[Play the pig to eat the tiger | Everyone is clever | An uncle-nephew battle of wits]
Given a second life, I found myself facing two major problems.
First, my parents died on the day I was born, and before I was even out of the swaddling cloth, the Empress Dowager placed me on the rightful throne.
Second, my royal uncles coveted the throne. They were all warmth and affection in public, but behind my back they poisoned me, framed me, undermined my foundations, and schemed day and night to kill me.
I had no System, no foreknowledge, and no cheats at all.
My only advantage was an adult’s soul. In my previous life, I had seen countless power struggles, so I could spot every hidden scheme in the court at a glance.
I had no choice but to feign foolishness and hide my talents, quietly gathering officials to my side, stockpiling money and grain, cultivating trusted aides, and settling accounts with the great clans as I waited for the moment to overturn the game before me.
In my teens, I personally led a campaign, commanded the army to repel foreign enemies, and secured a firm hold on the empire’s military power through glorious victories.
The Empress Dowager seemed to shield me from hardship and strengthen my position on the throne, but in secret she divided my forces and set traps to restrain me at every turn.
Before others, I acted naive and meek, bowing my head. Inside, a wildfire raged: today my uncles have joined forces to persecute me; tomorrow, any royal uncle who plots rebellion and seeks to seize power will be eliminated, one by one, root and branch!
For more than a decade, I endured and schemed at every step. Once my wings had fully grown, the power of this realm could belong to me alone.
Later histories record: “Emperor Chengyin was appointed to the throne in swaddling clothes. After years of patience, he came to rule a vast realm alone.”
Unofficial tales passed down through the ages say: “Once the emperor had secured his throne, he slaughtered the princes of the imperial clan. The world called him cold and ungrateful. He even failed in his filial duty to the Empress Dowager who had raised him, leaving her to live alone in an ancient temple.”
