[Proud, stubborn bottom with severe anxiety about how future generations will judge him x insecure, sensitive, awkward puppy-like top]
As emperor, Zhao Xun's main approach was to let things go to hell.
Half the empire's in ruins? Whatever. The border's at war? We'll muddle through. He didn't care whether the people lived or died, or whether the country survived. The only thing he feared was those few lines in the history books: he was afraid future generations would say he had neglected his duties, afraid they'd lump him together with his drug-addicted elder brother under the label "tyrant."
So he put on an act. He acted diligent and worried about the people, reading memorials and scolding officials every day, while mostly just coasting. Then one day, a voice suddenly rang in his head.
"Ding! Current Tyranny Rating: 100%. Congratulations, Your Majesty, you've achieved the 'Infamy for a Thousand Years' accolade. If you wish to change how future generations judge you, work hard to save the nation, or face punishment. Of course..." The System paused. "Given the limits of Your Majesty's abilities, the System will provide some outside assistance at its discretion."
Zhao Xun: "Such as?"
System: "For example, giving Your Majesty spoilers about what future records will say."
"According to unofficial histories, the emperor was in fact intersex, possessing both male and female organs. Whenever the court was at a deadlock, he would cut open his abdomen, remove his womb, and toss it into the hall to cow the ministers. Once the crisis passed, the womb would return to its place, and his stomach would close as before."
Zhao Xun: "What?!"
"According to an unreliable unofficial history, General Lu Zheng possessed an unusual organ of extraordinary size. Zheng once summoned the emperor into his tent and ravished him through the night. The emperor wept and could not speak, his face wet with tears. The next day, he emerged leaning against the wall. Later generations called this 'The Dragon Diving into the Abyss.'"
Furious, Zhao Xun found the memorial among the pile of documents, the one recommending Lu Zheng, a garrison commander in the northern border army, for his valor and loyalty, saying he was fit for great responsibility.
"Summon him! Summon him back to the capital!"
For the sake of his grand ambitions, Zhao Xun made no bones about using Lu Zheng. If unofficial histories said the man would become a famous general, then he'd invest in him early. As for what Lu Zheng thought, he didn't care, as long as the man was useful.
At first, Lu Zheng kept his distance. He stood far away, spoke little, and never looked at him. Zhao Xun thought he was respecting his boundaries, only later realizing he had been suppressing his hatred.
What Zhao Xun didn't know was that ever since the day they first met, images kept flashing through Lu Zheng's mind: the old minister Zhang Yun holding the emperor's toe in his mouth; himself pinning the emperor against the imperial desk, the dragon robes strewn across the floor; the emperor on the bed, the corners of his eyes red, his voice breaking apart.
Lu Zheng went from disgust, to avoidance, to awkwardly wanting to stay by his side at all times.
Zhao Xun: "As a member of the Imperial Guard, what is your duty?"
Lu Zheng: "To protect Your Majesty at all times."
Zhao Xun's brow twitched as he looked at their bodies pressed tightly together. "You fool, how did protecting me lead you into my bath?"
One day later, Zhao Xun saw him place a medicine packet on the desk. Lu Zheng said he'd asked the imperial physician, and it was medicine to regulate menstruation. After a pause, he added that it could also be used by someone who was intersex.
Zhao Xun froze for a moment as a question slowly formed in his mind.
"...Get out!"
The blurb was screenshotted on 2026.07.17.
[Notes]
1. This is a fictional setting, and none of the characters are based on historical figures.
2. All unofficial histories in this story are fabricated and do not refer to anyone in particular. Some are collected from online sources, so use your judgment.
3. No swapping or reversing the pairing, and no self-insert fantasies.
4. Not for readers who care about historical accuracy.
5. The bottom is not intersex.
Theme: The historical record is flawed.
