Quite a nasty way to become an emperor. And the trait that comes with it.
I had once become the Emperor very unexpectedly. My character's son was married to the Emperor's daughter, who became the empress after the old fart died and her brother became the new King of Kings, and she got the claim for the whole of Eastern Rome. so she was put on the throne by a faction. Then she had a child, who became the Emperor at the age of 10 when his mother died of great pox and father (my character's son) had died in battle against stupid Pechengs. The little kid had me as an heir, and then he died of illness about two years later. Voila! I was the new Emperor.
And that kid left me a surprisingly stable and rebel free nation.