After Disguising Myself as a Man, I Made My Imperial Brother Fall for Me

Ji Ling, the emperor's second legitimate son of Great Zhou, has kept two secrets since childhood: 1. She is not the biological child of the emperor and empress of Great Zhou. 2. She is not a man, but a woman.

To keep her secrets safe, she spends every day being careful. Unfortunately, her bold older brother is always ordering her around, making her attend court, and even trying to take her to war.

To avoid being exposed, Ji Ling naturally refuses outright. Her "real brother," Ji Hao, glances at her and sneers, "How could a prince of Great Zhou be like you? Instead of wanting to make a name for yourself, you just want to lie around in the capital and enjoy the good life."

Great Zhou conquered the realm on horseback, and her crown prince of a brother has always been wise. Naturally, what he says must be right.

Ji Ling silently accepts the scolding without a word. Ji Hao looks at her with disappointment, then turns and leaves.

**

Ji Ling assumes that now Ji Hao will stop urging her to distinguish herself.

But after the princes are rewarded the following year, Ji Ling becomes the only prince to receive the title of prince of the blood.

Ji Ling: ??? What a surprise.

She goes to ask Ji Hao. Her usually fair and strict elder brother simply says, unhurriedly, "You and I share the same mother. How could you compare to the others?"

"I know you're timid, so I won't force you. I'll just have you guard the imperial city and palace and command the northern and southern guards of the capital. That shouldn't be too hard, right?"

Ignoring Ji Ling's stunned expression, he gives her a slightly disapproving glance. "We're both born of the empress, and born to privilege. How is it that you're so frail, with not a trace of martial bearing?"

"How will you command the armies of the realm for me in the future, and drive back the southern barbarians and northern nomads?"

"Ling, I want to make you a hereditary Iron-Cap Prince, but I need a proper reason."

"Someday, the historians will write our names on the same page. Together, we'll usher in a golden age that lasts for millennia. Brothers in harmony: now there's a fine story."

**

Ji Ling is dumbfounded. She never imagined that she, who had planned to coast through life as a wealthy, idle prince, would be entrusted with such a grave responsibility.

But she isn't a prince, and she certainly isn't the biological brother born of the same mother that he claims she is.

She tentatively asks, "Imperial Brother, couldn't it be someone else?"

Ji Hao puts down his memorial, looking a little displeased. He frowns at her. "How could they compare to you?"

**

After being reborn, Ji Ling knows her bargain-bin imperial brother will become a great man, so she decides she might as well cling tightly to his coattails!

How wonderful it will be to be the only younger brother of a wise and mighty ruler!

As long as she doesn't rebel, her wealth and status for the rest of her life are practically guaranteed.

Except...

Years later, Ji Ling looks at the million-strong army behind her. She is dressed as its commander, holding the emperor's sword, and looks imposing beyond compare.

Wasn't she supposed to cling to his coattails?

**

The current emperor and Prince Jia are held up as the model of a wise ruler and worthy minister, brothers who love and respect each other.

Any scholar who sees them would sigh, "With these two, Great Zhou is safe."

There's just one serious problem: while their peers' children are already old enough to run errands, the emperor and Prince Jia remain conspicuously unmarried and childless.

A censor trembles as he petitions them: "Your Majesty and Your Highness, please marry and take concubines soon, to ensure the succession."

Ji Ling and Ji Hao look at each other from across the room. Ji Ling is the first to lower her head guiltily.

She quietly feels the slight swell of her belly beneath her heavy robes and wonders: If she tells them right now that Great Zhou's future is right here, will that cause a stir?

And what of the late emperor's other sons, waiting in line to seize their chance????

**

Who says we have no clothes? I share my robe with you. I take your hand and grow old with you.

When Ji Ling studied at the Imperial Academy as a child, she thought these words described the love between a man and a woman, the love between husband and wife. It was her imperial brother who wrote the answer in her palm, one character at a time, and told her:

"This is the bond between comrades-in-arms, the love between brothers."

Back then, she was young and naive, and did not understand what he meant.

Years later, she finally understood the deep intentions hidden beneath her imperial brother's gentle appearance.

The heroine seems delicate on the surface, but actually has an incredibly powerful golden finger. She's amazing.

The male and female leads are not related by blood. The heroine knows from the start that she and the male lead are unrelated, and their romantic relationship develops only after the male lead also learns that they are not related.

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