YMMV / Usurpers of Emperor's Power

• Complete Monster: Prince Jin Guang-yi is the half-brother of the lawful Prince Li Hou-zhou and a power-hungry tyrant who intents to have the throne for himself. Luring Prince Li and his wife, Lady Zhou, to a banquet, Prince Jin has his soldiers ambush and take Prince Li and his loyal bodyguard, Li Lang, captive, and then rapes Lady Zhou while Prince Li is Forced to Watch at knifepoint. Taking over the throne after Prince Li and Lady Zhou are Driven to Suicide, Prince Jin imposes a reign of tyranny on the people. In order to lure the rebel opposing him out, Prince Jin deliberately had several of his men sacrificed to a forest full of traps, and later had a captured resistance captive tortured by pulling his spine apart, but not killing said captive. After finding out the resistance's hideout in a village, Prince Jin has everyone, including civilians, massacred, and in the aftermath of the bloodshed, betrays his most loyal subordinate, Master Chen, by ambushing him In the Back and having Chen repeatedly stabbed to death by several spears. Prince Jin would successfully take over the throne and become the new, self-made Emperor of the Song Dynasty.
• Moral Event Horizon: While Prince Jin already committed plenty of atrocities in his grasp for power, he absolutely crosses the line when after invading the resistance hideout, he then orders for everybody in the village, civilains and children included, massacred to ensure there are no survivors.