The Nine Princes Vie for the Throne, and I Became A Qina?

(Signed, Di Hua, scheming, court politics, the struggle among nine princes)

An overworked corporate drone dies suddenly from working overtime, only to become the Eighth Prince Yin Si in the Kangxi era.

Yes, that unlucky fellow in history whom the Fourth Prince renamed "Aqina" and kept under house arrest until he died.

The good news: he no longer has to pay a mortgage in this life. The bad news: there are less than fifteen years until the "Aqina" package is delivered.

In his previous life, the only knowledge of political scheming he picked up at work came from Empresses in the Palace. Faced with the hair-raising struggle among the Nine Dragons for the throne, he has a sudden inspiration: play dumb and act useless. Surely no one picks a fight with a useless person?

So he publicly gives up on everything at court, and the ministers interpret it as "retreating to protect himself." He shifts the blame to his Fourth Brother, and his younger brothers applaud. He just wants to lie flat and slack off, but everyone imagines his actions as a master plan of far-reaching ambition.

What's worse, Fourth Prince Yin Zhen, who lives just across the wall, seems to have his eye on him. Every time he thinks his acting is flawless, that dark, inscrutable look from his Fourth Brother seems to say, "I've seen through you all along."

Isn't good food enough? Aren't beautiful women a delight? Why insist on fighting for the dragon throne? But when everyone is pushing you to be "virtuous," how are you supposed to prove that you really just... want to lie flat?