Currently building up a stockpile. Will start posting once it reaches 30,000 words.
An eccentric, clueless emperor with an overwhelming sense of justice, the bottom × a scheming, taciturn, secretly lovesick powerful minister, the top
Qi Xiaoran transmigrates and finds himself on the throne from the start, forcibly bound to a "Nation-Perishing System."
"Host, you must be a foolish ruler. Within one year, use your utterly inept governing skills to make a complete mess of things, bring suffering to the people, and successfully destroy the nation."
"Your capable minister will seize your troops, usurp your throne, and then exile you..."
Listening to this ridiculous plot, Qi Xiaoran raises a hand to call for a timeout.
Impossible. Absolutely impossible!
With his abilities and the advanced ideas of a modern person, how could he possibly become a foolish ruler?
He works hard, diligently and conscientiously...
And successfully turns the whole country into a complete disaster.
The justice-filled, clueless emperor clutches his head. "I don't want to be a foolish ruler!"
He resigns himself and shuts his eyes. "I may as well accept my fate and wait for the minister to usurp the throne."
Then one day, the minister who has forcibly put the country back on the right track storms into his bedchamber.
Just as Qi Xiaoran thinks he is about to die beneath the usurper's sword, the man pulls him into his arms.
"I've been exhausted all day. Your Majesty, please reward me tonight."
Qi Xiaoran: "Huh? Wait!!"
Why... isn't this how the story is supposed to go?
Wei Lin thinks the emperor has been acting a little strange lately.
Not only has he become naive and kindhearted, but his governing skills have also become utterly inept...
On top of that, for some reason, the emperor suddenly summons him one day. He used to fear him, avoid him, and keep his guard up around him.
"My dear minister, could you teach me how to govern?"
Is this... a ploy to lure him into a trap?
Wei Lin knows it must be a trap, but when he looks at the emperor, he just can't bring himself to say no...
So Wei Lin teaches him how to deal with the ministers. The emperor's mind goes blank, and he gets so nervous he can't sleep, until at last he can only call in sick.
Wei Lin teaches him calligraphy and how to review memorials. He studies carefully, but his writing looks like chicken scratch, so Wei Lin ends up reviewing them for him.
Wei Lin teaches him martial arts. He diligently practices the moves, but he still fights like an amateur, so Wei Lin has to lead the troops and put down the rebellion himself.
All right, so it wasn't a trap after all.
The emperor really is intellectually hopeless, kindhearted, hardworking, persistent, and refreshingly straightforward.
Finally, one day, Wei Lin reaches his breaking point. He falls backward and shouts, "You can have the throne! Go ahead and usurp it!"
"I only ask that you don't exile me somewhere far away."
Hearing what he truly thinks, Wei Lin smiles instead.
"I've never wanted the throne."
Bonus scene:
Years later, as Wei Lin reviews memorials, he looks at Qi Xiaoran curled up in his arms reading a light novel and asks curiously, "Your Majesty, what made you suddenly want to learn how to govern back then?"
Qi Xiaoran looks firmly into the distance.
"Because I really didn't want to be a foolish ruler!"
Theme: Never give up!
