Chapter 1

Amidst the red walls and yellow tiles, majestic palaces rise and fall in succession.

In the grand palace of the Great Qian Dynasty, lush green plants thrive, birds sing, and flowers bloom, creating a picturesque scene.

A stifling breeze blew by, and Li Qian slowly regained consciousness, feeling weak and as if his eyelids weighed a thousand pounds: "Wh... What's going on?"

"Your Majesty! You've finally woken up!"

"Your Majesty, you just had a heatstroke. Are you feeling better now..."

Voices buzzed around him, startling Li Qian. He struggled to lift his heavy eyelids.

Around him were guards in bright uniforms, holding gleaming weapons, a few young eunuchs in green robes, and an old man in white, who was taking his pulse.

Li Qian himself was dressed in a bright yellow dragon robe, leaning against the cool shade of a corridor.

'An emperor? Did I穿越 (time-travel)? And I became an emperor??'

Li Qian's eyes were filled with disbelief.

As a diligent and hardworking salaryman who had worked for most of his life, Li Qian had never imagined that such a great fortune would fall upon him.

"Your Majesty has woken up! Your Majesty has woken up!"

The guards around him exclaimed in surprise, and even the old man in white smiled with relief: "Your Majesty is not fully recovered yet. You need to drink some restorative and heat-relieving soup."

As he spoke, a voice called out from a distance.

"Here! Foster Father! I've brought the restorative soup for you!"

Li Qian turned to the direction of the voice and saw a tall and imposing guard running towards him, holding a water flask and a medicine bag.

The man was well-built, with a sword-like brow, exuding a commanding presence.

Li Qian was taken aback: 'Is this my foster son?'

'What the heck, he looks older than me!'

'Why would he call me father?'

"Quick, help the Emperor drink the medicine." A few young eunuchs in green robes hurried over.

Li Qian, supporting his weak body, took a few sips of the sweet-tasting medicine, and felt his strength return a bit.

Seeing his improved complexion, the foster son also smiled with relief: "Foster Father, it's good that you're fine. It seems the soup I fetched really works."

Feeling better, Li Qian instinctively joked: "Fengxian did a good job."

As soon as the words left his mouth, Li Qian froze.

'I said the wrong thing... Why did I call him Fengxian? Will he see through my identity...'

To his surprise, the foster son's smile was as sweet as honey: "It's all thanks to your guidance, Foster Father!"

The guards and eunuchs around him showed no signs of suspicion.

Li Qian looked at his foster son in disbelief, thinking of a possibility: "Lü Bu?"

The foster son was a bit puzzled: "Lü Bu is here. What do you need, Foster Father?"

"You..." Li Qian's face stiffened.

This man with thick eyebrows and a stern look was actually Lü Bu?

Isn't he the one who kills his foster father?

I was too happy too soon...

Just as Li Qian realized this, a sharp pain shot through his head, and a flood of memories surged in.

The Great Qian Empire... the feudal states... the northern grasslands...

Li Qian was originally a spoiled prince, who had just ascended the throne as the Emperor of the Great Qian Dynasty a few days ago.

However, the current Great Qian was in a precarious state, like a palace built on sand, always on the verge of collapse.

The Great Qian was a feudal state, similar to the Zhou Dynasty of his previous life, with many feudal lords.

After years of warfare, the three most powerful feudal lords were: King Qin Ying Zheng, King Han Liu Che, and King Ming Zhu Di.

Li Qian didn't know how these three people ended up in the same era, but he understood that any one of them could end the precarious Great Qian and his life.

Moreover, as the Emperor, he had no army or power, with all authority concentrated in the hands of the court officials.

Among the civil officials were four pillars of the state: Yan Song, Qin Nai, He Shen, and Cai Jing.

The military was led by three generals: Grand General Yang Jian, Supreme Commander Zhao Kuangyin, and Duke of Tang Li Yuan.

The names of these people made Li Qian's heart race.

In addition, the northern grasslands were ruled by the great Khan Genghis Khan, who controlled the Yuan Empire, with three vassal states: the Jin, the Turks, and the Huns, all eyeing the Great Qian with covetous intent.

Guarding the borders of the Great Qian Dynasty were two capable generals: Wu Sangui and Shi Jingtang.

Of course, the Li royal family of the Great Qian was not without resistance.

At the very least, Duke of Tang Li Yuan, who was mentioned earlier, was a member of the royal family and Li Qian's paternal uncle.

However, Li Qian had two older cousins—Li Jiancheng and Li Shimin.

If Li Qian were to 'unfortunately' die, the throne might fall to one of them.

'Sure enough... I was too happy too soon...'

Li Qian now felt a toothache.

This hellish start, who wouldn't die if they came here?

Recalling these names, his head ached.

'Maybe... I should just be a laid-back emperor and try to avoid these powerful people as much as possible?'

In his previous life, Li Qian was a history enthusiast and had read many related books, but the current situation was no longer just about books.

This was a matter of practical operation, and no amount of book knowledge would help.

Moreover, the current situation had reached a delicate balance. If Li Qian, sitting at the top, made any rash moves...

The Great Qian, this palace of sand, might crumble.

And he would be crushed to pieces.

"Foster Father? Foster Father?"

Seeing him lost in thought, Lü Bu asked worriedly: "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

Li Qian shook his head and extended his arm, signaling the young eunuchs to help him up.

Just as the eunuchs were about to help, Lü Bu pushed them aside, giving them a stern look.

He smiled obsequiously and supported Li Qian: "Foster Father... those people are clumsy. Let me do it!"

"Are we still going to see the concubine candidates today?"

Li Qian was taken aback, remembering the selection of concubines.

Originally, he was a bit hesitant, as he had never been in a relationship in his previous life and had little contact with women.

But then he thought, if he remained a bachelor after time-traveling, wouldn't it be a waste?

An emperor without a harem, can he even be called an emperor??

Li Qian's expression turned serious: "This is the foundation of the state. We must not delay. Let's go now!"

Lü Bu immediately bowed, his voice unusually loud: "Foster Father is wise!"

He then glared at the surrounding imperial guards and eunuchs: "What are you waiting for? Quickly prepare the sedan chair for the Qianyuan Palace!"

The Great Qian Palace was vast, and Li Qian's sedan chair moved north along the corridor, arriving at the Qianyuan Palace.

At the palace gate, palace maids and eunuchs were already kneeling on the steps.

"Your Majesty."

"Rise." Li Qian, sitting in the sedan chair, waved his hand casually.

But at that moment, a mournful cry came from the side.

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty! Your servant is late!"

Li Qian turned to see a sorrowful old eunuch in a crimson robe running towards him, followed by a group of eunuchs.

The palace maids and eunuchs around him all changed their expressions, bowing even lower.

Lü Bu's face darkened, clearly not getting along with this old eunuch.

"Uh..."

Li Qian recognized the man: "Wei Zhongxian... Great Companion?"