Main Character (Qin Nuo)
The unfavored 9th Prince out of 16 Princes and 20 princesses. He has a twin sister who is ranked 13th. His mother died shortly after giving birth to them. The emperor's health has deteriorated 6 months after his arrival and the crown prince (4th) is appointed to be the next emperor.
He was frequently bullied by the 10th Prince whose mother supported the empress faction. The 3rd Prince was crippled in battle and had an engagement with the empress' niece and tried to force himself on her when she wanted to break the engagement.
Part 1 - Surviving
Using the engagement, the new emperor and the empress dowager set up a plot for the 3rd Prince to rebel which resulted in the deaths of most of the Royal bloodline. Out of all the Princes, other than the emperor, the 7th, the 9th, and the 10th survived. Out of all the princesses, only 3 survived. One was already married out, MC's twin sister and a child. There were already marriage talks with the southern emperor who is 50+ yrs old... So can guess who's the next princess to be married out.
One year after the new emperor ascended the throne, he passes away because of illness and left an edict for the MC to take the throne.
Part 2 - Emperor
Spoiler
Next is tidying the inner court such as the military power and the empress family clan. The empress dowager and 10th Prince plotted to kill the MC but failed and are eliminated. Betrayals. Dealing with man-made plague, coming up with the idea of a bank, inventing bbq, better wine, better glass, gunpowder, messenger bird, etc.
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Part 3 - Journey
Spoiler
Plot against the southern tribes by cross-dressing as his sister to marry over and bomb the southern king's forces. Later escaping and becoming a saintess to plot with the southern tribes to turn against each other (not united)... took 1 Yr.
20 chapters of extra chapters that included dreaming into 500 years later where the later generations of historians converse of MC having 2 sons and one daughter, CP rumors with another emperor, guessing his plot...
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I think that ftm is just for the MC to not have a harem (faithful to wife), treating women equally (empathize instead of being pressured to follow the norms of men do all the work and women just stay at home and look after kids), and being able to come up with the idea of cross-dressing into a female several times throughout the story.
