The Supporting Male Characters Who Died Alone All Those Years Later

Meng Linglong didn’t die.

He Dongchen sighed at the size of the female lead’s halo.

Today, he shot over thirty arrows on the battlefield, each arrow finding its mark, and over thirty soldiers fell immediately.

Meng Linglong took an arrow to her chest and laid on the chaotic city wall for half a day. She didn’t bleed to death from the wound, nor was she trampled to death in the melee of soldiers. It was almost miraculous.

Thinking of the escaped Xuan Yuanhao, He Dongchen ordered, “Take her down and treat her injuries properly.”

“Yes.” The generals waved, and a few soldiers carefully carried her down.

It seems His Highness still cares about Young Lady Meng. Several people thought to themselves.

***

Wang Yi efficiently handled matters. Soon, he fabricated the illusion that Xuan Yuanhao had died in a certain palace and swiftly announced it to the world.

Officials and civilians of Chen who didn’t have time to escape heard that the Emperor had died, and their hearts turned to ashes, their faces full of despair.

“Your Highness, several heads of prominent families from Chen wish to see you,” Wang Yi reported.

He Dongchen was inspecting Chen’s treasury, especially the private vaults of the previous emperors of Chen, which were filled with treasures, dazzling to behold.

Upon hearing Wang Yi’s words, he couldn’t help but sneer, “They kneel down pretty quickly.”

Wang Yi’s smile deepened. “The Crown Prince is wise and valiant, and these families are adept at reading the winds.”

The saying goes, ‘The emperor changes, but the powerful families remain steadfast.’ These families, which have endured for generations and have reputations that spread far and wide, wield countless connections and resources. Each emperor may disapprove of their methods, but they must reluctantly accept them.

He Dongchen remarked, “Military Advisor, you speak the truth. However, I don’t want to invite trouble that we can’t shake off. Let’s leave them hanging for a while, give them time to wake up and understand their situation.”

Wang Yi chuckled, “Your Highness is wise. Just now, when those prominent families sought an audience, two of them were arrogant and carried themselves as if they still held power. They forget that Chen has fallen; they are just a group of slaves now.”

Chaos reigned in the capital city, with much work needed for reconstruction. He Dongchen took control of the situation, dividing his 600,000-strong army into two teams; one outside the city to prevent counterattacks, and another patrolling inside to maintain order.

He issued strict orders to protect the civilians, forbidding any mistreatment.

The citizens of the capital were uneasy, keeping their windows and doors tightly shut, fearing the invading soldiers from the north. After half a month of living in fear and with dwindling supplies, those with nothing left could only muster the courage to venture out.

To their surprise, while the soldiers of the northern army looked intimidating, they patrolled with discipline and seemed to ignore the civilians passing by.

Brave souls ventured into the streets and found them surprisingly empty of any human tragedy.

Just then, several soldiers began banging gongs and shouting through the streets and alleys.

“People of Chen, listen up! Pay 500-wen each, and you can become citizens of our nation, under the protection of our kingdom! If you can’t pay, serve 3 months of labor! We’ll even provide you with lunch!”

(T/N: Wen = copper coins; a smaller denomination than taels.)

In just a couple of hours, the message spread throughout the capital. Every Chen citizen knew that for 500-wen or 2 months of labor, they could become citizens of the Chao Kingdom.

Suddenly, everyone was restless.

The common folk simply wanted to live peacefully and securely. They didn’t care who the Emperor was, and while 500-wen was a lot for some, it wasn’t unbearable. Moreover, those without money could endure 2 months of labor; a familiar obligation under Chen’s rule; and they didn’t feel oppressed by the Chao Kingdom’s demands.

Some even felt relieved, knowing that if people from the Chao Kingdom dared to discriminate against them in the future, they could confidently stand up for themselves.

We paid our money!

Gradually, those with courage stepped forward to pay the fee, receiving their official citizenship papers from the Chao Kingdom. Holding those thin documents, tears welled up in their eyes, as if their future had finally found some stability.

***

Meanwhile, He Dongchen and Wang Yi, taking a break from their busy schedules, were wandering through the renowned White Jade Palace. They were also overseeing soldiers planting fresh green vegetables within the palace grounds.

He Dongchen decided not to use the original palace maids and eunuchs of Chen, assigning them all to work on farms outside the city. Now, as they surveyed the palace, it was filled with the stench of rough and tough men.

Standing on the pristine white jade steps, Wang Yi gazed at the grand but somewhat crude palaces, crafted with exceptional skill, and couldn’t help but sigh, “It’s no wonder Chen fell.”

With hands behind his back, He Dongchen stood calmly in the hall, his expression unchanged as he remarked softly, “Therefore, to caution future generations, let’s raise a couple of pigs in this palace.”

Upon hearing that, the few prominent families who had been escorted inside by soldiers felt their hearts bleed. They cursed the Chao Kingdom for being nothing more than uncouth warriors!

Such a magnificent and intricately crafted White Jade Palace was being used for farming and pig-raising! It was simply a waste of precious resources!

Filled with sorrow and regret, one of the family heads even forgot his status as a conquered subject and couldn’t help but sneer, “Indeed, how crude.”

As his words fell, the once bustling hall suddenly fell silent. The Chao soldiers, who had been busy tending to the crops, now glared fiercely at the family head, as if they were about to charge forward and tear him apart.

The family head felt his courage falter under their intense gaze, recalling the fresh blood outside the city walls. He swallowed hard, his legs trembling slightly.

The other family heads were annoyed by his outburst, blaming him for not controlling his tongue. But now, bound together by a common fate, they had no choice but to step forward and smooth things over.

“The jade in the White Jade Palace was once the responsibility of our Lian family for collection. Naturally, we cherished it dearly. Your Highness, please don’t take offense,” one of them explained hastily, trying to defuse the tension.

Under the gaze of everyone, He Dongchen spoke calmly, “Very well then. Regarding the matter of cultivating vegetables and raising pigs in the White Jade Palace in the future, I’ll trouble the Lian family. Given the Lian family’s cherished stewardship of the White Jade Palace, I trust they can cultivate lush greens and fatten the pigs, ensuring the palace remains undamaged.”

Wang Yi shrugged silently, smiling inwardly.

Letting the lofty families of Chen indulge in farming and pig-rearing! The Crown Prince was indeed mocking them!

“You’re going too far!” The head of the Lian family’s face turned dark, teeth grinding audibly as if suffering some great humiliation.

The faces of the other noble families were equally unpleasant. It seemed the Crown Prince didn’t favor them. They exchanged glances in secret, a hidden undercurrent brewing among them.

Step by step, He Dongchen ascended the dais, seating himself at the main position, his gaze commanding, voice chillingly sharp, “Servants of a fallen nation should adopt the appropriate demeanor. Otherwise, I wouldn’t mind leading the troops to crush a few more cities.”

Facing the common people, He Dongchen advocated for pacification. But for these opportunistic noble families, their pride needed to be shattered first to prevent them from looking down on others and misunderstanding the situation.

The harsh words from He Dongchen shook the noble families to the core, leaving them somewhat intimidated. They feared that if they spoke out of turn, this Chao Kingdom’s Prince, whose military tactics were as formidable as a god’s, might lead his troops to destroy their strongholds.

***

In the following days, the nobles obediently followed He Dongchen’s commands, suppressing any grievances they might have.

Once outside the White Jade Palace, they were drenched in sweat, their legs weak.

One of them sighed, “The Crown Prince of the Chao Kingdom is indeed decisive. It’s not unjust that Chen has fallen.”

“The world has truly changed.”

With heavy hearts, they left the imperial palace, their faces filled with solemnity, seeing the gradual return to normalcy among the people of the fallen Chen in the streets and alleys.

***

Half a month later, the situation in Nandu stabilized.

Upon hearing that his son had annihilated Chen, the Emperor of Chao was overwhelmed with joy. On that day, he issued several imperial edicts praising his son repeatedly. When the news spread, the entire country cheered, and the people spontaneously decorated with lanterns and colored banners, enhancing the Prince’s reputation even more.

To stabilize the situation and appease the people, the Emperor of Chao decreed that the Prince should stay in Nandu to guard it until the capital relocation was completed.

Indeed, Chao Kingdom was preparing to move its capital southward to Hangcheng, situated between Chao Kingdom and Chen, to better govern its vast territory.

He Dongchen received the imperial edict along with a confidential order.

The longstanding grievances between Chao and Chen Kingdoms could only be resolved by marrying a prominent noblewoman from Chen to soothe tensions.

After reading it through, He Dongchen casually handed it to Wang Yi, who was eagerly awaiting beside him.

Wang Yi quickly read through it line by line, cautiously glancing at the Prince’s expression, and ventured, “What His Majesty said is indeed wise. I wonder what Your Highness thinks about it?”

Ever since learning that Meng Linglong hadn’t died but remained unconscious, Wang Yi hadn’t been at ease, fearing that the Prince might rekindle his old feelings and still yearn for Meng Linglong. After all, feelings cultivated over a dozen years couldn’t be discarded so easily.

Now that the Prince had led the army to annex Chen, achieving an unprecedented feat, no one could dissuade him from anything he desired.

He Dongchen seemed oblivious to Wang Yi’s concerns and casually replied, “If there is a suitable candidate, it might not be out of the question.”

Upon hearing that, Wang Yi was elated and assured He Dongchen that he would personally select a noblewoman from Chen with outstanding lineage and impeccable character.

Watching Wang Yi leave with renewed determination, the system, floating in the air discontentedly, beeped, [I can handle this too, faster and more comprehensively than him! Leave it to me, Boss!]

He Dongchen didn’t even spare a glance at the system and continued to attend to the affairs at hand.

***

Nowadays, most of the people in Chen had converted to Chao Kingdom citizenship and were living peacefully. However, many couldn’t let go of their blood feuds and fought desperately. For instance, families who had lost husbands or sons in the military were mostly elderly, weak women and children. They sat mourning under the city walls, their lamentations echoing through the sky, causing shame among those Chen citizens who had changed their citizenship.

After all, those soldiers who died did so to protect them.

Facing these people, handling them delicately but firmly was essential; leaving them unattended would severely impact the atmosphere.

A hot-tempered commander directly suggested, “Drag them all out and chop them down!”

“Absolutely not! Now that the situation is stabilizing, we must not destroy ourselves,” Wang Yi interjected to stop the rash action.

He Dongchen sat in the main seat, pondered for a moment, and said, “These people are like walking corpses, reckless due to losing hope in life. Therefore, encourage remarriage to the widows, and let orphaned children be adopted by elderly people. Additionally, provide them with some money to settle down.”

After finishing, He Dongchen scanned around with a warning gaze, “Remember, the day Chen fell, both the land and the people became part of Chao Kingdom. Since they are our own people now, treat them equally and do not discriminate.”

“Yes!” Everyone responded loudly and respectfully, refraining from further comments.

He Dongchen was satisfied; These subordinates were obedient and reliable. They were indeed the ones who dared to withdraw the troops upon the original owner’s orders.