I Promise

In the twenty-first year of the Jiahe era, Emperor Zhaoming died in the palace, and the crown prince ascended the throne.

The Grand Princess Changyang had long been at odds with the new emperor. She was worrying about what he would do to her and her younger brother when, that night, the new emperor, Cui Haoyu, disregarded the boundary between men and women and barged into her bedroom.

She had just bathed and changed. Cui Haoyu stood before her, his cold fingers brushing her cheek before slipping open the front of her robe.

Su Xiuyue was startled. "Imperial Brother, you..."

Cui Haoyu watched her at leisure, waiting to enjoy the look of terror and fear on the proud, beautiful Grand Princess Changyang's face.

Instead, Su Xiuyue bit her lip and said shyly, "How long have you... secretly been in love with me?"

Cui Haoyu: "..."

Cui Haoyu stared at her in disbelief. What nonsense was she talking about?

**

After the Imperial Consort entered the palace, she became arrogant and domineering, disrespected the empress, and framed the crown prince. Cui Haoyu hated her to the core, and naturally hated her willful, spoiled daughter too.

But...

In July, during the autumn hunt, he brazenly engaged in an illicit affair with her in the carriage, showing her no respect at all. Yet Su Xiuyue's cheeks flushed and her voice trembled. "Imperial Brother, I never knew you had that kind of fetish."

Cui Haoyu: "..." Why didn't she feel humiliated at all? Why was she even a little excited?!

In August, I demoted her to a lowly palace maid, making her sweep every day and work without rest.

Who knew she'd actually say with delight, "I gained four pounds last month. Imperial Brother really went to great lengths to help me lose weight."

Cui Haoyu: "..."

I swear, I really don't love Su Xiuyue. As it happened, the King of Xilan came to the capital to ask for a princess's hand in marriage.

Xilan is a remote, uncivilized land on the border. If I give her the title of princess and send her there in a political marriage, surely she won't keep thinking I love her, right?

When she heard the news, her face did indeed show disbelief.

"When Father was alive, he ignored Xilan's marriage proposal. But you, Imperial Brother, are sending a princess to marry abroad. You're not as capable as Father. You have to rely on a princess to stabilize the border and secure peace," Su Xiuyue sighed.

What? She actually said I wasn't as capable as that tyrant?

So the very next day, I destroyed Xilan and seized its national treasure to give her as a footstool.

**

[The princess was born before the Imperial Consort entered the palace and is not related to the male lead by blood. Everyone in the world knows the male and female leads are not related by blood.]

Theme: Love takes effort from both sides