It's Actually Not Easy Wanting to be a Supporting Male Lead

Translated by Eve

Edited by Wuxian

After expending a great deal of effort into placing the Emperor's shell onto the bed and arranging it into a sleeping posture, Sui Yuan sat beside the bed, resting his chin on both his hands, expression sullen.

5237 floated to his side and looked at him with a sympathizing and pitying gaze, "I have just received 0007's message. Zhao Xihe was shut into a little black room by Boss. It is uncertain when he will be let out. As for 0007, as an accomplice, it was also shoved there, la!"

——Of course, it would be better if it didn't sound so happy over their misfortunes.

With regards to his lover's bitter experience, Sui Yuan had long since anticipated this and was not all that surprised. From his Creator's words, Zhao Xihe shouldn't be in any danger. He only wished to teach him a lesson. However, he was shut inside a little black room by the Origin…then…what about the plot?! The Emperor cannot be like this, unable to wake from slumber, ah!

Sui Yuan had no choice but to believe that this was in fact the punishment given to him by his Creator for incessantly ruining the plots. Zhao Xihe, that main offender, has already been shut into a little black room. So, Sui Yuan, the accomplice, was being charged with tidying up the terrible mess he left behind.

However, this was originally a task for two people. How can one person complete it? He didn't have his Creator's ability to split himself, ah!

"Don't worry, silly host! Look at me!" 5237 flew in front of Sui Yuan's face, swaying proudly. Afterwards, it opened up the page to the system exchange page.

Since Sui Yuan and Zhao Xihe had gotten together, all sorts of props had been exchanged by Zhao Xihe, that local tyrant, and given to Sui Yuan to use. This time, 5237, who was finally given a chance to be of use, was simply itching to get on with it. "Look here! There are emergency props here. For example, this one here can temporarily manipulate a body for a day, two days, three days, a week, a month—there are items of all grades to suit whatever you need!"

"…So expensive…" This was Sui Yuan's thought at the moment. To exchange for a manipulation prop that lasts a week would practically use up all of his accumulated points.

"…Can't do anything about it. This prop is too defiant of natural order and cannot be used lightly," 5237 also felt really helpless. Its host was a little pauper. It understood….

Sui Yuan browsed through the exchange page, unresigned, for half a day. In the end, he had no choice but to choose the manipulation prop 5237 had recommended at the very beginning. After that, he used the rest of his points to exchange for a bottle of medicine that could be used to inflict an incurable illness onto someone.

In any case, the plot has already developed to this point. The Emperor would soon fall sick and be shut in his room, stuck on his sick bed because of his lingering illness before departing from this world. Although the pacing was a bit quicker, it shouldn't have too big an impact…ba?

Thus, after Sui Yuan secretly schemed and arranged things, the sky covering the entire empire abruptly changed.

The original Emperor that was brimming with vitality fainted before the cabinet ministers and did not wake up. After an intense discussion, the Imperial doctors had no choice but to conclude: the Emperor received many injuries in his military campaign last year that resulted in an incompletely cured illness—a hidden danger. Afterwards, he exerted himself to make their country strong and didn't take good care of himself which caused the little ailments to incessantly accumulate. In the end, it gradually worsen. Even if Hua Tuo walked this world again, he would not be able to turn this hopeless situation around.

——Of course, this was the simplified version. Even if the Imperial doctors were comparatively more courageous, they still dared not say that the Emperor was already beyond salvation and they needed to quickly make funeral arrangements.

Only, the Officials and the members of the Imperial household were all intelligent. They immediately understood what this tactful message was signifying.

In the previous period of time, the Emperor's especially tough and unrelenting method had long since made the oppressed harem feel greatly resentful. Once they heard that the Emperor would soon die, the first reaction of each lady was of great happiness. They immediately began to scheme.

Of course, what needed to be feigned still needed to be feigned. After the Empress asked the Imperial doctors to diagnose the Emperor, she wanted to behead this gang of 'crooks' in a fit of anger. Fortunately, the Emperor had 'awoken' in time. Only then were the small lives of these Imperial doctors spared. As for the grieving Imperial concubines that had stubbornly come to attend upon the Emperor in his sickness, they were also chased away by the Emperor in rage. The only one who was permitted to stay by his side was Xu Tu.

Even when unconscious, the Emperor still tightly held onto Xu Tu, as if he were his very last attachment to this world, the person one could not leave nor abandon.

"Emperor Father, he…is he really not well?" The Second Prince took advantage of a moment where no one was paying attention to gather close to Sui Yuan and whisper to his ear.

Sui Yuan raised his head and forced a smile. He then nodded. Anyone could see how sorrow penetrated right into his bones.

"You…just accept it. After all, Emperor Father is much older than you are. He would always pass before you," The Second Prince kneaded Sui Yuan's shoulders, voice low, tone comforting.

It wasn't that Situ Gui did not feel sad. After all, the one lying on the bed was his blood father. He was the Emperor Father that always sat like a towering and imposing mountain, making people only able to look up towards him. For him to topple over like this without any warning, it was indeed difficult for Situ Gui to accept.

However, after this feeling of sorrow passed, there was an uncontrollable feeling of inspiration and eagerness. Emperor Father's fall meant that it was the end of the old era and the start of the new. Furthermore, it was now time for the fight to determine just who out of these princes would lead the way to this new era.

"I know," Sui Yuan lowered his eyes, "I just never expected…that this day would come so soon."

This was absolutely Sui Yuan's true thoughts. Originally, he and Zhao Xihe had been planning on where to 'retire' after Zhao Xihe faked illness and abdicated from the throne on the grounds that his energy was not good. He never expected that his Creator would suddenly stick a foot in and turn this feigned illness into a 'true illness'. Just like that, their vacation plans were ended prematurely, with Zhao Xihe shut in a little black room, with an unknown release date. Thus, obviously, Sui Yuan's sorrowful expression was naturally much more sincere.

The Second Prince accompanied Sui Yuan in a long moment of silence. Ultimately, he could no longer bear it and thus, asked him the question that had been constantly on his mind, "When Emperor Father woke up, did he mention who he wanted as his heir to the throne?"

The members of the Imperial family were pragmatic. At this time, the most important thing wasn't the state of the Emperor but who the successor would be.

Sui Yuan did not want to deceive Situ Gui. But likewise, even if he and Situ Gui had good feelings between them in this world, he could not change who the position of Emperor belonged to in the plot and help Situ Gui avoid his cannon fodder end. This was the integrity of an Actor.

Sui Yuan lowered his gaze and silently shook his head.

Situ Gui was rather disappointed but he could understand, "Then, that's that. Emperor Father is a monarch in the end. No matter how much he likes you, he still cannot reveal such a thing to you…" After a pause, he laughed gently, "Only, since Emperor Father knows that his days are numbered, he must have made plans for you. Since it's like this, my odds of victory must be much higher, no?"

Sui Yuan…he could only maintain his silence. He couldn't quite find it in him to smash apart his good brother's very last beautiful dream. At the same time, he sensed a scorching gaze on him. He slightly tilted his head up and met with Situ Yu's eyes.

A hard to conceal fire flickered within those eyes. Compared to Situ Gui, whose emotions were complicated with excitement and sorrow interwoven, Situ Yu, who had never received Emperor Father's care, felt pure excitement at this moment.

Naturally, what Situ Yu was excited about was the fact that he had originally thought he had no chance to have Xu Tu in this lifetime and could only watch on helplessly as the other was held in his Emperor Father's embrace. Originally, he was in despair. However, things unexpectedly took a turn and a glimmer of hope shone within the darkness. Emperor Father's sudden illness did not just mean that he could obtain the position of Emperor he had been constantly longing for, but also meant that he could replace Emperor Father and obtain the qualifications and authority necessary to have that person.

Only, he could not act with undue haste. Situ Yu was not a tyrant that would forcibly seize another by force. Perhaps in the end, if he had no way to have the other despite wanting him so badly, then, he might not have any choice but to choose that method. However, right now, he much preferred using a tactful and appeasing method to obtain his beloved's adoration.

Even if Xu Tu's feelings for Emperor Father was deep, Situ Yu had enough time to replace Emperor Father in Xu Tu's eyes. He would thoroughly protect him for the rest of his life. Of course, there was a condition to all of this, and that was that he obtained the position of Emperor.

Situ Gui, Situ Yu, and the rest of the princes did not stay long. One after another, they left in haste. During this kind of crucial moment, since the Emperor wanted to pass his last days with only Xu Tu by his side, then they, the princes, did not need to guard the Emperor from outside and keep acting as 'filial sons'.

There were simply too many things that must be done. They needed to gather up as soon as possible the power that the Emperor had dispersed prior. They needed to consider all sorts of possibilities and make ample preparations in response to each one of these possibilities.

If Emperor Father did not leave behind a posthumous edit, how should they go about defeating their brothers and scale over them? If Emperor Father did anoint someone else as the heir apparent, how should they go about accumulating their strength and choosing an appropriate opportunity to snatch the throne? If Emperor Father chose oneself, how should the chosen one go about stabilizing the court and coping with his brothers' ambition?

Fortunately, the hearts of the people were unstable right now. So long as one was able to offer enough, ambitious people would scramble towards one in a mad dash. Very soon, the princes all quickly gathered their own political power and pointed their blades towards the Emperor's position, waiting to act after having accumulated their power.

As the days passed, the Emperor began to show no signs of recuperation. After each examination by the Imperial doctors, the result came out worse and worse. Although no one dared say 'give up', in the majority of people's hearts', the Emperor was already done for.

Thus, many highly-pressured people, who were obstructed by the Emperor but had no choice but to restrain their emotions, could finally relax and no longer worry about the Emperor's revenge about awakening. If there was animosity, take revenge. If there were injustices, right the wrongs.

There were truly too many ghosts that have died unjust deaths. The hands of the Imperial concubines were unavoidably stained with blood, and they too had been unavoidably hurt in the past. Today, if you harm my son, tomorrow, I will make sure you have a miscarriage. Today, you poisoned me. Tomorrow, I will give tooth for a tooth. The harem had truly turned into a scene of bloody slaughter, and the one who bore the brunt of it was the one who had caused the Imperial concubines to 'fall out of favour'—the Emperor's recent most beloved person, Xu Tu.

Unfortunately, since the Emperor fell sick, Xu Tu had guarded his sick bed and had not moved an inch. Thus, even if these women's methods were great, during this period of time, they did not dare stick their hands to the Emperor's side. If they were caught and were charged with wanting to secretly murder the Emperor, that was a criminal charge so big it could cover the sky, punishable by the execution of all living relatives!

There was no way to harm Xu Tu physically, so they might as well hurt him mentally. To spread a rumour as fierce as a tiger was naturally a skill the Imperial concubines were proficient in. It was an incorporeal method of killing someone.

Not soon after, many rumours spread regarding how Xu Tu had warmed the Emperor's bed, disgracefully using himself to curry favour with his lord. These rumours trampled Xu Tu's originally dishonourable reputation further into the mud.

Little Young Master Xu was graceful like the wind and had captured the hearts of too many people. No matter if it was someone with an unrequited love or if it was someone who burned with jealousy towards him, they all added momentum, causing these rumours to intensify and run rampant.

After Situ Gui heard these rumours, he fiercely smashed the teacup in his hands. Meanwhile, Situ Yu's complexion grew increasingly dark. It was just a pity that no matter how much they hated these people who threw stones at someone when they were down, at this time, their most important goal was to seize the throne. They had no way of splitting their attention to attend to other matters. After all, Xu Tu's name was an obstacle to the throne. If they were to lend a hand, he would be used as an excuse for a political opponent to attack them with. They had no choice but to proceed with caution.

As for Xie Ling and co., even if they were worried and grieved for Xu Tu, they were too weak. They could not do anything for him. Furthermore, they did not dare act before obtaining their master's permission. Seeing that their master was single-mindedly devoted towards scheming for the throne, they can't help but feel bitterly disappointed towards the callousness and unfeeling nature of the Imperial household. However, this kind of rationality was essential as ruler.

While rejoicing that Xu Tu had not left the Emperor's sickbed since the Emperor had fallen sick and thus probably was not too greatly affected, Situ Yu and Situ Gui became increasingly vicious and merciless as they pointed their long swords toward their brother who they had joked around with and drank wine with not long ago. After ascending their throne, they would right Xu Tu's bad name.

——It was just a pity that they would never have such a chance.

During the wee hours of a certain day, what awaited this crowd of people who rushed into the palace with dishevelled clothes upon receiving their summons, was the stiff corpse of the Emperor who had long since stopped breathing. Furthermore, the body that laid upon this corpse was the unbreathing body of Xu Tu, forehead a sinister red.

The Emperor died, and Xu Tu accompanied him to his grave. Who knows if this was due to his deep friendship to the Emperor, or if it was his knowledge of his stained reputation that had caused him to have no will to live.

Situ Yu and Situ Gui stared in confusion at the two people who, even in death, had their fingers interlocked. They could not accept the truth before their eyes. If they had not placed so much emphasis on the throne, if they had acted promptly upon hearing the rumours, would it be possible that Xu Tu wouldn't have chosen death?

However, the people of the Imperial family were cold like this. Even if they were unable to accept the fate of Xu Tu, with his high ego and self-esteem, even if he remained incomparably important to them, he could still not compare to the allure of towering over everyone else on the dragon throne. Even if time were reversed, they would probably not brave the dangers of choosing another path.

Aside from Situ Yu and Situ Gui being unable to avert their gaze from Xu Tu's remains, the other people's gazes were all focused on the bright yellow Imperial edict.

They looked at each other in dismay for a moment. Afterwards, the Prime Minister, who was considered the one with the greatest virtue and prestige, walked to the bedside, leaned over to pay his respects, and then with deference, took hold of the Imperial edict.

The slowly unfurling Imperial edict caused the heavy curtain to fall over the battle for succession. The Emperor finally left a posthumous edict, just before he approached his end, appointing the Fourth Prince, Situ Yu, as heir apparent.

Sui Yuan: "It was almost time for the manipulation prop to end. I could no longer wait for the battle for succession to finish so I had no choice but to come up with this plan. QAQ"

Aside from Situ Yu's, the rest of the princes' faces paled. Meanwhile, although Situ Yu got what he wished for, he was not at all delighted. He kneeled on the ground, stupefied, accepted the decree, and thanked the Emperor for his favour. Furthermore, when he rose, the people within the palace, whether resigned or not, had no choice but to kneel down to their new Emperor. Long Live His Majesty the Emperor.

After Situ Yu ascended the throne, his first Imperial edict to be proclaimed was the collection of the bones of Xu Tu, his posthumous conferment of the title 'Prince of the First Rank', and his grand burial alongside the Emperor into the same tomb. Even if there were quite a few old Officials that vehemently opposed this, the new Emperor, however, expressed a rare to come by stubbornness and stood his ground. Meanwhile, Situ Gui naturally exerted quite a bit of influence. This was probably the only thing he could do for Xu Tu.

Right up until the dust had settled, in their dreams, that well-dressed youth was still vibrant and full of life, willful and ostentatious. However, after they woke up, the emptiness and chill that existed deep within their hearts made them unable to eat or rest in peace.

Regarding his brothers that eyed his position covetously, the new Emperor naturally suppressed and limited them. What surprised all of them though was that he let off the most supreme Second Prince Situ Gui and even treated him very magnanimously.

Towards this, Situ Gui himself did not quite understand, until a certain day where he exchanged drinks with the new Emperor. Situ Yu's single sentence made him suddenly see the light: "Once, I loved him, but I could only helplessly watch as he walked to the end of his road, not lending him a hand. Thus, my heart is uneasy. You are his closest brother. If he must leave, I don't want him to leave ill-at-ease. So, so long as you don't offend me, I will not act against you."

——It was compensation— a sacrifice to the person he loved but had to helplessly watch as he fell into a deep abyss, that's all. As for how long this remorse and his promise will last…who knew, ne?

Several months later, the Fifth Prince Situ Zhang revolted upon the grounds that the edict was forged. He invited the Second Prince to join him in this undertaking. After receiving this question, Situ Gui hesitated. In the end, he did not act and only coldly watched as the new Emperor swiftly and decisively suppressed the rebel army.

Xie Ling, Zhang Zhenye, and Lin Xiao entered the Imperial court one after another as Officials, relying on their own talent and the new Emperor's recommendation to ascend, little by little, flourishing vigorously. Whenever they had the occasional downtime, they would still unconsciously recall that youth that was forever frozen in the best years of his life and grieve over how he had passed away against all expectations while shouldering that stigma against him, leaving them not even any word to mourn over.

Even if he had entered the Emperor's tomb with the honour and glory of a Prince of the First Rank, how could that truly compensate for the suffering he endured from the slander and criticism, ne? They could only hope that history would clear his name and let the later generations know that Xu Tu was not one who curried favour with the Emperor with his body, that the feelings between him and the Emperor were true—til death did they part.

Lin Xiao and Situ Yu were very compatible as a ruler and his minister. They had once developed inexplicable feelings between them, but probably because Xu Tu's death had left too deep a mark on their hearts, the two people never took that step and maintained their relationship of a ruler and his minister from beginning to end.

As for Sui Yuan who had hurriedly finished his mission and returned to the space between worlds but did not have his wish fulfilled of catching sight of his beloved's figure, he was simply heartbroken!

——For one's lover to be continuously locked in a little black room…it truly made one's heart hurt….

5237 floated to Sui Yuan's side and rubbed against him, "Boss has already transmitted the next world's coordinates to me. Shall we go?"

"…Then what about Zhao Xihe?" Sui Yuan looked at it with anticipation in his eyes.

5237: "…Boss also has propriety. He will probably place him in the next world, ba? After all, to let you face off against a Destroyer all alone is truly too dangerous."

Sui Yuan, who was looked at in contempt again, could not be bothered to refute. On the contrary, he had never thought that the weaker he was, the better it would be. If it was like this, then his Creator would have let Zhao Xihe out more quickly, ba?

After lighting a candle for himself and Zhao Xihe, this pair of mandarin ducks that were beaten by a wooden club, Sui Yuan turned around and threw himself to the passage connecting to the new world. As for the score of the last world? Who wants to go see that, ne! Let's treat it as if it doesn't exist. ╮(╯▽╰)╭

The author has something to say:

It's been a long time since we've had a bad ending! Did you guys miss it? wwww

The next world should be relating to the supernatural, so long as there are no mishaps…I remember that there were quite a few ladies saying that they wanted to see it….

Eve: Aw, baby SY misses hubby so much. To clarify, the next arc has to do with ghosts~

Wuxian: I have no love for him sometimes but for SY's sake, I hope ZX comes back soon.