The Supporting Male Characters Who Died Alone All Those Years Later

Inside the tent, a group of burly men clad in armor were spitting as they talked, their faces flushed red, eyes shining with excitement, some almost gesticulating wildly.

Seated at the main position, a young man in resplendent white armor, his eyes gleaming with determination, nodded slightly as he surveyed the assembly.

“Your Highness, tomorrow’s siege will surely conquer the capital of Chen, unifying the realm! Your name shall be revered throughout history, leaving an eternal legacy!” A military advisor at the lower end praised, stroking his beard.

The generals and officers inside the tent echoed fervently, “Your Highness, leaving an eternal legacy!”

He Dongchen raised his hand to quiet them, and when the uproar subsided, he spoke, “In this campaign, each of you has contributed greatly. After the fall of Chen, I’ll personally commend your efforts!”

The group became even more animated at his words! Excitement painted their faces redder; they were eager to march on Chen’s capital immediately and capture the pale-faced emperor.

“It’s getting late now. Return and rest well. Tomorrow, when we capture the city and seize the Chen Emperor, we shall grant a marquisate to the captor!”

With these words, the group of spirited men bid farewell and left the tent, their steps resolute and ambitious.

Soon, only He Dongchen and his military advisor Wang Yi remained in the tent.

The candlelight flickered around them, occasionally interrupted by passing patrols outside, their footsteps disciplined and imposing, casting an aura of solemnity.

Wang Yi’s expression turned solemn as he stared at He Dongchen’s extraordinarily handsome face, his voice filled with worry, “Young Lady Meng hasn’t returned yet. The situation during tomorrow’s siege will be chaotic, and amidst the swords and spears, accidents can happen. If her identity is accidentally exposed, Chen might use her as a hostage…”

As the critical moment approached, Wang Yi didn’t want a woman to ruin their plans.

Throughout the kingdom, it was well-known that His Highness the Crown Prince admired the orphaned girl Meng Linglong, swearing to marry only her in this lifetime. To break free from the constraints of the imperial family and court officials, the Crown Prince personally led the attack on the archenemy Chen, aiming to silence his critics with the accomplishment of annexing Chen.

Now, after 3 years of relentless warfare, countless lives and resources expended, victory was within sight. Wang Yi truly feared that if Meng Linglong, who had secretly infiltrated Chen, met with any mishap, the Crown Prince would call off the campaign for her safety.

Wang Yi had been restless for days, his eyelids twitching anxiously; his intuition was always spot-on. He closely watched the Crown Prince’s reactions after probing, not missing a single detail.

He Dongchen smiled faintly. Under the other’s tense gaze, he rose unhurriedly and walked to the large sand table in the tent, his heavy white armor clinking as he moved.

On the sand table, the map showed the border between Chen and the Chao Kingdom. Representing the Chao Kingdom’ army, red flags marched southward, advancing triumphantly, breaking through seven cities of Chen. Now, 600,000 troops encircled the capital city of Nandu, ready to conquer Chen within half a month with a single command.

He Dongchen reached out and picked up a small red flag, precisely placing it on the sand dune representing the Chen Royal Palace.

“I’ve heard that there’s a palace in the Chen Royal Palace, where even the walls, tiles, tables, and chairs are made of white jade?”

Wang Yi was sharp and immediately understood his implications. His smile widened as he adjusted his hair bun and replied, “Indeed, it is true. It was built by the previous Chen Emperor for his beloved consort. It’s said that the consort was as elegant as Chang’e of the moon, with a chilly temperament, ethereal and otherworldly. To win her favor, the Chen Emperor gathered the finest jade and craftsmen from all over the world, spending 10 years to create the White Jade Palace.”

(T/N: Chang’e = Chang’e, originally known as Heng’e, is the goddess of the Moon, renowned for her beauty. Chang’e is also known for her ascending to the Moon and living in the Moon Palace. She is one of the major goddesses in Chinese mythology.)

He Dongchen raised an eyebrow, “That’s quite extravagant. No wonder now, with our army at their gates, Chen is at a loss. Advisor, what do you think about using this White Jade Palace for growing vegetables? Green and white, it would be a pleasing sight.”

“As long as Your Highness conquers Chen, even using it to raise pigs would be fitting.”

The two exchanged a smile, their confidence palpable.

In retrospect, the animosity between the Chao Kingdom and Chen had deep roots. A hundred years ago, the Northern barbarians invaded, rampaging southward, burning, killing, and looting without restraint. The Emperor of Chen was terrified, hastily abdicating to his younger brother, the Prince of Wei, fleeing south with his family and officials.

Prince Wei, fighting like a god, fearless and valiant, paid a heavy price leading the remaining weak and old soldiers to repel the barbarians and defend their homeland.

Huddled in Nandu, the Emperor of Chen, seeing the barbarians defeated, immediately emerged, demanding Prince Wei’s abdication, eager to return to the capital and resume his reign as Emperor.

But Prince Wei was no pushover. He flatly refused, garnering the support of the people and soldiers to establish the Chao Kingdom, governing alongside Chen, separated by the river.

Chen has long denounced the Chao Kingdom as treacherous rebels, while the Chao Kingdom mock Chen as a bunch of cowardly pseudo-gentlemen. The two nations harbor mutual hostility, often engaging in skirmishes.

Over the past century, despite the Chao Kingdom’ military prowess, they faced constant threats from barbarian tribes to the north and geographic barriers to the south, limiting their resources compared to the fertile Jiangnan region. Chen, on the other hand, lacked a formidable military but controlled the strategic Yangtze River and enjoyed abundant resources, resulting in a stalemate between the two.

The recent successful southern advance of the Chao Kingdom was facilitated by their complete defeat of the northern barbarians in recent years, leaving them without immediate threats for the foreseeable future.

With favorable conditions aligning, nothing could now stop the Chao Kingdom from unifying the realm.

***

After Wang Yi withdrew, the system immediately presented He Dongchen with the plot and missions.

[Current Small World: “Spy Queen”]

[Synopsis: Meng Linglong infiltrates Chen for revenge, disguising herself step-by-step as the personal eunuch to Emperor Xuan Yuanhao of Chen. In a twist of fate, she suddenly learns she wasn’t actually the daughter of the Meng family, unfolding layers of mysteries. Just as Meng Linglong finally grasps her true feelings, the Chao Kingdom’ forces arrive at the city gates.

Meng Linglong, clad in red, ascends the city walls without hesitation.]

[Current Mission:]

[Primary Mission: Annex Chen (Incomplete)]

[Mission Merit: 0]

He Dongchen withdrew his gaze, removing the heavy armor weighing dozens of kilograms and hanging it aside. In this role he assumed, he was the Crown Prince of the Chao Kingdom, the foolish supporting male lead devoted to withdrawing troops for Meng Linglong, seen by his subordinates as an incompetent leader.

The original owner’s fate was grim; driven by personal desire, he withdrew troops, disregarding the sacrifices of all in the Chao Kingdom. Branded a criminal of the Chao Kingdom, he was immediately stripped of his title upon returning home, condemned to live out his days in obscurity within a small courtyard.

He brought misery upon himself, but what was worse, he dragged down all his followers. Countless soldiers sacrificed their lives, and not a single leader who participated in this expedition, large or small, escaped unscathed.

Opportunities for promotion and honor were within reach, but due to the original owner’s choices, those who returned were demoted and scorned by the people, condemned to endure public disdain.

Wang Yi, the Military Advisor, didn’t try to persuade the Crown Prince; instead, he took the lead and immediately recommended execution by slow torture to appease the people’s anger.

He Dongchen clicked his tongue.

The original owner harbored deep feelings for Meng Linglong, but the consequences harmed many.

The system cautiously jumped onto He Dongchen’s shoulder, [So, he was unethical, but I can grant one wish.]

He Dongchen didn’t hesitate, ruthlessly flicking the system away with his hand.

The system was thrown out of the tent in a flash, only to return shortly after with teary eyes, whimpering, [Boss, you torture me over and over again, yet I still treat you like my first love.]

[Boss, let’s first review the gains from the previous life.]

With that said, a screen glowing with blue light appeared in the tent.

[Small World: ” After Transmigrating, I Became a Wealthy Woman and Caught with My Brother-in-Law.”]

[Basic Missions: Marriage and childbirth (Complete), Refusing to support the younger brother (Complete)]

[Mission Merit: 326,000]

[Points Earned: 200+ points, exchangeable for 326,000 merits]

In the previous world, He Dongchen’s charitable endeavors never ceased, accumulating a substantial amount of merits.

The system, eyes fixed on those merits, shamelessly drooled in admiration.

He Dongchen laid calmly on the hard bed, fully clothed, preparing to sleep.

Tomorrow, they would face another tough battle.

Meanwhile, inside the capital of Chen, chaos reigned.

***

Chen was renowned for its scholarly culture, with academies flourishing everywhere and renowned scholars too numerous to count. Conversely, military commanders were scarce, soldiers weak and sparse. In the 3 years since the war began, the Chao Kingdom had advanced like an unstoppable force, achieving victory after victory. Chen had never won a single battle!

The backbone of Chen had been shattered, unable to muster any resistance.

Now, with a massive army of 600,000 troops surrounding the city, the atmosphere was grim. The armor of the Chao Kingdom soldiers gleamed in the sunlight, striking despair into the hearts of the onlookers. The people of Chen were terrified, praying for mercy when the Chao Kingdom soldiers entered the city. Officials of Chen pondered their escape routes anxiously, while the Chen royal family struggled in vain against their impending fate.

Inside the Chen Royal Palace, silence hung heavy. Court ladies and eunuchs had vanished without a trace.

Meng Linglong, clad in black night attire, moved swiftly through the darkness, agile and silent like a shadow.

After twisting and turning through several alleys, she finally halted before a secluded artificial mountain in the imperial garden.

Awaiting her there was a spy from the Chao Kingdom, who greeted her, “Young Lady Meng, His Highness orders you to leave the city immediately without delay.”

Meng Linglong’s mind was in turmoil as she glanced back towards the direction of the palace.

Over a decade ago, Chen produced a formidable general, Meng Ze, whose rising influence posed a threat to the royal family and forced him to flee to the Chao Kingdom.

Meng Linglong had always believed herself to be a daughter of the Meng family, whose entire clan had been massacred by Chen during their escape, fueling her deep-seated resentment. 3 years ago, upon learning of the Chao Kingdom’ intentions to invade Chen, Meng Linglong took matters into her own hands, joining a group of spies to infiltrate Chen.

For 3 years, disguised as a male eunuch, she served closely to Emperor Xuan Yuanhao of Chen. Over time, amidst their daily interactions, Meng Linglong unknowingly developed complicated feelings towards her sworn enemy, which filled her with self-loathing and disgust.

But a few days ago, Meng Linglong unexpectedly learned the truth; she was not the daughter of the Meng family, but rather the daughter of an ordinary merchant from a town the Meng family passed through while fleeing to the Chao Kingdom.

At that time, only one girl remained in the Meng family. In order to protect the last descendant of the Meng family, the subordinates acted decisively, killing the merchant to keep the secret. The true daughter of the Meng family went into hiding, while Meng Linglong became the target, hunted by Chen. If it hadn’t been for the timely rescue by the Crown Prince of the Chao Kingdom, she would have long perished.

Learning the truth devastated Meng Linglong. She had spent 10 years hating her enemy, only to realize that her real enemies were her own family! She felt like a naive pawn manipulated at will by others, utterly foolish.

Meng Linglong bitterly resented the Meng family for using innocent people as scapegoats, which explained why she had been abandoned by Chen!

Beside her, the spy opened the secret passage out of the city. Seeing Meng Linglong hesitating, he couldn’t help urging her, “What are you waiting for? Let’s go!”

Meng Linglong snapped out of her thoughts, casting one last deep gaze at the palace before silently following behind.

Suddenly, a sound pierced the quiet night; A sharp whistling sound!

With a thud, a golden-tailed arrow pierced the back of the spy who had been bending over to enter the secret passage!

Meng Linglong’s pupils contracted. She recognized this arrow!

With its golden tail, only Emperor Xuan Yuanhao of Chen used such arrows!

Meng Linglong swiftly turned around and saw a young, handsome man emerging slowly from the darkness, dressed in a bright yellow robe with a golden bow and arrow in his left hand.

The two stood facing each other from a distance, speechless.

After a long silence, Meng Linglong broke the deadlock with a bitter smile, “When did you figure it out?”

“Men and women are different,” Xuan Yuanhao discarded his bow and arrow, approaching Meng Linglong step by step. He lifted his hand to gently stroke her face, his gaze deep. “Don’t be afraid. I’m here to escort you. Chen is doomed. I can’t even save my own life. So, go back. I’ve heard the Crown Prince of the Chao Kingdom won’t marry anyone but you. Once you return, you’ll be his consort, future Empress, revered and honored.”

Meng Linglong was pierced by his affectionate gaze, understanding that he harbored feelings for her too. The chains weighing on her heart shattered completely.

In this world, she had long been without parents or ties.

Besides Xuan Yuanhao, there was nothing…

Meng Linglong reached out, clasping Xuan Yuanhao’s hand firmly, her gaze resolute. “I’m not leaving! I want to stay and face this with you.”

“As for owing Brother Dongchen, I’ll repay him in the next life.”