how interesting! did you know the difference between 寡人 and 朕? they are not interchangeable! 寡人 was only used in the pre-秦 periods, during which times 朕 could be used by anyone, commoners as well as royalty. 朕 only became exclusive to royal use from the time of 秦始皇's reign and thereafter has been remained in use by the emperors of china. wikipedia entry:

"寡人這個稱號是在秦始皇之前的君主自稱，春秋戰國時期都用寡人，而在其後皇帝都以朕自稱。寡人，寡德之人也，據說是表示自謙之意，又或者是有無上的權力而有高處不勝寒之感，所以自稱寡人，意思同「孤王」"