Wei Chen transmigrates as Wei Zheng's illegitimate son and hopes to keep his head down and stay alive.
But then he binds himself to the [Eternal Emperor (Contrarian Edition) Training System], which levels up by collecting the negative emotions of emperors and their ministers!
And so the court of the Zhenguan era takes a sudden turn:
When Wei Zheng risks his life to remonstrate, Wei Chen slams the table and cries, “Father, you're so hidebound! Your Majesty should take every beauty in the land and drive those censorious officials mad!”
When Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui offer their counsel, he scoffs, “Your plan has more holes than a locust plague. Why not listen to me instead...?”
As Li Shimin congratulates himself on a golden age, Wei Chen delivers a rude awakening: “Your Majesty, do you know that a hundred years from now the Wu clan will throw the Tang into chaos, and military governors will carve up the realm?”
The court officials despise him as a disgrace to the Wei family and wish they could be rid of him.
But Li Shimin, seated on the dragon throne, only smiles. “This boy is quite interesting. Keep him around to treat the ‘heart ailments’ of me and my ministers.”
When the Turks reach the gates, the inventions Wei Chen has been “playing around” with kindle hope.
When the great clans monopolize the court, the new policies he has “angered people into creating” break the deadlock.
Many years later, the first place in Lingyan Pavilion remains empty.
Wei Zheng, now a celebrated minister of his age, gazes at the sight of his son standing before the throne and sighs with a wry smile:
“I spent my life speaking frankly and earned a place in the history books. In the end, my son is better at... getting under people's skin.”
