When Shi Yan was born, no one thought he would live very long.
The frail and sickly crown prince of the Yu Kingdom was sent to the Great Song as a hostage by the king of Yu, who could barely protect himself as his country fell apart.
Being a hostage sounded so boring.
The emperor of Great Song waved a hand and married Shi Yan off to Prince Zhao as his male consort.
Everyone knew male consorts were low in status. Once their masters tired of them, they were thrown into brothels, and most didn't live past twenty. But no one knew that the Yu Kingdom was home to a different people, whose men could also bear children.
And so, two-year-old Shi Yan was led to a candle stand. Someone pointed to a portrait and said:
"Little Highness, this is your husband."
Prince Zhao, Gu Jianze, had been left with disabled legs after an accident in childhood. His father didn't love him, and neither did his mother.
At fourteen, he set out to make his own way. Hoping to regain the use of his legs as soon as possible, he raised an army to seize power and lived under an assumed name while running an apothecary in Bianliang.
One day, Gu Jianze returned from treating patients and pushed open his door to find a baby bundled up in a blanket, sitting on the kang with a lollipop.
Servant: Your Highness, this is the princess consort you married.
Gu Jianze nearly blacked out. "Strangle him. I don't have time to look after a child."
Just as he was about to do it, the baby started coughing and wheezing, then spat up blood.
Gu Jianze was horrified and immediately saved him.
The baby nestled in his arms, drinking watered-down milk. His little face was pale and delicate, clearly a beauty in the making. He grabbed Gu Jianze's finger and smiled at him.
Gu Jianze's heart skipped a beat. Great. This is even worse than strangling him.
The winds of Bianliang shifted, and twenty years passed in a flash.
Once an obscure figure, Gu Jianze rose to power in a single day. With an army of a thousand, he bathed the imperial city in blood, bringing down the crown prince and deposing the chancellor.
Everyone said Prince Zhao was kind on the surface but ruthless underneath. He would kill anyone who stood in his way, and no one could stop him from ascending the throne.
What about his consort from the Yu Kingdom?
No one knew.
Rumors said the consort was frail and had been loved to death. Others said he had no heir, so Prince Zhao had had him castrated.
On the day Gu Jianze ascended the throne, the imperial hunting ceremony was held. Envoys from all nations arrived, and troops gathered around.
The king of Yu squeezed through the crowd and asked nervously, "My son, cough, cough... is Shi Yan still alive?"
Suddenly, a loud slap rang out.
A person in a phoenix robe came charging out of the tent with a little child in their arms, furious. Behind them, Prince Zhao was chasing after them with a hand over his cheek.
Gu Jianze: "Shi Yan, I'm sorry, all right?"
Shi Yan flew into a rage. "No! Who gives a child watered-down milk?"
The crowd gasped: When did the emperor get married?!
The king of Yu gasped: When did I get a grandchild?!!!
A frail, spoiled crown prince x a patriarchal, old-fashioned prince
Reading guide:
1. The romance only begins after the bottom turns twenty.
2. The early chapters are purely wholesome, healthy child-rearing slice of life.
3. They only hold their wedding after getting together.
Theme: The simplest things bring the greatest happiness
