Chapter 2: I’ll Take Back the Realm for You

Chapter 2: I Will Take Back the Kingdom for You

The temple gate is wide open, but nobody burns incense; it's only when trouble hits that people scramble to offer pigs and sheep.

Yun Ran was no exception. After a moment of thought, she simply offered a silent prayer to Qin Shi Huang, Ying Zheng, in her heart.

After all, when it came to being a king, who could ever top him?

Yun Ran silently made her plea, then took a deep breath.

She lifted the curtain.

For a moment, she wasn't used to seeing the world from such a height.

This emperor was probably around six feet tall!

At least he wasn't a dwarf emperor.

All set and ready, Yun Ran set off with an air of authority.

She wanted to see for herself what kind of ghosts and monsters had pushed a sovereign to off himself.

Just moments ago, Yun Ran had noticed a scar on her wrist so deep it showed bone.

It was left behind by the original owner's suicide.

"Your Majesty, please proceed."

The eunuch in front of her kept his head down, but the corners of his mouth curled with barely hidden mockery.

As he turned away, a faint sneer slipped out,

"What a fool. Can't even dress himself right, and still dreams of being king."

Yun Ran's pupils sharply constricted.

Her body moved before her brain even caught up.

"Bang!"

The heavy imperial boot slammed hard into that fat ass in front of her.

"Ouch!"

Eunuch Huang hit the ground hard, face-first. He twisted around furiously,

"You son of a—"

The curse was about to fly out of his mouth when he met Yun Ran's icy, blade-sharp stare and heard her voice, cold as the bottom of a valley.

"I suggest you watch that dirty mouth of yours."

Those eyes!

When had Dan Junlin ever had a look like that? Wasn't he supposed to be a weak, timid coward?

Eunuch Huang swallowed hard. He had to be losing his mind—he actually felt like this fool could kill him any second now.

Either way, faced with that look, he couldn't get another word out.

All he could do was lower his head and hurry forward,

The malice in his eyes buried under his lowered head.

Dan Junlin, let's see how long you can keep this act up.

Yun Ran stayed completely unbothered.

If she weren't still trying to get a read on the situation, she wouldn't have let that dead eunuch live to see another sunrise.

After that, Yun Ran felt a sudden surge of emotion inside her—a lingering, unfinished resentment and pain, throbbing faintly.

In that instant, she recalled a flood of memories and fragments of what this body had been through.

Before she could sort through it all, she was already walking into the great hall.

Hmm?

On the dragon throne sat another man!

The Regent King, Dan Yanzhi.

It was like she instantly recognized everyone in the court, and every detail came rushing back.

This Regent King, when her father was on his sickbed, had promised to help the three-year-old Dan Junlin run the kingdom.

But his ambition knew no bounds. The moment the late emperor died, he had the young emperor locked away, teaching him nothing, slowly turning him into a useless fool who worshipped his royal uncle.

He wasn't truly stupid—but day and night, eyes were on him everywhere. Even eating, drinking, and taking a shit were monitored. At court, the Regent always took the dragon throne while the ten-year-old original stood off to the side.

This absurd life dragged on for eighteen years, right up until today.

The Regent King colluded with the noble families, bled the people dry, seized every military tally, and wrecked the original owner's dynasty and reputation beyond repair.

And the moment she crossed over was the exact day Dan Junlin turned eighteen.

In his final moments, he had knelt on the cold ground for a long time, kowtowing three times toward the east,

"Father, your son has failed you. The kingdom is in ruins—your life's work is destroyed, and I couldn't do a thing to stop it. I have no face left to keep living. Please forgive me, Father. I want this life to end."

Yun Ran glanced down at her wrist. The crimson wound hadn't scabbed over yet, deep enough to show bone.

She remembered her last hike in her past life. Somehow, she'd slipped and fallen off a cliff deep in the mountains.

She'd made countless enemies in her life—someone must've come for revenge. She'd figured she was dead for sure. But since heaven had sent her to take this person's place, as a trade-off, she'd reclaim his imperial ambition and his kingdom too!