Harem & Conspiracies: Emperor's Edition
"Modern Xiao Da accidentally transmigrates into the role of a tyrannical emperor of the Q Kingdom and gains the ability to read minds. Upon waking, Xiao Da discovers that the court is entirely controlled by Chancellor Fan Yun and Grand Marshal Xie Yao—a corrupt regime with the empire on the brink of collapse. Fan Yun seeks to install Prince Xiao Bu as the new ruler, while Xie Yao, leveraging his status as a royal in-law, aims to become regent. Meanwhile, the empress wants her son to inherit the throne so she can rule from behind the scenes. Adhering to the principle ""If I have no morals, no one can use morality to restrain me,"" Xiao Da decides to double down on his ""tyrant"" persona. Using an imperial consort selection as cover, he elevates Liu Qing, Xie Yao's political rival, to power and seizes control of the imperial guards. When envoys from the W Kingdom arrive in the capital, Xiao Da, defying convention and aided by his mind-reading ability, crushes their provocations in one stroke. Forced into a corner, Fan Yun resorts to killing the witnesses, and Xiao Da capitalizes on the chaos to establish the Western Bureau (a secret police force). Faced with Xiao Da’s relentless offensive, the factions begin open strife. Seizing the opportunity, Xiao Da extorts money, conscripts laborers to build a secondary capital, recruits craftsmen nationwide to develop luxuries, and appoints technocrats en masse—even abdicating to become ""Retired Emperor."" When Fan Yun rallies scholars to protest at the palace gates, the shameless Xiao Da orders the Western Bureau to slaughter them, declaring: ""As the Son of Heaven, I shall indulge my every desire!""—cementing his infamy as a tyrant. Realizing the emperor is beyond control, Fan Yun and Xie Yao join forces to plot rebellion—only to fall into Xiao Da’s trap and are both ousted. To save himself, Fan Yun refuses to implicate Prince Xiao Bu, who then allies with the W Kingdom and the Tatars, amassing 500,000 troops and 3,000 warships to invade the Q Kingdom. At the empire’s darkest hour, the craftsmen unveil countless advanced weapons, crushing the W Kingdom and Tatar forces. Xiao Da executes Prince Xiao Bu, consolidates power, and continues to ""misrule"" the Q Kingdom in his ""tyrannical"" style—living a debauched life with his harem of 3,000 beauties."
![[Dubbed] Return of the Martial King cover](/covers/847949.webp)