I opened my eyes and found myself as An Fan, the Crown Prince.
A puppet raised by a powerful minister for ten years, on the verge of ascending the throne.
Duke of State Ye Tianlong had monopolized the court for ten years. Now, he personally presented me with the Imperial Seal and asked me to ascend the throne in three days.
His words were earnest, and he even swore he would prove his sincerity with his life.
I believed him.
Until he continued, "Your Highness, please make my granddaughter your empress. The coronation ceremony should take place alongside the wedding."
In that moment, I understood everything.
Returning power was a pretense. Arranging the marriage was the real goal.
He never wanted an emperor.
He wanted a father for a puppet crown prince carrying the Ye family's bloodline.
Worse still, I discovered this was a fantasy world where cultivators ruled the heavens and the weak were prey to the strong.
And I was utterly powerless.
Facing Ye Tianlong, whose cultivation reached the heavens and whose schemes were flawless, I had no chance of turning the tables.
In this desperate situation, I drew my sword and pointed it at the trusted eunuch who had served me for ten years.
"First question: how long have you been passing messages to him?"
Three days later, I would don the imperial robes and marry the powerful minister's daughter.
The entire court would celebrate the double occasion.
No one would know that the grand feast celebrated by the whole nation was the first move in my desperate fight for survival.
