The Emperor’s Gifted Sourpuss Is Ordered to Marry

The army returned victorious, bringing honor back to its homeland. Chu Heng, who had transmigrated here, knew that an emperor would grow wary of a subject whose achievements eclipsed his own.

So he asked the emperor to let him retire and return home to farm.

The emperor was delighted. Knowing Chu Heng wasn't interested in women, the emperor bestowed three thousand handsome men on him.

Chu Heng declined, but the emperor said, "Then take them home to farm. You'll need people to work the fields." So Chu Heng accepted.

That night,

the bodyguard who had loyally stayed by Chu Heng's side day and night vanished.

The next day, among the three thousand delicate beauties the emperor had bestowed, who looked nothing like farmhands, Chu Heng spotted his bodyguard, who definitely didn't fit in.

Tall and straight-backed, with a commanding presence, sword-like brows and bright eyes. He was quite the handsome fellow.

The little bodyguard hugged his bundle and turned red as he stubbornly stammered, "I... I was ordered to marry you!"

Oh, so he brazenly stole someone else's name and now claimed it was an imperial order. What a nerve!

Before long, all three thousand delicate beauties had become burly farmhands, working in the fields.

Planting rice, harvesting, pulling radishes. They worked more efficiently than anyone.

Ah, I miscounted. There were two thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine.

Chu Heng, the newly minted landowner, watched them farm while cracking sunflower seeds. Yan Chi blocked his view.

Yan Chi: My lord, don't look at them. (Look at me.)

Chu Heng turned his head. Well, now there's another one who's jealous.

Notes

1. Top's POV. The author isn't attached to either role and likes mutual pampering.

Written in third person.

2. One-on-one romance, sweet.

3. The bottom is my favorite type: a loyal-dog bodyguard.

I'll finally start this top's POV novel in 2022. I've put it off for far too long.

Theme: Better to cherish the one before you.