Deceiving the Emperor

Feng Li ascended the throne at a young age, but power slipped from his grasp. Regent Fu Yao held the emperor hostage to control the feudal lords, wielding authority over the court as a mere subject. She wasn't the emperor, but she might as well have been. Feng Li had to watch her expression in everything he said and did.

Feng Li endured the humiliation, playing the part of a dutiful puppet emperor in public while secretly building up his own power. Once his wings were fully grown, the first thing he planned to do was eliminate Fu Yao, the treacherous minister.

But before Feng Li could succeed, Fu Yao put a sword to his throat. "Your Majesty, if you make any more moves, I will have to respectfully ask you to die."

It was only then that Feng Li realized he was nothing in the eyes of this regent.

After that incident, Feng Li fell gravely ill. When he recovered, he no longer wanted to be a puppet emperor at anyone's mercy. He started opposing Fu Yao at every turn, fighting back again and again, only to be suppressed time after time.

Feng Li told himself that when the time came, he would take Fu Yao down with him. Then he accidentally discovered that Fu Yao was a woman, and changed his mind.

Ever since the southern floods were brought under control, Fu Yao had felt that Feng Li had changed.

At first, he had lain low, hoping to strike a fatal blow. Then he dropped the pretense and opposed her at every turn. Now he was solicitous, asking after her health and showing her every consideration. He was like a different person.

Fu Yao couldn't figure out what he was up to, so she simply stuck to her own ways and kept up the discord between ruler and subject.

Feng Li invited her to play a game of Go. Halfway through, she flipped the board.

Feng Li gave her a rare treasure. She refused both the gift and the gesture.

Feng Li summoned her to attend to him while he was ill. She brought a bowl of medicine, intending to splash it in his face, but when she entered his room, she found Feng Li disheveled and flushed, calling her name and saying he felt awful.

Without changing her expression, Fu Yao pressed a dagger below his abdomen. "If I let my knife fall, Your Majesty won't feel awful anymore."

[Reading Guide]

1. One-on-one romance, both leads' first time, happy ending.

2. I've read so many stories about powerful male ministers manipulating high-ranking female emperors, so I'm indulging myself by switching the roles.

3. The female lead disguises herself as a man, but will resume her true identity in the middle-to-late part of the story. She won't become an empress. If she becomes anything, it'll be emperor.

◆ Cover background by the artist ek

Theme: Even in the ordinary, a glimmer of light never fades