I Raise My Jade Dragon to Die for You

A gentle, sickly scholar shou x an ambitious, ruthless emperor gong. 1V1, happy ending, age gap of five years, both inexperienced.

There was a rumor at court that Emperor Gu Lingyun was a homosexual, and that his lover was Shen Qingyu, the beautiful and powerful court official.

The rumor was true.

Shen Qingyu and Gu Lingyun had grown up together. Shen Qingyu was sickly, and when he coughed too hard, bright red blood would spray from his lips.

Gu Lingyun loved Shen Qingyu and had stayed by his side for ten years. They had long since been intimate.

Then came a coup at court. Gu Lingyun seized the throne with his military power and became ruthlessly ambitious, expanding his territory on a grand scale. He even made Shen Qingyu, despite his illness, travel from battlefield to battlefield to lead the troops in person.

After a lost battle, Shen Qingyu received several letters of reprimand, all in Gu Lingyun's own hand.

With blood at the corner of his mouth, Shen Qingyu coughed lightly and looked up at the vast expanse of yellow sand. Suddenly, he felt that his Gu Lingyun was no longer the same as before.

It seemed to Shen Qingyu that Gu Lingyun loved his empire more than he loved him.

One victory followed another, and Gu Lingyun was delighted. Only then did he summon Shen Qingyu back, intending to ennoble him with a title.

After three years at the frontier, Shen Qingyu entered the Hall of Mental Cultivation again. He had grown so thin he could barely hold up his official robes. His face was pale, and after a fit of coughing, blood continued to well from his lips.

Seeing his beloved so frail, Gu Lingyun felt his heart wrench. He hurried to his feet and stepped forward to embrace him.

"Your Majesty," Shen Qingyu dodged his hand, his voice cold. "I have accomplished my mission. Let me go."

Gu Lingyun couldn't believe it. "Why do you want to leave? Don't you love me anymore?"

Shen Qingyu said nothing more. He turned and left, doing everything he could to escape Gu Lingyun's pursuit.

He got his wish. From then on, the vast capital was missing someone named Shen Qingyu.

Before leaving, Shen Qingyu had the letters full of reprimands sent back to the Hall of Mental Cultivation, severing all ties with Gu Lingyun.

Looking at the bloodstained pages filled with curses and remembering Shen Qingyu's frail appearance, Gu Lingyun was consumed by heartache day and night. He searched everywhere for him like a madman.

Only then did Gu Lingyun realize how badly he had wronged him.

When Gu Lingyun finally found Shen Qingyu again, he was in a deserted house outside the capital. Shen Qingyu was so ill he could barely breathe, and the floor beneath his bed was covered in blood from his coughing.

Holding Shen Qingyu's limp body in his arms, Gu Lingyun wept uncontrollably and said in a trembling voice, "Qingyu, please, come back with me, all right?"

Genres: Second-chance romance, groveling redemption, sickly beauty.

As usual: There will be sex, lots of it.

Content warning: Long and angsty. The gong's redemption arc is extremely intense. Please let Qingyu love him one more time. If this isn't for you, please avoid it.

Please note:

1. Set in a fictional Ming dynasty, using the Ming court system. The story has nothing to do with the real Ming dynasty.

2. The first version of this blurb was finalized and registered on [2023.4.29]. It includes names, times, and dates. Plagiarism and idea theft will be pursued.

3. No writing advice, ranking checks, or text checks, please. Plagiarism, idea theft, borrowing, and imitation will be pursued, without exception.

4. The characters' values and views are not the author's.

5. Please don't nitpick historical accuracy, make comparisons, or read the characters as stand-ins. Please don't project.

6. The comments section is always open. Make yourselves at home and have fun.

Theme: I'll talk about that once I start writing