Qi Jiang is the ruler of a small country. When he was seventeen, someone transmigrated into his body. Disregarding the dignity of a nation's ruler, that person offered up his land and people as a dowry, eagerly presenting himself as a consort to the rulers of the great powers. By the time Qi Jiang returned to his own body, he had been rejected seven times and become the laughingstock of the world. His subjects were so humiliated that they all cursed him and told him to hurry up and die.
His honor in tatters, Qi Jiang let out a long sigh. At this point, the only way to restore his reputation was to unite the nine kingdoms and become an emperor for the ages.
At first:
The people of Jiang: ...The king's dreaming again.
The rulers of the great powers: Ha! What a show-off.
Later:
The people of Jiang: Long live the wise king! Long live the king! Long live the king!
The rulers of the various kingdoms: ...Quick! Bring out the betrothal gifts and go to Jiang to propose!
-
In this world, it is customary for a ruler of a weak nation to become the consort of a great power in order to preserve his own country.
Before the age of seventeen, Qi Jiang, ruler of Jiang, was known for his gentleness and virtue. He was also ranked among the top three candidates on the great powers' lists of prospective consorts. But then his personality changed drastically. After meeting him, the various kingdoms found that he wasn't what they had expected, and one by one they broke off their engagements.
Everyone knows that the rulers of the great powers share the same unattainable beloved: Seventeen Yue, the Crown Prince of Yue, who single-handedly transformed a small country into a great power and joined the ranks of the nine strongest nations in just six years.
Yue borders Jiang, and it's said that Qi Jiang even went to Yue's city gates and, forgetting the dignity of a nation's ruler, shouted that Seventeen Yue was a homewrecker, shameless, and stealing other people's men, among other things. In short, it was as embarrassing as it was absurd.
So this time, Qi Jiang prepared a proper gift and personally went to Yue to apologize. Of course, he didn't even make it past Yue's city gates. Qi Jiang mounted a little donkey and called out to the gates:
"Your Highness Seventeen, if I can turn the Northern Wastes into a granary within three years, will you acknowledge me as emperor?"
The people of Yue: ...
The beloved of the great powers, His Highness Seventeen Yue: ...Fine. Give it a try.
The other kingdoms: Hahaha, Qi Jiang's madness is getting worse.
The people of Jiang: ...We have nothing to say. Is it too late to run away?
Three years later, a minister came knocking on Qi Jiang's palace door.
"Your Majesty, Yue has arrived, they..."
"To proclaim me emperor?"
"No, they've come to ask for your hand! His Highness Seventeen Yue wants you as his consort!"
Notes:
Qi Jiang is the bottom, Seventeen Yue is the top.
The story focuses on his career.
The romance is probably a love triangle plus a groveling arc.
Screenshots taken on 2020.4.8. Don't steal the premise.
Theme: Be your own person
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