The Hated Emperor, Yet a Sickly Beauty

[A beloved, sickly beauty who trains his dogs]

[Black-hearted noble heir gong x Crazy, sickly emperor shou]

After Xie Chi died of illness, he unexpectedly got a second chance at life.

He became the emperor in a novel.

Emperor? That sounded pretty good.

But this wasn't a generous gift from heaven. It was just another miserable life.

The so-called emperor was nothing more than a puppet raised by eunuchs.

At their instigation, he harmed loyal officials and imposed exorbitant taxes, becoming a tyrant everyone despised.

If he hadn't been so sickly and died suddenly soon after, the havoc he wreaked would have been even worse.

And looking at the story as a whole, all of this was really just paving the way for the true protagonist.

After the emperor in the novel died, the realm descended into chaos, and countless heroes fell amid the turmoil.

But Xiao Qi, the eldest son of the Lanling Xiao clan, was able to prop up the crumbling empire all by himself.

He eradicated the eunuch faction within the court and quelled rebellions beyond its borders, ending the chaos and ushering in a new dynasty.

In the end, he became a wise ruler presiding over a golden age.

His life was so full of twists and turns that it could truly be called an extraordinary legend...

Wait a minute.

Xie Chi raised an eyebrow and smiled. Did he ever say he was going to make way for anyone?

“I may not have dabbled in power games for years, but since I've become emperor, then this chaotic age should...”

“End with me!”

-

Everyone said that Xiao Qi, the eldest son of the Lanling Xiao clan, was a rare true gentleman.

He had noble ideals and a clear, open heart. He never used his family's power for personal gain, and everything he did was for the people.

When a friend teasingly repeated this praise to Xiao Qi, Xiao Qi was using his position to plan a coup in the palace that very night.

He listened without even raising his eyes, then gave a soft laugh as if it didn't matter. His friend immediately fell silent.

Just as the documents were nearly ready, Xiao Qi was summoned to the palace.

The grand hall was thick with the scent of medicine. Through the beaded curtain, Xiao Qi met Xie Chi's eyes.

His face was unchanged, and so was his sickly body.

And yet, somehow, something was entirely different.

It was years before Xiao Qi realized that, that day, it wasn't only Xie Chi's soul that had changed.

His heart had changed too.

“Xie Chi, you are the only one I will ever bow to.”

Reader's Guide:

1. The protagonists' names, Xie Chi and Xiao Qi, come from “Spring comes late, the mugwort is gathered in abundance.” From “The Seventh Month” in the Book of Odes.

2. They are each other's first love. 1v1, both are sexually inexperienced.

3. The shou goes from being hated by everyone to being adored by everyone. His appeal isn't limited to his looks; he's charming in every way, so many people will like him, but [the shou only reciprocates the gong's feelings].

4. This is a fictional setting, but the politics and culture draw heavily on the late Eastern Han dynasty. Please don't scrutinize the historical details.

[Character art used with permission: Dianxiao Wangsheng-K]

Theme: Take control of your own destiny