Empress! Empress!

An alternate-world story. The female lead has no romantic entanglements.

Xiaoyu's mother died, and her father went mad. All she wanted was to take good care of their family, but she never expected that the world wouldn't even give her that chance.

Refugees attacked and besieged Nanyang. The village was on the brink amid wind and rain. Flee or fight? Xiaoyu had no choice.

Then she would fight, carving out a splendid land.

One hundred and twenty-five years after the founding of the Dajiang dynasty, the government had fallen into disrepair, and the emperor lived in luxury and debauchery. The first signs of chaos had emerged.

Traitorous ministers seized their chance to rise to power and control the court, while the people suffered.

In this troubled age, people rose up against the government, and heroes emerged one after another.

Xiaoyu went from being insignificant to powerful, and at last built her empire.

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One day, she would be crowned emperor.

Xiaoyu's followers:

"The world calls me foolish, but only my lord understands my heart. My heart belongs to the people, not the literati."

"I've always been unwilling to accept things, but I've also been lost, not knowing what I was doing. When the clouds parted, I saw you. You're different from everyone else, and greater than them all."

They came from the upper classes and went among the people, fighting for ideals that had never been extinguished.

At first, Gao Xiaoyu only wanted to survive. But little by little, more and more people gathered around her. She was no longer alone, and she found a goal and a direction.

"This world may seem peaceful, but people's lives are worth less than a dog's. To the nobility, a human life is no more valuable than a blade of grass. But I don't believe in fate. I will change all of this."

In the tenth year of Xuanwu, Xiaoyu rose up in rebellion.

In the twenty-fifth year of Xuanwu, Xiaoyu ascended the throne, appointed her chancellor and grand general, and set the new dynasty on the right track.

Reading Notes:

1. The plot is slow to heat up, with a long buildup.

2. The female lead has no CP and is focused on her career.

3. The line about being crowned emperor is adapted from dialogue in the opening cinematic of "World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King".

4. An alternate-world setting.

Theme: As long as you refuse to accept the status quo and keep striving, you can make a difference and escape your bitter past