Then, although The Queen did not dare to speak plainly, William Carter also knew that, starting from the fifth generation emperor, the succeeding emperors were either mediocre and incompetent or absurd and unrestrained. Fortunately, the tiger’s might lingered even after its death—back then, George Washington and the next few emperors truly struck fear into the surrounding nations.

　　Thus, muddling along in a daze, the empire managed to scrape by for another nine generations of emperors in relative peace. As for the previous emperor, based on The Queen’s extremely veiled words, William Carter could more or less guess that he was a hopelessly muddle-headed ruler.

　　Perhaps the vast and bloated machine that was the Great Zhao Empire had truly begun to show signs of decay. So much so that the tigers, wolves, jackals, and leopards—those fierce neighbors who had been sharpening their claws for years—were now baring their savage fangs. At first, they merely plundered and burned near the borders, but when they saw that the Great Zhao soldiers were weak and their defenses lax, and the court even more feeble and helpless—

　　Their courage gradually grew, and what began as border harassment slowly turned into raids hundreds of miles deep, killing and looting as they pleased. After wreaking havoc, they would ride away at full speed, vanishing without a trace.

　　And that wasn’t all. Because the Great Zhao Empire had existed for so long, intricate webs of vested interests had formed, with factions supporting each other. Over hundreds of years, the aristocratic clans that had been gradually broken up during the Tang era began to rise from the ashes once more.

　　The political system was extremely bloated, and each family cared only for its own interests. The military was slack and undisciplined. After suffering several natural disasters, relief efforts were weak, and the people’s resentment toward the state grew. There were also those who, whether out of poverty or other motives, turned to banditry in the mountains, or became pirates who seized the seas and ravaged the coasts. All around, various tribes and peoples eyed the empire hungrily. It was truly a time of internal strife and external threats, with a storm brewing on the horizon.

　　By the time of William Carter’s predecessor, it happened to be the fifteenth emperor of the Great Zhao Empire. Previously, William Carter’s predecessor had been a prince known for his intelligence and wisdom from a young age. Some ministers, loyal to Great Zhao and possessing a spirit of concern for the nation and its people, placed great hopes in him, wholeheartedly supporting him, hoping that a wise and capable emperor could turn the tide and save the realm.

　　When the new emperor first ascended the throne, he did not disappoint. He was efficient and shrewd in his actions, showing some signs of diligent governance. However, after he, who had never been fond of women, became infatuated with a certain lady, not only did he defy all opposition to make her a favored consort, but he also gradually stopped attending court, as if he had become a completely different person. Though he had never been particularly kind, he had at least been normal before. Now, he became increasingly violent and ruthless, growing worse by the day. Especially after the favored consort died, he became utterly dispirited and his temper reached its peak. In the end, he even wanted to depose The Queen and posthumously honor the deceased consort as empress.

　　From The Queen’s vague and hesitant words, in which she dared not speak plainly, William Carter was able to deduce most of what had happened.

　　At last, he had a preliminary understanding of this world he had transmigrated into. Having read all sorts of wish-fulfillment novels on Qidian, when he learned that the emperor whose body he now occupied had changed so drastically due to his obsession with a woman, his first reaction was: conspiracy—a blatant conspiracy. And whoever could orchestrate such a grand scheme was definitely not a minor power.

　　Thinking of this, William Carter’s mind grew tense. Becoming emperor through transmigration should have been a tremendous stroke of luck. But he never expected that this country was already riddled with holes, and beneath the surface, powerful undercurrents were surging. If he made even one wrong move, he might end up like the previous emperor—framed without even realizing it.

　　Actually, his ambitions weren’t high. Having been given this chance to become emperor, he naturally had no desire to be some wise and virtuous ruler. He just wanted to eat, drink, have fun, and flirt with pretty girls. Why not enjoy life to the fullest? At most, he’d manage the country a bit on the side, just to make sure that if the nation fell, he wouldn’t lose his throne as well.

　　But now, it seemed that someone wanted to force him into being a foolish ruler who would ruin the dynasty and the country.

　　Fortunately, William Carter had read plenty of web novels, filled with all sorts of ingenious schemes and devious plots. For a situation like this, he did have some ways to cope. At the very least, while the situation remained unclear, he would go along with their wishes and obediently play the part of a muddle-headed emperor for now.

　　After all, being a muddle-headed emperor was his original wish. Playing dumb came naturally to him. However, if he wanted to enjoy a long and carefree reign as a foolish emperor, with no one able to threaten his throne, William Carter would have to secretly investigate the situation while playing the fool, and quietly cultivate a power base of his own.

　　Only with power could he talk about self-preservation, about purging and crushing his enemies.

　　“In order to comfortably be a true muddle-headed emperor in the future, I’ve decided to go all out,” William Carter resolved to himself. Every obstacle must be thoroughly cleared away and eliminated. Only in a peaceful and prosperous era could being a foolish emperor be truly enjoyable. Otherwise, if he were overthrown after just a few days on the throne, wouldn’t that be a huge injustice?

　　William Carter’s mind began to race. Just thinking about being an emperor, with countless beautiful girls taking turns to serve him, filled his heart with motivation, pure motivation...

Chapter 5 Governing a Great Nation Is Like Cooking a Small Fish

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