Back to Before the Tyrant Turned Dark

In the third year of Zhaoning, the Young Emperor lay gravely ill. The court officials and historians were in an uproar, demanding the execution of Su Jiao — that treacherous empress.

In her five years in the palace, she had been petty and narrow-minded by nature. Not only had she failed to manage the inner court well for the Young Emperor, she had allegedly killed his favored consort, cut off his line of succession, and single-handedly driven a once gentle-natured young emperor into becoming a tyrant — and on top of all that, had finally enraged him to death!

The court officials: What a heinous crime! Such a venomous empress must be sent to the underworld with a cup of poison to accompany him in death!

Su Jiao: I am truly being wronged!

The favored consort — he had killed her himself. The children — he had ordered their deaths himself. This tyrant had worked himself into his own grave. What did any of that have to do with her?

But no one in the court would listen to her cries. A cup of poison sent her down the road to the underworld.

****

When Su Jiao opened her eyes again, she had returned to her first year in the palace.

That year, the future tyrant was still a puppet prince confined to the Cold Palace — a pitiful little thing who would blush just from exchanging a few words with someone.

After countless failed escape attempts, and determined not to be scapegoated and die miserably as she had in her past life, she resolutely set out on the path of preventing the tyrant from turning dark.

Su Jiao worked diligently every day, attempting to reform him through words — holding an umbrella over him on rainy days, keeping him company in the Cold Palace day and night, terrified that one wrong turn in his development would cost Su Jiao her life.

The plan showed remarkable results in its early stages.

The tyrant went from being erratic and unpredictable at first, to calling her Jiaojiao every single day.

“When you become emperor someday, you must be diligent and gentle. Don’t become a tyrant — no one will like you if you do.”

A shadow flickered through the young man’s eyes.

“Understood, Jiao Jiao.”

Su Jiao watched with satisfaction as he rose from prince to the throne. Just as she was feeling light-hearted and ready to gracefully bow out, mission accomplished —

The pitiful little thing transformed in an instant. Dark and twisted, he locked her away by his side.

“If only Jiao Jiao had treated me like this in our past life, neither of us would have had to come back and do this all over again.”

Su Jiao: ?!

This tyrant — he was reborn too?