The Emperor's Lucky Fish
Death by Explosion, Rebirth by Pond
The sound of gunfire was the only thing that felt real.
Ethan Li pressed his back against the crumbling wall, smoke and dust filling his lungs. The enemy had surrounded them, and the timer on the explosive pack blinked red like a heartbeat that was about to stop.
“Captain, we can’t disarm it!” his teammate yelled.
Liang Yu(MC)
(Smiled faintly)Then we make sure no one else gets caught in it.
He shoved his friend back toward the tunnel and ran forward. The world went white.
When he opened his eyes again… he couldn’t breathe.
Water. Everywhere. His body felt wrong—smooth, slippery, light. He tried to shout but only bubbles escaped his mouth.
He twisted, flailing—only to see a glimmering fin slap him across the face.
Ethan Li(MC)
“...No. No way.”
He spun in circles, realizing his reflection shimmered beneath the surface. Scales. Red and gold. Big round eyes
Ethan Li(MC)
“OH, COME ON!” he tried to scream, but it came out as a weak blub.
For a while, he floated in shock, watching other koi lazily drift by, minding their own peaceful, fishy business.
So this was it? Reincarnation? He’d heard of being reborn as a hero or a prince, but a koi? What kind of cosmic joke was this?
As he swam around, his instincts kicked in. The pond was big, beautiful—lined with lotus flowers and bordered by curved marble stones. The scent of cherry blossoms drifted faintly above.
He didn’t know it yet, but this wasn’t just any pond.
It was inside the imperial palace.
“Your Majesty,” a calm voice echoed from above the water. “This morning’s omen is favorable. The royal pond’s newest koi glows brighter than the rest—surely, a sign of fortune.”
Ethan glanced up and froze.
A man stood on the bridge overlooking the pond, his black hair tied with a golden clasp, robes flowing in silk and red. His presence radiated quiet authority—the kind that could silence a room just by existing.
The guy looked serene, noble… and far too close to the edge.
Ethan’s body stiffened. That strange gut feeling from his soldier days—the one that screamed danger!—sparked in his chest.
He looked around. A shadow moved in the reflection of the water—someone behind the Emperor.
Without thinking, Ethan leapt. His fish body shot out of the water, splashing wildly toward the Emperor.
The startled ruler stepped back, right as a poisoned dart zipped past his sleeve and struck the wooden railing instead.
Gasps filled the air. Guards rushed in, shouting. The assassin was caught moments later.
And in the chaos, Ethan drifted back into the pond, wheezing silently.
Ethan Li(MC)
"...Did I just save a king by flopping?"
The Emperor stared down at the pond, droplets sliding from his sleeve. His gaze softened slightly as he looked at Ethan’s bright red scales glimmering in the sunlight.
Emperor Wen Zhao
Remarkable (Murmured). A lucky fish indeed.
Ethan Li(MC)
"Lucky, huh?"
Ethan sank to the bottom of the pond, bubbles escaping his mouth in pure disbelief.
Ethan Li(MC)
"The first mission in my new life is to be a fish bodyguard. Fantastic."
His Majesty’s New Bodyguard
Ethan had been through a lot in his life—ambushes, explosions, enemy camps—but nothing compared to the current humiliation of being fed with a tiny golden spoon.
From the Emperor himself.
“Your Majesty, you don’t need to feed the koi personally,” said a nervous eunuch.
Emperor Wen Zhao
Nonsense (replied smoothly). This one saved my life. It deserves proper treatment.
Ethan stared at the human face leaning over the pond, his reflection shining between them.
Ethan Li(MC)
"Proper treatment? Bro, you’re hand-feeding me like a toddler."
He tried to swim away, but the Emperor followed, sprinkling more pellets with a faint smile. The koi beside him darted forward, greedy, but Ethan slapped one with his tail.
Ethan Li(MC)
"Back off! Hero’s portion!"
The other fish scattered. Ethan triumphantly bit into the food, ignoring how ridiculous he looked.
A few days passed, and the palace had already given him a new title.
“The Lucky Guardian of the Emperor.”
Guards bowed toward the pond. Ministers whispered prayers to him before meetings. One old monk even tried to build him a miniature pagoda for “spiritual energy balance.”
If Ethan could talk, he’d tell them all to stop wasting materials and get him a bigger pond instead.
That morning, as the Emperor read reports by the water’s edge, Ethan floated nearby, pretending not to care. But that old gut feeling—the same one from his soldier days—twitched suddenly.
His fins tensed. His vision darted toward the tray of tea beside the Emperor.
He didn’t know how, but every cell in his fishy body screamed danger.
Ethan shot out of the water with an impressive splash, knocking the teacup right off the tray.
The guards froze. Tea dripped from the Emperor’s sleeve.
Emperor Wen Zhao
…Was that necessary? (Asked mildly, staring at his drenched arm.)🤨
Ethan wiggled, circling frantically in the pond.
Ethan Li(MC)
"Yes! You were about to die again, Your Majesty! Maybe stop drinking random tea!"
The Emperor sighed, his lips twitching as if fighting a smile.
Emperor Wen Zhao
You really are strange.
Moments later, a panicked servant confessed—the tea had indeed been poisoned.
The Emperor glanced back at the bright red koi, who was now proudly puffing bubbles.
Emperor Wen Zhao
Double the fish’s food (he ordered), and move its pond closer to my chambers.
The eunuchs exchanged uneasy looks. “Your Majesty, closer… how close?”
Emperor Wen Zhao
Right beside my study window. I want him where I can see him.
Ethan Li(MC)
(Stared, horrified) "You’re moving me into your bedroom area? What am I, a pet goldfish with a royal view?"
Still, when the Emperor’s gaze softened—grateful, calm, almost fond—Ethan’s grumbling faded.
Somehow, even as a fish, that look made his chest (or whatever part of a fish counted as a chest) feel warm.
Emperor Wen Zhao
(Chuckled quietly)So you agree.
Ethan Li(MC)
"I do not!.This is fish-napping!"
But when the Emperor knelt beside the new pond that night, his lantern reflecting golden light on the water, Ethan found himself drifting closer without realizing it.
The Emperor’s hand brushed the surface gently, ripples spreading between them.
Emperor Wen Zhao
Rest well, little guardian (Murmured). You’ve already done more for me than most men ever have.
Ethan blinked up at him, heart thumping strangely.
Ethan Li(MC)
"Oh no, (sank under the water). Don’t tell me I’m falling for my boss."
Pond Politics and Fish Problems
If Ethan had known he’d be reincarnated into a royal pond, he would’ve taken swimming lessons more seriously in his past life.
Two weeks had passed since the Emperor decided to move him closer to his chambers, and Ethan was starting to understand something important:
Being a palace fish was harder than being a soldier.
Every morning, attendants came to “admire the lucky koi.”
They threw food he didn’t like, talked about him as if he couldn’t hear, and argued about his color like it was a national treasure.
“Look at that shine!” one said.
“No, no, it’s the red! Red means fortune!”
“Maybe it’s the shape of his fins?”
Ethan Li(MC)
"I’m right here, geniuses."
Then came the fish etiquette lessons.
Apparently, the Emperor’s koi were trained—trained—to swim in graceful circles during morning prayers.
Ethan tried. Really. But every time the gong sounded, his old instincts flared up. The sudden noise made him dive for cover like a bomb had gone off.
By the third day, half the court thought the “lucky fish” was cursed with anxiety.
Meanwhile, the Emperor had started spending more time near the pond.
He never said much, just sat with scrolls and tea, reading while the soft sound of water filled the air.
Sometimes Ethan would sneak glances at him from beneath the surface.
The man was… oddly peaceful to look at. Straight posture, sharp features, eyes that always seemed to see more than they revealed.
If this guy was my commanding officer, I might’ve actually followed orders for once, Ethan thought. Maybe.
That afternoon, the Emperor looked up from his scrolls and said quietly,
Emperor Wen Zhao
You’ve become quite popular, haven’t you?
Ethan blinked. The Emperor was… talking to him?
Emperor Wen Zhao
(Smiled faintly)I’m not sure if you understand, but I should thank you. Since your arrival, my days have been calmer.
Ethan blew a few lazy bubbles, pretending he didn’t care, but his heart gave a small flutter.
Ethan Li(MC)
"Calmer? Yeah, maybe because you’ve been too busy feeding a fish to notice the chaos around you."
Emperor Wen Zhao
(Chuckled softly as if reading his attitude). You’re rather proud, aren’t you? Not like the others.
Ethan flicked his tail in response, splashing a tiny bit of water onto the Emperor’s sleeve.
The man looked at the droplet, then at him, amusement glinting in his eyes.
Emperor Wen Zhao
Did you just… splash me?
For a terrifying second, he thought he was done for. But then the Emperor laughed—a low, rare sound that rippled across the pond like music.
Ethan didn’t know why, but that laugh made his fins tingle.
Later that night, while the palace slept, the pond reflected the moonlight like liquid silver.
Ethan floated near the surface, watching the Emperor’s window glowing faintly with lamplight. The man was still working, alone.
Something about it tugged at Ethan’s chest.
He’s lonely, he realized. The guy rules an empire, but he eats dinner beside a fish.
The thought was both funny and… weirdly sad.
Ethan flicked his fin, sending a soft ripple across the water, as if saying goodnight.
And though he couldn’t hear him, inside that quiet room, the Emperor looked toward the pond and smiled faintly—like he’d felt it too.
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