Becoming A Puppet Emperor At The Start

"Your Majesty, this is the roster of personnel changes in the new dynasty. Please take a look." Liu Bu unfolded a golden book with dragon patterns and laid it on the jade table in front of Xiang Yun. Liu Bu, a eunuch who looked to be in his fifties, had no beard, pale skin, and a effeminate demeanor. Although he was a eunuch, he held the official position of Assistant Minister of State, wearing a four-clawed golden dragon robe inlaid with gold and jade, a golden dragon crown with a pearl in its mouth, a gold belt inlaid with jade and pearls around his waist, and a glass yin-yang fish pendant hanging from his waist. He looked incredibly luxurious, dignified, and majestic, clearly a high-ranking and powerful nobleman. Before Liu Fuguo was a five-clawed golden dragon chair, two meters high and one meter wide, made of pure gold. This dragon chair was a symbol of authority, and only one person in the entire world could sit on it. Now sitting on this dragon chair was none other than the newly enthroned emperor of the Great Sun Dynasty, Xiang Yun! At this moment, Xiang Yun looked at the roster on the jade table, his mind blank, completely dumbfounded. What's going on? Why am I not in my messy, smelly little bedroom after waking up? Where am I? Why am I dressed so extravagantly? Is that chair made of pure gold?! Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through Xiang Yun's mind, causing him to furrow his brow as a flood of unfamiliar memories rushed into his head. As he sorted through these memories, Xiang Yun's brows furrowed even deeper, and his eyes became complicated. As a promising young man from the 21st century, at the prime of his life, Xiang Yun had to admit that he had transmigrated. His current identity was that of the Emperor of the Great Sun Dynasty, the ruler of the entire Great Sun Empire, a person revered by all. However, through sorting through his memories, Xiang Yun discovered that although his current identity was noble and powerful, it was merely a facade. In essence, he was like a puppet, utterly devoid of imperial power. His predecessor, Xiang Lie, his half-brother, ascended the throne after their father's death, but because he refused to be controlled by the powerful families, nobles, and the regent Liu Bu, he was assassinated by the leader of Liu Bu. Although it was an assassination, everyone in the world who wasn't a fool knew the truth. Panic gripped the land, fearing utter chaos. Just then, Xiang Yun, the only surviving direct descendant of the Xiang imperial family, only eighteen years old, was placed on the throne by the powerful eunuch Liu Bu, who declared himself emperor! Xiang Yun now had waist-length hair, wore a bright red brocade robe embroidered with five-clawed golden dragons, a golden dragon crown with a pearl in its mouth, and a carved dragon belt with a jade pendant the size of a millstone. While his imperial robes were imposing and powerful, they paled in comparison to the attire of the eunuch Liu Bu beside him. Liu Bu's clothes were far more befitting of an emperor! At this moment, Xiang Yun's mind finally calmed down. He had been overwhelmed by fear, his body trembling slightly, but he forced himself to suppress it, trying to remain calm. Turning his head to look at the imposing Liu Bu, Xiang Yun thought to himself, "If this man weren't a eunuch, he would probably have already seized power and become emperor himself!" He then glanced at the assembled civil and military officials below, all bowing their heads in silence, seemingly afraid of Liu Bu's imposing presence. His gaze then shifted to the two ministers leading the assembled officials: Qin Yu, the Assistant Minister , and Wang Teng, the Assistant Minister. The Great Sun Dynasty appointed three Assistant Ministers to assist the emperor in handling state affairs. These ministers held high positions and wielded great power, serving as the "pillars" of the Great Sun Dynasty. However, this immense power also meant they were subject to the emperor's control. If the current emperor's political views favored one of them, that person could become all-powerful and dominate the court. Qin Yu and Wang Teng were also silent, but Xiang Yun felt quite relaxed. As a 21st-century youth with extensive knowledge of feudal dynasty history, he was relatively comforted by his current situation of concentrated imperial power; it seemed there was something to be done. He just wondered what Qin Yu and Wang Teng were thinking, and whether they harbored any ambitions! Seeing Xiang Yun remain silent for a long time, Liu Bu stepped forward, took the imperial brush, dipped it in the imperial ink, and handed it to Xiang Yun, smiling as he said, "Your Majesty, please!" Those three words alone sent a chill down Xiang Yun's spine, and his recently calmed heart began to race again. Killing intent—Xiang Yun saw the intense killing intent in Liu Bu's eyes. If he didn't do as he was told, his days were numbered. Perhaps he would be the next emperor to die a gruesome death in the palace! To be honest, Xiang Yun was a first-time emperor and lacked experience, but he had watched many TV dramas. Could an emperor be intimidated by a mere eunuch? Xiang Yun refused! Forcing himself to calm down, Xiang Yun mustered his courage and didn't take the brush. Instead, without even glancing at the contents of the register, he closed it and set it aside. This action made Liu Bu's eyelids twitch, and Xiang Yun's next words only fueled his anger. Xiang Yun coldly said, "Liu Fuguo is getting old. Now that I have ascended the throne and am ruling in my own right, you no longer need to worry about state affairs." "Your Majesty, this…" Xiang Yun continued, "With me and the two ministers Qin Yu and Wang Teng here, Liu Fuguo can go home and rest peacefully, taking good care of his health!" Upon hearing this, all the civil and military officials in the hall raised their heads, looking at Xiang Yun and Liu Bu with faces full of doubt. The officials were all shocked. What did His Majesty mean? Was the emperor, whom Liu Bu had personally supported, going to break with him? This was a huge joke! Liu Bu sensed something was wrong, so he took the register, wrote Xiang Yun's name on it, and continued with a smile, "Since Your Majesty is unwell today, rambling incoherently in court, then this old minister will write in Your Majesty's stead, so as not to delay state affairs." Xiang Yun was furious. This old fool! He hadn't mentioned a word of what he had just said! Now, the other party was so blatantly humiliating him, and the prince and all the civil and military officials just watched silently, not a single one standing up to speak for him, not even the two regents, Qin Yu and Wang Teng. Just as Xiang Yun was enraged, Liu Bu grabbed his right hand and pulled it toward the Imperial Seal on the jade table before him. Xiang Yun was forced to pick up the seal and press it against the register. He tried to resist, but with each effort, an even stronger force came from his right hand, causing him excruciating pain. Finally, the seal was pressed into Xiang Yun's hand under his humiliated gaze, and only then did Liu Bu release his right hand. Xiang Yun quickly pulled his hand back, and glancing at his sleeve, he saw that the spot where Liu Bu had gripped him was purplish-red, a testament to the strength Liu Bu had used! Xiang Yun could no longer contain himself. He slammed his fist on the table, pointed at the prince and all the civil and military officials, and shouted, "Good! Good! Good!" Then, Xiang Yun abandoned Liu Bu and the officials, angrily turning and leaving. Returning to the imperial study in the palace according to his memory, Xiang Yun was already furious, his eyes red with anger. He cursed inwardly, "I can't believe that not a single one of the civil and military officials has any backbone! If only Qin Yu or Wang Teng had supported me, how could I have let this eunuch bully me!" "I refuse to believe that a dignified emperor can't defeat a eunuch!" Just as Xiang Yun was furious and pondering how to deal with Liu Bu, a richly dressed woman, escorted by palace maids and eunuchs, hurriedly entered the imperial study. Although she was a woman, she appeared to be no more than twenty years old, with fair skin and alluring eyes—truly a beauty of unparalleled grace. Xiang Yun was initially stunned by her beauty, but then calmed down, recognizing her through his memories as his wife, the Empress of the Great Sun Dynasty, named Mei Ru'er. Mei Ru'er, her face filled with anxiety, rushed into Xiang Yun's arms, weeping, "Your Majesty, today you angered Liu Fuguo in court, which terrified me! If Liu Bu comes seeking revenge, how will we face him?" Mei Ru'er spoke words of despair, but with such a beautiful woman in his arms, weeping so bitterly, how could Xiang Yun not soften? Though troubled, he didn't dwell on it for the moment. He could only comfort her, saying, "He's just a eunuch, I'm not afraid!" Just then, a young eunuch rushed into the imperial study in a panic, shouting, "Your Majesty, Liu Fuguo has broken in!" Mei Ru'er screamed in fright, and Xiang Yun quickly stood up to block her, shouting, "Insolence! Where are the palace guards? Seize him!" As soon as he said this, Xiang Yun immediately realized how naive he had been. Liu Fuguo, his face dark and menacing, strode aggressively towards the imperial study, followed by dozens of palace guards like lackeys. When Liu Fuguo entered the imperial study, Xiang Yun, instead of being afraid, became angry and mocked, "How ridiculous! You are all my subjects, yet you protect not me, the emperor, but a eunuch!" Liu Fuguo's face darkened even more. With a wave of his hand, all the guards behind him automatically withdrew from the imperial study, closing the door behind them. Now, only Mei Ru'er, Xiang Yun, and Liu Fuguo remained in the imperial study, and the atmosphere became somewhat tense. Liu Bu's gloomy face suddenly turned into a mocking smile. Looking at Mei Ru'er in Xiang Yun's arms, he said coldly, "I was wondering why His Majesty was behaving so strangely in court today, but now that I see the Empress here, I understand." Liu Bu walked slowly forward: "So it was all this vixen's doing, using sweet words to deceive His Majesty!" Mei Ru'er screamed in surprise as Liu Bu grabbed her and kicked her in the stomach. She immediately fell to the ground, groaning and screaming in pain. The palace maids and eunuchs outside the imperial study trembled with fear at the commotion, none daring to utter a sound. All of this overturned Xiang Yun's understanding. How dare Liu Bu treat an Empress like this? Xiang Yun had far underestimated Liu Bu's audacity. Liu Bu took out a silk handkerchief from his robes, wrapped it around Mei Ru'er's neck, and then slowly tightened it, looking at Xiang Yun with a mocking expression. Meiru'er turned pale with fright and cried out in panic, "Your Majesty, save me!" Xiang Yun was furious, his teeth clenched, and he roared, "You dog of a servant, what do you think you're doing? Release the Empress at once!" "Your Majesty is young and ignorant, unaware of the ruthlessness of this venomous woman. This old minister is doing this for Your Majesty's own good!" Liu Bu said, tightening his grip. Meiru'er was severely oxygen-deprived, her body began to convulse, her eyes rolled back, and she was on the verge of death. Liu Bu had already made up his mind to make an example of her. The Emperor was out of his control, something Liu Bu could not accept. If Xiang Yun hadn't just ascended the throne yesterday and it wasn't appropriate to establish a new emperor, it would be Xiang Yun who was dead by now. "Guards! Protect the Emperor! Quickly, guards the Empress!" Xiang Yun shouted towards the outside of the Imperial Study, but there was no response. Xiang Yun could no longer hold back. He looked around and found his target, pulling out a precious sword that was used as an accessory in the Imperial Study. Xiang Yun, sword in hand, stepped forward and pointed at Liu Bu, shouting, "You dog slave, release the Empress!" Liu Bu suddenly burst into laughter, "Hahaha, my little emperor has grown up! You dare point a sword at me! You've grown several times bolder in just one day! Do you really think that sitting on the throne makes you a lawless emperor?" Liu Bu tightened his grip, and the Empress of the Great Sun Dynasty was strangled to death! Xiang Yun, witnessing this, was utterly enraged. He rushed forward, sword in hand, ready to strike Liu Bu. Liu Bu easily dodged, slapping Xiang Yun to the ground, coldly sneering, "Your Majesty, how dare you! Are you plotting a rebellion against your subject?"