Reincarnated as the daughter of my mortal enemy, all I want is to ascend the throne.

Babies change every day.

Li Yan was able to walk on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month.

The wrinkled little thing turned into a soft and cuddly ball, and Li Yan poked her cheek.

Li Qingyan rolled over and grasped his fingers with her small, lotus-root-like hands.

"You can easily pull it out with a gentle struggle," Li Yan said gently, "you little brat."

He wanted to kill this guy when he was born.

But when he saw that she wasn't eating and the imperial physician said that the child was likely to die, Li Yan was somewhat incredulous. He couldn't believe that he, the true dragon emperor, couldn't even keep one person alive.

If Heaven wants this child to die, then Li Yan will ensure this child lives. He pinched Li Qingyan's cheek again before instructing the wet nurse, "Take good care of the princess."

This is the third princess in the palace. The wet nurses have never seen her mother, but they know that the emperor treats this child with special care.

They took care of her personally. These past few days, except when the baby was nursing, she hadn't left the palace. Even her sleeping was personally overseen by Li Yan.

Li Yan, who was "sick," finally appeared on the fifteenth.

The eldest prince, who was already two years old, greeted Li Yan respectfully, saying, "Your subject greets Your Majesty."

Even when he was very young, the eldest prince, Li Qinghong, was different from other children. Especially after he started talking, he learned things very quickly, as if he had never forgotten them in his previous life. He learned to read exceptionally fast.

Li Yan nodded and hummed in agreement. He treated all the children the same way, asking a few questions about their recent situation, and the eldest prince would inquire about what they had learned. He neither praised nor belittled them.

Treating everyone equally to an extreme.

"How is Your Majesty's health?" Consort Jing quickly brought out tea and placed it beside Li Yan.

The four concubines were all seated in the lower positions; no one was yet qualified to sit in the position of his deputy. That position belonged to the Empress.

Today he was to see the Emperor Emeritus. Li Yan did not want to see him, but filial piety was the reason for it, so even if he had to pretend, he had to do it properly.

The retired emperor's power was gradually stripped away, and some forces remaining in the court always tried to trip up Li Yan, but they were all thwarted.

There was no affection left between them, only hatred.

Li Yan led a large entourage to the Wenmian Palace.

Everyone followed Li Yan and knelt down, paying their respects to the Emperor Emeritus.

"Rise, all of you." The Emperor Emeritus's voice was somewhat hoarse. "Li Yan, shouldn't you expand your harem?"

"The borders have been unstable in recent years, and the people are suffering. I have no need to choose a concubine." Li Yan directly refused, implying that the retired emperor did not understand the suffering of the people.

With a "crack," the cup shattered, nearly cutting Li Yan's head. Fortunately, he dodged in time.

"This empire was conquered by me. If it weren't for me, do you think you could be sitting in this position, Li Yan?" The retired emperor was the founding emperor, and now he was truly aggrieved to be the retired emperor.

Li Yan's eyes were cold. "Father, I also started fighting alongside you when I was twelve years old. Otherwise, how could I have resolved the Crown Prince's coup?"

The concubines remained silent, each shrinking their heads as if trying to minimize their presence. The Vermilion Bird Gate Mutiny, a conflict between the former Crown Prince and Li Yan, who was then Prince Li, was a bloody massacre between brothers from the same father and mother that no one wanted to mention.

"You...you unfilial son!" The Emperor Emeritus stood up, panting with anger. "You've killed all your own brothers, and Li Yan, you won't have a good death either." He then left.

Li Yan scoffed coldly; if he didn't kill them, he would be the one to die.

His father and mother favored the former crown prince and doted on their younger son, but treated him coldly. In fact, the Empress Dowager even tried to kill him several times.

Li Yan found it laughable.

Having come to this point, Li Yan had no intention of reuniting with them. Just as she stepped out of the Wenmian Palace, a young eunuch rushed in to report, "The little princess is missing."

The other concubines had long known that a child was hidden in the Hall of Diligent Governance. The child's identity had never been revealed, so they pretended not to know. However, people around the emperor said that it was a little princess.

Has Li Yan acknowledged the child's identity?

However, it poses no threat to the prince's mother. No matter how much the emperor favors a princess, she will never be able to obtain the throne.

Consort Jing wanted to go up and comfort him, but when she saw Li Yan standing there blankly, she immediately stepped back and dared not approach. Li Yan's demeanor suddenly changed, becoming terrifyingly gloomy, and the children were on the verge of tears.

"Seal the palace gates until the little princess is found." Li Yan glanced at the concubines behind him, his eyes filled with murderous intent.

Perhaps they are mistaken; a princess does not mean she is without threat.

They searched from dawn till dusk, but there was still no trace of Li Qingyan. Li Yan held the child's tiger-head shoes in her hands, her face growing increasingly grim.

The wet nurse was murdered, but none of the palace maids and eunuchs guarding the door noticed.

No, Li Yan's eyes were getting redder.

His little rascal isn't that easy to kill.

Li Qingyan opened her eyes; the room was eerily dark. The woman holding her had red eyes.

"Flying fork, what is a flying fork?" Li Qingyan was startled; the woman's pupils looked as if they were stained red with blood.

[Host, this is a demon.]

Li Qingyan's lips twitched. "Demons? There are demons in this world?"

[Due to the program crashing after several failed missions, the world's structure became confused, and demons appeared in this world.]

"Delicious~" The woman's hair fell onto Li Qingyan's face. It was cold, and Li Qingyan felt cold all over.

The woman bared her forked tongue, her sharp teeth aimed at Li Qingyan's neck.

"Flying Fork, exchange for a disposable protective shield."

[He is the host.]

With a "bang," the fangs bounced off the golden barrier the moment they touched it.

But this thing can only block once...

Li Qingyan is currently an infant, so even if she exchanges for the weapon, she won't be able to use it.

She watched as the woman lunged at her with her mouth wide open, bigger than her body.

"Sorry, Flying Fork, it seems we're doomed to die here."

Li Qingyan closed her eyes; this time, she hadn't even had a chance to grow up.

The anticipated death did not come. Li Qingyan opened her eyes and saw an arm lying across her face, being bitten by a large mouth. Blood soaked through the crimson threads and dripped onto her cheek.

"How dare you commit murder in the capital!" The voice belonged to Yan Xu.

Yan Xu was dressed in red, with a red ribbon tied around his head that fluttered in the wind. The sword in his hand was the famous sword Xu Guang, and with each swing, the sword rang out in a series of melodies.

A sword pierced the woman's throat, and she let out a "ka ka ka" laugh that echoed through the night sky, creating an eerie atmosphere.

Soon, countless rats scurried out of the ground, and Yan Xu scooped up Li Qingyan in his arms.

"Exchange the flying fork for a demon-slaying talisman."

This would deduct two hundred points, and Li Qingyan felt a pang of pain.

The baby held up the small jade pendant and offered it to him, making "ya ya ya..." sounds.

Babies can't speak, they can only make a few sounds.

Yan Xu frowned sharply. "For me?" He then took the jade pendant, which turned into a wisp of green smoke and wrapped around his sword, causing the sword to gleam.

He swung his sword at the surrounding rats, and in an instant, the rats vanished into thin air.

Li Qingyan clapped and laughed.

Yan Xu looked at the child in his arms, his eyes softening considerably. The child looked somewhat similar to his younger brother when he was an infant.

With another slash, the surrounding rats vanished completely.

The woman lunged forward, only to be stabbed in the heart by his sword.

A bluish light instantly appeared at the wound site.

"what……"

The woman screamed, and smoke billowed from her body.

Finally, he tilted his head and breathed his last.

"As expected of the other dad I chose. Well done."