After I Lie Flat, I'm Forced to Take the Throne

My upcoming novel, The Eunuch's Adopted Son. Friends, tap my author page and add it to your collection!

The day Huo Xuan was born, his father, Huo Dacheng, captured the former dynasty's capital and successfully staged a rebellion.

At the time, Huo Xuan already had four older brothers. Swaddled in his cradle, he realized that even if you put his tiny arms and legs together, they still wouldn't be as tough as one of their fingers.

Then he might as well lie flat and enjoy life.

But with a stepmother and her legitimate son, plus powerful relatives on his mother's side, he had no choice but to fight for his place.

Still, was he the kind of person who would give in so easily?

Even if he could only lie flat in the cracks between others, he would still strive for a happy life.

To achieve this simple, unambitious goal, little Huo Xuan started ingratiating himself with everyone as soon as he learned to walk.

Around his mild-mannered eldest brother, he was sweet and well-behaved, always acting cute.

When his hypocritical second brother showed up, he played dumb and did his best to go along with him.

Facing his gloomy, icy third brother, he went straight in for a bear hug.

When it came to his chuunibyou fourth brother, he would stay up all night just to keep him company.

On top of that, Huo Xuan made a daily practice of taking laziness to the extreme: pretending to be sick to skip class, keeping birds and arranging cockfights, squandering money and playing the fool. If a spoiled young master would do it, he made sure not to miss it.

He worked so hard to grow up safely, and enjoyed every minute of it!

After more than a decade of hard work, one sentence from his father sent Huo Xuan straight back to square one.

The late emperor's final decree read: "...In my view, my fifth son is clever and talented, and fit to be a benevolent ruler."

Wait, Father, where exactly did you get that idea?

Huo Xuan was full of complaints, but had no one to voice them to. After a bumpy journey, his uncles and elder relatives sent him up onto the throne.

On the day of his accession, his four older brothers stormed into the Golden Hall, demanding official posts, silver, and fiefdoms.

Huo Xuan waved a hand. "Fine! You can have it all!"

The court officials were terrified. If His Majesty was this afraid of the four princes, what would become of them? Could the Great Zhao dynasty survive?

The ministers stood on guard, afraid the brothers would turn against one another and throw the state into chaos.

A year passed. The court and the country remained calm.

Three years passed. With the four princes' support, the young emperor issued orders to build roads and ships, keeping everyone busy with one undertaking after another.

Five years later, foreign enemies invaded...

The immature emperor insisted on leading the campaign himself, only to be trapped in Lingcheng with his life hanging by a thread.

At the critical moment, his four brothers rushed in from every direction, sternly beating every enemy in the area to a pulp.

From then on, the territory of Great Zhao grew larger than ever before.

...By the time the officials who had once helped the late emperor conquer the realm had passed away one after another, they reflected, before closing their eyes, on how peaceful and prosperous Great Zhao had become. They suddenly felt that perhaps their emperor hadn't done such a bad job after all!

The Eunuch's Adopted Son

Wang Feichi transmigrated into a book, where he was destined to become a powerful minister.

But he didn't want to.

Was being a powerful minister really so easy? You could wear yourself out and get no thanks for it, expend all your energy, and end up burning out.

Besides, wouldn't it be better to be a powerful minister's son?

His father waved a little handkerchief. "Son, your father isn't capable enough."

Then perhaps he could be a powerful minister's younger brother.

His eldest brother cupped a hand to his ear. "Huh? What are you saying? I can't hear you."

Wang Feichi concluded that no one in his family could be relied on. He had to broaden his horizons and look elsewhere.

Then he set his sights on Lord Bo next door.

But they weren't related. Why would Lord Bo agree to be his patron?

Wang Feichi's mind turned. Why not ask him to be his godfather?

Later, the mighty Lord Bo often had a little rascal clinging to his leg, impossible to shake off.

·

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Bo Yiyun was on his way home from court when a little boy blocked his path and anxiously told him, "Uncle, I was switched at birth too. If they kick me out, I won't have anywhere to live. What should I do?"

The recent scandal involving the Zhen Guo Duke's household, with a dispute over which of two heirs was the real one, had stirred up so much commotion in the capital that every family was growing suspicious.

Every day, Bo Yiyun heard the officials complaining about it. He hadn't expected even a little boy to be worrying over the same thing.

Thinking of the three men in the neighboring household, who all looked as if they'd been carved from the same mold, he couldn't imagine any of them having been switched at birth.

Before he could say anything, the boy added, "Uncle, do you think I might be your child?"

...The Zhen Guo Duke's household really had switched a child with the family next door.

The little boy grew more certain by the second. "I always thought I didn't look like Wang Xingduan. Look how handsome I am. Anyone can tell I take after you."

Oh, so now he's not calling him Father? Does Wang Xingduan know how filial you are?

Bo Yiyun: "..."

He would like to have a son, but he'd need to be capable of fathering one first.

Wait. If he took the little rascal home now, wouldn't that make him a father?

Theme: Knowledge is power; knowledge changes your destiny.