Chapter 4: The Chosen One? The Male Lead?
Li Yuanzhao originally thought that he would smoothly inherit his father's throne and lead the Great Qi to an unprecedented golden age.
Until two years ago, she met a young scholar who volunteered to be her advisor.
She did indeed employ many truly talented and capable advisors in her household.
There were impoverished scholars who could compose eloquent and beautiful essays, craftsmen skilled in improving agricultural tools, shamanic healers from the southern border who were proficient in pharmacology and could cure all poisons, a foreign monk from the Western Regions, and many other extraordinary talents skilled in governing the country...
But they were not all young and handsome men, as the rumors suggested.
Although they are all quite handsome, they are not all men.
She would certainly not refuse someone with real talent who offered to serve her.
Li Yuanzhao was solving the puzzle left to her by the Grand Tutor at that time.
After listening to her subordinate's report, she lazily raised her eyes.
"Bring it in."
The man was dressed in a blue robe, appeared to be in his early twenties, and had an unremarkable appearance.
Upon seeing her, he showed no respect or fear whatsoever; he neither bowed nor knelt, but simply stood upright in place.
"Insolence!" Ru Mo shouted sharply from the side, his sword being drawn three inches with a "whoosh".
The man seemed to be frightened and knelt down with a thud.
Li Yuanzhao slowly raised his hand to stop Ru Mo, "It's alright."
"I heard you volunteered to come to my residence?" She casually tossed a chess piece onto the board. "Tell me, what skills do you have?"
The man raised his head and stared directly at Li Yuanzhao without flinching.
"My ability is to foresee the future."
Li Yuanzhao looked at him, almost wanting to laugh.
She glanced at Ru Mo with a hint of mockery in her eyes, as if to say, "Why do you bring all sorts of cats and dogs in front of me?"
A hint of embarrassment flashed across Ru Mo's face, clearly indicating that he also thought the man was talking nonsense.
Seeing her disbelief, the man said bluntly, "Tomorrow, an urgent report will come from the north. The Tibetans have launched a surprise attack on Shanzhou, and the defending general has been killed in battle."
The hall fell silent instantly.
The military report from Shanzhou was secretly delivered to her desk this morning, and even her father, the Emperor, is unaware of it.
But how did this person know?
Li Yuanzhao calmly took a sip of tea: "Continue."
Seeing that he had successfully gained her trust, the man in blue suddenly lowered his voice.
“I have come here not to serve as your advisor, Princess, but to form an alliance with you.”
"An alliance?"
Li Yuanzhao seemed to have heard a joke.
This was the first time in her life that someone had dared to speak to her using that word.
Seeing the doubt in Li Yuanzhao's eyes, the man knew he had to offer an even more astonishing bargaining chip, so he quickly said, "Princess, do you know what your true background is?"
Li Yuanzhao narrowed his eyes slightly, "My background?"
The man stood up on his own, sat down on the chair next to him, and began to talk at length.
What he said next was even more unheard of.
They say that although she is now a princess, she is actually just an imposter.
Before the late Empress gave birth, the Consort Gui, who had not yet entered the palace, secretly bribed the midwife to switch her with the real prince.
She was just a commoner's daughter, yet her fate was changed, and she became the most favored princess, enjoying the wealth and glory that should have belonged to others.
However, the real prince was left to wander among the common people and suffered greatly.
Although Li Yuanzhao found it absurd and wanted to kill the man, he patiently listened to the story.
The man continued, "This prince is no ordinary person; he is the protagonist of this male-oriented wish-fulfillment novel."
He also thoughtfully explained what "male-oriented wish-fulfillment novels" are and what a "protagonist" is.
In general, "male-oriented wish-fulfillment novels" are stories where the world revolves solely around the "protagonist," who is the chosen one.
He gains powerful abilities through various fortuitous encounters and special advantages, enabling him to "play dumb to fool others," "turn the tables," and "make a comeback against all odds," ultimately reaching the pinnacle of power, gaining beautiful women and followers, avenging his enemies, and achieving the ultimate success in life.
The protagonist of this world, though currently living among ordinary people, has unexpectedly benefited from misfortune.
He was rescued by a master when he was young and learned some basic martial arts skills. At the age of twelve, he met a frustrated scholar and learned to read and write.
Unexpectedly, on his way to the capital to make a living, he was spotted by the licentious and dissolute princess, who abducted him on the street and brought him to the palace, attempting to force him into a relationship.
But because of this, he happened to see a portrait of the late empress in the painting gallery of Xihe Palace and realized that he looked exactly like the deceased empress.
He secretly investigated the truth at the Princess's residence and finally discovered that he was actually a prince who had been living away from home.
After that, his fate took a dramatic turn. He debated with a group of scholars at a poetry gathering, winning the favor of the Grand Tutor; he even saved General Shen from assassination during a hunt, forging a bond of life and death; later, he helped the framed commander of the Imperial Guards escape a predicament, winning him over and earning his sworn loyalty...
A host of stunning beauties followed one after another. The prime minister's eldest daughter insisted on marrying him after being rescued by a hero; a holy maiden from the southern border with unparalleled medical skills cured his poison; a female merchant with wealth beyond measure helped him generously; and even a princess from an enemy country secretly fell in love with him...
Finally, at the New Year's Eve banquet, when he and the emperor locked eyes.
Her appearance, so identical to that of the late empress, brought tears to the old emperor's eyes.
After the blood test to verify kinship, the true dragon, who had been living among the common people, finally returned to his rightful place, ascended the throne, and became emperor, enjoying a harem.
After hearing the entire absurd story, Li Yuanzhao couldn't help but chuckle.
"And what about me?"
Seeing that she was interested, the man quickly moved a few steps closer.
"You? You're nothing more than a villainous character on the path of the chosen one's extraordinary destiny, who repeatedly tried to kill the male protagonist, and was ultimately stripped of her title as the eldest princess by the Emperor and demoted to a commoner. However..."
He smiled ingratiatingly, "The male lead is kind-hearted, so he still took you into the harem and made you a concubine. That's a way to maintain your status and wealth."
The man didn't notice the coldness that flashed in Li Yuanzhao's eyes and continued, "But... you were too arrogant and domineering in the book. You even tried to poison the Empress. In the end, you were rejected by the male lead and ended up being imprisoned in the cold palace and dying suddenly."
Li Yuanzhao looked at him coldly, "Since you believe that the so-called male protagonist you speak of is the chosen one, why did you come to me and tell me all this?"
A glint of fanaticism flashed in his eyes, "Ever since I transmigrated, I've been searching for the male lead, but after more than a decade, I still haven't found him."
"But I knew he would appear before you, so I had to come to you first."
He became more and more excited as he spoke: "So... Princess, let's cooperate! As long as I help the male lead ascend the throne, I can be made a marquis and appointed as prime minister! Then you... can also become empress by virtue of your merit in helping the emperor."
"The Empress?" Li Yuanzhao raised an eyebrow.
"Yes! That's second only to the emperor, above ten thousand others, a thousand times better than your original ending!"
After hearing his words, Li Yuanzhao suddenly burst into laughter.
"Hahahaha, your story is absolutely brilliant."
"This isn't a storybook, no, no, no..." the man explained frantically, "Although it can be considered a storybook, it's true! You only need to wait two years, and a man will fall down in front of your horse..."
Li Yuanzhao coldly interrupted, "Anyone who blocks my horse will be killed by me."
"He is the chosen one, the protagonist of this world, you can't kill him!" The man's voice trembled with anxiety. "If you kill him, this world will cease to exist."
"Oh?" Li Yuanzhao slowly rose and leisurely drew his sword. "Since I can't kill him, can I kill you?"
The man's face turned deathly pale: "No! You can't kill me! I'm a transmigrator, I have a system... I can help you..."
Before she could finish speaking, the man had already been stabbed to death by her sword.
"So noisy!"
Li Yuanzhao flicked the blood off his sword, looked at the still convulsing corpse on the ground, and frowned in disgust.
She wasted half a day listening to such an absurd story.
What time travel? What system? What destiny?
This is unheard of!
But as she turned around, the man's words suddenly flashed through her mind.
He said the man looked exactly like the late empress.
Li Yuanzhao unconsciously touched his face.
Indeed, she did not resemble her mother, nor even her father.
if……
Is it true that there's a one in ten thousand chance that this person said?
No! Impossible! She would never accept such a fate!
Make her relinquish her power and become a sex object for pleasure?
Are you kidding me!
"Drag this man's body out and feed it to the dogs."
"Yes, Your Highness."
Ru Mo immediately waved his hand, and two guards stepped forward and dragged the body away.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com