A Hall Full of Flowers, Three Thousand Guests Drunk

Wayward, rakish top × frail beauty bottom

The He family had guarded Tianyong Pass in the northern lands for generations. After receiving a secret letter, the new emperor grew wary of them and summoned General He back to Xun Jing. The famed, battle-hardened war god went from a celebrated veteran to a prisoner accused of treason.

The He family's only son, He Lanting, arrived in the capital without being summoned, broke into Mingde Hall alone with a blade in hand, and enraged the emperor. He was thrown into prison, and everyone thought the He family was doomed.

But then the northern lands fell into crisis. Zewu launched a night raid, and the emperor had no one else to turn to. He had no choice but to let General He atone for his crimes through military service, while keeping the general's son, He Lanting, in Xun Du until the war was over and the matter could be investigated.

The young He general was arrogant and overbearing, having offended nearly every official in court. He was a textbook wastrel and playboy. Anyone who saw him would say, "That boy will never amount to anything."

At a Hongmen banquet, someone plotted against him. As he fell into the water, he instinctively grabbed someone, and they both went in.

Only after they were fished out did he learn the other man was from the Ji family. Not only did his name have the character for jade in it, he was as fragile as jade, as if the slightest touch would break him. He thought he could simply avoid trouble by staying away, but who would have guessed the man would come to his door and demand compensation?

Early the next morning, the Ji family showed up at the He residence with the man and his bedboard, refusing to leave. Ji Yuanheng covered his mouth with a handkerchief and coughed as if the world were ending.

Without another word, He Lanting carried the bedboard to court and asked the emperor to settle the matter. And just like that, an imperial decree declared that He Lanting was responsible for Ji Yuanheng from then on.

From that day forward, someone else besides He Lanting was breathing in the He residence...

Strangely enough, this sickly, listless man coughed as if he were about to die by day, yet at night he could scale a wall more nimbly than a thief.

Was this really right?

It wasn't until he cornered the man in the study, in the dim light, that He Lanting realized just how close they were. Close enough to catch the faint, bittersweet scent on Ji Yuanheng, tempting him to move even closer.

"Lord Ji," he said, looking down at him. "Why are you sneaking into my study in the middle of the night instead of sleeping? Are you looking for something, or someone?"

"Why don't you guess, Second Young Master?"

"I can't guess." He Lanting chuckled, his hot breath brushing against the other's ear. "Lord Ji's thoughts are too deep. How could I see through them?"

Their eyes met. Moonlight slipped through the gap in the window, illuminating the almost nonexistent space between them.

Without warning, Ji Yuanheng grabbed He Lanting by the lapels, pulled him close, and tilted his head up to kiss him.

Later,

Ji Yuanheng transformed from an overlooked illegitimate son of the Ji family into the newly appointed Censor-in-Chief. He slapped down a stack of banknotes and told He Lanting they were even.

Rumors spread throughout Yan Jing that the young He general had tried to buy the Censor-in-Chief's affections, only to be turned down. Even his parents, far away in the northern lands, heard the news and wrote to call him a disgrace.

He Lanting went to the emperor to seek justice again, only to nearly receive an imperial decree ordering him to marry...

While one side was in a panic, the other enjoyed peaceful days.

He Lanting gritted his teeth and scaled the Ji family's gate under cover of darkness.

He slipped into Ji Yuanheng's courtyard, climbed into his bed, and planted a fierce kiss on him. "Ji Zhoushi, you take what you want and then run? You heartless man!"

Ji Yuanheng: "...Get lost."

Theme: May the land be at peace, and may this heart remain true