“Emperor has passed away!!!”
The atmosphere in the mourning hall fell into a long, heavy silence due to Emperor Lingxiao’s death.
Even breathing felt suffocating.
The death of a ruler was a major event, so the hall was filled with kneeling civil and military officials as well as imperial concubines.
Feng Zhao knelt at the very front of everyone.
She couldn’t understand why she was reading a novel one moment, and after a nap, the entire world had changed.
Wasn’t the posthumous title “Emperor Lingxiao” the very same doomed emperor from the novel she had been reading?
So now—
Feng Zhao lowered her head to examine her clothes and realized she was wearing a bright red imperial robe embroidered with a phoenix about to take flight.
In this dynasty, only the empress was allowed to wear such attire.
So on the first day of her transmigration, her husband was already dead?
Feng Zhao took about fifteen minutes to organize her thoughts.
Just as she finally calmed down, she noticed a child kneeling beside her.
A boy, estimated to be about five years old, tilted his head at her and called, “Mother?”
Feng Zhao’s eyelid twitched.
What the hell?!
【Ding~ Dear host, your “Raising Cubs System” has been successfully installed.】
【I love raising cubs, and cubs love me. The boy in front of you is your adopted child. You must ensure he grows up healthy and happy!】
Feng Zhao took a deep breath. “Have you considered that I’m only 23 this year, I don’t even have a boyfriend—how am I supposed to raise a kid?”
She was a martial arts coach.
The only thing she knew how to do was beat people up.
【……】
Even the system seemed to freeze for a moment, glitching with random code.
While Feng Zhao was communicating with the system in her mind, her so-called “son” was already being bullied.
The bully was a woman kneeling not far behind her.
She also had a child beside her—an older boy, around fourteen years old.
The woman spoke:
“A country cannot be without a ruler for a single day. Now that His Majesty has passed away, we should quickly establish a new emperor.”
Concubine Wen looked at her son.
“The throne should go to the worthy and the eldest. The First Prince is virtuous and talented—he is fully capable of taking on this responsibility!”
【Ding~ New mission issued! Please stabilize your cub’s position and help him ascend the throne!】
【Reward: a random medicinal pill.】
Feng Zhao, newly arrived, had no enthusiasm for missions, and she also felt no affection for this suddenly acquired child.
No one could immediately accept suddenly having a child—this was even harder to accept than losing a husband.
【If the mission is not completed, you will be sent back to your original world.】
Feng Zhao was about to say, “Fine, send me back then,” but the system immediately added:
【Due to long-term sleep deprivation, your original body has already died of sudden cardiac arrest.】
In other words, if Feng Zhao didn’t complete the mission, there was only death ahead.
Whether for her own survival or to live better in this world, Feng Zhao had to help her current son resolve the situation.
She took a deep breath and stood up.
As the Empress, all her actions at this moment were under intense scrutiny.
Everyone’s eyes were on her, waiting to see how she would break the situation.
Indeed, compared to her—an empress in name only—Concubine Wen was far more favored, and her son was more outstanding.
The First Prince’s ascension seemed far more advantageous than the Ninth Prince.
Feng Zhao walked toward Concubine Wen. The concubine was not afraid of her at all.
To her, Feng Zhao was nothing but a useless empress who could be easily manipulated.
“Your Majesty, your health is poor. You should leave matters of governance to me instead and go rest in the ancestral temple—ah!!”
A scream rang out.
Concubine Wen clutched her face in disbelief.
“You dare hit me!!!”
“Why wouldn’t I dare?” Feng Zhao said calmly, her hands folded in front of her abdomen. The phoenix embroidery on her sleeves burned like fire.
She looked down at the kneeling concubine.
“You mere concubine dare raise your voice in front of this Empress. How bold of you!!”
Concubine Wen’s face burned with pain. Furious, she stood up and raised her hand to strike back.
She thought Feng Zhao was still the same easy target as before—but she was wrong.
Feng Zhao had already changed.
Before she could rise, Feng Zhao pressed her back down.
“Stay kneeling. I didn’t tell you to stand up!”
As a martial arts coach and gym owner, Feng Zhao had strong grip strength. A pampered concubine like Wen simply couldn’t break free.
Unable to move, Concubine Wen called for backup.
Her confidence had always come from her father, a powerful minister in court. Even the late Emperor Lingxiao had to listen to him in political matters.
Feng Zhao was not afraid. Instead, she directly asked the middle-aged man kneeling in front of all the officials:
“Minister Wen, do you have any objections to me disciplining an unruly concubine?”
Wen Chenglin certainly did, but he wasn’t stupid.
All the officials were watching. If he still wanted face and didn’t want to be condemned by scholars across the realm, he couldn’t admit it.
No matter how weakened things were, Feng Zhao was still the Empress.
“This old minister would not dare. Please proceed, Your Majesty.”
He first stated his stance, then tried to regain ground cunningly:
“Even a condemned prisoner knows the reason for their punishment before death. May I ask, Your Majesty, what justification do you have for disciplining a concubine?”
In other words: if you don’t have a proper reason, don’t blame me for acting against you!
But Feng Zhao was prepared.
“The Emperor has not yet been buried, yet Concubine Wen is already focused on seizing the throne instead of mourning. Even though the state must not be without a ruler, the new emperor should still be the legitimate heir. How can a mere concubine’s son be fit for the throne?”
She was openly calling Concubine Wen a concubine—and her son illegitimate.
“Even common families among the people of Cangyun State observe the distinction between legitimate and illegitimate children. Concubine Wen, how dare you!”
No matter how favored she was, no matter how powerful her father, she was still a concubine. A concubine could never surpass the Empress—that was the rule.
Concubine Wen trembled with rage. In her family she had been a legitimate daughter, and in the palace she had been a favored concubine all her life. No one had ever humiliated her like this.
She couldn’t believe Feng Zhao would say it so bluntly.
But Feng Zhao didn’t care.
Everyone in the hall already wanted her and her so-called son dead. Since they wanted her life, why should she be polite?
Every word should strike straight into their hearts—that was satisfying.
“So? You all look unconvinced. Do you think I said something wrong?”
Concubine Wen: “……”
All officials and concubines: “……”
“If there’s nothing wrong, then kneel properly and keep your mouths shut!”
After suppressing Concubine Wen, Feng Zhao did not continue discussing succession.
Knowing when to stop was important. She had already pushed them to their limits—pushing further might drive them to desperate action.
For now, she needed to survive.
And the throne—she was going to secure it.