You Said You’d Fight for the Throne, but Then You Fell in Love

[Side Couple: The Guard Who Wants to Be the Fourth Prince's Dog is complete. Please add it to your collection.]

Blurb:

[The Ninth Prince, a lovesick schemer who plays the fool × the young master of a general's household, disguised as a woman]

Zheng Yunjian had disguised himself as a woman for years, all because of the National Preceptor's words: "If the Zheng family's third son is a boy, he will bring chaos to the court and offend the Emperor."

So he had spent years treading carefully, afraid that if anyone discovered the truth, disaster would follow.

Yet not long after Zheng Yunjian's elder brother married a princess, he was also betrothed to the Ninth Prince, Xiao Fengchi.

Xiao Fengchi was a fool. He sneaked into Zheng Yunjian's secluded courtyard when no one was looking, then took Zheng Yunjian, who rarely left home, out of the residence.

Xiao Fengchi said, "I searched for ages before I found you."

Xiao Fengchi said, "Yunjian is so beautiful. What if someone else falls for you?"

Xiao Fengchi said, "I know you, Yunjian. You have the softest heart."

Zheng Yunjian laughed to himself. What a fool!

Still, if Zheng Yunjian really were a woman, spending his life with someone like Xiao Fengchi wouldn't be so bad.

But a lie is still a lie. When Xiao Fengchi discovered that Zheng Yunjian was a man, he immediately knelt and begged to break off the engagement. When that failed, he left for the border the day after their wedding.

But when Zheng Yunjian's identity was exposed and his whole family was exiled, Xiao Fengchi traded all his military merit to save Zheng Yunjian's life.

*

Xiao Fengchi had always known exactly what he wanted, but after learning that Zheng Yunjian was a man, he suddenly couldn't make sense of it anymore.

He wanted to become the Emperor, to be second only to one and above all others: The Outcast.

So he won the Emperor's favor and gained the backing of a powerful family through marriage. He feigned foolishness and weakness, hoping others would let down their guard around him.

But his imperial consort was a man.

That was easy enough to deal with. If he revealed Zheng Yunjian's identity, he could simply take another wife.

But he couldn't do it.

He also knew that no secret could stay hidden forever, so he had to earn military merit. He needed the loyalty of his soldiers and the people's support. Only then could he bargain with his father, the Emperor.

Thankfully, he returned in time.

Thankfully, Zheng Yunjian was safe.

Theme: Break the chains of fate.