He Went Mad After I Faked My Death

My other novel, My Ex-Husband Ascended the Throne After Our Divorce, is now available. Please add it to your collection!

Blurb: A century after the Great Yan dynasty was founded, imperial power had begun to wane.

Because her father had no sons, Princess Jiang You'an had to disguise herself as a boy and pretend to be a young prince.

When she was sixteen, her father sent her away from Chang'an under the pretext of studying. She was to find a suitable man, secretly bear a child, and provide an heir for the imperial family.

"First, protect yourself. Remember, you must never reveal your identity."

"Second, you must give birth to a little prince, so the Great Yan dynasty can endure for generations..."

Before she left, her father nagged her with endless reminders.

Jiang You'an agreed to everything. But once she reached the borderlands, she spent her days eating, drinking, and sightseeing. It wasn't until the year before she was due to return to Chang'an that she hastily found a handsome young soldier and married him.

Fortunately, the young soldier was strong and did not disappoint. Barely a month after the wedding, Jiang You'an was found to be pregnant, and nine months later she gave birth to a healthy boy.

But the next day, dreadful news came from the army: the young soldier had gone missing on the battlefield and was presumed dead.

The messenger was weeping as he delivered the news, but Jiang You'an's phoenix eyes flickered as she thought, This is a godsend.

That very day, a fire erased every trace. Jiang You'an summoned her guards and set off decisively for Chang'an.

Three months later, as she attended a grand banquet with her father, the victorious Marquis of Zhenyuan, Xiao Wuyan, returned after defeating the enemy. To her shock, he had the exact same face as the soldier who had supposedly died.

That night, in the Eastern Palace.

Jiang You'an trembled as someone cornered her. "...You, you lied to me! Didn't you say you were just an unknown soldier serving under the Marquis of Zhenyuan?"

Xiao Wuyan gave a furious, incredulous laugh. He leaned in and, still tenderly, kissed her ear. His eyes, however, were terrifyingly dark as he enunciated each word: "And what about you, Your Highness the Crown Prince?"

It turned out she had been unmoved by his supposed death, while he was the one who had gone mad.

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Contest entry note: My novel, He Went Mad After I Faked My Death, fits the theme of the writing contest I entered, "Everyone Has a Use for Their Talents." The young Crown Prince Jiang You'an leaves home to study and have a child. She meets Xiao Wuyan, the Marquis of Zhenyuan, who is disguised as a soldier. From their meeting to their marriage and the birth of their child, they spend nearly three years together while hiding their secret identities and never revealing the truth. Only after Xiao Wuyan disappears on the battlefield and is presumed dead, and Jiang You'an returns to Chang'an with their child, do the two meet again and begin confronting each other as their true selves. During those three years away from home, Crown Prince Jiang You'an witnesses the hardships of ordinary people firsthand. She vows to expand the territory, govern diligently, and care for the people so that the citizens of Great Yan can live safe and prosperous lives. She grows from a pampered young prince into a ruler who works hard for her people.

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#ThePlanToKeepTheChildAndDumpTheFatherGoesHorriblyWrong#

The all-powerful chief minister X the royal princess disguised as a boy

Reader notes:

1. This is a fictional setting with a mixed historical background. Please don't nitpick the history.

My other novel, My Ex-Husband Ascended the Throne After Our Divorce, is now available!

Blurb: 1. Tang Xining, the third daughter of the Duke of Tang's household, is breathtakingly beautiful, but has been frail and sickly since childhood. Only constant treatment with precious medicine can give her hope of a long life.

Her parents made plans early on to find a handsome husband to move into their home and take care of their youngest daughter.

Shen Weizhi, a handsome young man from a poor family who has many brothers and is traveling to the capital to sit for the imperial examinations, is the perfect candidate for a live-in son-in-law.

But on the day the results are posted, a servant from the duke's household takes the wrong man...

2. Her husband goes from being a newly appointed jinshi to a penniless amnesiac brute. Outsiders pity Tang Xining for her bad luck, and her parents keep urging her to write him a letter of divorce.

But Tang Xining, who spends her nights in passionate bliss, is completely unmoved. Whenever her parents nag her, she clutches her chest and replies with an earnest, pitiful expression, "Father, Mother, you don't understand. He's so good to me..."

A brute has his advantages. There are things a refined jinshi simply can't provide.

3. The amnesiac Chu Yuan can't bear to let his wife suffer in the slightest, and does whatever she says. If she tells him to go east, he goes east; if she tells him to go west, he goes west.

His wife tells him that Yunxiang Pavilion is a cosmetics shop, and he believes her.

But one stormy autumn night, he brings her some clothes so she won't catch a chill, only to discover that Yunxiang Pavilion is no cosmetics shop at all. It's a pleasure house!

Chu Yuan's handsome face turns icy. He immediately carries Tang Xining to the carriage.

Back home, Tang Xining sobs all night, thinking that once he's calmed down tomorrow, she'll be able to explain everything properly...

But when she wakes the next morning, her brute is gone.

4. After divorcing Chu Yuan, Tang Xining spends a long time moping in the duke's household.

Her parents can't bear to see their daughter so heartbroken. As it happens, a new emperor has just ascended the throne and a banquet is being held at the palace, so they take her along to cheer her up and earnestly advise her:

"There are countless handsome young men in the world, Xining. If you don't like scholars, let's take a good look at the generals today. If you find someone you like, your father can find a way..."

Tang Xining thinks her mother is right.

You can't hang yourself from the same tree. If her ex-husband didn't cherish her, that was his loss. She should find a husband she likes and enjoy her life.

But as she looks around...

Why does the man on the throne look so familiar?

Tang Xining's throat goes dry. She hurriedly lowers her head and clings to the Duchess, asking timidly, "Mother, if I've been married to the new emperor, can I still find myself a husband?"

The Duchess: "?"

Meanwhile, Chu Yuan sits on the throne, staring darkly at Tang Xining as she looks around at the men. Suddenly, he silently crushes his jade cup.

Theme: One must be true to both family and country.