[A writing exercise; free to read until the main story is complete, then it will become paid]
When her elder brother Chu Congyu ascends the throne, Li Yuanzhen, the little princess of the fiefdom of Cangzhou, must also travel to the capital to attend the new emperor's celebratory court banquet.
This is the first time she has ever met Chu Congyu.
The two are not related by blood. In the past, the state of Cang was militarily weakened, while powerful relatives on the empress's side watched hungrily. Her gravely ill elder brother was willing to offer his entire realm to the Ying Dynasty as a vassal state, all to protect Yuanzhen, his only younger sister, and the people of the whole country.
Li Yuanzhen is somewhat afraid of this new elder brother of hers.
They say he is decisive and ruthless, and that after years of war he pacified the surrounding small states.
They say he seized power by usurpation, cold and merciless, with countless souls lost beneath his sword.
The people of the Ying Dynasty often invoke the name of this former god of slaughter to frighten children into sleep.
She presents her tribute in trepidation, never expecting this elder brother to be much gentler than she imagined.
The new emperor is as handsome as his name suggests, with a face like fine jade. He does not look as cruel and bloodthirsty as the rumors claim.
He smiles and calls her his younger sister, then invites her to stay in the palace for a while.
Li Yuanzhen agrees.
She never escapes from his grasp again.
Chu Congyu has finally met Li Yuanzhen, the sweet and well-behaved younger sister Li Chengyue used to praise when they were both hostages in the state of Xiao.
Gentle, kind, timid, and prone to tears, Li Yuanzhen has a slender, soft body and limbs, tender white skin, and dark, sparkling eyes. In a soft, honey-sweet voice, she looks at him and calls him Elder Brother.
Now he has a younger sister, too.
Having a younger sister is wonderful. They are each other's dearest family, and will never be parted.
But at some point, Chu Congyu is no longer satisfied with being Yuanzhen's elder brother.
He is selfish and greedy. He wants to possess her and love her, and he craves her love in return.
He keeps Yuanzhen by his side, so that he is the only one she can see.
But Yuanzhen is afraid, afraid of the burning gaze of this brother in name only, and his strange, obsessive desire to control her.
She runs away.
Chu Congyu captures his younger sister after she tries to marry another man.
Yuanzhen cries and protests that he is a terrible elder brother.
He kisses away her tears and holds her close, gently patting her as he comforts her.
