The Crown Prince and His Imperial Uncle Are Fighting Again

[An Invitation to Enjoy This Adorable Blurb]

Qi Ruizhe is the emperor's younger brother. After spending fifteen years defending the border, the beloved Prince of Chu, once cherished by the late emperor, has been hardened by endless yellow sands into a violent, bloodthirsty general.

Qi Yuanchang is the emperor's eldest legitimate son. Ever since he was named crown prince at nine, he has held himself to the standards of a sage: benevolent and free of desire.

Though they are uncle and nephew, they have always been distant, with no contact between them.

Until the emperor has a whim, arranges a banquet, and summons the Prince of Chu back, hoping the two will get along.

*

The crown prince and the Prince of Chu meet for the first time at the banquet and take an instant dislike to each other. The Prince of Chu sneers, "Hypocrite." The crown prince fires back, "Brute."

The officials: Oh, this is bad. They don't get along. The court will be lively from now on. Fight, fight!

The two are sent together to fetch medicine from the He'en Temple. The crown prince returns injured, and the Prince of Chu's face darkens like ink.

The officials: Did the Prince of Chu do it?

Later, with the autumn hunt approaching, the Prince of Chu offers to teach the crown prince archery and horsemanship.

The officials: Keep pretending. The emperor must have forced him!

Later still, unrest erupts at the border and the Xiongnu invade the south. The Prince of Chu sets off alone for the frontier, while the crown prince sees him off at the city gate and stands there until the sun sets.

The officials: Surely... something's not right! When did the Prince of Chu and the crown prince get so close?

*

Qi Yuanchang has never been loved by either his father or his mother, so becoming a good crown prince is the only meaning he can find in life.

When they parted at the city gate, other people might have wept in each other's arms, but these two proud men would never stoop to such sentimental displays.

Qi Yuanchang makes a smug promise: "When Uncle returns, he'll be a general renowned throughout the land, and I will be the greatest crown prince in all of history!"

The Prince of Chu does return, indeed famous throughout the land.

But Qi Yuanchang's parentage is exposed: it turns out he's not the emperor's biological son and has no right to succeed him.

Imprisoned, Qi Yuanchang: ...The sky has fallen.

He spends half a month in a daze.

When he wakes one morning, the Prince of Chu is standing by his bed, pushing him with a cold expression. "Stop sleeping. It's time to ascend the throne."

Note:

1. They are uncle and nephew in name only. They only become lovers after confirming they are not related by blood. At heart, this is a sweet romance.

2. Some supporting characters aren't quite right in the head, and the story contains melodramatic elements.

3. Updates paused.

Theme: Love makes the reckless timid and the levelheaded mad