Irreverent blurb:
At thirty-one, Xie Qingxu achieved his life's goal:
Living off duty at home, gardening in the morning, fishing in the afternoon, and playing cards at night.
Go to war? No thanks. Get promoted? Not interested. Become a marquis? Forget it.
All he wanted in this life was to be a happy, carefree man of leisure.
But the new emperor, at twenty-three, didn't seem to agree.
"My lord, the border is under threat, and there is no one available at court."
"Your Majesty, my father is old. I'll go." (Firmly)
Three months later
"My lord, the situation has changed."
"...Fine." (Speechless)
Six months later
"My lord, the court is unstable."
"???" (Enduring it)
Nine months later
"My lord, I can't do without you."
"Your Majesty, that sounded a little strange." (On guard)
His rank kept rising, and the rewards kept coming.
His requests to retire to his hometown were always gently refused.
The emperor's invitations to "discuss military affairs" came far too often,
and the way those young eyes looked at him grew more and more unsettling.
Xie Qingxu thought this was just an ordinary relationship between ruler and subject, until he uncovered a shocking truth:
All the bad luck he'd suffered over the years seemed to have something to do with the "wise ruler" standing before him.
Xie Qingxu: "So you've been plotting against me since you were sixteen?!"
Yan Linzhao: "To be precise, I've had my eye on you since I was sixteen."
Xie Qingxu: "...Are you crazy?"
Yan Linzhao: "What do you think?" (Smiling)
Xie Qingxu: "..." (Time to run)
Serious blurb:
Xie Qingxu was born into a family of generals. For three generations, his ancestors guarded the borders, and his father and brothers were all fierce warriors.
As for him? He only wanted to coast along in their wake and do just enough to get by.
Who knew that, carried away by youthful ambition, he would get more and more caught up in the fighting and actually make a name for himself, becoming the talk of the town?
But before long, the Xie family fell from power. The whole family was imprisoned, and all their glory vanished.
After his release, he returned to the countryside and found himself living the retirement he'd always dreamed of, years ahead of schedule.
He was wondering where he could find a secluded fishing spot when a letter summoned him back:
"The fighting at the border is urgent. I hope the old general will put the nation first, come out of retirement, and lead the troops."
Xie Qingxu fell silent for a moment.
The crown prince who had once shown him kindness was now the emperor. In the end, he had to repay that debt.
He thought he was merely settling an old score, but he never expected that this young emperor, newly enthroned and with the world in his grasp, would harbor an unfathomable obsession in his eyes. And the Xie family's downfall seemed to have something to do with him.
Everyone at court said the emperor trusted his old subject, a bond between gentlemen.
No one knew that, in private, the emperor would hold him tightly in his arms.
Yan Linzhao: "I'll give you a vast fiefdom and a life of luxury, as long as you... stop thinking about running away."
Xie Qingxu: "...I really don't want a promotion. I want to ascend to heaven, to become an immortal. Get it?"
[Easygoing beauty who just wants to slack off × obsessive emperor who will never let him retire]
Theme: Enjoy life
