Wen Ci, a PhD in history, dies suddenly and transmigrates into a book as the sickly male empress of the tyrant Qin Yan.
The good news: he's still alive. The bad news: he's a substitute, and in three months he'll be poisoned to death in the Cold Palace.
Wen Ci doesn't want to die. He walks right up to the tyrant and presents him with a secret report. "There will be urgent news from the border in three days. I stake my life on it." The tyrant sneers. "If you lose this bet, I'll make you wish you were dead."
Three days later, the urgent report arrives exactly as predicted. The tyrant's gaze toward him changes.
From then on, the ailing male empress becomes the emperor's "personal strategist." Military farms, salt and iron, government bonds, bringing down powerful officials, deposing the empress dowager... He plans every move, hoping only to save enough leverage to flee far away.
But the tyrant, who kills without batting an eye, reddens around the eyes when Wen Ci coughs blood and slaughters everyone who knows the truth when he fakes his death.
"You said your name, 'Wen Ci,' means a warm farewell." Qin Yan pins him against the imperial throne, his voice hoarse. "I forbid it. You'll never leave me in this life."
I use the art of kings to teach you strategy, but you use it to imprison me for life.
Two male leads · Transmigration into a book · Political scheming · Substitute · Sickly shou · Unhinged gong · Happy ending
