In the Years to Come

Zhao Xu, heir to the Duke of Yingchuan, was born into a first-rank aristocratic clan. A student at the Imperial Academy who would be eligible for the civil service exams the following year, he was broad-minded and loved making friends. But he never expected an imperial decree to betroth him to the fifteen-year-old Fourth Prince, Xuanyuan Hui. At the time, the Empress Dowager held power in an iron grip, with her faction spread throughout the court. The emperor was powerless, and most of the imperial clan had died out. The betrothal was the last thing the emperor could do for his beloved son. This marriage was not merely a transaction; it was an unprecedented move. Though men could marry men in the Qichao dynasty, a man who married another man could not inherit the family estate, and no member of the imperial clan had ever done so. Since Xuanyuan Zhaomin, the dynasty's founding emperor, the imperial clan had been forbidden from holding fiefs. Yet Xuanyuan Hui was allowed to take his consort north to Suzhou, leaving Chang'an for the time being as they waited for their chance. The imperial house was in decline, the realm on the brink of disaster, and the land of China had fallen into chaos, too painful to recall... When that day comes, will the two of them be able to set the world right and restore the realm? And when that day comes, what will become of the two who were only pretending? ---------------------Here ends the blurb, which seems serious but is actually ridiculous---------------------- Warning: Read with caution!!!! Inspired by Xin Qiji's “Shuilongyin.” I've been feeling a little reckless lately and really want to let loose. Add to that a strong request from a fellow reader, and I flew 80,000 feet into the sky and wrote this story about a man marrying a man. The plot doesn't make much sense, the political maneuvering is childish, and I'm completely clueless about warfare. I don't know if I'll mess it up, but all I can promise is that I'll give it a try... I don't have enough chapters in reserve, so updates will usually be weekly. If you haven't unfollowed after this flight of fancy, and even want to keep reading, you're probably either desperately short on things to read or a true fan... Theme: