The Supporting Male Characters Who Died Alone All Those Years Later

Having used the Reincarnation Stone from the system, it seemed rather overbearing to then crush it.

He Dongchen pondered while playing with the system. It had a complex structure and excellent concealment abilities, seemingly protected by the heavenly way. However, it had very little combat power, so he easily held it in his hand, at his mercy.

[Yes, yes, yes, you picked it up!] The system was flexible, appearing weak and helpless.

Seeing it so intimidated, He Dongchen twitched his mouth and released his hand, saying, “Forget it, you can go.”

Huh??? The system rejoiced at its newfound freedom, thinking this demon king seemed to be quite reasonable.

Noticing He Dongchen apparently had no intention of crushing it to death, the system’s round body lit up and tentatively stretched out its foot. [Our Jinjiang Alliance is a very friendly alliance! We warmly welcome capable individuals to join our family! How about… binding with me, boss?]

The more the system spoke, the more enthusiastic it became, starting to introduce its functions. For example, the mall had countless goods; clothing, food, housing, transportation, weapons, pills, skills, techniques, and special items. As long as you had points, you could buy anything!

[There are two ways to earn points. First is the basic task of fulfilling the original owner’s wishes, one wish earns a hundred points. Second is the merit task, where accumulated merit in the small world can be exchanged for points in the mall at a certain ratio…]

[Generally, when a person binds with a system, half of the merit needs to be handed over. But if it’s you, boss, bind with me, it’s a 70-30 split, with you getting 70% and us 30%.] The system worked hard to sell itself, thinking about the training manual’s advice; As long as it can trick… ahem, recruit the demon king, it will be a great contributor to the Jinjiang Alliance, immediately reaching the pinnacle of system life!

Excited by the thought of a beautiful system life, the system trembled all over, trying hard to appear cute and obedient.

However, He Dongchen snorted coldly and said indifferently, “Working is impossible, absolutely impossible.”

He had just studied the system and found it similar to what he was doing; reaching a consensus with the supporting male character in a book, with one offering his body and the other helping to counterattack and dispel resentment.

Since I could do it myself, why should I bind with the system, sacrifice my merit, and accept a 70-30 split?

The system wilted a bit but quickly regained its spirits. [How about you let me contact the Main System? Everything can be negotiated.]

“Suit yourself,” He Dongchen said just as a young eunuch announced that dinner was ready.

***

He called for them to come in. Four eunuchs and palace maids carefully presented the dishes, which were simple and light.

He Dongchen knew these dishes were prepared with the silver pooled by the servants, so he didn’t criticize and ate slowly. After finishing his meal, a young palace maid presented a bowl of hot medicine.

He Dongchen remembered that the original owner, having been suddenly deposed, had vomited blood in anger. There were still a few bloodstains on his collar.

He picked up the medicine bowl, sniffed it lightly, and, finding nothing wrong, tilted his head back and drank it all in one go.

The eunuchs and palace maids breathed a sigh of relief. Having faced a sudden disaster, their greatest fear was a drastic change in temperament, neglecting his health, or taking out his anger on them. It seemed that although Prince Jing had fallen from grace, he could still eat and drink and remained composed, which was a relief.

He Dongchen glanced at them and said, “I… this Prince, despite today’s misfortune, is grateful for your loyalty.”

“Not at all, it is our duty,” they responded, overwhelmed with gratitude and excitement.

“Go and rest well. This palace will rely on you in the future,” He Dongchen said, speaking a few kind words to win their hearts before dismissing them.

***

The system, having finished contacting the Main System, brightened and circled He Dongchen a few times. With a slightly proud tone, it said, [Boss, there’s a saying that ‘a man’s heart is unfathomable.’ These people may seem obedient now, but who knows if they are enemy spies? By binding with me, you can measure their favorability. You’ll know who’s good and who’s bad at a glance!]

He Dongchen raised an eyebrow slightly but then lost interest. “It sounds interesting, but human nature is complex and ever-changing. In one moment, it’s heaven; in another, it’s hell. It’s not an absolutely stable state.”

There was another thing he didn’t say. If he relied on data to analyze people, the small world would lose its value to him. He came to experience life, not to clear levels and upgrade.

Once he activated that favorability feature, everyone around him would become data points. Who would want to make friends or fall in love with data? He certainly had no interest in that.

The system, feeling dejected after being refused, was puzzled. The favorability tool consistently ranked in the top three in the tool list. Why was the boss so uninterested?

However, the system quickly regained its spirit and began circling He Dongchen, chattering away, [The Main System said that if we bind, it would be a partnership. That Reincarnation Stone would be under your control, and the alliance wouldn’t interfere. But there’s one condition; please spend more in the mall, please spend more.]

The system’s performance was tied to mall consumption. The more the host spent, the higher the system’s commission.

Seeing the system’s flattering demeanor, He Dongchen thought for a moment and said, “Alright.”

He considered it as renting the Reincarnation Stone with some merit. After all, he used their resource. As for the alliance’s real intentions, He Dongchen didn’t care. As a spirit born of heaven and earth, he was immune to all evil, indestructible, and fearless of any plots or schemes.

The system was overjoyed!

The happiness came so suddenly that it was ready to initiate the binding process. But then, with a “ding!” a prompt appeared indicating that the binding process was already completed.

It’s the one that had been bound!

It went from being the boss’s powerful system to his little sidekick.

Wuwuwuw! It felt aggrieved but didn’t dare to complain.

He Dongchen held the wilted system in his hand and started to fiddle with it. Soon, a transparent light screen appeared in front of him.

[Current Small World: “Beloved and Spoiled”]

[Synopsis: Tian Weirong was born noble. Her father was Marquis Wu’an, her mother a noble lady from a prestigious family, and her aunt the Empress. She had three elder brothers who doted on her and a fiancé, the Crown Prince cousin, who adored her.

Tian Weirong had always lived a pampered life, getting whatever she wanted. However, she had one worry; the moody and unpredictable Prince Huainan always looked at her with those invasive eyes.

On the day of the grand wedding, Tian Weirong waited in the bridal chamber. Suddenly, she heard that the Prince of Huainan was leading soldiers to snatch her away. Terrified, she turned pale and accidentally stumbled, hitting her head on a pillar and dying.

After being reborn, Tian Weirong nervously clung to the Prince of Huainan’s leg, tearfully pleading, “Please don’t snatch me on my wedding day, okay?”]

He Dongchen’s mouth twitched uncontrollably. This female lead’s brain seemed to be a bottomless pit that even seawater couldn’t fill. After being reborn, instead of helping the Crown Prince eliminate the ambitious Prince Huainan, she chose to cling to the Prince’s leg!

The system analyzed, [The female lead guessed that since Prince Huainan dared to snatch a bride on the Crown Prince’s wedding day, he must be confident of his success. Because of that, she naturally chose a husband who is both madly in love with her and powerful.]

He Dongchen remained silent.

It made some sense. The original owner was the Crown Prince of a nation, constantly watched by countless eyes. Every action needed careful consideration of the pros and cons, prioritizing the country. Even if he adored Tian Weirong, he wouldn’t do anything too outrageous for her. Prince Huainan, on the other hand, dared to snatch the Crown Prince’s bride! Which woman wouldn’t be moved by that?

So, Tian Weirong, moved by this, ended up overthrowing her cousin, the Crown Prince, who had doted on her for over 10 years.

He Dongchen shook his head and continued reading.

[Current Tasks:]

[Basic Tasks: Ascend the Throne (Incomplete); Lock treacherous couple together (Incomplete).]

[Tasks Merit: 0]

The task page had this much content.

With a thought, He Dongchen switched the screen to the mall. Just as the system had said, it was filled with a dazzling array of goods, roughly divided into four categories; clothing and food, weapons and pills, skills and techniques, and special items.

The system, fully revived, eagerly recommended products for the sake of its performance.

[Boss, look,] it highlighted an item in red. [This is the Nourishing Pill. Suitable for mortals, with long-term use, it eliminates all ailments and ensures a long life, especially suitable for the old Emperor.]

He Dongchen glanced at it. It cost one hundred points per bottle, with ten pills per bottle.

Before he could speak, the system considerately highlighted another item; a special item Setting Card.

[Are you still worried about breaking character? With just one setting card, all your worries will disappear.]

The system excitedly introduced, [After using a Setting Card, you can add certain character traits. For example, if a person is reckless, adding a careful trait will make others see him as someone meticulous despite his rough exterior. Of course, the setting card isn’t omnipotent. First, it can’t create something out of nothing, like turning a poor man into the richest person in the world. Second, it can’t harm others, like adding an amnesia setting to someone who committed bigamy to blame their actions on memory loss…]

He Dongchen listened with interest and didn’t interrupt.

[Boss, you can use the setting card to transform into a Crown Prince obsessed with medicine and then present the Nourishing Pill to the old Emperor. This will solve your current predicament.]

Offering such an elixir of immortality would dispel any suspicion that he wished for the Emperor’s early death, thus nullifying the accusation of hiding a dragon robe.

The system looked at the boss expectantly, its whole demeanor screaming for praise.

“You have a good point,” He Dongchen generously rewarded it with a glance, asked about the merit-to-points exchange ratio (100:1), and then made a large purchase. He bought the 100-point Nourishing Pill and the 10,000-point Setting Card.

The system felt as if it could hear the sound of money!

The boss is so generous!

He Dongchen took the Nourishing Pill, removed the stopper, and sniffed it, feeling reassured. He could refine it himself, but some of the herbs were rare and would take time to gather. Since the old Emperor only had 2 months to live, this would suffice for now.

***

As the sun set, the sweating little eunuch returned with the money.

“Your Highness, when I arrived at the shop, people were already in a panic. These are all the banknotes I could retrieve.” The eunuch respectfully presented a box of silver notes.

He Dongchen counted them; 30,000 taels, enough to last for a while.

He took out a few large-denomination silver notes, left the rest untouched, and told to the young eunuch, “You’ve done well. Distribute these silver notes as you see fit and manage the affairs of the palace.”

Given that the original’s staff was likely doomed, He Dongchen saw this as a time to promote capable people. This young eunuch had the courage to take on tasks during such times and returned with a substantial amount of money, proving his bravery and wisdom.

The young eunuch was overjoyed and knelt to express his gratitude. “I will not fail your trust, Your Highness.”

With money in place, everything became easier to handle. Clothes and accessories were quickly arranged. After bathing, He Dongchen changed into a new outfit; a blue round-collared robe, with his half-dried hair draped over his shoulders. The young eunuch, after asking for permission, came forward with a dry cloth to dry his hair.

He Dongchen remembered the Setting Card and, after using it, instructed the young eunuch, “Go out tomorrow and procure some medicinal herbs. I have use for them.”

“Yes,” the young eunuch agreed without surprise. Everyone knew that the Crown Prince; no, Prince Jing, was obsessed with medicine and often visited the Imperial Hospital for advice.

Years ago, a censor even impeached him for neglecting his duties, but the old Emperor rebuked the accusation on the spot. Prince Jing’s dedication to medicine stemmed from his mother, the Empress, being bedridden. His efforts were seen as filial piety, not negligence.

In the Jin Dynasty, filial piety was a core value. With such a virtuous motive, who would dare question him?

The young eunuch, reflecting on this, frowned slightly, thinking that a master who could study medicine for the Empress’s sake, for over 100 years, would never secretly keep a dragon robe. Someone must be slandering him!