Backstabbed for My Merits? I'll Crown Myself Emperor!

After conquering enemies and unifying the realm, General Zhao Yan returns in triumph—only to be thrown into prison by the paranoid emperor he served. Betrayed by the very female general he promoted, who breaks their engagement to curry favor, Zhao Yan realizes a bitter truth: he built this empire brick by brick, yet receives only treachery. His answer? Rebellion. Donning the yellow robe of imperial authority, he establishes his own dynasty—the "True Qi"—and forces neighboring kingdoms to recognize only his rule. As he blockades borders and crushes the economy, citizens flee the emperor's crumb…