After Disguising Myself as a Man, I Became the Enemy Kingdom's Princess's Consort

[Alternate history, woman disguised as a man, details may not stand up to scrutiny QAQ, virtually no political intrigue, a short story, I just want to see them fall in love.] [Preorder: The Black Lotus I Picked Up]

Di Qiyu, an ill-omened person raised outside the imperial palace, returns to the palace only to impersonate her twin brother, the emperor's son.

Her ill-omened reputation came from her brother's birth... They were twins, but she was branded as a violation of primogeniture, and suspected of threatening the stability of the court.

The world was absurd in so many ways. Di Qiyu had thought that if she stayed out of sight, nothing would happen to her.

-

She was forced into a carriage bound for a foreign country, knowing there would be no return from this journey.

Sure enough, under the pretext of studying, she effectively became a hostage.

At the banquet, many eyes were fixed on her, so she failed to notice the scorching gaze of someone seated high above.

The foreign emperor summoned her again, this time to announce a marriage decree.

The long princess, rumored to be deeply favored by the emperor and even granted the unprecedented right to govern as regent, smiled warmly. "The Prince of Min is indeed as handsome and distinguished as the rumors say. He is worthy of becoming my consort."

-

On their wedding night, the long princess, dressed in brilliant red, backed her into a corner of the bed. Her voice was soft and mysterious as her pale fingertips loosened Di Qiyu's sash and caressed her slender waist. "Why hide? I already know your secret."

Di Qiyu looked up sharply and met Song Wanyun's meaningful gaze.

For the first time, Di Qiyu realized that the rumors about Song Wanyun had not come from nowhere.

She was ruthless, cold-blooded, and calculating.

Di Qiyu also knew why Song Wanyun was angry tonight. She had stopped pretending because they had argued bitterly about the marriage before the wedding.

Di Qiyu couldn't understand why Song Wanyun had agreed to the empress's decree, while Song Wanyun was furious that she didn't want to marry her.

But hadn't Song Wanyun known all along that she was a woman?

-

After they married, they went through many things, and Di Qiyu couldn't help but grow attached to the way Song Wanyun looked at her.

But Di Qiyu had to leave. She couldn't stay here. War had broken out at the border. The royal family's survival meant nothing to her, but the common people were innocent.

That night, with her clothes shed and her eyes rimmed red, her heart heavy with worry, she said, "A Yun, let me go. I'll come back."

Song Wanyun pressed her forehead against Di Qiyu's shoulder, trembling all over. Her words were vicious: "I don't believe you'll come back."

Even as she said that, Song Wanyun didn't dare use too much force.

After a night of passion, Di Qiyu had assumed Song Wanyun wouldn't agree to let her leave and had already made other plans.

To her surprise, when she woke, Song Wanyun had prepared everything, including someone to impersonate Di Qiyu.

Song Wanyun had planned to let her go all along.

But when Di Qiyu woke, Song Wanyun was nowhere to be seen.

On the city wall not far away, Song Wanyun stood dressed in black, watching the carriage leave the city beneath the dark veil of night.

Song Wanyun's face was impassive, but inside she felt as though she had been pierced a thousand times.

Di Qiyu, I'm not that kindhearted.

-

When they met again, Song Wanyun saw the person she had lovingly raised holding a hoe and planting vegetables.

Ignoring Di Qiyu's astonishment, Song Wanyun took the hoe from her with a dark expression and copied her movements to help.

Song Wanyun: "Did I let you come back just so you could plant vegetables?"

Di Qiyu was at a loss. "No. I've arranged everything. I just have nothing to do right now..."

Song Wanyun didn't care. "Couldn't you leave this sort of thing to someone else? Why do you have to do it yourself?"

After being scolded, Di Qiyu stood silently to one side, not daring to speak. But...

Di Qiyu said softly, "A Yun, you killed my vegetables with the hoe."

Song Wanyun: "...I know. I won't do it again."

[Extremely oblivious to romance, composed bottom x MAX intelligence, bold and passionate, scheming top]

[Content warnings:

1. The bottom disguises herself as a man, but the top has always known she's a woman.

2. The author is bad at writing but loves doing it (bows).

3. The top is neither a good person nor a normal person.]

[Blurb version dated 25.11.13, partially revised 26.9.9]

-

[Mentor and disciple / fake familial bond during a trial of love / past and present lives] [Contains original worldbuilding]

As the last phoenix in heaven and earth, Yishen was the revered Immortal Venerable Qizhi. For the first time ever, she brought a bird back from the demon realm. From then on, she kept the little bird by her side, gave her a name, and taught her cultivation techniques, making everyone else envious.

But a hundred years passed, and the little bird still clung to her like she had as a child. Now they even drank from the same cup, and in the middle of the night the little bird would crawl into her bed. Her gaze was often clingy, too, leaving Yishen deeply puzzled.

So Yishen, who knew nothing of love, asked a friend for advice. After thinking it over, her friend said, "Don't birds always think the first person they see is their mother? Your disciple probably feels too much motherly love for you and can't let go."

Yishen understood. "So that's what it is."

At that moment, Xuan Chanyou, hiding outside the door, nearly ground her teeth to dust. What mother? What motherly love?

-

Xuan Chanyou had desired her master for years. She loved the way her master cared for her in every possible way, and the way her gaze was always fixed on her.

Until one day, she discovered a secret.

She was the reincarnation of Yishen's deceased old friend.

So had the gaze that was always fixed on her really been meant for someone else?

On top of that, she had recently learned about this so-called "motherly love." So Xuan Chanyou bided her time, waited for the right moment, and did something that would leave anyone dumbfounded.

She ruined her master's trial of love and made herself the person her master had to fall in love with.

In the mortal realm, she pretended to be the frail younger sister Yishen had taken in, staying by her side at all times.

Even though Yishen knew her younger sister had no spiritual roots and was in poor health, for some reason she still brought her back to her sect. She told everyone, "This is my younger sister. I have to protect her. I brought her here, so I'm responsible for her life and death."

Her every word and gesture kept the proper distance between sisters.

Xuan Chanyou was so angry she laughed.

-

It wasn't until Xuan Chanyou truly died before her eyes in the mortal realm that Yishen silently shed tears. Only when the person in her arms had stopped breathing did she hold her tight and say, "I... love you."

When she opened her eyes again, Yishen was pinned beneath her disciple. Xuan Chanyou lifted her chin, her voice dark and menacing. "Master, am I still your younger sister? Do you still feel motherly love for me?"

"Master, in your eyes, am I your old friend, your disciple, or the person you had to fall in love with during your trial?"

Yishen had only just returned to her own body and hadn't had time to react when gasps spilled from her lips.

When she came to again, the sore and aching Immortal Venerable Qizhi learned that her rebellious disciple knew she had committed a grave offense and was already being punished in the water dungeon.

Yishen: "...How long has she been there?"

Immortal attendant: "The young immortal has been in the water dungeon for three days and has already received fifty strikes from the lightning whip."

Yishen: ...Her vision went black.

[Black-lotus green-tea type who is very good at playing the victim / gloomy, ghostly disciple x Immortal Venerable who is completely at her disciple's mercy / emotionally oblivious]

[Blurb dated 26.1.10, to be revised]

Theme: Life is in your own hands.