The stench hit me first—piss, shit, and the sickly sweet smell of rotting flesh. My eyes cracked open to see cracked stone walls and moldy straw scattered across the floor.
'What the fuck?'
I tried to sit up but my body felt like it weighed a thousand pounds. Everything hurt. My chest, my back, even my damn eyelids felt heavy as lead.
"Where... am I?"
The voice that came out wasn't mine. Raspy, weak, like an old man on his deathbed. Which, looking around this shithole of a cell, might not be far from the truth.
Memories that weren't mine started flooding in. Emperor Zhao Tianlong. Seven children. Multiple wives and concubines. The Dragon Throne of the Great Yan Dynasty.
And then... betrayal.
My third son, Zhao Wuji, had staged a coup three years ago. Poisoned me slowly, turned the imperial guard against me, and seized the throne while I lay dying. The other six children either fled or were executed.
I—no, this body—had been rotting in this forgotten prison cell ever since.
"Holy shit," I muttered, running a trembling hand through matted gray hair. "I'm in that trashy cultivation novel I was reading before I died."
The memories were crystal clear now. "Chronicles of the Demon Emperor." A story about Zhao Chen, the rightful heir to the throne, who would rise from nothing to reclaim his birthright and build a massive harem along the way.
Zhao Chen... my grandson. The son of my eldest boy who got executed in the purge.
And I'm supposed to be the pathetic old emperor who dies in chapter two to motivate the protagonist.
"Well, fuck that noise."
I struggled to my feet, my legs shaking like a newborn colt's. There had to be a way out of this mess. In the novel, the old emperor was found dead by some servants who came to mock him. That was supposed to happen... tomorrow.
A sudden warmth spread through my chest, and a translucent blue screen appeared in front of my face.
[Congratulations! The Harem Emperor System has awakened!]
[Host: Zhao Tianlong (Former Emperor)]
[Age: 67]
[Vitality: 3/100 (Critical - Death in 18 hours)]
[Harem Points: 0]
[System Mission: Survive your scheduled death and begin rebuilding your empire through the ancient art of... intimate connections.]
I blinked at the floating screen. "A sex system? Really?"
[The Harem Emperor System rewards the Host for intimate encounters with women. Each encounter grants Vitality Points, extending your lifespan, and Harem Points, which can be exchanged for various abilities and items.]
[Warning: Host's current condition is critical. Immediate action required to prevent imminent death.]
"And how exactly am I supposed to seduce women looking like a walking corpse?" I croaked, catching my reflection in a puddle of murky water. Sunken cheeks, wild gray beard, clothes that looked like rags...
[Beginner's Package Available: 50 Vitality Points to restore basic health and appearance. Cost: Complete one intimate encounter within 24 hours.]
[Accept? Y/N]
I stared at the screen, then at the iron bars of my cell. Outside, I could hear footsteps echoing in the dungeon corridor.
My heart—this dying body's heart—started racing. Someone was coming. In the novel, the guards who found the old emperor's body had mentioned something about the new emperor wanting to "verify the dragon's death" personally.
If Zhao Wuji was coming down here himself...
I pressed 'Y' on the screen, and immediately felt a surge of energy flow through my withered limbs. Not enough to make me young again, but enough to stand without shaking.
The footsteps were getting closer. Multiple people, by the sound of it.
I looked around the cell desperately. There was a loose stone in the wall behind the straw pile, just big enough for a man to squeeze through if he was desperate enough.
But as I started toward it, a woman's voice echoed through the dungeon—soft, melodious, but with an edge of sadness.
"Your Majesty, please... he's barely breathing. The physicians say he has mere hours left..."
My blood froze. I knew that voice.
Mei Ling. Not Lady Mei Ling—just Mei Ling. My personal maid for the past fifteen years. The one who had taken care of me through sickness and health, who had stayed loyal even when everyone else abandoned the sinking ship.
She was alive. And she was here.
The footsteps stopped right outside my cell, and I heard the jingle of keys.
The cell door creaked open, and my breath caught in my throat.
Mei Ling stepped into the dim light, carrying a small oil lamp and a wooden bowl. Even after three years in this hellhole, she was still beautiful. Her long black hair was tied back in a simple bun, and she wore the plain gray robes of a servant, but nothing could hide her natural grace.
She had always been talented—I remembered now. Mid-stage Foundation Establishment at just twenty-five, which was incredible for someone born into servitude. Her cultivation had been her secret, hidden from the other servants who might have grown jealous.
"My Emperor," she whispered, kneeling beside me with tears in her eyes. "I've brought you some soup."
She lifted the bowl to my lips, and I caught the familiar scent. Ginseng, spirit herbs, and underneath it all... the faint bitter note of Sunset Orchid.
The poison that had been slowly killing me for months.
But as our eyes met in the flickering lamplight, I saw something that made my chest tighten. Guilt. Fear. And genuine sorrow.
"Mei Ling," I said softly, pushing the bowl away. "I know."
Her hands froze. The bowl trembled in her grip.
"Your Majesty, I don't understand—"
"From the very first day," I continued, my voice growing stronger as the system's energy flowed through me. "That morning six months ago when you brought me tea with shaking hands and couldn't meet my eyes. I knew."
The bowl slipped from her fingers, clattering against the stone floor. Soup splashed everywhere, mixing with the filthy straw.
"No," she whispered, her face going pale. "No, you couldn't have known. If you knew, why didn't you...?"
"Why didn't I stop you?" I reached out and touched her cheek gently. She flinched but didn't pull away. "Because I understood."
Tears were streaming down her face now. "They... they threatened to kill my little brother. Said they'd torture him in front of me if I didn't... if I didn't..."
"I know," I said again. "I've lived seventy years, Mei Ling. I've seen empires rise and fall. I've watched children betray their parents and servants poison their masters. But you..." I smiled sadly. "You cried every time you brought me that tea. You tried to make it as painless as possible."
Her shoulders were shaking with silent sobs. "I'm so sorry. I'm so, so sorry. I wanted to tell you, I wanted to refuse, but they had him and I couldn't... I couldn't let them hurt him..."
[System Alert: Target identified - Mei Ling]
[Corruption Level: 15% (Unwilling participant)]
[Harem Potential: SS-Rank]
[Special Note: Deep emotional bond detected. Loyalty can be restored.]
"You're talented," I continued, ignoring the system notifications. "Foundation Establishment at your age, with no formal training or resources. You could have been so much more than a servant. But you stayed with me out of duty, out of... care."
She was looking at me with wide, shocked eyes. Like she couldn't believe this dying old man was having a normal conversation instead of raging about her betrayal.
"Rather than dying at the hands of my enemies or slowly wasting away from old age," I said, my voice growing softer, "I thought... perhaps dying by the hands of the one person who truly cared about my suffering... perhaps that wouldn't be such a bad way to go."
"Your Majesty..." she gasped, pressing her hands to her mouth.
Heavy footsteps echoed down the corridor again—multiple guards this time, and someone else. Someone whose presence made the very air feel heavier.
"But you know what, Mei Ling?" I said, struggling to my feet with newfound strength. "I've changed my mind about dying."
Her eyes widened as she saw me stand straighter than I had in months. Color was returning to my cheeks, and my breathing was steadying.
"How are you...?"
"Getting stronger," I said with a grin that probably looked more predatory than reassuring. "And I'm going to need your help."
The footsteps were getting closer. Through the bars, I could see torchlight flickering against the dungeon walls.
"They're coming for you too, aren't they?" I asked, watching her face confirm my suspicions. "My dear son doesn't leave loose ends."
Mei Ling's face went white. "He said... he said if I confirmed you were dead, he would let my brother go and give me a position in the new palace..."
"And you believed him?" I almost laughed. "Sweet girl, you really are too innocent for this world."
The sound of metal armor clanking was right outside now. I could hear my son's voice giving orders to his guards.
I looked down at Mei Ling, still kneeling on the filthy floor, her beautiful face streaked with tears and dirt.
"Choose quickly, my dear," I whispered, extending my hand to her. "Help me escape and save both our lives, or trust in the mercy of a man who murdered his own father..."
The cell door started to creak open again, and torchlight flooded the small space.
"Well?" I asked, my hand still extended. "What's it going to be?"