I Want to Be Emperor

[A 40,000-character short story. Just writing for fun, free and non-VIP.]

On the very first day after transmigrating into ancient times, Chu Can knew she was destined to become emperor in this life. The reason? There was no reason. She simply wanted to.

The reason she transmigrated was simple, too. The newly appointed Grim Reaper had slipped up and sent her off before her allotted lifespan was over. Chu Can was furious and immediately filed a complaint!

The Grim Reaper trainee hugged Chu Can’s leg and told her how she’d spent several hundred years working her way up in the Reaper world to get this position. She promised to send Chu Can to a new world and grant any compensation Chu Can asked for, as long as she didn’t file a complaint!

Chu Can raised an eyebrow. “Really?”

The little Grim Reaper nodded enthusiastically. “Really!”

Chu Can: “Then can I borrow your scythe, the one you use to reap the lives of the living, and take it to the mortal world for fun?”

The little Grim Reaper clung to her precious scythe, crying her eyes out. “Sis, my scythe and I can’t be separated!”

Chu Can: “Fine, then. You and your scythe can come with me to the new world.”

The little Grim Reaper was just about to shake her head when Chu Can said, “Hmm? Then I’ll just file a…”

The little Grim Reaper: “I’ll go!”

In the year 1063 of the Qianyuan era, a concubine of Prince Chu Yi gave birth to a girl. Strange signs appeared at her birth: countless red lotuses blossomed in the sky, and the faint sound of a dragon’s roar came from the east. As soon as it sounded, torrential rain fell, ending a three-month drought. The venerable abbot of the Great Liao Temple personally visited Prince Chu and declared that the girl was destined for greatness, with a limitless future.

The Grim Reaper sat by the crib and chatted with Chu Can. “I’m amazing, right? With an entrance like that, even the King of Heaven would tremble!”

Chu Can was delighted with her from the start, too. A good start made everything twice as easy. She didn’t believe she could lose!

Unfortunately, things didn’t go as she hoped. The old Prince Chu was a useless father who clung to his precious sons and refused to hand power over to her. He kept saying, “Sweetheart, Dad loves you. No matter which of your brothers accomplishes great things, you’ll always be the most precious eldest princess. I’ll find you the finest husband in the world, and you’ll live happily ever after.

“Your injuries from the last battle haven’t healed, so you need to rest. Your deputy general is useless, and your military advisor is a treacherous schemer. I’ve already thrown those rebels in prison. As for that tiger tally, why don’t you…”

Chu Can: “What? What did you say?”

The Grim Reaper: “Chu Six, he looks down on you. I’ll go kill him!”

Chu Can: “Hold on. I’ll do it myself!”

The history books record that in 1080 of the Qianyuan era, the seventeen-year-old Emperor Zhengji, Chu Can, imprisoned her father, Prince Chu. Her second older brother raised an army of one hundred thousand with their three other brothers to attack her. Chu Can took ten thousand elite soldiers and cut her way through the enemy ranks, blade in hand. This became the most famous battle in military history: the Battle of Luling.

Emperor Ling relied on the Chu woman to restore legitimate rule, appointing her regent, making her a prince, and granting her the Nine Bestowments. In the years that followed, everyone in the land knew of Prince Chu, but not Emperor Ling.

Prince Chu wore her sword into court and called a deer a horse. The ministers dared not speak out, though they were furious.

When Emperor Ling’s health deteriorated, Prince Chu took charge of the empire in accordance with the people’s wishes. As she ascended the throne, strange signs appeared in the heavens once more. Everyone believed she had Heaven’s mandate and was meant to be emperor.

After her coronation:

The Grim Reaper stood beside the dragon throne, bowing and scraping. “Chu Six, I feel like you’re following a villain’s script!”

Chu Can propped her chin on one hand. “So what? If I say it’s white, then even if it’s black, it has to turn white. If I say it’s black, then even if it’s white, no one will dare say otherwise.”

The Grim Reaper: “So you can’t tell colors apart?”

Chu Can rubbed her brow. “We’re clearly not on the same wavelength. Isn’t it obvious? I’m following the villainous, evil power-up route!”

Important:

1. The female lead attracts unrequited admirers, but she has no feelings for them and only uses them.

2. The female lead swings between lawful neutral and chaotic evil.

3. Everything is made up, so don’t take it seriously. Thank you!

Theme: If you ask me, this dragon robe should have been mine all along.