Humbly Clinging to Life by the Tyrant’s Side

After transmigrating, Meng Yuxi was forced to bind herself to a System: the Dragon's Mandate System. In other words, it was a System that kept her alive through dragon energy. The System required her to make her presence felt and win the emperor's favor every day. Otherwise, she'd drop dead on the spot. Rumor had it that Emperor Qi Yu of the Great Yan was cruel and ruthless, treating his people like grass. After witnessing several bloody scenes, Meng Yuxi only dared to cautiously make herself noticed enough to stay alive, terrified that Qi Yu would pay attention to her. But fate had other plans. Somehow, while trying to make herself noticed, she ended up right beside the emperor. From then on, Meng Yuxi spent every night in fear, afraid she'd be sent to meet the King of Hell any day. Then one day, the System suddenly vanished. Meng Yuxi was free!!! So--after taking things too far, Meng Yuxi received an imperial decree. On the third day after the System disappeared, an imperial decree sent the harem into an uproar. The emperor ordered Concubine Meng to report to the Taiji Hall at the hour of Chen every day. If she was late by even a quarter of an hour, he'd cut off one of her fingers. Qi Yu looked down at the woman kneeling properly before him, his gaze dark and ominous. "Accept the decree." Meng Yuxi swallowed, afraid to accept it. Her watery eyes filled with timid apprehension. "Can I refuse?" Qi Yu sneered. "What do you think?" Meng Yuxi: Her hand was already starting to hurt. #IHaveToStayByTheTyrantToStayAlive# At first, Qi Yu thought he had simply found himself an obedient plaything. Nothing worth mentioning, nothing important. But later-- Reader's guide: 1. The setting is fictional. Please don't nitpick historical details. 2. A lighthearted, sweet story, written with complete creative abandon. The plot is melodramatic and full of tropes. 3. Both leads are virgins, and it's a one-on-one romance. 4. The heroine is weak, not strong, and the hero is no good. Read with caution. Please follow my upcoming story, "The Emperor Only Wants to Spoil Her." [Preview] Song Chao transmigrated into a palace-intrigue novel called "The Harem." The story followed the reborn heroine, Jiang Yan, as she powered through every challenge and ultimately joined forces with the emperor, a mere tool of a male lead, to rule the world. It was a wish-fulfillment story. The original Song Chao was just a minor obstacle on the heroine's path to success. Song Chao, who had transmigrated into the book, was a little panicked. She just wanted to keep her head down and stay out of the heroine's way while she leveled up. But what was going on with this emperor, the male lead who was supposed to be nothing but a tool? Why did he keep showing up more and more often? Song Chao trembled as she earnestly advised him, "Your Majesty, you should focus on state affairs. As for the harem... you could visit some of the other ladies." Go away, go away! Whatever you do, don't come near her. She couldn't afford to cross the heroine. Lu Huai tried to move closer and comforted her gently. "Don't be afraid. I can afford to cross her." Song Chao gave him a perfunctory smile. "Heh." Lu Huai: What should I do when the woman I love rejects me every day? Song Chao had wanted nothing more than to keep her head down and be invisible, but in the end, she still became the heroine's thorn in her side, an eyesore she desperately wanted to get rid of. Core message: Life is precious, and even in adversity, you must never give up hope.