The Monarch of a Fallen Nation 01

As a prince, Fang Zhiyi was captivated the first time he met Xue Wanqiu. This girl was unlike any he had seen before. She wasn't like those other young ladies who would lower their heads and shy away upon seeing him; instead, she frowned and stared right at him.

He later inquired and learned that this girl was the daughter of Minister Xue from the Ministry of Rites. Some days ago, she had accidentally fallen into the water. After being rescued, she suffered a high fever for several days, and her temperament changed afterward.

Fang Zhiyi found himself thinking of Xue Wanqiu from time to time, always finding various excuses to get close to her. Gradually, he realized he seemed to have fallen in love with this girl. However, a prince's marriage was usually decided by the Emperor, his father, and he had no good solution, as he was the most idle and unambitious among the princes. Watching his brothers scrambling and causing chaos to compete for the crown prince position, Fang Zhiyi scoffed. He couldn't understand what was so good about that position—sleeping later than a dog, rising earlier than a rooster. Ever since his father ascended the throne, his hair had turned white, and Fang Zhiyi had seen it all clearly.

He preferred to have his own pursuits. For example, pursuing Xue Wanqiu. He had made up his mind: once the crown prince position was settled, he would ask his father for an imperial decree to marry her.

It's just that every time Xue Wanqiu saw him, her gaze was complex, with a hint of disgust, though he himself was unaware of it.

Xue Wanqiu was a person who had transmigrated into this world from a book, and she was familiar with the subsequent plot.

Because she knew the plot, she detested the entire Northern Dynasty royal family.

She knew her "Wei Lin gege" was a prince of the Southern Dynasty who had been lost abroad, but he had suffered immensely. Later, because he lost a battle, he was actually punished by the incompetent emperor of the Northern Dynasty! Reading that part of the plot made her nose sting with tears, and she wished she could tear that despicable emperor to pieces.

Now that she was here, she wouldn't let Wei Lin gege suffer any more grievances! A few days ago, she had secretly caught a glimpse of Wei Lin. He was so handsome, it made her utterly infatuated and set her clever little mind to work. Since she knew the plot, she needed to accelerate its progression. She wanted to personally witness the downfall of this Northern Dynasty and see Wei Lin gege unify the north and south!

When she realized Fang Zhiyi seemed to like her, she simply began to act along, playing her part. On one hand, she manipulated Fang Zhiyi, while on the other, she privately contacted supporting male leads like Xiao Ce and Liu Yan, forming a small group centered around herself, Xue Wanqiu. Her protagonist's aura attracted these three men to dote on her, which greatly pleased Xue Wanqiu. She truly was born to be a female lead, with the first, second, and third male leads all revolving around her!

But it wasn't enough. This damned Fang family royal house was the first major obstacle ahead.

However, looking at Fang Zhiyi who came to see her every day, she got an idea.

"I don't like people who are idle and unambitious," Xue Wanqiu said lightly.

Fang Zhiyi was taken aback for a moment and secretly resolved to change. So he gave up his hobbies and turned to pick up his books, astonishing the tutors responsible for teaching them.

"I don't like people who act outrageously," Xue Wanqiu said with some disdain. As a prince, this Fang Zhiyi was not even slightly comparable to Wei Lin gege!

Fang Zhiyi took this to heart again. The next day, he reined in his reckless behavior, making everyone who saw him unconsciously look up to check the direction of the sun. Some even spread rumors that the Third Prince was about to be named crown prince!

Fang Zhiyi didn't care about these rumors; his heart was completely filled with Xue Wanqiu.

Sure enough, after he made these changes, Xue Wanqiu's attitude towards him improved significantly. She even smiled at him sometimes. Her smile struck Fang Zhiyi's heart directly. He swore that if Xue Wanqiu wanted it, he would give her anything!

As if knowing his inner vow, Xue Wanqiu advised, "Third Prince, look at the First Prince, the Second Prince, even the Fourth Prince—aren't they all fully devoted to court affairs? If you continue like this, you won't even be able to protect your own estate in the future."

Fang Zhiyi was stunned again, but then Xue Wanqiu suddenly took his hand. Fang Zhiyi's heart soared.

He specifically asked his father for an official duty and began clocking in and out like his brothers.

To him, Xue Wanqiu's words meant he needed to become stronger to protect her in the future!

Fang Zhiyi's sudden ambition made his brothers sense something unusual, followed by pressure. This third brother usually seemed unreliable, but who knew he could be so methodical when he put his mind to things? Did he also want to compete for the throne?

But anyone who had this thought found it absurd. Everyone knew the Third Prince was the one who looked down upon the throne the most. So why was he acting this way? After repeated inquiries, they were reassured: Fang Zhiyi was just there to do the work, still showing disdain whenever the throne was mentioned.

Xue Wanqiu was also getting anxious. Who knew this guy was so dense? If the original plot proceeded with the Fourth Prince ascending, her three admirers would all suffer considerable torment. The Fourth Prince was a ruthless man.

Finally, she found an opportunity to say to Fang Zhiyi, "It's not that I'm urging you to compete for the throne, but look: the Emperor's health is poor now, the crown prince position is undecided. Your eldest and second brothers are forming factions, and even your fourth brother has the support of the border army. Since ancient times, princes who don't compete for the throne end up unable to protect even their own families."

Fang Zhiyi shook his head and smiled. "That won't happen. They wouldn't make things difficult for me."

Xue Wanqiu snorted with a hint of pique. "I suppose you'll wait until the day a blade is at your throat to regret it!"

Fang Zhiyi fell silent. He also had some doubts in his heart.

But as the covert and overt struggles among his brothers intensified, even assassination attempts emerged, Fang Zhiyi gradually accepted Xue Wanqiu's perspective. So he decided: for the sake of his mother, for his maternal grandfather's family, and most importantly, for Xue Wanqiu, he would ascend to the highest position.

When he made this decision, he received Xue Wanqiu's approval for the first time. Simultaneously, Xue Wanqiu devised a series of plans for him, involving her distant cousin, her cousin, and so on. Fang Zhiyi accepted them all, thus building a bit of a power base for himself.

Relying on her knowledge of the plot, Xue Wanqiu seized every opportunity and set traps, resulting in the First and Second Princes being placed under house arrest. As for the Fourth Prince, she provided information, and Fang Zhiyi lodged a false accusation, getting him framed with a charge of treason and sent to guard the imperial mausoleum.

In just two short years, Fang Zhiyi ascended to the position of Son of Heaven.

Upon becoming Emperor, the first thing he thought of was taking consorts. The first person Fang Zhiyi thought of was Xue Wanqiu—she should be Empress! But when he eagerly found Xue Wanqiu, she refused.

"My background is ordinary. If you make me Empress, won't the ministers curse you to death? You should marry a girl from a powerful family and have several princes. That's being responsible to the realm."

Fang Zhiyi was deeply moved. In all the world, only this woman truly considered his interests!

He was straightforward about it too, simply remaining a bachelor Emperor, infuriating the old ministers who kowtowed outside the palace daily. He pretended not to see them.