[Current Emperor × Regent]
Pei Du was a bird imprisoned on a dragon chair, and the golden cage was made by Pei Wang himself—he assisted the government openly, but secretly held the imperial power tightly. Pei Du endured it for four years. He endured it until his fingernails were pinched and his palms were broken, but he still smiled and poured tea for the emperor's uncle. Pei Wan thought that the bird would never fly out of his palm. It was not until Pei Du bit his shoulder for the first time, and the bloody smell entangled him in his lust, that he was shocked to realize that the bird in the cage had grown a sharp beak, and it was not his flesh that pecked through, but his heart.
But on the day when the imperial edict came out, Pei Wang could have taken away the country openly and honestly, but he chose to "assist in government". Pei Du cried and asked why, and Pei Huan replied: "Because if you sit on that chair, you will never call me emperor uncle again."
Later, Pei Du was seriously injured and retired. Every year, the crabapple flowers bloomed, and Pei Du had a box of crabapple cakes from unknown sources on his desk. He didn't look for it or check it out - not meeting each other was the last love they could give each other in this cage situation.
Intent: Two-way redemption and power-strategy game under extreme contrast.