The future King of Qin, Xue Shuo, was a jianhao from a young age.
The youngest son of the empress, he could write at three and fight at seven. Born of imperial blood, he looked down on everyone.
When he was eight, a new group of study companions, boys and girls alike, was chosen for the palace.
The palace attendants told him it was a tradition of their dynasty: bright, gifted little girls were brought to the palace from a young age and raised among the consorts. The future empresses and princess consorts were often chosen from among them.
For several days, his older brothers discussed the companions' backgrounds and family influence.
Xue Shuo thought nothing of it.
He wasn't going to play with girls.
When the companions entered the palace, Xue Shuo kept his word. He held his head high, paid no attention to anything else, and focused only on his studies.
Then he found out he was no longer number one.
One new companion could memorize anything at a glance and recite it with her eyes shut. She could do calculations in her head in the blink of an eye, and no matter what the teacher tested her on, she handed in a perfect paper. She usually kept to herself and spoke to no one.
The ordinary jianhao that was His Highness the King of Qin was awed by the aura of this top-tier jianhao.
After going to great lengths, Xue Shuo and the new companion became good friends.
They fought, skipped class, walked in the rain, and earned perfect scores on their tests, heading straight for the goal of becoming five-star jianhao.
Xue Shuo was satisfied. Xue Shuo was happy. Xue Shuo was blissful.
And even his mother stopped urging him to go play with the girls.
Life was perfect.
His Highness the King of Qin's perfect life came to an end one afternoon.
It was the first archery and horsemanship lesson. He had changed his clothes and was about to find his best friend when he saw her with a group of girls.
Xue Shuo was very disappointed. He said, "Why do you like playing with girls? That's so pathetic."
His best friend said, "But I am a girl."
Reading Guide
1. I threw this blurb together in ten minutes. I'll polish it later, but the jokes won't change.
2. This isn't a conventional succession. Real men don't play by inheritance rules: whoever loses in the Xuanwu Gate showdown is the rebel, and whoever loses in the Battle of Xiangji Temple is the rebel army. The style carries over from my last book. It's lighthearted, not dark or grim.
3. The female lead's family is very, very, very low-ranking, but that's not a problem. He loves her to bits.
4. Anyway, this is a lighthearted, pure-love story.
Theme: Haven't thought of one.
