Great Ming: I Hold Sway at Court, but I Won’t Take the Throne

In the early hours of the first day of the ninth month of the seventh year of the Tianqi reign, I transmigrated into the body of Zhu Youhua, Prince Rui and Chongzhen's own cousin. I opened my eyes just in time to see Chongzhen secretly summon Wei Zhongxian, sword already drawn.

“Your Majesty, you mustn't kill him.”

The court erupted, calling me a “defender of the eunuch faction” and an “enemy of upright officials.” But I knew that if Wei Zhongxian died, that would be the true end of the Ming dynasty.

So I did three things: protected Wei Zhongxian, rooted out corruption and levied the powerful to fill the treasury with silver. Then I turned around and crushed the eunuch faction, the Donglin faction, and the Later Jin alike.

In six years, I went from a universally despised “eunuch faction lackey” to a regent with power over the entire court.

Chongzhen slammed his desk and accused me of monopolizing power, but in private, I was the only one he trusted. The Donglin faction wrote essays accusing me of usurping the country, but the silver seized from their estates all went to pay the Liaodong army. Before he died, Wei Zhongxian glared at me. “You're more ruthless than our lot.”

Ruthless? I just don't want to be emperor. I can wield all the power in the realm, but I can't sit on the dragon throne, because the man on it is the elder brother I helped put there myself.

Don't suspect me. I'm really not trying to usurp the throne. Someone has to shoulder this infamy.

This novel and its characters are entirely fictional. Any resemblance to real people or events is purely coincidental. Do not imitate.