Kidnap the Protagonist and Become the Bandit Chief

Blurb:

Huang Pu is about to graduate and hopes to find a good job, but unexpectedly, she wakes up inside a book as the newly appointed second-in-command of Mufeng Stronghold, a mountain fortress openly rebelling against the imperial court.

Less than two months later, the old leader dies in a fire, forcing her to take over as the new leader.

Huang Pu: "..." Whoever wants to be the leader can have the job. She's certainly not doing it. Instead, she simply kidnaps the male lead and makes him take charge.

She hears the male lead has a bad temper and is talkative and sharp-tongued. Sure enough, that's true, but it doesn't stop Huang Pu from flattering him and begging for a place at the top. She immediately declares, "That's great! A bad temper means you think for yourself, being talkative means you're lively, and a sharp tongue keeps people from taking advantage of you. The stronghold needs talents like you!"

She hears the male lead is domineering and devious, so Huang Pu quickly protests, "Domineering? That's called having the courage to take charge! He's a hero among heroes!!!"

A few unexpected things happen along the way, and the male lead ends up with the title of "Lady of the Stronghold," but he still does all the work of a leader! What a great person. He has no official standing, yet does so much work. Just her type. The only drawback is that even after gaining the title of leader, he still makes her do the work, like a lackey who jumps whenever she points.

Huang Pu: "..." Better to rely on yourself than on anyone else. She seizes power and takes the stronghold, fortifies it and recruits troops, swings along a ropeway, and uses the Thirty-Six Stratagems to lead everyone around by the nose, finally trapping them in a valley. Unexpectedly, as soon as the opposing commanders meet, the male lead respectfully greets the other man: "Elder Brother."

Huang Pu blurts out, "Elder Brother?"

Only when she goes over everything afterward does she realize she got it wrong from the very beginning: she kidnapped the biological younger brother of the novel's real male lead.

Notes:

1. The romance is a subplot. The main plot is about building up the stronghold.

2. The original novel's male lead is the second male lead in this story. This story's male lead isn't useless, it's just that his big brother's perspective makes him look that way.

Theme: Never bow to convention. Be brave enough to fight for what you want.