After Being Forced to Marry the Emperor

Chu Huai was a pampered young prince, born and raised in Jiangnan. He was beautiful, with fair skin and red lips. In his previous life, he was blind to the truth and helped the Second Prince with all his might in the struggle for the throne. He never expected to be deceived and used by a hypocrite who only appeared virtuous, and eventually died a tragic death in prison. Reborn, Chu Huai returned to the imperial palace, determined to stay out of the power struggles. Unfortunately, things didn't go as planned. Just as in his previous life, the princes were all enamored with his looks. He turned down the advances of many princes and thought he was being careful, but somehow ended up as the Fifth Prince's study companion. The Fifth Prince was different from the others. He had spent several years in the lands of the barbarians, and after being brought back to the palace, he was not loved by the late emperor. He had struggled to survive in the Cold Palace, and as a result had grown cold and wild. Chu Huai pitied him and did his best to treat him with courtesy. But the Fifth Prince didn't seem to see it that way. He had a sturdy build and copper-colored skin, and the way he looked at Chu Huai was far from proper. The Fifth Prince watched him with greedy, almost painfully cautious eyes, like a wild wolf spying on him from the desert. One day, Chu Huai passed beneath a flowering tree and saw the Fifth Prince straddling a branch, staring at him like a wolf cub. The prince casually plucked the most beautiful cluster of blossoms and held it out to him. "Why is everyone fighting for the throne?" Chu Huai replied, "Because whoever wins the throne gains supreme power." The Fifth Prince asked, "Then can I fight for the throne too?" "Your Highness is a prince. Of course you can." Then the wolf cub said without a hint of restraint, "If I become emperor, I'll make A Huai my empress and keep you pampered in the harem day and night." Chu Huai: "..." That absolutely could not happen. A few years later, the new emperor ascended the throne. Rumors spread through the palace that His Majesty had taken an empress. No one knew who she was, but she was the emperor's sole favorite, kept inside the Golden Throne Hall and doted on day and night. No outsiders were allowed to see her. Inside the Golden Throne Hall. The new emperor tenderly tucked a flower behind Chu Huai's ear, then closed his eyes and kissed his hair in a daze. "My A Huai is more delicate than a blossom..." I want to tear him limb from limb, but even that wouldn't make up for all the suffering A Huai endured in prison. [Manuscript screenshot saved on 2023/3/12] P.S. A stunning, universally adored prince on the receiving end x A wild, possessive, mad-dog emperor on the giving end. One-on-one romance. The receiving end is reborn; younger top, with a three-year age gap. [That robot trope sat there for over a year and I couldn't come up with any inspiration, so I changed it to this one. The central trope is set and won't change again. Feel free to bookmark it if you like it!] Theme: Be passionate about what you love, and never settle for being ordinary.