Gold Medal Mediator [Quick Transmigration] 11

Chapter 11: The Empire This One Conquered For You (1)

“Host Hua Baihe’s tutorial mission is complete… Commencing data extraction from World No. 3928… Generating rating, please wait.”

A soft voice sounded within the pure white space.

Hua Baihe clutched her chest and sat up from the ground. The memory of the impact was still fresh in her mind. The delayed shock left her with a dry throat, a racing heart, and a lingering weakness that made it impossible to muster any strength.

After a long while, she finally, exhaustedly, drew her knees up, rested her head on them, and spoke wearily:

“Let’s make a deal, Sys-sys. Next time we’re picking a death method, can we go with something a little gentler?”

The System had been startled by her bold attempt at a deathbed confession and had nearly received a warning from above for lax surveillance. Now, her audacious request made it laugh in exasperation.

“Fine. Next time, I’ll pick a world where they can drain the blood from your body, little by little.”

Hua Baihe: “…Pretend I didn’t ask.”

She sat there hugging her knees, slowly recovering, and suddenly understood the deeper meaning of that final mission—

Luo Sheng had originally died in a car accident.

Right. The prerequisite for a person’s emotional fulfillment is that the person has to stay alive.

Having had its say, the System saw her sitting there in a daze and, assuming she was still lost in the story of the previous world, didn’t disturb her further.

After a long pause, Hua Baihe lifted her head slightly.

“Is your efficiency always this low? The rating isn’t out yet? I’ve been waiting ages to cash in my one hundred million.”

**

At the same time, in the Prime Deity Space.

“Mission in World No. 3928 is complete… Checking world energy operation… Energy maintaining dynamic equilibrium… World rescue successful.”

After this report, the man who had been resting with his eyes closed snapped them open, his previous lazy demeanor gone.

“Energy equilibrium? Extract world data.”

He commanded.

Soon, the subsequent events of the world Hua Baihe had just left were displayed before him.

Luo Sheng stood up from the ground in a daze. Since the mission agent Hua Baihe was an interference in this world, upon the mission’s completion, she was automatically erased by the world.

This meant…

In reality, the car accident never happened. The driver thought he had hit something, and after getting out of the car, shaken, he realized it was just his imagination.

He had been drunk driving…

He cursed and looked back, only to see Luo Sheng getting up from the ground.

That person had frantically tried to chase after the one she once cared for, but couldn’t find a single drop of blood, only the sight of the car speeding away.

The Prime Deity was unconcerned with the Child of Destiny’s momentary madness. It knew that this person would eventually forget that mission agent—

“Fast forward twenty years.”

It issued the command, and the camera focused on Luo Sheng twenty years later.

She stood alone in a cemetery, holding a bouquet of bright red roses.

The gravestone before her had no photo and no name. It was unclear who she was mourning.

A quiet breeze in the cemetery brushed past her temple, revealing the faint traces of age at the corners of her eyes. The depth in her gaze, however, was even more profound than it had been twenty years ago.

The angles of her features were as cold as the corners of the tombstone before her.

From her expensive yet understated attire and the unapproachable aura she exuded, it was not difficult to guess that she had achieved a considerable social standing.

She placed the flowers on the tombstone. Even though she knew the grave beneath was empty, it didn’t stop her from speaking to the white stone as if to herself:

“They’ve all forgotten you.”

Chen Wenxian said he never had a cousin. Even Chen Keyin’s parents, due to their own physical inability to have children, had no ties in the country and had gone abroad together to build their careers.

There was no trace of Chen Keyin even in their high school graduation photo, as if she were merely a figment of Luo Sheng’s imagination—a character with flesh and blood, a name and a history, all conjured up by her.

She pinched the bridge of her nose and gave a self-deprecating smile, murmuring:

“I’m starting to forget the sound of your voice…”

The first sign of forgetting someone is forgetting their voice.

It was just that—

She was like a simple lily, yet for some reason, Luo Sheng felt that only such a vibrant color could suit her.

Perhaps it was this contradictory, dissonant quality that allowed Luo Sheng to firmly believe that such a person could not have been a mere product of her imagination.

She bent down to place the flowers, then raised a hand to stroke the rough surface of the tombstone with her thumb, as if asking the person who never existed, and also as if asking herself:

“…How many more times can I come here?”

After how many more visits would she forget this person completely?

Witnessing this unexpected scene, a hint of surprise and doubt appeared in the Prime Deity’s eyes. It immediately ordered, “Upload all data related to the Child of Destiny of World No. 3928.”

It was curious to see just how strong this person’s spiritual power was, to be able to force herself to resist the very laws of the world.

A moment later, the data was transmitted into its mind.

Even more outstanding than her prominent spiritual power were two starkly contrasting emotional values.

Both the red bar representing positive emotions and the blue bar representing negative emotions were completely full.

The depth of her love was matched only by the depth of her hate.

The Prime Deity suddenly let out a low laugh. “When the energy reaches a dynamic equilibrium, the world achieves stability… I see!”

It said, “I want to reward this mission agent.”

**

“Host Hua Baihe’s rating has been generated—S-Rank: Excellent. Reward: one ‘Emotional Cleanse’ right.”

The rating Hua Baihe had been waiting for finally, belatedly, arrived.

Not just Hua Baihe, but even the System was stunned by this unprecedentedly high score for a novice.

—It had always thought the person it was nagging was a bronze-level player, but it turned out she was a king?

Hua Baihe, however, was quite calm. “What’s an ‘Emotional Cleanse’ right?” she asked the System.

The System explained patiently, “Mission agents experience many worlds. To better complete missions and avoid becoming emotionally attached to the mission worlds, after an ‘Emotional Cleanse,’ everything you’ve experienced will feel like someone else’s story to you.”

Hua Baihe understood.

When the System asked if she wanted to use it, she slowly uttered one word: “No.”

“When does the first official world start?” she asked again.

Thinking of her score, the System felt it could give her a little extra reward.

It had heard that novices in other groups often got to see the subsequent developments of their previous worlds after completing their missions. It decided to try that.

“Is there anyone or anything from the last world you’re reluctant to part with? I can—”

Hua Baihe’s eyes lit up, and she cut it off, “You can bring me that lingerie???”

The System slowly finished its sentence: “…let you see them one more time.”

Hua Baihe: “…”

The situation became incredibly awkward.

The System pretended nothing had happened. “Now commencing data import for the next world—”

Without another word, the scenery before Hua Baihe changed, and a massive amount of information flooded her mind, forcing her to close her eyes to receive it.

As for everything else—

The power of time is always unexpectedly strong, Hua Baihe thought. Luo Sheng will forget her sooner or later.

**

The story of this world was set in an ancient period.

The Child of Destiny, Jiang Yao, was the eldest daughter of a prestigious noble family. Well-read and gentle since childhood, she was chosen by the imperial family early on to be the future Crown Princess.

The Crown Prince was already deeply in love with her. Their marriage was a perfect match, beneficial to both the country and their respective families.

Jiang Yao’s transition from Crown Princess to Empress was almost without incident.

The Crown Prince’s path to the throne was also smooth. No brothers coveted his position, and after the old emperor passed away, he securely took his place on the dragon throne with the edict that had named him heir.

The new emperor inherited a golden age of clean governance and peaceful prosperity—

Logically, this loving imperial couple should have had a smooth and happy life.

However, life is unpredictable.

Once the scope of Jiang Yao’s duties expanded from the Crown Prince’s courtyard to the Emperor’s entire harem, her gentleness and tolerance became her greatest weaknesses.

The literary talents she had learned from her grandfather, a great Confucian scholar, had only one use in the harem: writing congratulatory speeches for the Emperor and Empress Dowager on holidays and birthdays.

Her tolerant heart could only be used in one area—forgiving the women who competed with her for her husband’s affection and coveted her power and status.

After being framed by these so-called “sisters” many times, a rift gradually formed between Jiang Yao and the Emperor.

No amount of trust could withstand such erosion.

Especially after a war broke out in the northwest against barbarian tribes. The general appointed by the Emperor achieved a series of victories. To reward the court, a new concubine, Concubine Jia, was added to the harem.

Within three months, the new concubine was pregnant.

Jiang Yao’s position suddenly became somewhat awkward.

Everyone around her advised her to work harder, to entice the Emperor to her chambers more often, and to try to get pregnant herself.

She had no intention of using a child to win her husband’s favor, but under pressure from her clan and the persuasion of others, she eventually relented.

After Jiang Yao’s womb finally showed signs of life—

During a harem banquet, a small accident occurred. Concubine Jia went into premature labor, and the person closest to her was none other than the Empress’s own handmaiden.

But that was not all.

Jiang Yao suffered from prenatal depression and gave birth prematurely at eight months. The son she bore was born frail and died shortly after.

When the Emperor heard the news, he believed she held a grudge against him, which had affected their dragon son. From then on, he no longer visited her palace.

Meanwhile, at court, the war in the northwest had just ended when trouble stirred on the southeast coast. Concubine Jia’s family, whose brothers were skilled in battle, were dispatched to quell the pirates in the southeast.

Thus, despite losing a son, Concubine Jia was promoted to Noble Consort Jia to balance the power at court.

**

The subsequent developments were easy to predict: Noble Consort Jia would rise, and the Empress would be brought down.

That was all the information Hua Baihe received for now. She opened her eyes, looked at her reflection in the pond before her, and sighed.

Just when the System thought she was about to say ‘how tragic’ for Jiang Yao, Hua Baihe spoke:

“I get all that, but to make me a handmaiden again, and to make me this ugly—System, are you afraid the Empress would have to be blind to fall for me?”

**

Author’s Note: System: You actually guessed right.