I Secretly Carried the Crown Prince's Baby, Then Made Him Fall for Me

(Weibo: @Xiao Xiao Ye coco. I may post plot ideas that come to me on a whim.) [This is a male-female romance!]

Wei Linzhang ascended to the position of Crown Prince, purged the court in a bloodbath, and ruthlessly cleansed the inner palace. Everyone feared him.

Behind the Crown Prince's imposing robes, Shen Chunyi basked in her success, standing at her sovereign's side as a senior official in the Directorate of Ceremonial's Brush Bureau.

Many called her Wei Linzhang's lapdog, the one who carried out his punishments and spied on his enemies. They said that once she was no longer useful, he would discard her like a worn-out shoe, leaving her to meet a grisly end.

Shen Chunyi merely gave a soft scoff, unconcerned.

**

Ever since they met in a muddy pit when she was seven, Shen Chunyi had been the sharpest blade in Wei Linzhang's hand. She cleared his path and helped him rise to power.

Shen Chunyi had always believed that His Highness was a master worth serving for the rest of her life.

Until one day, Wei Linzhang summoned her and said in a solemn voice, "I know you have no roots, so it's only natural that you feel stirred up and envy whole men. But that doesn't mean I should let you take a partner."

"If I catch you fooling around with those palace maids again, don't blame me for showing no mercy."

Shen Chunyi suddenly understood. His Highness had never shown interest in women. It turned out he was repulsed by them deep down, even somewhat misogynistic, and couldn't stand the thought of her "betraying" him by getting too close to one.

She quickly agreed, and Wei Linzhang's expression improved considerably. After staring at her for a long moment, he added,

"If you continue to behave yourself..." He raised his chin slightly. "Then I might allow you into my bed."

Wei Linzhang's expression remained calm. "Chunyi, are you satisfied?"

Shen Chunyi: I-I-I-I... what the hell, Your Highness, you're really going this far?

Her mind went blank, and she blurted out, "Your Highness, do you like being the one on the bottom?"

To take good care of this gorgeous, prickly cat, Shen Chunyi had to work herself to the bone.

She followed him around and handled his affairs all day, then served him in bed at night.

She couldn't stand another day of this 996 work schedule.

On the night before they parted, Shen Chunyi couldn't help feeling reluctant.

Wei Linzhang wrapped himself around her from behind and bit her ear. "Don't tell me you're thinking about those women."

She paused, then asked sincerely, "What if I am?"

Wei Linzhang gave a cold laugh. His voice was soft and chilling as his fingers slowly curled around her neck. "Don't joke about something like that. You know I hate being lied to more than anything."

"You know what happens to people who deceive me."

Shen Chunyi thought of the wild grass growing thick over deserted graves, then remembered all the years she'd spent lying to him. She wisely kept her mouth shut.

Shen Chunyi, the most notorious eunuch in the land, died. The court officials cheered and wept tears of joy, convinced that the emperor was finally saved and that order would soon be restored.

But when they turned around, they discovered that the emperor had gone even madder. With no one left to hold his reins, nobody could control him.

"Report, my lords! His Majesty dug up Lord Shen's grave. He laughed at the sky and said Lord Shen isn't dead, that he's still sleeping in the tomb and refuses to return to the palace."

The court officials: ...

Find her! Search high and low. We have to find someone who looks just like her!

In a water town in Jiangnan, Shen Chunyi saw her portrait plastered everywhere and could only hide in a tavern, overwhelmed with frustration.

She suddenly felt a burning gaze at her back. Turning around, she saw the young emperor seated in the distance, eyes red as he stared at her. His cup had tipped over, but he didn't seem to notice his soaked clothes.

Shen Chunyi felt a chill run down her neck. She glanced at the child beside her and was about to explain when Wei Linzhang strode up to her.

His voice broke, almost as if he were weeping blood. "Shen Chunyi, I thought I treated you well. How could you secretly have a child with another woman behind my back?"

Shen Chunyi: "I..."

"This child looks so much like you. How are you going to explain that?"

A sweet romance.

The heroine is a fake eunuch.

Content warnings: The male lead's mental state is concerning, and he knows next to nothing about sex. For other warnings, see the blurb. For details, read the author's note in Chapter One. Don't read if you can't accept this. The male lead isn't attracted to men; he's attracted to the heroine herself.

This is not a traditional, authentic historical romance, and it includes some wording that isn't period-appropriate.

CG: k

Here's a recommendation for my upcoming novel, "Under the Aphrodisiac Spell with My Archrival, the Crown Prince," in my author profile.

When Xie Fanjing woke up after drinking too much, she found herself in bed with her eldest royal brother. She was completely stunned.

Everyone knew that, out of all the princes, Xie Fanjing disliked this older brother the most.

The Noble Consort doted on her and had taken the Fifth Prince in as her own. She and the recently ascendant eldest prince, Prince Yan Xie Sheng, were bitter enemies.

As the Noble Consort's own daughter, Xie Fanjing naturally had no affection for Xie Sheng either.

Besides, he was always aloof and cold toward her. He seemed to loathe her, so she naturally avoided him whenever she could.

But who could explain what was happening now?

How could two people who'd always kept their distance end up in the same bed?

**

Under Xie Sheng's stern gaze, Xie Fanjing's scalp prickled as she negotiated three terms with him. They agreed to forget what had happened and leave each other alone from then on.

A month later, Xie Fanjing was panting and leaning against the entrance to Xie Sheng's palace, barely able to stand. She wished she could go back a month and give her big-talking past self a good beating.

Six months later, the Noble Consort looked at Xie Fanjing suspiciously and suddenly realized her daughter had put on some weight lately.

1v1, single-couple romance, sweet story

Theme: Unwavering devotion and service to the country.