After a spell of mental disorientation, Qi Yuan slowly opened his eyes to find himself lying on a bed of unimaginable luxury.

Silk curtains hung low on all sides, surrounding him in a haze of gold and jade splendor. At the head of the bed, a three-legged, openwork incense burner—carved with scenes of a prosperous empire—emitted wispy threads of ambergris fragrance. The scent was soothing to the mind and refreshing to the senses.

Every furnishing and decoration within sight exuded an aura of supreme grace and imperial opulence.

“Hiss… where the hell is this?”

Qi Yuan rubbed his temples. His head throbbed with a muddled, dull pain, his body felt heavy and sluggish, and his memories were a chaotic mess.

Just then, a slightly shrill voice pierced his ears:

“Your Majesty, you are finally awake! Last night, you were excessively drunk from the revelry; this old servant was worried to death.”

“This is the Sobering Soup specially brewed by the Imperial Kitchen. This old servant has personally tested it…”

Qi Yuan turned his head to see a clean-shaven, fair-faced middle-aged man scurrying to the bedside. The man knelt respectfully on the floor, presenting a delicate porcelain bowl with both hands raised high.

As his senses returned, Qi Yuan’s expression turned strange.

Good heavens!

I’m the Emperor?!

Not just any emperor. According to the memories flooding his mind, he was an unprincipled, dissolute tyrant who neglected state affairs to indulge in sensual pleasures and extravagant feasts within the harem all day long. A true textbook example of a “Faint Ruler.”

This doesn’t make sense!

Unlike the last time he was trapped in an illusion, this time Qi Yuan was keenly aware that something was wrong with this world. He just couldn’t quite put his finger on what exactly was amiss.

While he pondered, his gaze fell on the crystal-clear Sobering Soup. It steamed invitingly, looking perfect and without flaw.

“Eunuch Dai, take this away. I… uh, no. We do not wish to drink it now.”

Without thinking, Qi Yuan blurted out the eunuch’s identity, as if he had spent a lifetime addressing him.

“This old servant obeys.”

Eunuch Dai quickly withdrew the porcelain bowl, an ingratiating, flattering smile plastering his face. “Just now, Consort Liu sent someone to invite Your Majesty to her palace for the noon meal. She personally prepared a ‘Full Deer Banquet’ and is eagerly awaiting your arrival.”

“Hmm… send someone to tell Our beloved Consort Liu that We will not be going to her place.”

Qi Yuan frowned and waved his hand dismissively. “Now, take Us to find the Noble Consort…”

Wait. Something is wrong!

Before he could finish his sentence, Qi Yuan froze.

He felt as though he wasn’t truly conversing with these people, but rather playing a role in a scripted drama.

Somewhere in the unseen void, a powerful force of inertia seemed to be guiding his mind and actions, compelling him to act out the character’s desires.

For instance, right now, he knew with absolute certainty that the “Noble Consort” he mentioned was a peerless beauty recently recruited from the common folk. She possessed a countenance that could “sink fish and drop geese”—a nation-toppling beauty. Because of this, she was immensely favored the moment she entered the palace and was conferred the title of Noble Consort, ranking only below the Empress.

But strangely, no matter how hard he racked his brains, he couldn’t recall what this Noble Consort looked like. He only knew her title.

Eunuch Dai, however, showed no surprise. While directing two young eunuchs to assist Qi Yuan in dressing, he called out towards the hall’s entrance:

“His Majesty decrees! Prepare the carriage for the Phoenix Palace!”

Not long after, surrounded by a massive entourage, Qi Yuan stepped out of the bedchamber.

Canopies obscured the sky, and the ceremonial procession was grand and imposing. He was dressed in majestic, luxurious imperial casual robes embroidered with coiling dragons, suns, moons, and pheasant birds. Wherever he passed, palace servants and guards prostrated themselves by the roadside with the utmost reverence, chanting “Long live the Emperor,” fully displaying the supreme authority of the “Nine-Five Sovereign.”

The Imperial Palace covered a vast area, solemn and dignified. Every inch of scenery had been meticulously carved by countless skilled craftsmen, everywhere manifesting the glorious prestige of the royal family.

In short order, the imperial carriage arrived before a palace adorned with clusters of blooming flowers, resplendent and magnificent.

Immediately, several palace maids, faces filled with trepidation, hurried forward and knelt, kowtowing:

“Your humble servants pay respects to Your Majesty!”

Qi Yuan strode out of the imperial carriage with his head held high and asked:

“Rise. Where is the Noble Consort?”

The leading palace maid dared not raise her head, speaking timidly:

“Noble Consort Niangniang is bathing in the side hall. This humble servant will go and ask her to come out to welcome Your Majesty.”

As she spoke, she stood up trembling and turned to go inside.

“No need!”

Qi Yuan narrowed his eyes slightly, a clear look of confusion surfacing in his gaze. “All of you stay here. We will go in alone.”

He was completely baffled and urgently needed to find useful clues. Perhaps this mysterious Noble Consort was the key to understanding this scenario.

Anyway, the Noble Consort is the Emperor’s wife; there’s nothing to be shy about.

With that thought, Qi Yuan couldn’t be bothered to waste any more words and strode into the Phoenix Palace.

The servants seemed long accustomed to the Emperor’s various absurd and impulsive actions. No one dared to stop him; instead, they kept their eyes downcast, guarding the outside obediently, wishing they could sew their ears shut to avoid hearing anything compromising.

Qi Yuan walked straight toward the side hall. Before he even got close, the sound of trickling water reached his ears.

Lifting the bead curtain, dense water vapor mixed with a fragrant, floral aroma rushed over him. The mist permeated the air, creating a scene akin to a fairyland.

The next moment, he saw a figure with perfect curves standing in the lotus pool, her skin whiter than frost and snow. Her slender waist looked soft enough to be spanned by a single hand, and her jet-black, lustrous hair cascaded down, partially concealing skin that resembled mutton-fat jade.

Just the back view was enough to stun the soul.

As if hearing the noise, the woman in the lotus pool slowly turned around, casting her gaze behind her.

In an instant, a familiar, peerlessly beautiful face appeared before Qi Yuan.

Qi Yuan felt as if he had been struck by lightning. He stood frozen on the spot.

This Noble Consort looks so familiar… No, wait. That’s the Exquisite Holy Maiden!

Xiao Yueni?!

WTF!

I am in an Illusion Realm!

With this realization, the sequence of events rushed back to him, and his expression became incredibly colorful.

The reason he could regain his memories so easily this time was likely because he had already fallen victim to the Illusion Realm once before. His body had developed some resistance to the hallucinogenic effects of the Phantom Star Herb…

However, this bit of resistance was apparently not enough to break the illusion entirely!

Meanwhile, Xiao Yueni—who had inexplicably become the Noble Consort—was completely unaware of Qi Yuan’s internal shock. She simply curtsied with a face full of shy affection, her tone soft and seductive:

“This Concubine pays respects to Your Majesty.”

Her voice was as pleasant as a yellow oriole leaving the valley—the exact voice of the usually aloof and ethereal Exquisite Holy Maiden.

Clearly, Xiao Yueni had completely immersed herself in the role, utterly unaware that she was trapped in a hallucination!

As these thoughts flashed through his mind, Qi Yuan quickly composed himself. He cleared his throat and adopted the persona:

“Beloved Consort, rise.”

“Your Majesty is so wicked,” Xiao Yueni said, her jade-like face flushing slightly. She shot Qi Yuan a glance that was half-reproachful and half-flirtatious, then obediently stood up straight.

Looking at the scene before him, Qi Yuan instantly felt his scalp go numb, and he had to physically fight the urge to nosebleed.

This…

The question is, should I close my eyes or not?

If I don’t close them, wouldn’t that be deliberately taking advantage of her? That would shame my glorious image as a righteous gentleman—it would be absolute beastly behavior!

But if I DO close them, it wouldn’t fit the persona of a lustful, dissolute tyrant. What if Xiao Yueni notices something is amiss and wakes up?

For a moment, Qi Yuan kept his eyes wide open, caught in a terrible dilemma.

“Your Majesty, what is wrong?”

Seeing the Emperor remain silent, Xiao Yueni blinked her large, spirited eyes in confusion. She walked straight up to him and, with infinite charm, hooked her arm through his.

As strands of orchid-like body fragrance assaulted his nose, Qi Yuan’s body stiffened. He silently recited the Buddhist chant “Form is emptiness, emptiness is form” in his heart, while his mouth stammered:

“Nothing… nothing at all. We just came to see you.”

Xiao Yueni pursed her lips into a smile, speaking tenderly:

“Your Majesty is so good to me.”

As she spoke, she leaned in with a sweet smile and planted a kiss on Qi Yuan’s cheek…

This level of attack… anyone who can resist this should just go register at the urology department immediately.

Qi Yuan naturally found it hard to resist. But before he could take any action, an abrupt announcement rang out from outside the door:

“Her Majesty the Empress has arrived!”

The Empress…

It wouldn’t be HER, would it?

A terrifying thought crossed his mind, and Qi Yuan shuddered violently, his heart instantly seizing with tension.

Meanwhile, Xiao Yueni had already draped a purple silk gown over herself and began tidying her appearance. Only after confirming there were no flaws did she sigh with relief and walk gracefully toward the entrance of the side hall to welcome the newcomer…