[Wu Zhou] Founding the Dynasty

[Current arc: Wu Zhou]

Wu Qingyue never imagined that one moment she’d be grabbing her keyboard to argue with someone that the claim Empress Zhaoyi had murdered her daughter was complete nonsense, and the next she’d be reborn as Li Zhi, Emperor Gaozong of Tang’s third daughter.

In other words... the daughter of Wu Zetian who died before her first birthday.

[Good news: You come with a System.]

[Bad news: The System has just one function: convert the territories you “occupy” into lifespan.]

She stretched her arms and legs as far as they would go, and still had only... half a month to live.

Wu Qingyue decided to save herself.

Later records would describe Wu Zhou’s eldest princess, Wu Dechangsheng, as putting down rebellions across the realm with the status of Crown Princess.

She struck west against Tibet and the Dangxiang, secured the north against the Turks, took Kunming in the south, and crossed the sea east to conquer Silla.

From then on, the brilliant Wu Zhou was visited by all nations.

Wu Qingyue: Believe it or not, at first I just wanted to live long enough to reach adulthood...

(A story with a still rather inconspicuous System: Empress Wu handles civil affairs, while the heroine handles military campaigns.)

An alternate-history spin-off.

A few warnings in advance:

1. The author and heroine are both fans of Empress Wu. Fans of Li Hong, Li Xian, and the others probably won’t enjoy this book.

2. There is a male lead, who is involved in important political struggles in the story. I won’t spoil the details for now. He supports the heroine’s ambitions and is younger than she is. The story won’t go as far as having children, so please don’t ask about heirs in the comments. The heroine herself is Empress Wu’s heir, after all.

Strictly speaking, this book is intended to have two heroines, since Empress Wu has a substantial role. That’s why the male lead isn’t listed among the main or supporting characters. (Though perhaps he shouldn’t be called the male lead at all, but rather a virtuous-empress-type male supporting character?)

3. The heroine has a rather selective sense of morality. She has principles when it comes to the common people, but not in political struggles. Please keep that in mind before reading.

Completed historical spin-off: [Three Kingdoms] Can Strategists Not Ascend the Throne? The heroine builds her own power, with no romance. (The category has been changed to comply with the latest spin-off rules.)

Upcoming historical spin-off: [Late Qin] Conquering the World with a Three Kingdoms Gacha System

(Doesn’t vilify Liu Bang. Lü Zhi has a bigger role than Liu Bang, and the heroine is the heir.)

Her father secretly freed convicts and, to escape punishment, fled into the Mangdang Mountains.

Her mother was once imprisoned, then rescued, and cared for her children and parents-in-law.

If this were a story about a married couple reuniting, her father would return home years later and they would enjoy family life together.

But this is the late Qin.

Her father is Liu Bang, and her mother is Lü Zhi.

Liu Yu gazed up at the sky and sighed, then lit a candle for herself.

Of all people to be reborn as, she had become the future Princess Luyuan.

To avoid being used as an unfortunate pawn during the Chu-Han contention, nearly being sent off to marry a Xiongnu ruler, or being married to Zhang Ao, the King of Zhao...

Liu Yu had no choice but to save herself.

Fortunately, she had a talent-drawing System.

Once she fulfilled a talent’s wish, she would receive a corresponding reward of infrastructure supplies.

[Please specify the era the talent belongs to.]

Liu Yu reached out and tapped the screen, selecting... the Three Kingdoms.

When Liu Bang’s army entered the Guanzhong region, Liu Yu set sail with Gan Ning and made for Jiaodong.

[Talent wish fulfilled: “Raise the brocade sails.” Reward: high-yield grain seeds.]

When Liu Bang and Xiang Yu clashed at Pengcheng, Liu Yu swept across the former lands of Yan with Zhang Liao and headed north to campaign against the Xiongnu.

[Talent wish fulfilled: “Let neither Qiang nor Hu enter.” Reward: cotton seeds and a spinning machine.]

When...

When the decisive battle at Gaixia arrived,

Liu Yu led her army south, pointed her whip into the distance, and said to Zhuge Liang, “I wasn’t lying to you, Chancellor. I can definitely fulfill your wish to restore the Han dynasty.”

Zhuge Liang: “...?”

Liu Bang looked at his wife and daughter, clad in armor on the opposite side, and fell silent too.

How much of the story had he missed? Were they planning to take everything?

Theme: When you have the means, help the whole world.