10 Monarchs Who Led Their Nations to Demise

Time passed in the blink of an eye.

When Fang Zhiyi learned that the male and female leads had escaped, he was not the least bit surprised. Even though all their family members were dead, they still had to survive. That was just how protagonists were.

Meanwhile, Wei Lin, who had fled, now had his hands around Xue Wanqiu's neck: "Is what you said true? I am of the Southern Dynasty's imperial bloodline?"

Xue Wanqiu struggled desperately. Her face had long become twisted and hideous. Just to stay alive, she had revealed the background story she knew. Seeing a glimmer of hope for revenge, Wei Lin's fighting spirit was rekindled. The other two, also seeking a way out, bound themselves to him once more, though now they were merely at a stage of mutual exploitation.

However, when Wei Lin and the other three crossed mountains and ridges to enter Southern Dynasty territory, reality dealt them another heavy blow.

From the mouths of local farmers, they learned that the Southern Dynasty had already fallen. The Northern Dynasty Emperor had dispatched his own brothers.

"They were fierce as beasts, wielding weapons we'd never seen before that made thunderous noises," an old farmer gestured animatedly.

The Northern Dynasty hadn't lasted a year under such an onslaught. The Northern Dynasty Emperor had simply surrendered.

It was also because Fang Zhiyi had designed such terrifying weapons of slaughter that his brothers completely believed his story about meeting a transcendent master. Combined with his psychological manipulation, they even felt a pang of guilt for having wronged him.

Wei Lin fell into utter despair.

All four were wanted fugitives, though Fang Zhiyi seemed to be toying with them on purpose—the bounty on their heads was only a single string of cash. This meant that even if someone recognized them, no one was willing to go through the trouble of reporting them.

But for the four, life was now excruciatingly painful. Not only did they have no means for revenge, they were plagued by nightmares every night, haunted by their dead relatives who blamed, scolded, and even lunged to bite their flesh.

The four could only take shelter in a dilapidated temple. They had no money and survived by stealing food from nearby farmers. Ironically, they had all developed an illness—the sight of meat would make them vomit.

Under such torment, the first to break was Wei Lin, who had seen hope only to have it shattered.

His hair fell out in clumps. At night, he lay wide-eyed, unable to sleep. He simply couldn't understand how things had come to this.

Xue Wanqiu, who was once brimming with confidence, was also on the verge of a mental breakdown. Her serene elegance, her fine clothes and luxurious food were all gone. Now, her daily mantra consisted of the most venomous curses—cursing Fang Zhiyi, cursing Yin Tao, cursing her adoptive parents, and sometimes cursing the three men. But they no longer indulged her as they once did. Sometimes, emotional investment demands returns, and clearly, the present Xue Wanqiu could offer them none. Thus, she became the target of their bullying, which further pushed her towards madness.

Deep in the night, the drafty temple was filled with the sound of wind. Hearing Xue Wanqiu nearby, grinding her teeth and muttering in her sleep, then letting out a shrill laugh, a surge of rage shot through him. He blamed all his misfortune on her. It was she who had first approached him, she who promised to help him rise to great heights, and ultimately, she who had caused his downfall!

His hands tightened around Xue Wanqiu's neck.

Xue Wanqiu woke with a start, struggling frantically. The suffocation brought a sliver of clarity back to her. She tried to evoke the tenderness of her "Brother Wei," but it was futile. In that moment, she began to regret. If she had agreed to Fang Zhiyi's proposal to enter the palace as Empress from the start, would the outcome have been better?

The commotion alerted the other two. Liu Yan fled like a startled rabbit.

Xiao Ce stood frozen, watching Xue Wanqiu's hand go limp and fall.

He felt as if something had irrevocably left him. But then, he saw Wei Lin's twisted face.

The two men fought—protagonist against second male lead—and for a time, neither could gain the upper hand. By dawn, Wei Lin staggered out of the temple and disappeared into the mountain forest.

Xiao Ce's corpse lay beside Xue Wanqiu, his eyes filled with resentment.

In the capital, Fang Zhiyi stood with his hands behind his back, instructing the Fourth Prince on his work. He claimed it was for the Fourth Prince's own good, to prepare him for the future, so he had him handle government affairs directly. With the expanded territory, the administrative work was endless. The Fourth Prince even dreamed of mountains of official documents every night.

Xiao Hei circled down from the sky and landed, letting out a satisfied burp.

"Was it tasty?" Fang Zhiyi glanced at it.

Xiao Hei shook its head. "Just a soul. But Xue Wanqiu's soul had a bitter taste."

"Thought you could wreak havoc and then run away? Nothing comes that cheap," Fang Zhiyi snorted.

In the seventeenth year of the new dynasty, Fang Zhiyi announced he was abdicating the throne to his fourth brother and then vanished. No one knew where he went. Even the imperial guards and spies could not find his whereabouts. A nation cannot be without a ruler for a day. The ministers strictly followed Fang Zhiyi's final decree and installed the Fourth Prince on the throne.

The Fourth Prince cursed Fang Zhiyi, wanting to find the next person to take on this burden. But the Eldest Son and the Second Son had long known this was a terrible job and simply refused to return. The Eldest Son even sent people to bring the Fourth Prince many exotic gifts as congratulations, adding that any land with savages he conquered in the future would also be under the Fourth Prince's administration, infuriating him.

It wasn't until he was in his forties or fifties, and had the newly adult Crown Prince take over handling court affairs, that he finally had the chance to board a warship bound for lands across the ocean. Setting foot on foreign soil for the first time, the Fourth Prince felt like crying.

But in the distance, he seemed to catch a glimpse of a familiar figure, gone in an instant.

"Hiss..."

An accompanying general asked, "What is it, Your Majesty?"

"I thought I saw my third brother," the Fourth Prince rubbed his eyes. "Must have been mistaken."

He gritted his teeth. "If I find him, I'll make him take the throne back!"

The general muttered to himself, he'd never seen an emperor so obsessed with giving the throne to someone else. But seeing natives approaching in the distance, the general waved his hand, and his soldiers raised their firearms.

Yin Tao never saw her "senior" again. Without her goal, her greatest joy was traveling around with the Grand Princess. She also tried establishing a Royal Academy, which received strong support from the Empress Dowager.

"That son of mine, abandoning such a wonderful Noble Consort as you, just to run off!" Whenever she spoke of Fang Zhiyi, the Empress Dowager was furious. Fortunately, although the Fourth Prince wasn't her biological son, he still honored her as Empress Dowager.

Yin Tao just chuckled. She wouldn't dare to turn the act with her senior into reality—too terrifying.

The following year, a tourist county in the provinces received a report from villagers about a murderous criminal.

Officials rushed to the scene, first evacuating the tourists, then apprehending a ragged, deranged man holding a human head.

No one recognized him as one of the former masterminds of the rebellion.

On the very night he was locked in the prison cell, Wei Lin hanged himself. The local authorities, fearing responsibility, reported it overnight. Fortunately, the Crown Prince was benevolent and did not blame them for negligence, only instructing them to give the man a proper burial.

Yin Tao lived until old age before leaving this world. She had wanted to see her senior one last time, but her wish was never granted.