Better to Be Emperor Than Chief Minister

Her father was surrounded and ambushed by Jin forces. Her elder brother's fate was unknown after he went to repel a Western Xia incursion. The court turned a blind eye, refusing to send reinforcements for far too long.

With no other choice, Zhe Yingyue secretly led troops to rescue her brother. But the two sides were so unevenly matched that none of those who went to help survived.

Later, a top scholar named Zhe Yanguan appeared in Lin'an.

Zhe Yanguan came first in all three rounds of the imperial examinations. When her name was announced before the palace, the emperor personally appointed her to office, and she was soon basking in glory. The factions at court all tried to win her over, and even the Fifth Prince, Zhao Jian, repeatedly showed her favor.

But she looked down on Zhao Jian. In her eyes, he was nothing but a gilded rice bucket, utterly useless. Associating with him would bring her nothing but extra scrutiny from the censors. After all, she was aiming to rise through the ranks and become chief councilor.

If military officers were looked down upon, then she would enter government through the imperial examinations. With her own strength, she would set the laws straight, repel foreign invaders, and bring peace to the realm!

But after becoming chief councilor, she realized that being emperor was a more reliable position. Only by taking that throne could she keep all power firmly in her hands.

*

Zhao Jian got his wish and was named crown prince, but he always felt that Zhe Yanguan was no ordinary person. He suspected the young top scholar was hiding some secret from everyone.

He secretly followed her after court and on her trips outside the palace for official business. To his surprise, he really did uncover a shocking secret.

No, two secrets.

First, several censors who usually prided themselves on their impeccable conduct had actually gone out together to visit brothels.

Heh. Those censors were always gossiping about him in front of Father. Now he had a chance to get his revenge.

Second, Zhe Yanguan was actually a woman!

Wait, that couldn't be right.

But before he could even process the shock, a hand seized him by the collar and pinned him onto the couch. "You... How dare you lay your hands on me, Your Highness!"

Zhe Yanguan looked down at him and said, "Your Highness has been following me these past few days. Could it be that you admire me?"

He blinked and, without an ounce of dignity, replied, "If you insist on thinking so, I suppose I wouldn't mind."

A fleeting dream of yellow millet, a land restored to its former glory

Reader's note:

1. The setting is inspired by the transition between the Northern and Southern Song dynasties. The official system is modeled on the Northern Song reforms of the Yuanfeng era.

2. The Zhe and Zhong family armies are inspired by those of the Song dynasty, but the characters are fictional and have no historical counterparts.

Blurb written on 2023.12.17, revised on 2025.2.3.

Theme: Be prepared in times of peace