The Courtier in the Imperial Hall

[The full text has been revised. Please leave a five-star review!] [The series story, The Golden Beast Incense Burner, is complete! Its blurb is at the bottom. If you like it, remember to add it to your favorites!] This story's blurb [Willful, arrogant, and possessive emperor x gentle minister with the soul of snow and plum blossoms] Song Lan was the least favored crown prince in the history of Great Sheng. Every day in the Eastern Palace, he either climbed trees to catch fish or went into the water to chase dogs. His favorite thing was braiding little pigtails in the old teachers' beards. Naturally, all the old teachers were driven away by him. When one teacher left, a new one arrived. One day, fourteen-year-old Song Lan stood at the entrance to the Eastern Palace, tiptoeing as he sized up the newly appointed tutor to the crown prince. "I hear you're the new scholar?" Song Lan pursed his lips skeptically. "You're so young. Can you really do the job?" Mei Yan was already a second-rank official at twenty, wearing a purple robe and jade crown. He wrote poems of heavenly brocade, possessed the spirit of Wang Chang and Song Yu, and was known as a soul of snow and plum blossoms, as beautiful as a jade mountain in ruins. He was a refreshing presence among the court officials. Rumor had it that people like him were too proud, with minds full of knowledge but no warmth, and would never treat anyone with kind words and a smile. Song Lan thought so at first, too. But then... The willful, arrogant Song Lan cast aside his wolf's pelt and ruined his knees begging medicine for his tutor. The aloof, proud Mei Yan spent a fortune and got himself into trouble to protect Song Lan's position as crown prince. And so a year passed, then two, then five... They supported each other through five years of hardship, and the muddy, wretched Eastern Palace became a place warmed by the gentle spring rain. Song Lan thought they would keep going like that, but he never imagined that one day Mei Yan would suddenly enter the palace with a knife and then... kill the emperor. The cautious young crown prince ascended the throne, while Mei Yan, guilty of regicide, was placed under house arrest in the palace. From then on, the crown prince became the emperor, and the tutor became a criminal. Song Lan looked at Mei Yan, whom he had confined to the palace, and roughly lifted his chin. "Mei Jinghuai, I hate you so much!" From this moment on, the real story began. Song Lan had been carefully taught by Mei Yan for five years. Because of a selfish desire in his heart, he couldn't bear to imprison Mei Yan after he killed the emperor, and instead kept him under house arrest in the palace. As if house arrest weren't enough, he went to see Mei Yan three times a day. The first time, he fed Mei Yan his medicine. The second time, he fed Mei Yan a meal. The third time, he asked if he could cuddle up to Mei Yan. Mei Yan finally snapped. "Your Majesty, do you know that I committed the grave crime of regicide and treason?" Song Lan: "Tutor, cuddle..." Mei Yan: "..." I was absolutely terrified. In this world, either you're crazy or I am. [Reading Guide] 1. An alternate historical setting. Don't take it too seriously. 2. Strong leads, younger top, one-on-one, happy ending, both leads' first time. 3. There is a secondary couple, but it's hard to say whether their story is sweet. 4. The top is a lamb in wolf's clothing, vicious at first and whimpering later. 5. The full story is finished. Feel free to start reading. Blurb for the series story The Golden Beast Incense Burner [Possessive Marquis top x vengeful censor bottom] In the spring of the third year of Jiqing in Great Sheng, a massive imperial examination fraud scandal shook the capital, Shengjing. Censor Tang Zhenshu fought on behalf of wronged students, risking imprisonment and repeatedly putting himself in danger. Tang Zhenshu's brush was like a knife, like a sword. In this feudal dynasty ruled by the powerful, he alone raised his pen and paper, seeking "a measure of justice in this world" through a scholar's words. He was the only clean person in the desire-filled capital of Shengjing. But then he met Zhao Jingmian. "I've been letting you stay at my estate for over two months. Stop acting so unwilling every time. Zhenshu, the marquis thinks highly of you. He's doing you a favor. Others beg for something like this and can't get it, so don't be ungrateful." Tang Zhenshu smiled and accepted Zhao Jingmian's kindness, then turned around and struck with a knife, laying out a massive game of chess in Shengjing. The students denounced the court as disloyal, the people condemned the powerful as corrupt, and the emperor could not escape the web of strange rumors woven from words. Zhao Jingmian was left bleeding, too. His eyes red, he asked, "Tang Zhenshu, in your eyes, I'm just a pawn, aren't I?" Tang Zhenshu said nothing. His long, thick lashes cast a pale gray shadow, his expression detached and distant. After a long silence, Zhao Jingmian used his bloodied hand to brush the red mole at the corner of Tang Zhenshu's eye. "Have you never had even a trace of affection for me?" Tang Zhenshu suddenly smiled. He lifted his head and touched Zhao Jingmian's pale face in turn, his voice like a bloodied blade as it fell. "Have you forgotten, my lord?" "I hate you so much, too." Their relationship was like the cool, noble scent of rhinoceros horn incense, slowly consumed in a golden beast-shaped burner amid lavish banquets. Endless, relentless, never yielding. [Reading Guide] 1. I'll do my best with the political intrigue. Both leads are virgins, and it has a happy ending! 2. This story is part of the Court Ministers series. 3. There are fictional elements, so don't take it too seriously! 4. The next story will be yours! If you're interested, add it to your favorites now. 5. Blurb saved on 2022.06.30. Premise: Don't believe that there's no way back. Even withered trees can bloom again.