The Treacherous Minister

Blurb

Xie Qingci, newly named top candidate in the palace examination, is blessed with a brilliant mind and a handsome, refined face. Cool and chaste, he is the object of countless women's romantic fantasies in the capital.

Knowing the responsibilities on his shoulders, he has never paid attention to affairs of the heart. He devotes himself entirely to serving the emperor and navigating the court.

Emperor Jianwu Xiao Ce is handsome, adept at managing his ministers, and a master of political intrigue. None among the court officials dares oppose him.

Yet his temper is unpredictable. In his seven years on the throne, he has been ruthless and violent, and even his rise to power was shrouded in mystery.

Facing such an emperor is no easy task. Every day, Xie Qingci is on tenterhooks, walking on thin ice, not daring to let his guard down for even a moment.

Fortunately, Heaven rewards the diligent. Xiao Ce is not as frightening as the rumors claim. Though he sometimes puts Xie Qingci in his place, he is remarkably patient with him. Their exchanges as ruler and subject are harmonious.

Xie Qingci gradually relaxes.

He hopes to fulfill his ambitions, help the people, restore his family's fortunes, and bring fame to those who rose from humble beginnings.

But who could have guessed that the cold-blooded, ruthless tyrant would suddenly fix him with a dangerous stare?

From head to toe, from the outside in, he covets him, seeking to possess him.

As if he would tear apart Xie Qingci's neat official robes, burrow into his pale, delicate flesh, lick and suck, grind his teeth, and drink his blood.

Xie Qingci turns pale and hastily asks for leave to avoid him.

But one night, he is summoned after dark. The eunuch urges him on softly, a knowing smile in his eyes.

"Lord Xie, His Majesty isn't a patient man. You shouldn't keep him waiting."

Seeing him frozen in place, the eunuch softens his voice.

"You are truly blessed, my lord..."

With the palace shrouded in dark clouds, Xie Qingci realizes what is happening and feels as though he has fallen into an icy abyss.

The palace gates of Zichen Hall are shut tight. The ninefold palace walls imprison the beauty within.

Xie Qingci trembles all over, half-collapsed against the desk, his body thin and fragile as a willow leaf. He doesn't know that the harder he tries to hold himself together, the more he invites the emperor's advances.

He has resisted until now, but he is at the end of his strength. All he can do is watch helplessly as that dark shadow approaches, then swallows and devours him whole.

The emperor smiles faintly as he walks over. The crisp clink of his crown beads sounds almost casual, yet it is terrifying to hear, heavy with pressure.

"My dear Minister Xie, what you want needn't take so much effort." Xiao Ce lowers his voice to coax him, lightly brushing his lips.

But why does the heat of that fingertip make him afraid? Is it hinting at some debauched, shameful affair?

A crimson glow begins to boil all around them.

With nowhere left to retreat, Xie Qingci's limp body falls. The emperor yanks him into his arms, sliding a broad hand deep beneath his robes. With a playful, lewd familiarity, he strokes the delicate, soft flesh.

"Such a beauty," the emperor sighs.

But fear flushes the corners of Xie Qingci's eyes. His teeth chatter, sweat dampens his dark hair, and the sheen of moisture on his pale face is lurid and vivid.

His hurried sobs invite violation.

Xiao Ce only laughs, his voice feverish, his calm cruelty unmistakable.

"Become a corrupt official and please me."

Reader's guide:

1. Cool, beautiful, virtuous minister bottom x sinister, ruthless tyrant top.

2. Not an angst-heavy story. Exclusive pairing, both virgins, happy ending. A scoundrel who truly loves, the top is a bastard who behaves terribly. It is love at first sight and long-planned; he will do anything to get the bottom, but there is a redemption arc where he pursues his love. Both the bottom and the top are idealized, and the bottom has a slight everyone-loves-him quality.

3. The top and bottom clash and oppose each other. The top doesn't simply overpower the bottom. Most of the time, the two test and challenge each other, and the top is proactive in trying to get close to the bottom.

4. Includes fake-death fiction and court politics, but these are only there to establish the characters. The political intrigue is kindergarten-level seesawing. The setting is entirely fictional!

5. Purely an indulgence in my kinks. If you drop the story, there's no need to tell me (I beg you on my knees)!

Theme: Love means equality and respect