Emperor Ye Fei of the Liang dynasty died suddenly. The cold face she saw before she died belonged to Zhang Ranzhi, her prime minister, her imperial tutor,
and the beloved from whom she had grown distant.
In the spring of the seventh year of Zhenghe, when the cold lingered despite the warming weather, Ye Fei woke from a nightmare. She had returned to the age of sixteen!
In the first year of Qinglong, children in the capital sang a nursery rhyme:
When the cunning hare dies, the hound is cooked;
When the birds are gone, the good bow is put away;
The fox calls at Zhang Gate, and should return home.
[The Zhang clan governs, while I alone perform the sacrifices]
I respected your ambitions, valued your talent, and loved everything about you. And what did I get in return?
A death that was not my own choosing.
In the Taiji Hall, Ye Fei stroked her imperial tutor's long hair and casually dropped an edict.
The Imperial Guard poured out in full force. The Zhang family estate in the capital was surrounded on all sides, and the city was thrown into an uproar.
A true feudal era with an ABO setting.
Some original worldbuilding: People present as alpha, beta, or omega at age fifteen. To ensure their families continue, noble houses will try to give all their children the same education.
ABO equality where circumstances allow, age gap.
Mad-dog younger emperor Ye Fei x hard-working, overworked prime minister, imperial tutor, and empress-consort Zhang Ranzhi
Theme: Strong, enlightened rulers are all villains
