Do You Have to Work 996 Even as an Emperor?

[Blurb to be replaced. I really couldn't think of anything for this one. Sorry, everyone.] I, Zhou Qi, former graduate student in history, am now the Fourth Prince of Southern Qi. Five years after transmigrating into the body of this disregarded prince, I finally took down all my rivals and successfully claimed the throne. No, that's not right. I should call myself "We" now. Lying on my bright yellow couch, We dreamed of a wonderful future: With the power of life and death in Our hands, and three thousand beauties at Our beck and call. A private treasury overflowing with priceless treasures. A life of ultimate luxury, feasting on delicacies and living like an immortal in the mortal world. Though the prime minister still holds the reins of government, Our meals are still the same as before, and the palace selection has been suspended because the national treasury is empty, We still think Our future is bright and full of promise. Until... Our Imperial Tutor returned from the campaign. We have been afraid of Our tutor since childhood. Back when We were a pure-hearted teenage boy, he chased Us from the study to the garden, beating Us with a ruler. So what if We hadn't memorized the policy essay? Did he have to hit Us so hard? Even now, when We think back on it, Our bottom still aches faintly. Two years have passed. We wonder if Our tutor is still in good health, and whether he can still swing that ruler with the same vigor as before... But perhaps because We have become emperor, Our tutor has been much kinder toward Us. He still points at Our nose and scolds Us all the time... but at least he doesn't hit Us anymore, right? So We and Our tutor fret together over this enormous mess and the empty treasury. What should We do, Tutor? Your old servant doesn't know either. Little by little, We realized that being a good emperor is really hard. No days off all year, only four hours of sleep a night, and We have to read memorials until We cough up blood. Forget beautiful women, We don't even know when the peach blossoms in the imperial garden bloom. After working so hard, We still only get three dishes per meal, and they're mostly vegetables. How much money would We save by eating two fewer dishes at each meal? Do you know how much grain all the palace maids and eunuchs eat every day, or how much silver they cost each month, Tutor? You don't. All you know is how to tell Us to be frugal. That's not all. Recently, We have also noticed that Wen Fuheng, the current Junior Minister of the Court of the Imperial Treasury, looks at Us strangely. By the way, Wen Fuheng is the beloved son of Our beloved tutor. He was once Our study companion for a while, so We could call him half a childhood sweetheart. But then, for some reason, he suddenly stopped coming. When We met again, he had become the Junior Minister of the Court of the Imperial Treasury, always going against Us. But We don't dare truly offend him, since he manages both the national treasury and Our private treasury. Forget it. We don't need to be emperor anymore. Sooner or later, We will establish a cabinet to handle all the affairs of state. Then We can live in a big house and lie flat like the king of some empire where the sun never sets, enjoying the good life and doing nothing. [Reader's Guide] 1. Overworked young emperor x career-minded junior minister 2. One-on-one romance, happy ending, each other's first love. It won't be too long, just a silly little sweet treat for before bed. 3. Zhou Qi is the bottom, Wen Fuheng is the top. Childhood friends become political enemies, political enemies become brothers, and brothers become lovers. 4. Although the young emperor keeps saying he wants to quit, he really is a diligent and dedicated fellow who single-handedly extends Southern Qi's life by a hundred years. Theme: .