Elder Brother

[Beautiful, scheming Emperor bottom x mighty, stern Regent Prince top, older man, size difference, skin tone difference, age difference]

1. Xiao Ying has a pack of brothers as ruthless as wolves and tigers, each one eyeing the throne. They fight until they're battered and bloody, taking turns sitting on the throne. In the end, it's his sworn elder brother Xiao Chao, the one he's on worst terms with, who arrives in the capital from the borderlands covered in blood and emerges as the last victor.

The other man rides in on a tall horse, even colder and more sinister than Xiao Ying remembers, like a ferocious animal with no feelings, making the civil and military officials tremble.

Xiao Chao seizes absolute power and plunges the capital into a reign of bloodshed.

Everyone spends each day guessing who he'll kill next!

But there's one thing they all agree on: they all insist that the new ruler will definitely kill him, the former deposed Emperor.

He thinks so too!

Luckily, as a deposed Emperor with a calculating mind, he has plenty of wit and means at his disposal. He's sure that, with his scheming and careful planning, reclaiming the throne is only a matter of time.

Then one night, he wakes in the middle of the night and senses someone sitting across from him, breathing hotly.

Xiao Chao lurks in the darkness before the imperial bed, like a ravenous beast crouched in thick grass, staring at him.

Xiao Ying: "??"

Xiao Ying: "!!"

2. Xiao Ying thinks he may have found a way to take back imperial power.

It's just... he'll have to pay a price.

He looks at his older brother, who seems cold, fierce, and brutal, and wonders if he can handle it!

And then...

[Enemies-to-lovers trope.

"There are no brothers in the imperial family, only ruler and subject, or political enemies."

"But they can also be spouses."]

Theme: The power of true love