Liu Xin met Dong Xian through an accidental encounter in a bamboo forest; by a twist of fate, the two became teacher and student.
Just great.
How dare Liu Xin, nephew to the emperor, accept defeat?
Liu Xin tried everything, from studying history [endlessly debating], to respecting social rank [making trouble], to critiquing his work [provoking him], yet he failed to reveal a single of Dong Xian’s flaws…
However, Liu Xin’s heart gradually changed with time.
In a moment of passion, the two men crossed a line and committed a taboo.
Can this play of spy-vs-spy come to such a simple end?
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Jovial Records of the Bamboo Beauty by Asuka T陶子 recounts the life of Liu Xin, Emperor Xiao’ai of Han, and his legendary love for Dong Xian, his male favorite.
Liu Xin and Dong Xian coined the idiom, passion of the cut sleeve, that avid danmei readers might’ve come across.
In Chinese culture, the term ‘cut sleeve’ has been a euphemism for homosexuality for over two tousand years; ever since Liu Xin refused to wake the sleeping Dong Xian and cut off his own sleeve to attend court in time.
