Who Says a Chancellor Can't Become Empress?

Xu Yao became the prime minister of the Great Xia Dynasty at a young age, rising to the highest ranks of power. Usually gentle and dignified, he was praised by all for his extraordinary grace. He was a wise minister, and the most beautiful person in the court.

The late emperor died of old age, and the newly enthroned crown prince, Xia Qing, was obedient and easy to manage under Xu Yao's guidance.

Xu Yao thought that if things continued this smoothly, he would soon control the court and realize his grand ambition of holding all power in his hands.

But one day, the young emperor on the throne suddenly came down with a high fever and collapsed.

Frowning, Xu Yao hurried into the palace. As he entered the bedchamber, the bewildered emperor turned to look at him, his eyes lighting up. With no regard for decorum, he exclaimed:

"Wow! What a gorgeous beauty! His affection meter is actually at zero!"

Xu Yao: "?"

...What?

*

Emperor Xia Qing seemed to have lost his mind. He spent his days saying nonsense and doing bizarre things.

When Xu Yao was writing memorials in the imperial study, Xia Qing leaned over beside him and cried, "Beautiful handwriting! Beautiful handwriting!"

When Xu Yao bestowed poems upon the new scholars at the Qionglin Banquet, Xia Qing grabbed his wine cup and cheered, "Beautiful poem! Beautiful poem!"

When Xu Yao sternly rebuked an enemy general for showing disrespect to the emperor, Xia Qing slapped his thigh on the throne and yelled, "So good, so spicy!"

Every few days, the young emperor would sigh at a corner of the room: "Sigh, the numbers are going up so slowly!"

Xu Yao: "..."

And that wasn't all. Xia Qing's behavior grew increasingly outrageous. He sent away the palace women who had come to be considered as consorts, sneaked out of the palace to buy a painting just to please Xu Yao, and even decreed that the prime minister should have the emperor's bedchamber. He declared outright that he wanted to sleep side by side with his beloved Xu every night, acting like a thoroughly tyrannical ruler.

As the young emperor Xu Yao had carefully raised grew more and more wayward, everyone at court was baffled, and Xu Yao was at his wit's end. Before he could come up with a plan, a prince in the capital saw his chance and rebelled.

By imperial decree, Xu Yao led troops to surround the rebels at the prince's residence. Just as victory was within reach, the rebel prince seized Xu Yao in desperation and faced off from a distance against the emperor, who had raced over on horseback.

The young emperor, who was usually so unserious, wore an expression of murderous fury that Xu Yao had never seen before. His eyes were bloodshot, and the veins stood out on the hand gripping his spear.

"Release Prime Minister Xu," Xia Qing said hoarsely. "Then I'll spare your life."

The rebel prince fought back desperately. "I am His Majesty's own brother. I am purging the court of traitors on His Majesty's behalf. What crime have I committed that I should die?"

"Your status is naturally higher than that of a minister," the young emperor said through clenched teeth. Then he asked in a low voice, "But what if Xu Yao is my empress?"

Everyone was stunned. The prince was so shocked that he dropped his dagger. "How could Prime Minister Xu be the empress?"

Xia Qing knocked the rebel prince to the ground with a thrust of his spear. Then he turned to Xu Yao, his face flushed, and cried out in a flustered fury:

"How absurd! Who says the prime minister can't be the empress?!"

"It's just that his affection score hasn't reached 100 yet!"

*Beautiful prime minister bottom x emperor top who transmigrated into a book; younger top

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