not truly Shen Qinglan. You lack her pure-hearted nature and her unreserved love for Han Zhang. You're just a poor imitation—pretense can never move a sincere heart!"

After reviewing the simulated life once more, Du Wei felt like crying but couldn't.

"Then how am I supposed to complete the conquest mission? Do I have to wholeheartedly fall in love with Han Zhang? How is that possible? I practically hate him to death right now!"

"Even if I did genuinely fall for Han Zhang, would he really fall for me? That man is pure scum!"

Perhaps detecting Du Wei's despair and the extreme difficulty of winning Han Zhang's genuine love, the fortune-draining system also changed its objective.

"Ding. Detected that the target Han Zhang's difficulty coefficient is excessively high. After recalculation by the system's core processing, the main quest is now officially adjusted."

"New mission issued: Host no longer needs to obtain Han Zhang's 'true heart' as the primary goal. As long as the host successfully conceives Han Zhang's offspring and ensures your son inherits Han Zhang's imperial throne to become the next emperor, the mission will be deemed complete."

Hearing the system's voice, Du Wei's eyes lit up: "That works! True hearts are intangible, but the throne is right there—I can definitely do this!"

"Sim, sim... run the sim quickly..."

"Eighth Life Sim Activated."

"Host, you once again summarize your lessons learned. With the mission changed, you finally stop obsessing over winning Han Zhang's affection and focus single-mindedly on securing the throne."

"This time, it's still the fake drowning scheme, successfully marrying Han Zhang and being a virtuous husband, while secretly arranging for Shen Qinglan to marry elsewhere and leave the capital."

"Then, using the fertility pill provided by the system, you quickly conceive after marriage. Under the guise of being 'generous and virtuous,' you proactively arrange for several concubines of various charms to enter the household, filling his inner quarters to the brim."

"The reason you do this isn't losing your mind—it's because you remember the menace of Grand Princess Jiayou."

"According to historical records, Lord Jiayou was drawn to Han Zhang because of his looks and his deep devotion and loyalty to his husband, so I really must guard against him!"

"Congratulations, you've shown great foresight this time, because Han Zhang, like other men, filled his harem with multiple wives and concubines in the most vulgar, insufferable way, and the proud Lord Jiayou no longer took Han Zhang seriously..."

"However, due to political differences, Han Zhang clashed with Emperor Taixuan and his son, and was demoted to Yunyang, Yanzhou, where he began to entertain thoughts of rebellion."

"Ten years later, Han Zhang successfully overthrew the dynasty and ascended the throne. Thanks to your reputation for 'wifely virtue' and your family's full support during the rebellion, you were successfully installed as Empress."

"But your son was not named Crown Prince... Even though the child you bore with the system's fertility pill was healthy and intelligent, a perfectly suitable heir to the throne."

"Han Zhang felt he was still young and your son was only ten, so naming a Crown Prince was a big deal and didn't need to be rushed..."

At this point, Du Wei grew angry again and couldn't help cursing:

"Bullshit! What do you mean the child is too young to rush? Back then, Shen Qinglan's son was also under ten, yet you made him Crown Prince the second you took the throne! That's blatant favoritism!"

"The longer we wait, the more trouble can brew. That bastard's famous for taking care of himself and living forever. My son can't even become Crown Prince now, and if this drags on, something will definitely go wrong!"

And sure enough...

"In the fifth year of the new dynasty, Shen Qinglan's husband, Wang Xu, was promoted for his practical achievements as a commoner official, and packed up his whole family to move back to the capital for a new post."

"At that time, Shen Qinglan's relationship with his husband was poor. Wang Xu coveted his husband's hefty dowry but couldn't swallow his male pride enough to play second fiddle, and Shen Qinglan wasn't the type to put up with being wronged."

"Thus, the two husbands constantly quarreled and gave each other the cold shoulder, their relationship frozen. Shen Qinglan even preferred enduring the gossip of being childless rather than bearing children for such a husband."

"The two had yet to divorce, all due to the constraints of the times. In the early years of turmoil and war, and now with Shen's father starting his career over due to the new dynasty's official assessment system, his natal family was weak. Shen Qinglan worried that divorce would bring criticism and trouble to his family."

"Therefore, upon returning to the capital, when Wang Xu attended the palace banquet, he naturally had to bring his husband Shen Qinglan along as etiquette required."

"Shen Qinglan was broad-minded. Though his marriage was unhappy over the years, he had money and trusted confidants, and he wasn't jealous or bothered, living life with great ease. Even in his thirties, he still looked in the prime of his life."

"Just as you expected, at the palace banquet, Han Zhang fell in love with Shen Qinglan at first sight again, even though the latter was already married to another man..."

Du Wei: "..."

He knew it, he knew it!