[Coming soon, next book]
[Still a bloody Three Kingdoms fanfiction]
[Angsty, but in a comforting way]
In the first year of Huangchu, the King of Wei accepted the abdication and ascended the throne, granting titles to his harem. Only his wife, Lady Zhen, was left out. Before long, word came from the old capital of Ye that Lady Zhen had died of illness, consumed by sorrow.
Her sudden death took half of her eldest son Shen Xi's life with it. The boy had already been born frail, and now he fell gravely ill. He obtained the Empress Dowager's decree from Yongshou Palace and moved into a side hall to recuperate.
His mother's death was suspicious, and she was even branded a jealous, sinful woman;
His father favored a Noble Consort and wanted to make her empress, heedless of the ministers' opposition;
And the crown prince's position that should have been his was now in grave danger...
Everyone said the eldest prince took after his mother, handsome and refined, but with a wayward nature and few words, and was not favored by His Majesty. Beneath the seemingly calm surface of Luoyang, currents had long been stirring, and another conflict was about to erupt.
In the dead of night, Shen Xi stood with his hair loose and a candle in hand, kneeling alone atop the high steps. Before him lay an abyss of despair.
Expressionless, he let the bright silver wax drip along the veins on the back of his hand, like a cloud-dragon coiled around it. When he reached up toward the full moon, forever beyond his grasp, he laughed almost madly:
To hell with being a fish in a cage or a bird in a gilded cage, to hell with drifting clouds and wild cranes.
I want to be a true dragon, commanding the wind and rain, swallowing clouds and breathing mist!
[Please note]
Shen Xi is Cao Rui. Shen Xi was a childhood name Lady Zhen gave her son (author-invented, not in the official history).
The broad historical timeline remains unchanged, with an ensemble cast.
The male lead is an obsessive, lovesick man, sensitive and suspicious from a lack of affection. He suffers all kinds of heartbreak, with plenty of scenes of him secretly shedding tears. He's short-lived (he dies while still in his prime, which is a dignified fate for a handsome man).
The romance is with Ran Hu, a tragic love story ending in a bad ending (no falling for someone else). The villainous consort is his sole favorite at first, and later they become enemies to the death (her model is Empress Mao, but her characterization differs from official history. I won't spoil it in the synopsis).
The family storyline is even more tragic: the underworld.
Synopsis posted on 2024.11.24
Theme: When desire finds its object, love meets its end.
