To protect his country, Jiang Huaichu, a prince of Southern Ruo, sought a marriage alliance with the Emperor of their rival nation.
He concealed his true identity, slipped into the enemy country, and placed first in the imperial examinations as the Zhuangyuan. He then exhausted every means possible to get close to the enemy Emperor.
At the Qionglin Banquet, the new Zhuangyuan was drugged. With his consciousness fading, he stumbled into His Majesty’s arms.
His face was as fair as polished jade—elegant, refined, and aloof.
Xiao Yun, maintaining a facade of stoic restraint, calmly accepted a kiss before… heartlessly pushing him away.
As soon as the Emperor left, the Zhuangyuan’s expression shifted in the blink of an eye into one of utter indifference.
Once the Zhuangyuan “regained his senses,” he expressed deep gratitude for His Majesty’s “noble” and “upright” conduct and sought to “repay” him in every way.
He cared for the Emperor with meticulous devotion, yet wouldn’t let him touch so much as a finger.
With the poised, dignified, and elegant Zhuangyuan swaying before his eyes every day, Xiao Yun’s patience gradually wore thin.
It turns out the Zhuangyuan was an enemy spy, and now, the man had vanished.
After a fruitless search, a furious Xiao Yun led his army to the border of the enemy state to demand his man back.
As the two armies faced off, banners fluttering and battle cries shaking the heavens, the world-renowned young prince of the enemy nation was carefully escorted onto the city walls to face the wind.
…His belly was slightly rounded.
Below the walls, Xiao Yun glanced up, his expression freezing.
He took another look: “Withdraw the troops! Tell my men to fucking retreat right now!”
Notes:
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Setting: Alternate History. A scheming, “gentle as jade” uke x a “black-bellied” rogue Emperor seme.
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Includes M-preg (male pregnancy). Both leads only have eyes for each other.
