After Breaking Free from the System's Control

Jin Tang was a fine young man from the twenty-first century, until a truck flattened him one day and killed him.

His soul, however, remained.

Something called a System took him to a dynasty that had never existed in history and placed him in the body of a young emperor who had died by suicide.

System: "As long as you cooperate with me and complete my missions, you can come back to life."

Jin Tang, who had never been in love or made a fortune: "Deal."

The System wanted Jin Tang to become a tyrant, framing loyal officials, launching massive construction projects, and making himself hated by everyone.

Jin Tang refused and fell out with the System. After an exhausting tug-of-war with it, he died once more.

After Jin Tang "died," his soul attached itself to his personal jade pendant. The regent, Xiao Li, took the pendant and kept it close to his heart every day.

So Jin Tang saw firsthand how Xiao Li went mad after losing him.

At last, the System collapsed completely, and Jin Tang truly came back to life. The first thing he did after reviving was embrace his regent.

Xiao Li fell in love with him, and he fell in love with Xiao Li.

Note: The shou is intersex.

And Jin Tang and the young emperor Jin Tang are the same person from beginning to end, a good kid who has been fighting the System all along.

--- Ordered to Talk Back, now serializing ---

Xie Zhiwei was an overworked office drone who had put up with his idiot boss for three whole years.

On the day he quit, he finally stopped pretending.

He laid into his boss for twenty solid minutes, tearing apart everything from his work skills to the way he treated people without repeating himself once.

At the height of his tirade, everything went black...

When he opened his eyes again, he was kneeling on the floor of the imperial study. Looking up, he saw the emperor in his dragon robe.

The emperor smiled. "I admire your eloquence. I'm just looking for an investigating censor. The job is yours."

Xie Zhiwei: "..."

Xie Zhiwei never expected that after transmigrating, he would be able to yell at his coworkers and talk back to his boss whenever he wanted. In one word, glorious.

With the emperor's approval, Xie Zhiwei found all kinds of ways to give people a piece of his mind.

The officials dared not speak up. Everyone knew that Xie Zhiwei was acting on the emperor's orders. Besides, none of them could out-insult him.

Then Xie Zhiwei met Pei Dinglan.

Pei Dinglan was a military general, famous for his achievements in battle and decisive in killing. That was what the entire court believed.

But when Pei Dinglan opened his mouth, he turned out to be a chatterbox. "So you're that foul-mouthed Xie Zhiwei? I heard you made Lord Wang cry. Can you help me insult some people? Wait, don't go, I'm not done yet. Do civil officials insult people in five-character or seven-character lines? I think invoking their ancestors has more punch. We should compare notes sometime."

Xie Zhiwei: "..."

How could a military general like this exist?

From then on, the court had two new sights to behold.

One was Xie Zhiwei: sarcastic, subtle, and sharp as a needle, delivering insults without a single swear word but striking straight to the heart.

The other was Pei Dinglan: never short of words, endlessly rambling, able to talk about someone's ancestors eighteen generations back and the grandchildren who had yet to be born.

At first, the two traded insults. Everyone thought they could finally relax, only for the pair to get together and even end up in the same bed.

From then on, the officials trembled at the mere mention of their names. Xie Zhiwei would finish insulting someone, and Pei Dinglan would pick up where he left off. Once Pei Dinglan was done, Xie Zhiwei would land another blow.

The officials were all miserable, but the emperor was delighted. In his good mood, he bestowed a plaque on them.

[A match made in heaven, a couple who speak in flowery insults.]

Xie Zhiwei looked at the plaque. "Is His Majesty complimenting us?"

Pei Dinglan draped an arm over Xie Zhiwei's shoulder. "Ah, if only he'd added 'They know how to insult and love to insult' as a banner line. Something's missing."

Xie Zhiwei: "..."

Theme: Though the sea bends the bamboo low, it rises again. Though the wind darkens the mountain's edge, it brightens once more.