Precious Things Are Hard to Raise

[A cold, fatherly top x a pampered crybaby, marriage first, love later, sweet romance] [For another historical danmei novel with a similar feel, Uncle, Spare Me!, featuring a domineering patriarch x a sweet little fool. Please add it to your reading list!] Rumor has it that the precious young heir of the Gongyuan Marquis household is to take the princess’s place in marriage and travel to the barren northern frontier. Everyone knows the Northern Prince’s Second Imperial Son is burly and boorish, nicknamed the Living Yama. He once charged alone into the Central Plains army’s camp. Relying on his martial prowess, he rode straight through the Central Plains commander’s tent and turned the tide of the battle into peace talks between the two armies. The result of the negotiations was that the princess would be sent beyond the frontier. The princess refused at the risk of her life. With no other choice, the emperor turned to the young heir of the Gongyuan Marquis household, who bore some resemblance to her. The young heir had grown up doted on by his parents and older brothers. Everyone in Chang’an knew he was made of jade: delicate and frail, with skin like ice and bones like porcelain. He couldn’t be jostled or touched, and even a loud voice could startle him. Though he was poor at poetry and knew nothing of farming, his beautiful face had won him the affection of many nobles and royals. It had also made him the object of many people’s envy. When the palace’s decree arrived, the Gongyuan Marquis and his wife nearly fainted. The young heir smashed every piece of porcelain and every treasure within reach. But there was no choice. The emperor’s command could not be disobeyed. The young heir set off in tears. Everyone who knew about it laughed and watched with glee, predicting that the young heir wouldn’t last six months. The Living Yama, raised among the barbarian tribes of the frontier, would never tolerate someone who had to stop and catch his breath every few steps. Half a year later, the Gongyuan Marquis sends a letter to the northern frontier. It reads: Son, are you eating and dressing warmly over there? Is the Second Imperial Son mistreating you? Has anyone humiliated you? When the letter arrives, the young heir is throwing a pillow at the Living Yama, his delicate toes pressed against the man’s strong chest as he cries, “I told you it hurt, and you still kept going! You’re not allowed to sleep in my room tonight!” ■Reader advisory: 1. The recipient is a pampered, weepy crybaby who speaks in a very coquettish way. If you can’t accept this type, please don’t read. I’ll report comments that insult the recipient by calling him feminine. 2. The reason for having a man replace a woman in a political marriage will be explained later. The author is bad at plotting and the writing is simplistic, but I’ll try to make the story logical. Readers who expect elaborate political intrigue, please proceed with caution. _ Here’s another upcoming novel: Uncle, Spare Me! Emperor Qi dies, and his Seventh Prince, Yue Heng, ascends the throne. Less than three days after donning the imperial robes, he is ambushed and captured while leading a campaign against the northern frontier. The capital is thrown into chaos. Yue Shichu, the Fourth Prince’s eldest son, isn’t concerned. He’s just a carefree young heir who loves indulging himself. But no sooner does he learn that he isn’t the Princess Consort’s biological child than two powerful ministers haul him onto the throne. Clutching his crown, he asks through his tears, “I… I’m emperor?” The ministers are drafting the decree and pay him no mind. A year after lying low, Yue Heng fights his way back to the Qi dynasty. The young emperor is playing a dice game with the eunuchs in his bedchamber. “I won!” Before he can finish, a white-feathered arrow shoots past his ear. Through the curtains, he watches a man like a rakshasa approach step by step and stammers, “U-Uncle.” The struggle for the throne is about to erupt. Learning that Yue Heng developed a nightmare disorder while being held captive in the northern frontier, Yue Shichu tries to protect himself by dressing as a young eunuch and sneaking into Yue Heng’s bedchamber every night to help him change, serve him tea, and fuss over him. At last, he finds a chance to poison Yue Heng, but Yue Heng grabs him and pins him beneath him. Amid his cries, Yue Heng hears someone whisper “Uncle” and assumes it’s part of his nightmare. Before long, Yue Heng prepares to purge the palace and turn his sword against the young emperor who stole his throne. The young emperor sits on the edge of the bed, wiping his tears in a miserable little sniffle. The moment he sees Yue Heng, he grows even more aggrieved and breaks into uncontrollable sobs. His imperial robe hangs loosely off his shoulders. Yue Heng steps closer and sees two fading love bites on the side of the young emperor’s neck They seem to be the ones he left there last night. . [The top and recipient are eight years apart, with no blood relation whatsoever] . Theme: Becoming a better person through love