Did the Qing Crown Prince Court Death Today?

After being reincarnated, Yinreng spent twenty years as a young man in modern society. One day, after a brave act to help someone, he returned to his previous life.

Little toddler Yinreng swings his feet and sorts through the memories of his past life, newly awakened:

When he was little, the people who served him changed almost every month. Any servant who dared advise him to watch his words and behavior would be the first to be driven out for “disrespecting the Crown Prince.”

When he studied, his elderly tutors knelt trembling as they taught him. He took pity on them and offered them seats, but they were harshly reprimanded for “disrespecting the Crown Prince.”

As a teenager, he chatted about poetry and literature with a kind, gentle old minister. The minister was then driven out of the capital for “disrespecting the Crown Prince”…

His brothers and sisters were said to be disrespecting the Crown Prince when they played with him. The Crown Princess’s residence was kept far away from his because no one could be allowed to “disrespect the Crown Prince”…

In the end, he became arrogant, domineering, violent, and self-important, and after being appointed and deposed twice, he turned into a complete madman.

Little toddler Yinreng rolls over, belly up, like a dead fish that has lost all hope.

Forty years as Crown Prince isn’t so bad. People in modern times spend fifty or sixty years waiting to inherit the throne. But being smothered with overprotective love while watched and controlled every moment of your life is unbearable. Father won’t kill his own sons, so as long as I don’t get myself killed, I might as well cause as much trouble as I can and get deposed as soon as possible.

And so…

“Your Majesty! The Crown Prince and the eldest prince beat up the head of the Imperial Household Department!”

“Your Majesty! The Crown Prince took the third, fourth, and fifth princes outside the palace to fight the sons of the imperial clan!”

“Your Majesty! The Crown Prince and the sixth, seventh, and eighth princes tricked the Mongol prince into giving them his horse!”

“Your Majesty! The Crown Prince and the ninth, tenth, and other young princes went into business and made off with every last bit of the capital officials’ savings!”

“Your Majesty!…”

Kangxi pressed the throbbing veins at his temples and gritted his teeth. “Go on, what has Baocheng done this time?”

“The Crown Prince left a note saying he was running away from home. He plans to join an ocean-going fleet and expand the borders of the Great Qing!”

Kangxi leapt to his feet and kicked over a table. “What are you waiting for? Bring that unfilial son back to me at once! This time, I’ll punish him severely!”

*

Did Yinreng get himself into trouble today?

Of course.

Did Kangxi depose the Crown Prince today?

Maybe next time!

*

This story updates daily. I’ll take a day off if something comes up, and the update time varies.

A half-historical, anything-goes, lightweight story, just for fun. No historical nitpicking; it doesn’t follow history exactly (or at all).

The main story has a complete romance arc for the protagonist and a full character-development arc for the heroine. The male lead has only one wife, the Crown Princess.

Everyone has different tastes, so please don’t mention other stories in the comments here, or this story in other stories’ comments. But all official readers are equal, so please don’t disparage readers who like this story.

Male-lead romance "I Still Don’t Know Who My Real Father Is: Zhu Yuanzhang" is coming soon. Please add it to your favorites. Synopsis below

Chen Biao transmigrates into a merchant family amid the chaos at the end of the Yuan dynasty. To survive, he can’t hide his skills as a transmigrator, so he pretends to be a fortune-telling mystic who knows everything from birth. At a very young age, he makes the Chen family the richest family after Shen Wansan’s.

Then his father, Chen Guorui, tells him, “Son, I’ve pledged allegiance to the Ming dynasty’s Hongwu Emperor. I’m one of the emperor’s great heroes!”

Even though Chen Biao never studied history, he knows that in his later years, the Hongwu Emperor, Zhu Yuanzhang, will kill off most of the officials at court. He starts planning to flee overseas and lie low.

Chen Biao: “Father, Mother, Empress Ma is about to die.”

His mother’s hand stops mid-stitch.

Chen Biao: “Father, Mother, the Crown Prince will also die young. Once the Hongwu Emperor loses his beloved wife and son, he’ll turn into a murderous madman.”

His father’s honest smile freezes.

Chen Biao: “Father, Mother, we need to go overseas and buy property right away. Once the Hongwu Emperor kills all the officials at court, it’ll be too late for us to escape!”

His parents exchange a glance and nod. “All right, son. We’ll do as you say.”

Chen Biao smiles with satisfaction.

In the first year of Longfeng, Zhu Yuanzhang’s eldest legitimate son, Zhu Biao, is born.

A fortune-teller says, “This child is born with extraordinary wisdom and destined for greatness. Heaven may claim him, so he must conceal his name and hide his destiny until he comes of age, then return to his rightful place. Once he does, he will ensure the Zhu family’s eternal prosperity.”

Chen Biao: “Father, when are we going overseas? I’ve already bought a huge estate abroad!”

Zhu Yuanzhang: “There’s no rush. Maybe next time. Definitely next year.” (wipes sweat.jpg)

Male-lead romance "How to Grow Ten Thousand Miles of Land for the First Emperor’s Child" is coming soon. Please add it to your favorites. Synopsis below

Agriculture professor Zhu Xiang transmigrates into the war-torn Warring States era as an ordinary citizen of Zhao. Just when life is finally starting to improve, his eldest sister runs off with all the family valuables to join a wealthy merchant, leaving her son behind and saying that she’s fallen for another tycoon and can’t take the child with her.

Angry, Zhu Xiang is about to give the child to someone else to raise, when he learns that the boy is named Zheng and his father is Yiren, a prince of Qin.

Zhu Xiang is bewildered. My nephew is Ying Zheng?? But my sister isn’t called Zhao Ji. She’s Chunhua!

To keep the First Emperor from vanishing from history, Zhu Xiang grits his teeth and scrimps to raise the future emperor.

With a ding, his golden finger, a “Farming System,” comes online. Favorability with historical figures can be exchanged for improved seeds.

Zhu Xiang tearfully kisses the future emperor on the forehead. “That’s my First Emperor’s boy! What a champ! Watch your uncle grow you ten thousand miles of territory!”

Much later, Qin Shi Huang dozes off over his desk and still dreams of that scene from childhood.

His uncle holds his little hand as they walk along a long field path, pointing toward golden fields of grain stretching to the horizon.

“Zheng, your uncle has a dream: to plant improved seeds across every land touched by the sun and moon, so all the common people can eat their fill.”

“Uncle, what if I conquered every land touched by the sun and moon and gave it to you to farm?”

“Huh? Hahahaha, all right!” His uncle sits him on his shoulders and laughs. “Wherever Zheng expands his territory, your uncle will plant his fields.”

A large hand clasps a small one.

“It’s a promise.”

Theme: Only by refusing to be bound by your identity can you achieve greater things.