In his previous life, Gu Zhiwei was a treacherous minister whom everyone wanted dead.
He killed anyone who stood in his way, all to help the Crown Prince ascend the throne.
Yet when the new emperor took the throne, he was thrown into prison overnight and died a miserable death behind bars.
Given a second life, Gu Zhiwei has seen the light and decides to become a wealthy idler, living as the young master of a Minister of Rites' household.
But the Crown Prince keeps closing in on him, leaving him no choice but to "use one blade to kill another" and ally himself with the Third Prince, who has spent years guarding the northern frontier.
Zhao Qi: "Young Master Gu, your foresight is astonishing. I admire you."
Gu Zhiwei: "...I was just guessing."
Gradually, Gu Zhiwei discovers that Zhao Qi's ruthlessness and possessiveness, hidden beneath his gentle exterior, are becoming harder and harder to conceal.
-
Zhao Qi was never favored from birth. To carve out a way to survive, he was injured as a child, leaving a faint scar along the edge of his jaw. He went to the frontier and stayed away from court for years.
But the Crown Prince's faction viewed him as a threat at every turn and forced him to return to the capital, intending to take his life.
Zhao Qi thought, if they wanted the throne, then he would take it too.
On the day he returned to the capital, he was forced to spend the night at Yanyun Tower with Young Master Gu, the favored courtier whom everyone fawned over.
Young Master Gu was delicate and frail, with a poor tolerance for alcohol. He curled up in someone's arms and slept the whole night. When he woke the next day, he was so frightened that he hid at home for three days without seeing anyone. Then he was summoned to the palace, where he ran straight into his "nemesis" again.
In a corner.
Zhao Qi looked at Gu Zhiwei, his voice low. "Young Master, you still have something of mine. Would you like it back?"
Gu Zhiwei glanced around and stammered, "What?"
Zhao Qi chuckled. "Your hair ribbon."
-
Everyone says Gu Zhiwei was rebellious to the core and spent his life committing every kind of treacherous deed.
But he says that struggles for power are merely a matter of opposing sides. Now that he has become a loyal subject instead of a treacherous one, all he wants is peace throughout the land and an end to war.
And, even more than that, a lifetime of peace for the one in his heart.
[Notice | Saved 24.10.16]
1. One-on-one pairing. Zhao Qi is the top, Gu Zhiwei is the bottom. A cat with its claws tucked away × a wolf pretending to be a dog. He is not actually disfigured!
2. The political scheming won't be treated like a game. Romance and plot will each get about half the story.
2. An alternate setting. I'm practicing my writing and learning pacing. If it's not to your taste, feel free to click away. Thank you.
Theme: Defend home and country.
