Chapter 537: Chapter 485: New Simulation (New Volume, Please Subscribe)

Life Simulation Begins:

One year old: You were born into the royal family, but because your mother was merely a regular concubine, your birth did not receive much attention. After giving birth to you, your mother passed away, and you were raised in the palace under the care of other concubines.

Four years old: You safely grew up to the age of four and started accompanying the crown prince during his studies, learning from some tutors from the Imperial Academy.

Six years old: Compared to the much-observed crown prince and some distinguished princes, you were just an ordinary prince, not attracting much attention, appearing rather low-key.

Eight years old: Although always keeping a low profile, when you first started cultivation at the age of eight, you exhibited great understanding, suddenly attracting much attention, even making the aloof emperor notice you.

Unexpectedly, the crown prince, and many other princes, who had ignored you before, started showing concern for you, trying to build closer relationships with you. You politely refused them, fully devoted to cultivation and study.

Sixteen years old: According to tradition, at sixteen, princes should join the military for training and service. You joined an elite army and became an ordinary soldier.

Twenty-four years old: After eight years of military training and reaching the fourth order of cultivation, you have become a promising military figure, commanding an army and safeguarding the border. You prevent invasions and are recognized as a prestigious commander.

At this point, the emperor is old, the crown prince and his siblings are all grown up, and factions vying for power have emerged. They all desire the supreme throne. You, having no interest in that position, prefer to stay at the border rather than return to the capital.

You reckon that your job is to guard the border for the empire, you ignore the attempts from the royal princes at the capital to woo you, and all your free time is devoted to either your practice, warfare, or leisure activities.

Thirty years old: You continue to be honored for your outstanding contributions. You are given the rank of prince, managing hundreds of thousands of troops at the border. Though you are not involved in the fight for the throne, your formidable power is undeniable and feared amongst many other princes.

Despite your explicit refusal to get involved and your clear stance, you have aroused the suspicion of some princes because you have not explicitly taken sides.

However, the emperor is delighted by this. He continues to promote you, hoping you act as a balance between the competing princes, securing his dominance over the court.

Unaware of these intricacies, you remain at the border, planning for more military operations to expand the empire.

Thirty-four years old: The decades-long battle for the throne finally comes to an end. The old emperor passes away. The crown prince, showing remarkable prowess, suppresses all the princes fighting for the throne, and ascends to the throne.

Once taking the throne, he changes his seemingly benevolent and kind demeanor completely. Within a few years, he quickly deals with the princes who competed with him for the throne, and even takes down their supporters. This causes anxiety among the officials in the court.

Because you, stationed at the border with a large army under your command, could potentially pose a threat of rebellion, the emperor not only refrains from making moves against you but continues to reward and promote you instead.

Thirty-six years old: The emperor finishes dealing with his opponents and their supporters, those princes who were competing with him for the throne are either imprisoned, executed, or exiled. He has complete control over the court and enjoys supreme power. Finally, he turns his attention to you. Despite your cooperative attitude, the large army under your command greatly disturbs his peace.

Eventually, he finds an excuse to summon you from the border back to the capital. Confident that you have done no wrong, despite the persuasion of your generals and advisors, believing that the emperor wouldn’t harm a crucial pillar and commander of the empire like you, you decide to return to the capital.

After all, at this time, you have reached the fifth order of cultivation. After nearly two decades of campaigning on the borders, suppressing any invasions, you are undeniably a stalwart pillar, a sea-propping purple-gold beam of the empire. If the emperor makes a move against you, it will inevitably cause chaos in the court, leading to the decline of the empire.

Thirty-seven years old: Despite the risk of power struggles within the empire and the very real possibility of a collapse, the emperor forcibly imprisons you on fabricated charges and then searches your mansion in the capital, finding a dragon robe and imperial seal, proving your conspiracy to rebel. You, trapped in the capital, unable to defend yourself and unwilling to cause the empire’s downfall, choose to surrender and are imprisoned in the Sky Prison.

Thirty-eight years old: After your imprisonment, your generals and advisors, without a leader, are divided and manipulated by the already-prepared emperor. In the end, they are all killed or dismissed.

Thirty-nine years old: After dealing with all your subordinates, the emperor finally feels secure enough to take action against you. First, he strips you of your cultivation powers, then executes you on charges of rebellion.

Pity, a potential sixth-level-strong royal family’s key pillar of the empire falls, causing many to sigh in regret.

[Life ends]

Having experienced countless life simulations, Pei Xuanjing is mentally prepared and can accept any potential outcomes in this simulation.

However, when he saw the result of this life simulation, he couldn’t help but frown slightly. Thinking about the events he had gone through in this life simulation, even if it was just one of the many possible outcomes in his projection, he couldn’t help but feel angry.

“Fool!”

Pei Xuanjing summed up his actions and choices in this life simulation in two words: utterly foolish.

It was indeed foolish, unimaginably so.

Since ancient times, there has been no affection among the royal family. Born into the palace, one should either choose to live an ordinary life and not meddle in anything, let alone show any talent.

The early stage of this life simulation was not bad, but the moment he demonstrated his excellent cultivation talents, it meant he was caught in the vortex. At that moment, he should have either given up cultivation or actively participated in the struggle.

Whether becoming independent or joining any other prince, it would have been a smart choice.

His most foolish action was not joining any side, especially considering how his power grew over time. When he had the ability to be a player in this game, he gave up his player status and willingly became the emperor’s pawn to balance others.