Shen Xue glanced at the furnishings of the imperial chambers. Rich draperies, tapestries depicting lotuses, dragons and celestials, carpets and silks, velvet cushions, even jasmine and orchids in pots. The old emperor knew a thing or two about decorating a room. But to Shen Xue, all this luxury was just a highlight of his belief that people would do anything to indulge their whims.

His heir was sitting there, bent over a carved desk, studying some papers. Shen Xue felt annoyed. Did this little fellow really think he knew how things worked just because he had ascended to the throne? Oh, look at this model of hard work: instead of entrusting the reports and accounting to officials like Shen Xue, the young emperor, frowning, was trying to discern something invisible in the reports, his hair falling on his forehead, having escaped from under his royal hairstyle...

Mei Lin, a cat-girl from the imperial harem, gracefully glided past Shen Xue, dousing him with a cloud of floral perfume, and settled on the pillows next to the emperor on the floor.

"Oh, Divine Son of Heaven, aren't you tired of doing such routine and unworthy work? Let me help you," Shen Xue came closer, his voice soft and ingratiating like silk. In fact, he was now the height of impudence, barging into the imperial chambers without prior notice or orders from above, but with this inexperienced youth, only a few years younger than him, Shen Xue could afford some liberties.

Not much time had passed since the death of his father, known to Shen Xue for his stubborn narrow-mindedness and impossibly primitive despite all the old man's love for art and philosophy. Fortunately, during this time, the adviser managed to convince him to accept some decrees that made life easier for the snake people. For example, snake skins were no longer used for interior decoration, instead replaced by artificial leather production - a technology Shen Xue had to spend funds from the imperial treasury to develop.

In addition, he gradually bribed or threatened the nobility, introduced his servants from the snake people, and created an image of a "servant of the people" for humans, generous, meek and soft - soon the emperor will discover to his surprise that almost the entire palace, nobility and even common people will consider him a vile traitor, and Shen Xue, their savior, will magnanimously imprison him. Such was the emperor's adviser - cunning, always holding back, fawning. He was sick of this role, but he could not refuse. Not now. Not when his people were counting on him.