Sima Cheng and Sima Jue began to clash, right after Fang Zhiyi appointed Sima Jue as the Chancellor. Though neither would bring their conflict into the open, their underhanded maneuvers never ceased.
However, when it came to political struggles, ten Sima Chengs were no match for a single Sima Jue. So Sima Cheng turned to his younger sister for help. He knew she was clever and had always been closer to him. Unsurprisingly, Sima Ying offered him some advice.
The first step was to remove their father Sima Ci and Sima Jue’s loyalists from the military. Armed with the list his sister provided, Sima Cheng began his purge—transferring deputy generals to the south, promoting minor officers, and overhauling the entire chain of command. The upheaval left the army in turmoil.
When Sima Ci caught wind of this, he confronted Sima Cheng. But by then, bolstered by the support of his brother-in-law the Emperor and his sister the Empress, with the military now under his control and a shrewd strategist by his side, Sima Cheng stood his ground, claiming he was merely reorganizing military affairs.
Sima Ci was no fool. He ordered an investigation and soon discovered his two sons were locked in a covert power struggle, dragging the entire Sima family into the fray. The old fox quickly pieced things together—whether Fang Zhiyi had instigated this or not, the man had to go. His daughter was already pregnant with the Emperor’s child. Even if it was a girl, they could always swap it with a boy from the family later.
Sima Ci planned to call a family meeting to mediate this pointless feud and arrange for Fang Zhiyi’s discreet elimination. But that very night, he suddenly collapsed, paralyzed and mute. As he lay helpless in bed, his mind raced back to the lotus seed porridge his concubine had served him the night before. His eyes widened in horror—could it be?
News of Sima Ci’s stroke sent shockwaves through the court. Sima Cheng grew even bolder, openly trading insults with Sima Jue during court sessions. If not for the intervention of others, he might have already resorted to violence, relying on his brute strength to pummel his younger brother.
“What exactly did you say to him?” Fang Zhiyi asked Fuhai after witnessing the spectacle.
Fuhai smiled. “Your Majesty, I merely mentioned that Sima Jue has been privately courting officials, deliberately excluding Sima Cheng.”
“That’s all?”
“And that the courtesan he fancied at the Crimson Pavilion was taken by Sima Jue.” In truth, Fuhai had orchestrated the gift, cleverly arranging for an ambitious minor official to present her. At the time, with Sima Jue about to assume the Chancellorship, gifts and beautiful women poured in from all sides. He hadn’t paid much attention, giving the eunuchs ample room to spread rumors. Besides, the Sima family knew many palace eunuchs were on their payroll. Sima Cheng hardly doubted the story.
Especially when he saw his younger brother basking in the glory of his new position—it stoked his resentment.
That afternoon, Sima Cheng was ambushed on his way to a tavern. Though unharmed, he immediately blamed Sima Jue, linking the attack to their earlier confrontation in court.
Meanwhile, Fang Zhiyi left the palace for the first time, heading straight to the Sima residence. At the sight of the bedridden Sima Ci, tears welled in his eyes.
“My mentor! My father-in-law! How could this happen so suddenly?” The Sima family members present were stunned—the Emperor truly cared for Sima Ci? They had only heard rumors, but now they saw it with their own eyes!
After a tearful display, Sima Jue finally persuaded him to return.
Sima Jue wasn’t faring well either. Between fending off his elder brother’s provocations and handling endless government affairs, the usually sharp-minded statesman felt the weight of the world on his shoulders. He kept a close watch on the Emperor, but Fang Zhiyi seemed content to idle away in the harem.
With his father paralyzed, unable to speak or move, Sima Jue could no longer seek his counsel.
Fortunately, the Emperor remained firmly on the Sima family’s side. The next day in court, Fang Zhiyi lavished titles and rewards on a new batch of Sima relatives, elevating the family’s prestige to unprecedented heights. The only thorn in Sima Jue’s side was his elder brother’s relentless troublemaking—but he wouldn’t last long. The court was already under Sima Jue’s control. What good was military power if his troops couldn’t be fed?
Meanwhile, in his sister’s palace quarters, Sima Cheng sat grim-faced before Sima Ying. He had never realized just how politically astute his younger sister was.
“Elder Brother, military tactics don’t work in court politics. There are rules here. If you keep acting recklessly, someone will impeach you.”
Sima Cheng clenched his teeth. “Impeach me? I’m the Grand General! I command a million soldiers! How dare Sima Jue move against me?” He paced back and forth. “If he pushes me too far, I’ll return to the northwest and raise an army!”
“Elder Brother!” Sima Ying paled, glancing nervously at Fang Zhiyi nearby.
Sima Cheng barely spared the Emperor a glance. To him, Fang Zhiyi was nothing more than a puppet—no threat at all. “Don’t worry. When the time comes, your Emperor husband will remain your husband, you’ll still be Empress, and I’ll keep my title as Grand General!”
“Must you and Second Brother fight to the death?” Sima Ying pressed.
Sima Cheng waved her off. “You’re a woman—you wouldn’t understand.”
“If that’s the case, I have an idea. But…” She turned to Fang Zhiyi. “We’ll need the Emperor’s help.”
The next morning, the moment Fang Zhiyi took his seat in court, he sensed the tension. Sima Cheng stood at the front, isolated, while Sima Jue appeared perfectly at ease.
“A lack of wits leads to ruin,” Fang Zhiyi mused silently before speaking. “As you all know, my mentor, my father-in-law Sima Ci, who has toiled his entire life, has suffered a stroke!”
“I have decided to bestow upon Sima Ci the title of Prince of a Different Surname!” The announcement sent shockwaves through the assembly. The first to step forward in protest was Sima Jue.
“Your Majesty, this must not happen!” He knew full well—the Sima family aimed for the throne, not some princely title. Accepting this would sever their claim to the empire!
“Huh?” Fang Zhiyi feigned confusion.
“Hypocrite.” Sima Cheng seized the moment, stepping forward. “Your Majesty’s grace in granting a princely title—unprecedented in this dynasty—and yet you refuse? What are your true intentions?”
Sima Jue seethed. He had always known his elder brother was impulsive, but now he realized the man wasn’t just thoughtless—he was an outright fool.
Gritting his teeth, Sima Jue replied, “Your Majesty, the Sima family wishes only to serve the throne, not seek titles. Such an appointment would invite public criticism. I’m certain my father would never accept it.”
Your father is paralyzed! And you use him to threaten me? Fang Zhiyi screamed inwardly, though his face showed only hesitation. After a pause, he turned to Sima Cheng, who subtly nodded.
“Ah! General Sima Cheng recently returned victorious from battle. I hereby promote him to Grand Marshal of the dynasty, ranking among the Three Excellencies!”
villain is the number one simp for the book's leading female protagonist, Shen Wan'er. As expected, he later becomes a tool for the main character to show off and slap faces, ultimately meeting a tragic end with his family ruined and his life in shambles. Fortunately, he awakens the [Universal Pure Love System], which allows him to earn points by performing acts of pure love. To change his fate, Gu Yan makes a decisive choice to seek warmth and companionship with the book's biggest villain—Cold Qingqiu. ........... My name is Leng Qingqiu. To find the murderer who killed my parents years ago, I deliberately blinded myself so that everyone would lower their guard around me. Just as I was secretly accumulating power and capital according to my initial plan, a man walked into my world. "Lengleng, Qingqing, Qiuqiu, which nickname do you prefer?" I don't like any of them. You'd better leave quickly! "Why aren't you saying anything? How about I call you my baby wife?" Leng Qingqiu thinks to herself, this man is truly annoying! (Stubborn pure love warrior + single female lead + true pure love + 1v1)
ive and Ruthless] Before his transmigration, Ye Xuan was playing a game called "Severing Emotions to Attain the Dao." The game's core wasn't about leveling up by fighting monsters, but about conquering various "bad women" with wicked personalities and cold, fickle natures. There was only one method to conquer them: stay unwaveringly by their side, then die at a critical moment, driving them to madness after losing the protagonist. The higher their level of regret, the higher the player's score. To dominate the server, Ye Xuan conquered all the bad women. In the early stages, he showered them with boundless tenderness, only to choose to sacrifice himself for them later, making them weep bitterly and drown in regret. Among them were: Xia Lengyue, the unfaithful immortal wife who chased after powerful men and discarded her husband like trash. Ye Qingcheng, the Demonic Venerable of the Joyous Union Sect, who appeared pure and innocent but was, in reality, promiscuous. Wu Lingxiao, the Empress of the Great Xia Dynasty, who lusted after men and loved maintaining a harem. Bai Qiangu of the Endless Demonic Sect: a bloodthirsty mass murderer. However, when the protagonist transmigrated into the game world, he made a horrifying discovery. Eight hundred years had already passed. The bad women he had conquered had now each become deities and revered ancestors. Faced with the endless stream of toxic women coming for him, Ye Xuan could only rely on his god-tier acting skills to carve a path of survival through this world of treacherous women.
young master of the Shen family—a figure of immense power and wealth beyond measure—and awakened the "Destined Ultimate Villain System"! His starting scenario? Running into his icy fiancée who shows up with a mountain-descending divine doctor to break off their engagement. The divine doctor arrogantly taunts: "What does your Shen family have besides a bit of stinking money? You're not even worthy of tying Qingxue's shoelaces!" Shen Fei just smiled. He completely defied the usual script: "Fine, I agree to break off the engagement. Also, notify the finance department to withdraw all investments from the Su family." Minutes later, with its capital chain severed, the Su Group teetered on the brink of bankruptcy! The once aloof and proud ice queen CEO was thrown into utter panic. That very night, she went to Shen Fei's villa, casting aside all dignity to beg and plead desperately... From then on, in this world teeming with Sons of Destiny, Shen Fei embarked on a path of extreme dimensional suppression! A mountain-descending divine doctor? Peerless medical skills? Shen Fei: "Reporting you for practicing medicine without a license! I'll gladly take your ancient medicinal cauldron and twin sister assassins." The Crooked-Smiling Dragon King? Commanding a hundred thousand soldiers with a single order? Shen Fei: "Illegal assembly and suspected treason! Let a fleet of attack helicopters sanitize the area and teach you what the state apparatus really means!" A reborn tycoon? Knows all the golden opportunities of the next decade? Shen Fei: "A trillion in capital to reverse and pump the stock market, making you blow your margin and jump on the very first day of your rebirth!" What Chosen Ones? What bearers of Heavenly Fortune? In Shen Fei's eyes, they're all just chives (i.e., suckers/marks) waiting to be harvested! Shen Fei: "Sorry, but as the Destined Ultimate Villain, I don't play by the rules of honor. I only play the game of dimensional suppression."
ap a wealthy young lady? Or else I'll be eliminated by the system? Ye Feng, who awakened the Kidnapper System, originally wanted to live a peaceful life but never imagined he would become a kidnapper of young women. However, after some time, he discovered that all the girls the system ordered him to kidnap were far from ordinary. "Big brother Ye Feng~ You've kidnapped my heart, and now you're not allowed to leave me ever again~" "Ye Feng~ You kidnapped me back then, now it's my turn to capture you♡" "Little Feng, you're mine! You can only be mine!" "Ye Feng, none of them deserve you. Only I love you the most♡" ... This is madness, they've all gone mad! Wait, what? Why are all the girls I kidnapped yanderes?!
