The Fake Crown Prince Speaks Out of Turn

Yun Hui once thought he must hate Xie Jiang more than anyone.

Xie Jiang had always been a principled court official who despised the Crown Prince’s faction. Eight out of every ten impeachment memorials targeting Yun Hui had come from Xie Jiang.

Now that Yun Hui’s identity as a false Crown Prince had been exposed, Xie Jiang had smoothly risen to the top, becoming the real Crown Prince.

In the nineteenth year of Fengtian, the emperor flew into a rage and bestowed a cup of poison on the Eastern Palace, ordering its occupants to die. In the dim candlelight, Yun Hui merely ran his fingers over the cup. “Your servant Yun Hui thanks Your Majesty for your great favor.”

The emperor showed mercy and spared his life. Yun Hui then picked up the poisoned wine and drank it all.

So when Yun Hui faked his death and left the capital, only to see Xie Jiang again in a border town, he drew the short blade in his hand without hesitation, his expression icy. “If I return to the capital, you’ll be the first person I kill.”

Xie Jiang leaned in slightly, tiny beads of blood appearing on his neck. He looked Yun Hui in the eyes and gave a quiet “Mm.”

But Yun Hui never expected that one day they would become entangled again.

Xie Jiang protected him from an assassination attempt, helped him eliminate his rivals, concealed his identity in public, and even defended him before Emperor Lang with an impassive expression.

Were it not for Xie Jiang’s dark gaze when their skin touched and their eyes met, Yun Hui would have thought this was nothing but a straightforward exchange of favors.

Yet sometimes Xie Jiang would torment him, leaning close to his ear and asking in a calm voice, “Yun Hui, what exactly happened five years ago?”

Yun Hui would only arch an eyebrow and push Xie Jiang away a little. “Don’t you trust me?”

Whenever he heard that, Xie Jiang would fall silent for a while.

Yun Hui thought that was simply how things were. He didn’t know why Xie Jiang was so fixated on him, but they kept secrets from each other, and that was fair.

-

Until the conspiracy he had plotted for over a decade came to light, branding him an indefensible traitor. In a single night, he was thrown into the imperial prison.

Through the dim light, the corner of a black robe, the color of the Crown Prince’s ceremonial attire, appeared before him.

Yun Hui slowly raised his eyes. The next moment, Xie Jiang gripped his chin and forced him to look up, fury and hatred rising in his eyes. “Are you still lying to me, Yun Hui?”

Light and shadow shifted in Yun Hui’s eyes. After a long moment, he managed a smile, his expression still calm. “But I told you long ago, Lord Xie, Your Highness the Crown Prince, please, don’t be kind to me.”

But Xie Jiang acted as though he hadn’t heard. He slowly crouched down, his face as composed as ever. His long, knuckled fingers slid down Yun Hui’s skin, sending a cold shiver through him.

The low, hoarse “Your Highness,” whispered again and again in his ear, was Yun Hui’s only memory of that night.

That absurd night was both the most painful nightmare of their lives and the unforgettable, bewitching dream of spring.

Duplicitous, brooding, true Crown Prince gong x gloomy, sharp-tongued, avoidant false Crown Prince shou

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[Reader’s Guide]

1. One-on-one romance, both leads have only ever been with each other, happy ending.

2. The political scheming is amateurish, and neither lead is perfect.

3. Set in a fictional dynasty with a touch of fantasy. It’s all made up, so don’t overthink it.

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[Coming soon: Brother, I Wasn’t Trying to Take the Throne! Please add it to your library]

Chu Zhiqing transmigrates to the Bei Dynasty, where the prince before him is Chu Tancheng, a future ruler who will ascend the throne and usher in a prosperous age.

But Chu Tancheng has one black mark on his record: when his younger brother tried to seize the throne, he had him brutally eliminated, using merciless and violent methods.

And Chu Zhiqing has transmigrated into that very younger brother who is always at odds with Chu Tancheng.

Chu Zhiqing’s eyes went wide. Am I going to survive this?

He gritted his teeth and decided to appeal to Chu Tancheng’s feelings and reason, determined to become the perfect, loving brother.

Before he could do anything, a System message suddenly appeared before him:

[Congratulations, Host. You have been bound to the Throne-Seizing System.]

[Your mission is to successfully seize the throne. Fail, and the System will erase you.]

Chu Zhiqing: ??? System, you son of a

Chu Zhiqing leaped to his feet.

But the next moment, someone forced him to his knees in the great hall.

Completely unprepared, Chu Zhiqing fell awkwardly to the floor. He looked up in a panic and saw only a small patch of black robe embroidered with a five-clawed dragon.

Chu Tancheng wore black, his face stern, the bloody aura around him impossible to hide. Looking down at Chu Zhiqing, he seemed to be gazing at an insect he could crush at any moment.

The moment Chu Zhiqing met that gaze, his mind went blank. His voice trembled despite himself, and the righteous speech he meant to deliver came out as, “Brother...”

Please don’t kill me! (Crying)

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Chu Tancheng had always been strict with himself and careful to observe his duties. Chu Zhiqing, though born of the same Consort Hui, was ruthless and calculating, colluded with officials, and framed Chu Tancheng, nearly bringing about his death.

But he had miscalculated. In the end, Chu Zhiqing suffered a crushing defeat at Chu Tancheng’s hands. Once the imperial decree was read, he would have no chance to turn things around.

After calmly laying out Chu Zhiqing’s punishment, Chu Tancheng waited at his leisure to see how he would react.

But when he looked down, he saw Chu Zhiqing trembling slightly, his face on the verge of tears.

The next moment, Chu Zhiqing raised his head. His misty eyes held a hint of fear and a plea for help. “E-Elder Brother, I didn’t understand. Could you read that again?”

Chu Tancheng: ?

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After that day, Chu Zhiqing seemed like a different person.

Before, Chu Zhiqing stole case files. Now he stole his elder brother’s poems.

Before, Chu Zhiqing mixed sand into the grain meant for disaster relief. Now he mixed rice into his millet.

Before, Chu Zhiqing bribed a cook to poison someone. Now he tried to bribe one of Chu Tancheng’s personal guards to climb into his... bed curtains?

To stay alive, Chu Zhiqing diligently and desperately kept courting death, without the slightest awareness of the increasingly dark look in his elder brother’s eyes.

Then came the day Prince Jing, who had allied himself with Chu Zhiqing, raised his troops and laid siege to the palace. Everyone inside and outside the palace was on edge. They all knew that Chu Zhiqing, the conspirator behind Prince Jing, would be the next one punished.

But at that moment, Chu Zhiqing was locked inside Chu Tancheng’s bedchamber.

Looking at his calm-faced elder brother, Chu Zhiqing felt a deep and overwhelming fear rise within him.

Chu Tancheng slowly approached, gripped his chin in his large hand, and forced his head up. “Colluding with outside officials and plotting rebellion. What is the proper punishment?”

Chu Zhiqing was so terrified that his mind went blank. He stammered, “Elder Brother... I...”

I really don’t want to seize the throne. Do you believe me? (Crying hard)

Darkness churned in Chu Tancheng’s eyes. His calloused thumb slowly brushed along Chu Zhiqing’s cheek, sliding down to rest against his slender, vulnerable throat.

The cool touch traced his skin, raising a fine shiver and making the threat of restraint unmistakable.

“Then you can atone in another way.”

One-on-one romance, both leads have only ever been with each other, happy ending. Silly, sweet story.

Adopted brothers, with no blood relation; they fall for each other after learning the truth.

Theme: Redemption and rebuilding.