The completed novel, White Night Returns to the Sea, is told in separate story arcs, with everyday moments between ruler and subject.
Wen Xuzhuo, the most powerful minister in the Sheng Dynasty, overstepped his station and forced himself on Emperor Xiao Che. After a night together, he ran away. He was gone for three months...
Three months later, Emperor Xiao Che sat by the bed, bound with red silk, glaring at the man kneeling before him to beg forgiveness. Furious, he kept his mouth shut.
“Your Majesty, it's time to rest...”
“Your Majesty, it's time to eat...”
“Your Majesty...”
“Xiao Che, eat.”
“Xiao Che, go to sleep.”
“A-Che, come eat. Try my cooking.”
“A-Che, come sleep with me. I've been having trouble sleeping lately.”
Xiao Che's head throbbed from all the nagging. Helpless, he took off his clothes, climbed into bed, and lay beside Wen Xuzhuo, still refusing to speak.
[Behind the scenes]
The emperor asks online: What should I do?
The author replies: What else? Spoil him! What else can you do?
And so Emperor Xiao Che spoiled him, making their names go down in history for all time. And... the unofficial histories didn't leave the two of them out, either.
