Transmigration: The Fate of the Villainess

That was what his mother had always said to him. Ever since he could remember, he had done everything in order to seize the throne. He diligently studied to put himself ahead of his siblings. He diligently trained in martial arts and magic to protect himself from assassination attempts. All his life, he had to fight and compete for the dragon throne.

Though he could not live an ordinary life like other children, Ouyang Hongxian never blamed anyone. He only felt a slight regret. Still, he continued to persevere. He had to be perfect in his duty so that one day he would be a good emperor, as his mother wished, and so that the people could live peacefully, as his father hoped.

The path to the dragon throne was bathed in blood. Ouyang Hongxian could not afford to have a weak point. That was the reason he never intended to love anyone, no matter how long he had married them into his palace.

Ouyang Hongxian’s love immediately became Ouyang Feilong’s as soon as he was born.

This was the love that even his own son, who was similar to his brother in age, did not receive. The blood, sweat, and tears Ouyang Feilong had lost in striving to support him and their mother were known best by him, his older brother.

For certain reasons, his mother never loved her youngest son. She sent him to the border with the excuse of letting him train himself. She intended to turn his brother into a stable foundation that would support him, her favored son, to the throne.

The political war that he was born into and had grown up in. His and his mother’s cruelty. His younger brother knew none of it.

Ouyang Feilong only knew direct war, where one killed enemies with one’s own hands and not by using others’ to murder, as what his mother was doing to her youngest son.

.....

Mother had expected Ouyang Feilong to be a woman. She cherished her second pregnancy with the hope that the ‘girl’ in her womb would become a bridge of power to help him ascend the throne. Yet everything was shattered when Ouyang Feilong was born. Mother was greatly disappointed at his brother’s sex, while Ouyang Hongxian was overjoyed, nonetheless.

Father named his baby brother ‘Feilong.’

That day, he gazed into his father’s golden eyes. Ouyang Hongxian instantly understood that he wanted his brother to be a dragon that flew freely as his heart pleased. It was unlike his name, ‘Hongxian,’ which meant the great omnipotent god.

That day, he asked himself for whom he was fighting.

As an emperor, he obviously fought for the people of Da Yang.

As a son, he obviously fought to repay the debt of life by fulfilling his parents’ wishes.

And as a man who should not carry any woman in his heart, Ouyang Feilong became his answer.

He must protect this child and take care of him.

Mother did not pay attention to his brother much, while she always cared about him, the future-to-be emperor.

Ouyang Hongxian dedicated himself to raising Ouyang Feilong by himself for many years. Though he had to do it in secret, though he had to hurriedly handle complicated royal affairs, he still found time to meet his brother as much as possible.

Ouyang Hongxian was more devoted to this child than to his newly born first son.

It was not incorrect to say that Ouyang Feilong was no different from his own son.

The days of the two siblings passed with hardship.

Ouyang Feilong grew up receiving only Ouyang Hongxian’s smiles and warmth.

Ouyang Hongxian raised his brother with all he had so that he could do everything Ouyang Hongxian never had an opportunity to do and so that he could enjoy the freedom Ouyang Hongxian could never have.

These luxuries came in exchange for Mother’s love for Ouyang Feilong, which slowly waned. And when his brother grew to resemble their father more and more, she could no longer remain patient. Ouyang Feilong was sent to the border, with him being unable to stop it.

But that was what he and Father wanted. Father knew best of Mother’s hatred, and so he easily agreed with Mother’s decision to send Ouyang Feilong to the border. At least it would be better than living in the royal palace, where his life could be lost at any time no matter how much he tried to beg for mercy.

The more his Long-er grew, the more he was similar to their father.

Father was impeccable in his role as the emperor. He was a good father but the worst husband… He took Mother away from her lover in order to marry her and use her family’s power to shore up his claim to the throne. Then, he could not stop himself from falling in love with his own guard, the man who he had grown up with.

But in order to fulfill his duty as the emperor and to protect the secret, he continued to produce sons and daughters.

This was the root of Mother’s hatred toward Father, which was passed on to Ouyang Feilong, who had had the same beautiful face as Father ever since he was young.

Because of this secret, Ouyang Hongxian poured every drop of love he could into Ouyang Feilong. The two siblings understood each other’s feelings, while none of the others could.

The word ‘power’ blinded them to the point of forgetting the significance of blood ties. If it was his other half-siblings, he could accept that power would make it impossible for him to call them brothers or sisters. But with his younger brother, whom he had raised himself, he could not.

And that day, his little boy was finally given the freedom he had wished for all his life.

‘It might not be a comfortable place, but I hope you’ll be able to live in my stead as well.’ He told his five-year-old brother with a warm smile on the day they hugged and farewelled. Obviously, Ouyang Feilong at that time did not understand his words. His beautiful face was stained with tears, though there was no sound of sobs.

Still a child.

Still smiled often.

Still cried easily.

But as time passed, a black dragon mask replaced his smile. The enemy’s blood replaced his tears. Ouyang Feilong had grown up on his own path.

Through the many years that passed and the distance that separated them, Ouyang Hongxian never neglected to find time to visit his brother. The little boy who had cried while holding on to him tightly had now grown into a man who rode gracefully on his horse.

Until the day Ouyang Hongxian became emperor.

Because of that boy, he could take this throne.

Because of that boy, he took this throne.

When a day came when he was exhausted, when solitude plagued his heart after the passing of his empress, he said he would give the throne to him. Yet that boy replied that he never wanted it.

As he heard those words, he gained the conviction to push Ouyang Feilong away from the path he did not want.

But Ouyang Feilong’s ability was his pride. He could not bear to take it away from his brother. He gave power to that boy, who was his pride and joy, and gave as much as the boy was owed until the courtiers and his mother started to become suspicious in his place.

As a solution, he had sent his brother to be stationed at the border all along. His mother was satisfied with his choice.

Still, another crux that could become either a chain or freedom for Ouyang Feilong was ‘a woman.’

Ouyang Hongxian often sent beautiful women who did not have family backing to Rui Wang Palace. However, his brother was never interested in them. He would instead ask him to take them out of his palace every time they were in private.

Ouyang Hongxian thought long and hard. He was worried that his brother, who had spent the majority of his life in the military, might be a cut sleeve. As his sole caretaker, Ouyang Hongxian felt slightly pained, though he then decided to send some beautiful men to Rui Wang Palace to please his younger brother too. Maybe he was actually following in Father’s footsteps.

However, all his thoughts were halted when, one day, his brother changed. Others might not notice, as the person who had raised the man himself, Ouyang Hongxian, naturally, noticed. Then, he paid more attention to his brother.

Until one day, Ouyang Feilong agreed to take off his mask in exchange for him not marrying a woman into Rui Wang Palace.

The first woman his brother spoke of.

The woman whose power made his brother come to him to ask for advice. For Mother’s peace of mind and for the appropriateness of power, he would not enter the palace unless he had to.

Many times, he tested Ouyang Feilong. He mentioned that woman by name, he teased him about her, he summoned her to speak with him, yet his brother remained tightlipped. Except Ouyang Hongxian could see through the look in his eyes.

As a brother, Ouyang Hongxian would naturally be glad that his brother was not a cut sleeve. Furthermore, he fell in love with the intelligent, beautiful, and capable woman such as ‘Bai Yu.’

But as the emperor…he could not easily grant his brother’s love. Miss Bai’s family held too much power. Furthermore, mother was aiming to make her his son’s Wang Fei. As a brother, he could easily fulfill their love. But as the emperor, he must be cautious.

No matter what power that woman had, no matter how great she could shake the foundation of this throne…Ouyang Hongxian could not care less. He only cared about making his brother happy.