Disguised as a Man, I Tame a Spoiled, Foolish Emperor

[A woman disguised as a man, a lowborn lawyer × a fake playboy and foolish, incompetent emperor | Published on Jinjiang. Content warnings below. Thank you for bookmarking and supporting the story.]

Everyone said that Liang's new emperor, Fu Changyi, seemed destined to be a childless ruler who would bring about the dynasty's downfall. Memorials from civil and military officials piled up like a mountain, yet he spent his days sneaking out of the palace to hang around the capital's lowest-class commoners.

He had none of an emperor's bearing, but he looked every bit the spoiled young lord. No wonder a lowborn named Liu Qihuan had beaten him up.

Though, to be fair, he had started by bullying her.

Before he could find a chance to teach that "stinking brat" with the surname Liu another lesson, a group of officers slapped him with a murder charge.

"Do you know who I am?!"

"Who cares what you are? A life for a life, that's only fair!"

A tiger fallen to the plains is bullied by dogs. Only after Fu Changyi was arrested did he realize how serious things were. Was the dignified emperor really going to die at the hands of a commoner?

At this desperate moment, that infuriating "stinking brat" suddenly appeared.

"Brother Chang, would you rather be beaten or beheaded? Pick one."

Liu Qihuan stood in the courtroom, her patched clothes doing nothing to diminish her composed air. Her androgynous face was calm as she fixed him with beautiful, spirited eyes.

Fu Changyi: "...Can I pick neither?"

**

In the fifth year of Yongkang, a general amnesty was declared.

First edict: Abolish the system of hereditary lowborn status.

Second edict: Establish a system of female officials.

Third edict: Restore the Liu family's good name.

These reforms would benefit generations to come. Women would no longer be confined to the inner quarters, and commoners of lowborn status would regain their legal rights and live in peace and prosperity.

But the people did not give their heartfelt thanks to Emperor Yongkang, who issued the edicts. Instead, their gratitude went to Liu Qihuan, the orphan of a disgraced official who had once pleaded cases on behalf of the people and cleared wrongful convictions.

Everyone knew the three imperial edicts had originated with this lowborn woman. She had secured lasting peace for the realm. They also knew that the emperor's final decree was really an attempt to bring her back after she left the palace.

**

"Her thanks for my gracious favor? Qihuan sent back just those four words?"

The emperor's majesty was impossible to read. The mounted courier knelt before the throne, drenched in sweat. "...Yes."

"Didn't she say when she'd be back?"

"...No."

"Did you hear her clearly? Qihuan didn't ask you to pass along any message to me?"

The courier shook his head nervously under the pressure. "Your Majesty, Lord Liu didn't... didn't say anything."

"And did you tell her..." Fu Changyi glanced over the silent civil and military officials, who were as still as quails, cleared his throat, and said quietly, "Ahem, did you tell her I miss her, just a little?"

The courier, still prostrate on the floor, wished he could bury his head in the ground.

At last, Fu Changyi could no longer sit still. "I'm leaving the palace!"

The officials, who had been listening with their ears perked up, hurriedly asked, "Your Majesty, why are you leaving the palace?"

"...To find that blockhead!"

The blurb was first saved on July 14, 2023, and revised and expanded on January 30, 2025.

[Content Warnings!!!]

1. The setting is fictional, so don't overthink it. There are some mystery-solving elements, but you can read without thinking too hard. The female lead drew the cover herself, and a friend designed the background.

2. The male lead is a dog; the female lead is resilient. They're both stubborn as mules and hopelessly inept at flirting. They're sixteen or seventeen. A lowborn heroine fights her way to success and grows along the way. Happy ending. The original title may be restored.

3. Updates are slow without a ranking event and daily during one. I may edit and proofread the story from time to time. Friendly discussion is welcome; let's build a harmonious community. Thank you for your support.

Theme: The road ahead is long, and I will search high and low