The Tomb Keeper’s Troubles

Ping Yan has been unhappy lately. One worry after another keeps weighing on him. His first worry: He's the palace's most beautiful male dancer, yet in the prime of his life, the new emperor sends him to guard the imperial tombs, where he'll have to spend his whole life in this desolate place. His second worry: That tomb guard surnamed Mei is as wooden as they come. Ping Yan sweetly calls him “Brother Mei,” but the man only dutifully replies, “I am Mei Yi.” Ping Yan deliberately tugs his collar open now and then to reveal the red pregnancy mark on his shoulder, a sign that he's a male wife, but the blockhead only takes off his outer robe and drapes it over him. His third worry: The wind is too strong out in the open, and Ping Yan's shoulders ache when he comes back. The woodshed doesn't even have a bed, and the one time Ping Yan went in there, he scraped his back raw. The ancestral hall is so gloomy and frightening that Ping Yan has to cover his mouth to stifle his sounds while trying not to let his mind wander. His fourth worry: Ping Yan isn't good at sewing. He's pricked his fingers several times trying to stitch a bridal veil for himself. On top of that, he has to avoid Eunuch Yang, the chief steward sent by the emperor, and spend every day in fear and anxiety. His fifth worry: The new emperor is out on an inspection tour and suddenly decides to stop by and pay his respects at the imperial tombs. The singers and dancers must perform for him according to the standards set during the late emperor's reign. But Ping Yan's belly is too big, and he can no longer fit into his old dance clothes! Ping Yan is so anxious he bursts into tears. If he's found out, won't he, Mei Yi, and the baby in his belly all be buried alongside that old emperor? Reader's Guide: 1. An imaginary setting, with male wives and childbirth. 2. Both leads are sexually inexperienced; one-on-one, centered on the pursued character, happy ending. 3. No golden finger, reborn or transmigrated characters; no imperial examinations or court politics. 4. Characters from the author's other works make cameo appearances. Theme: Ordinary people's love has power too.