My Goal Is Not to Become Emperor [Reborn]

As the eldest son of a general's household, Gongye Beichen has no desire to ride out against the enemy or inherit his title. He only wants to study in a neighboring kingdom and become a great scholar.

Ignoring the fact that the realm is in the midst of a time of division and chaos, he takes his personal attendant and runs away from home in the middle of the night.

But just after escaping his homeland, Beichen stumbles into a strange witchcraft incident.

He and his attendant survive by the skin of their teeth, and come away with a stunningly beautiful, highly skilled bodyguard.

The bodyguard can catch birds and hunt snakes, and can ride horses and drive carriages. Guarding against hidden arrows, punching bullies, and detecting poison are all easy for him.

And on top of all that, he's especially good at... dancing?

The one thing Beichen regrets is that the bodyguard is mute.

Until one day, the bodyguard suddenly speaks.

He says, “Whatever you do, don't unify the realm and ascend the throne!”

Beichen: ?

By then, his country has fallen and his family is gone. He's being hunted by every faction, and doesn't even know if he'll survive until tomorrow.

Besides, he has never had any desire to take up arms.

What he doesn't know is that in his previous life, he chose to don armor and stain his sword with blood.

He conquered the realm, quelled the chaos, and swept the land with war until the fractured mountains and rivers were united once more.

He shouldered every crime of slaughter and died amid the curses of thousands.

What he also doesn't know is that after his death, the royal city suddenly went up in flames and was reduced to ashes.

A man clutched his sword and stepped into the fire beneath the cover of night.

A noble phoenix offered himself as a sacrifice to the heavens, turning the world upside down.

All to do everything in his power to save one person.

*

The eldest son of a marquis's household, who values scholarship over martial arts x a beautiful, martial and dance-skilled witch from a fallen clan

Includes mysticism and witchcraft, as well as a small amount of cross-dressing.

Theme: Protect the homeland