The Great Liu Dynasty has endured for more than 400 years, but after weathering countless storms, it is now on the verge of collapse.
Jing Ruxu is renowned for his filial piety and integrity. A court official deeply valued by the imperial family, he is utterly loyal to the Liu royal house, willing to hold up the heavens alone if he must.
Song Yu is the young legitimate son of a regional lord. He once wished only to live as a carefree outsider, taking no part in worldly affairs, but he has never truly been able to stand apart from them.
A proud, aloof, flawless schemer: ruthless and full of cunning, yet in truth a tender-hearted, sensitive older beauty who is the bottom.
A carefree, dashing, charming man who is always cracking risqué jokes, yet in truth a devoted younger top, loyal as a hound.
The bottom is completely devoted to his career. Even though he has feelings for the top, he will put those feelings aside and use him time and again. The top will always treat him well and help him, both openly and behind the scenes. The bottom will take a very, very long time to truly give his heart to the top, but this has a happy ending. Though the top's love remains one-sided for a long time, apart from having feelings for the top, the bottom's thoughts are entirely occupied by his career.
The setting is entirely fictional, and none of the characters in the story can be verified as historical figures. The dynastic bureaucracy and other details are modeled on the Qin and Han dynasties, as well as the Wei, Jin, and Southern Dynasties, and are even less historically verifiable. A deep bow.
The chapter titles and classical poems appearing in the story are either imitations of ancient works or direct quotations, not original writing. I will compile and annotate them all later. Another deep bow.
Theme: Eternity is like a long night
