A Thousand Years of Blessings

Gu Huan is a little eunuch, sickly all year round, but blessed with a pretty face: fair skin, delicate brows, and red lips and white teeth. He also has a powerful godfather to protect him.

So he gets by fairly comfortably in the palace, waiting for his godfather to grow old so he can care for him and see him to the grave.

Later, the new emperor ascends the throne, and his godfather loses power overnight. Gu Huan's good days come to an end, too.

A eunuch who has lost his power is worse off than a beaten dog.

Once, everyone respectfully called him Eunuch Xiao Huan. Now, they curse him as a filthy eunuch dog.

Gu Huan meets with rejection everywhere he turns. By the time his godfather dies a miserable death, Gu Huan hasn't even managed to see him one last time.

Despairing, he remembers what his godfather told him shortly before he died.

"For a eunuch in this palace to climb all the way to the top, he needs to find someone to lean on.

And if he wants to stand firm and stay there, he needs to find someone powerful enough to back him."

So Gu Huan slowly lifts his head. His gaze passes over one palace hall after another and comes to rest on the supreme new emperor in the Hall of Supreme Harmony.

Gu Huan would rather have nothing at all than settle for anything but the best.

*

Several years after the new emperor's ascension, the imperial harem remains empty.

Memorials urging him to hold a selection and take consorts pile up before the imperial desk like snowflakes, but the emperor doesn't even glance at them before ordering them thrown out.

The one who throws them out is Gu Huan.

The court officials join together to denounce Gu Huan, accusing him of bringing chaos to the court and letting a eunuch dog abuse his power.

At the time, Gu Huan is barefoot, his snow-white feet stepping over a floor strewn with memorials.

In full view of everyone, he slips his feet into the emperor's arms and claims the emperor's embrace for himself.

The red-lipped, white-toothed eunuch smiles and says, "Your Majesty, if they're cursing me, they're cursing you. Under the laws of the land, what is the punishment for deceiving the emperor and acting with such insolence?"

Those who curse him have their tongues cut out, are stripped of their posts, and sent into exile.

And so, Gu Huan goes from being the eunuch dog everyone curses to the new emperor's most favored courtier.

He also becomes the most powerful person in the land after the emperor, with authority over all others: the Nine-Thousand-Year Lord.

Everyone in the palace fears Gu Huan.

When they see him, they respectfully greet him with, "May the Lord of a Thousand Years live in good fortune."

A mild-mannered, beautiful, frail little eunuch (who transforms into a gorgeous, frail, unhinged beauty) vs. a devoted, possessive, controlling emperor with an old-fashioned patriarchal mindset

Blurb dated 20260910

P.S. The protagonist is adored by everyone, but the emperor is the only true love interest. Everyone else who falls for the protagonist will pine for him their whole lives without ever winning his heart. (There may be scenes where some supporting male characters steal kisses or force kisses, so consider this a heads-up.)

This isn't simply a feel-good, sweet story. It has some melodramatic plotlines (which may be pretty dark?), so proceed with caution if that isn't your thing. Hope you all have a happy day, every day!

This story is set in a fictional dynasty, with some historical dynasties as references, but it isn't entirely accurate, so please don't nitpick the history.

Theme: Step by step, climb to the very top, The Outcast, with authority over all others