After I Picked Up the Beauty the Emperor Didn't Want

Xie Yuetan is barely eighteen, a beautiful, dashing young man, but his vicious and ruthless nature and his habit of repaying the slightest slight make everyone overlook his looks. In private, they all call him "mad dog." The world hates him, despises him, and slanders him. Not a soul loves him. And Xiao Qingzhan? The exact opposite of Xie Yuetan, he is the mysterious and revered Imperial Preceptor of the current dynasty. No one dares speak ill of him. Xiao Qingzhan has always ignored Xie Yuetan, afraid that even one more glance might sully his eyes. Xie Yuetan, meanwhile, despises Xiao Qingzhan. The man's very existence is an eyesore. All because Xiao Yu once praised Xiao Qingzhan, saying, "The moon hangs pale in the cold sky, aloof from the dust of the world." Countless beauties have earned Xiao Yu's praise, and new favorites have always been appearing at his side. Yet Xie Yuetan has always stubbornly believed he was different. Even when Xiao Yu broke both his hands, crippled his martial arts, and drugged him, he refused to come to his senses right away. With a grand wave of his hand, Xiao Yu tossed him into a den of wolves. "He's yours." "Wait." The one who stepped forward was Xiao Qingzhan, who usually never said a word at these banquets. "This man is mine." A vicious, lovesick fool × an aloof, celibate Imperial Preceptor Reading guide: - The one who was previously the bottom becomes the top. If that's a dealbreaker, proceed with caution! - Top and bottom refer only to sexual positions. The change does not mean the top's personality suddenly changes or that he becomes more domineering. The bottom is actually the more forceful one in this story. Please don't leave stereotypical comments like "How can someone like him be the top?" - This may not be a melodramatic story, but it will probably have some eyebrow-raising moments. Neither character starts out treating the other well, and it's not for readers who are extremely devoted to one character or the other. - Historical danmei is generally semi-fictional, so please don't mind the use of familiar dynasties or poems. I'll draw on historical sources and the institutions of different dynasties, but will also make my own changes, so this isn't for readers who demand strict historical accuracy. *Blurb written July 7, 2024. Please do not plagiarize. Theme: True love can pull someone out of the mire and help them become a better version of themselves.