The Supporting Male Characters Who Died Alone All Those Years Later

He Yixiu was born into nobility, born of the Imperial Consort in the palace, favored by the Emperor, cherished by the Empress Dowager.

At the age of 3, he was appointed as the Crown Prince of the nation, the heir to the throne. At the age of 6, he was betrothed to his cousin, the legitimate daughter of the Marquis of Wu’an. Despite the passing of his mother due to illness when he was ten, the Emperor, out of pity, personally guided him, and no one dared to treat him lightly.

As the Crown Prince, He Yixiu excelled in both literary and martial arts, treating others kindly, earning praise from everyone. His cousin, Tian Weirong, was beautiful and charming, innocent and lively. They grew up together, innocent and inseparable, with a deep bond of affection. He Yixiu thought he would marry his cousin as expected and succeed to the throne in the future, striving to become a wise ruler.

But reality delivered a harsh blow.

On the eve of the grand wedding, Marquis Wu’an, as an outsider, publicly accused him in the court, revealing his possession of the imperial robe, labeling him as a traitor.

The Emperor was furious, ordering an investigation, and indeed, an imperial robe was found in the Eastern Palace. He Yixiu couldn’t defend himself, and was immediately deposed and demoted to the Prince of Jing, banished from the palace for life.

(TN: Jingwang/ Prince of Jing = first class Prince, below the level of Crown Prince.)

Slandered by outsiders, without a chance to defend himself, the Emperor, without hearing his side, directly punished him. Enraged and heartbroken, He Yixiu spat blood on the spot. Before he could recover and clear his name of the false accusations of treason by outsiders, and before he could mourn his father’s passing, Marquis Wu’an swiftly supported his half-brother, the Prince of Huainan, to ascend the throne.

After ascending the throne, the Prince of Huainan issued a decree accusing him of plotting against the Emperor, demoting him to a commoner.

Not only that, Prince Huainan also bestowed the title of Empress upon his cousin, Tian Weirong, dispersing the harem for her and promising them a lifetime together.

With things having reached this point, He Yixiu couldn’t comprehend any further. His legitimate family from his mother’s side had sided with the Prince of Huainan, and his cousin, who had been cared for and cherished since childhood, had thrown herself into the arms of Prince Huainan.

He Yixiu couldn’t understand. He was born of the imperial concubine, while the birth mother of the Prince of Huainan was just a short-lived palace maid. He treated people kindly, had a good reputation, while the Prince of Huainan was temperamental and unpredictable. He was the biological nephew of the Marquis of Wu’an, the cousin of his cousin, while the Prince of Huainan was merely an outsider.

In terms of background, character, or blood ties, He Yixiu was far superior to the Prince of Huainan. Yet, just for the sake of one person, his family and his cousin betrayed him!

He Yixiu pondered endlessly, until his cousin came to visit.

She earnestly claimed that the Prince of Huainan had coveted her since childhood and she had struck first to protect his life, claiming that if the Prince of Huainan had acted, he wouldn’t have survived.

He Yixiu was filled with question marks: ???

Wasn’t this equivalent to thinking that a person was going to die sooner or later, so they should be sent on their way early? And she’s even showing a look of not needing to be thanked!

Moreover! Why would his cousin think that a dignified Crown Prince would definitely be killed by a mere prince of a prefecture!

He Yixiu was uncontrollably furious, his resentment soaring, but the tide had turned, and he could only temporarily lay low, waiting for an opportunity to act. But his stupid cousin would occasionally come to reminisce about the past, causing Prince Huainan, who had ascended the throne, to be furious. He issued an edict to exile him far away to Qianzhou, ordering strict supervision, and occasionally sending messages saying how loving and affectionate the Emperor and Empress were.

He Yixiu remained expressionless, ultimately spending his lonely days in Qianzhou, ending his life full of resentment.

At the moment of closing his eyes, He Yixiu gained another lifetime of memories.

***

In those memories, on the day of his wedding with his cousin, Prince Huainan attempted to rush in and take her, failed, and was demoted. His cousin died in the wedding chamber, seemingly from crashing into a pillar, suspected of committing suicide out of fear.

In his memories, he, himself, overcame sadness, rallied his spirits, and smoothly ascended the throne after the Emperor’s passing, becoming a wise ruler of his time.

Two drastically different lifetimes.

He Yixiu was full of confusion. Later, he drifted to a certain space and learned that he was living within a book.

In the book, his cousin, who unexpectedly died from being frightened by Prince Huainan’s attempted marriage, was fortunate to be reborn. However, after her rebirth, she didn’t help her own family, but instead fearfully clung to Prince Huainan, leveraging foreknowledge and various advantages to help him eliminate her cousin, letting his half-brother ascend to the throne in his place.

He Yixiu remained expressionless, even feeling a bit like laughing. It was this stupid cousin who had rewritten his life.

“You have two wishes.”

He Yixiu raised his head, looking at the unattainable figure in front of him, closed his eyes, and slowly said, “Become an Emperor.”

“Granted.”

“And…” He Yixiu grinned, “Make that pair of despicable lovers stuck together forever!”

“Granted.”

As the words fell, Lord Dongchen’s figure dissipated, and a scene unfolded in his place, slowly revealing.

***

In a desolate and silent hall, a young man dressed in apricot-colored robes lay with closed eyes on the bed. His sharply defined handsome face was devoid of color, his eyebrows furrowed tightly, his thin lips pressed into a straight line, and a few drops of blood stained the collar below, already dried up.

The hall was empty, as was the area outside, with only a few anxious-looking eunuchs and palace maids.

In the past, they would have been delighted to serve this master, but times had changed! Today, during the morning court session, the Marquis of Wu’an accused the Crown Prince of treason, and the Emperor, enraged, ordered an investigation, leading to the discovery of the imperial robe in the Eastern Palace! This was a grave offense punishable by death!

The Crown Prince was deposed and demoted to Prince of Jing, stripped of his court attire on the spot, and casually sent to a mansion outside the palace, not allowed to take a single step without an imperial decree.

With the Crown Prince’s downfall, everyone avoided him like the plague, leaving only those like them, without any background, dispatched by the Internal Affairs Department, feeling utterly miserable.

Which deposed Crown Prince in history had a good ending? Except for the few lucky ones who managed to turn the tables and regain power, none of the others did, all meeting an early death.

Now that their master was doomed, how could these little eunuchs fare?

***

As they worried, a voice rang out in the hall, weak yet full of authority, making people dare not be disrespectful.

“Someone.”

Several palace maids and eunuchs hurriedly entered the hall, only to see the Crown Prince lying on the bed, oh no, the Prince of Jing, already sitting up, with hands on both sides, looking calm, his gaze sharp, making them unable to meet his eyes.

Their scalps went numb, wishing they could bury their heads in their necks.

He Dongchen, who had just arrived, glanced at the intimidated few, not expecting much, and slightly parted his thin lips, “Prepare for bathing and dressing; and bring the meal.”

As the words fell, the few trembled even more violently, and the leading eunuch, with a stiff neck, said, “Your Highness, there is nothing in the mansion now…”

Hot water could be heated, and food could be managed, but clothes and such couldn’t just be patched up with their belongings!

He Dongchen fell silent. The start isn’t smooth; the difficulty level was hellish.

After thinking for a moment, he remembered that the original owner seemed to have arranged many businesses outside, and the late Empress had also left behind a considerable dowry. While it hadn’t been investigated yet, he should hurry up and bring back some silver.

With that in mind, He Dongchen gave his instructions.

The leading eunuch gritted his teeth, took the token, and hurriedly left, while the others also quietly withdrew, preparing hot water and meals.

He Dongchen glanced around the bedroom and indeed found it bare. Not to mention any decorations, even the furniture was incomplete, with a chair leg bearing a row of teeth marks from mice.

A twitch formed at the corner of his mouth, and he closed his eyes, out of sight, out of mind.

At this point in time, the original owner had just been deposed, and the old Emperor hadn’t passed away yet, but it was imminent, just 2 months later.

The old Emperor had poor health and had been under constant care for years. Fearing a sudden death, he had arranged for the original owner to marry early. However, before the marriage could take place, the revelation about the imperial robe came to light, deeply betraying the old Emperor. Consumed by anger, he passed away 2 months later.

If the old Emperor hadn’t died, the original owner might have had a chance to turn things around. He was the Crown Prince personally groomed by the old Emperor, with a deep bond between them. If someone else had been involved in such a significant matter as hiding the imperial robe, they would have died long ago. But when the old Emperor was furious, he still remembered to bestow a high-ranking title.

It’s worth noting that the original owner’s half-brother, the Prince of Huainan, only received a lower-ranking title of second-class Country Prince after achieving several merits as an adult, indicating the old Emperor’s affection for the original owner.

So, to overturn the situation, one must first ensure the old Emperor’s survival.

***

He Dongchen tapped on the hard bed with his fingers, lost in thought.

Suddenly, he opened his eyes, staring straight ahead at the direction of the door, as if he could see beyond the wooden door, even farther into the distance. After a moment, a hint of amusement flashed in his eyes, as if something remarkable had appeared.

Moments later, a childish voice echoed out of nowhere, tinged with excitement, [He Yixiu, the Crown Prince of Jin, originally destined to ascend smoothly and become a wise ruler of his time. However, due to the rebirth of his beloved cousin, who conspired with the Prince of Huainan to frame him, the once exalted Crown Prince was deposed and reduced to the Prince of Jing, living in misery. Do you want to stage a comeback? Then bind the Male Supporting Role Reversal System and lead you to the pinnacle of life!]

He Dongchen remained silent.

Thinking the ancient man was dumbstruck, the system continued blabbering, [If you don’t bind, your old father will soon pass away. When the Prince of Huainan ascends, your days will be even more miserable. First, you’ll be demoted to a commoner, then sent to Qianzhou to fend for yourself…]

[Just bind the Male Supporting Role Reversal System and defy fate! Moreover, once approved, you can traverse through countless worlds, complete tasks, earn points, purchase skills…]

He Dongchen continued to remain silent, then suddenly reached out and grabbed the bright, glaring orb of light in front of him, his tone rising, “What’s this? Daring to interfere with my business?”

[Eh, eh, eh!!!] The system, which had been showing off, was suddenly grabbed, emitting panicked squeals, [Main System, help! Someone’s kidnapping a system!]

Upon hearing that, He Dongchen immediately reached out and severed the invisible tiny light emitted by the system.

The system watched helplessly as its distress signal was cut off, feeling dumbfounded! Where did this demon lord come from? It could actually sever my signal!!!

After a moment, the system regained its voice and, considering a possibility, exclaimed incredulously, [Y-y-you’re the demon lord who stole the reincarnation stone!!!]

The Jinjiang Alliance had millions of books, evolving into countless small worlds based on the desires of its vast readership. As these small worlds gradually formed their own rules, characters awakened and harbored resentment.

The female leads of abusive novels felt they were too pitiful and demanded to defy fate, while the male leads of romance novels felt they were just tools and demanded to live their own lives…

To appease these souls with overwhelming resentment, the Jinjiang Alliance established a department for counterattacks and deployed eighteen reincarnation stones and countless small systems. Unexpectedly, one of the reincarnation stones disappeared mysteriously, and the souls of the male supporting characters who had died alone vanished, becoming an unsolved mystery.

The main system had tried to contact the reincarnation stone, but the signals were all cut off and even rebounded. Since then, whenever the systems were being trained, they were instructed that if they encountered someone capable of severing signals with their bare hands, they shouldn’t panic and focus on preserving their lives.

But the system was so unlucky! Why was its fate so bitter?

Just after coming off the assembly line, it randomly picked a book to enter and ended up in the world with the demon lord. It was such a rare occurrence, almost one in a billion, and it happened to it! It was just too unlucky!

He Dongchen looked at the trembling orb in his hand, his eyebrows raised, and corrected, “What stealing? I picked it up fair and square.”

He was a natural born spirit, wandering the world freely. One day, he stumbled upon a glowing stone and discovered its hidden secrets. From then on, he embarked on a new chapter of his spiritual life, and now, he was living a decent life. He had no intention of changing it.

So…

He Dongchen narrowed his eyes slightly, staring meaningfully at the orb in his hand, wondering whether to crush it or kick it away.