The Second Prince Keeps Fighting for What He Wants

*

The mighty Second Prince rescued a young nobleman while out on campaign. Unfortunately, the man was as beautiful as a celestial maiden, but couldn't lift a finger to help himself.

Having rescued him, the prince couldn't just abandon him, so he had no choice but to take this deadweight along.

Who knew that the seemingly delicate young nobleman would be so ruthless when slaughtering a wild boar?

"Look at me! Impressive, Your Highness?"

Blood splashed across that pale, jade-like face, like a mandrake blooming in the mortal world.

The Second Prince was dumbstruck:

So beautiful. I love him.

But he said, "What's so impressive about that? I've slain a ferocious tiger myself."

His hands, however, were honest. Without a word, he cupped the young nobleman's face. "Your face is covered in blood. It's filthy. Let me wipe it off."

With a secret crush on the young man growing in his heart, he escorted him home.

But when he came by with the betrothal token they'd agreed upon, he saw a bridal sedan chair.

The curtain lifted, revealing the very same face, radiant as peach blossoms.

The Second Prince was stunned. He grabbed the matchmaker:

"Where is this sedan chair going?"

"To the palace! Our xxx is marrying the Emperor and becoming a consort!"

The Second Prince flew into a rage and rushed to the palace to confront the Emperor. Before he could finish speaking, he was beaten thirty times with a heavy rod and banished to the frontier.

He'd forgotten that he was nothing but a discarded son born to an unfavored palace maid.

And so, a seed of hatred was planted.

That damn Emperor! He stole my beloved!

*

The shou is badly wounded in an accident while trying to assassinate an enemy general, and is rescued by the Second Prince, sent by the army.

Who knew that the prince, though imposing at first glance, was actually a fool who knew nothing about people?

He didn't even realize the shou was an enemy spy.

Since he was already there, the shou decided to show off a little and infiltrate the enemy forces.

He made a spectacular show of his skills along the way, basking in the joy of seeing his plan succeed, without noticing the increasingly strange looks the Second Prince was giving him.

One night, drunk in the military camp, he sensed a furtive shadow approaching his bedside.

He was about to slit the intruder's throat, when something soft brushed his lips.

He opened his eyes in shock and caught the Second Prince stealing a kiss.

The young man's dark eyes shone like gemstones, as innocent as a fawn.

His reprimand turned into:

"Uh... Just one kiss? How about... one more?"

From then on, the two grew much closer. He even gave the Second Prince the jade pendant he always carried as a token of their love.

But once they returned to the capital, everything took a sudden turn. He received orders to assassinate the current Emperor.

Thinking of his country, now in grave danger, he gave the Second Prince a letter of apology without a word, then donned a wedding gown and married the old Emperor in the palace.

He had expected to endure a great deal of insincere politeness, but it turned out the Emperor was impotent.

If only he'd known sooner. He'd worried for nothing.

*

In the tenth year of Jian'an, Prince Yong stormed the capital, following the stench of blood straight to the imperial harem, where he dragged out the shou, still dressed in palace robes.

The defeated old Emperor spat out a mouthful of blood:

"You unfilial son! That's your imperial mother! Your stepmother!"

The tall, peerlessly handsome man lowered his eyes and looked at him like he was worthless.

"Father, you're getting on in years. How could you satisfy my stepmother?"

Then, as the shou stared in shock, he seized his chin and wrenched his face around:

"Now it's time to settle the score between us!"

*

The good news:

The shou's country has been utterly destroyed. He has no way left to serve his country, and never has to scheme day after day again.

The bad news:

He's become the enemy's empress...

Stepmother-in-law fiction, both protagonists are virgins, happy ending

[Innocent at first, then a deranged and possessive top VS a black-hearted, runaway assassin shou]

Theme: Love will find the person who truly belongs to it.