A Mortal Heart Stirred

By the red pavilion, she leans at the door and gazes out, her sword shining like clear light.

Purple Star Lord, do not forget me.

Xie Ci returns to Chu and claims the throne.

His ministers search for a suitable bride to become his queen.

Little do they know that during his exile, he swore eternal vows with a "young woman" from Qi.

An envoy brings lavish gifts to arrange a match for the King of Chu.

But upon reaching Qi, he learns that the beloved has passed away.

The King of Chu cannot forget her. Unable to dream of her spirit, he falls ill with longing.

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Qi is home to a family of demon hunters. After saving a sage, they were granted the imperial surname Ying, and their descendants inherited noble titles, making them a prestigious family.

Each generation, only one child inherits the family craft and becomes a demon hunter.

Lord Ying has a son and a daughter. His second son inherits his legacy and travels the world, while his daughter is raised in the inner chambers and remains close by his side.

It was a perfect life that everyone envied. Then one day, an envoy from the King of Chu came to seek a bride, and the whole Ying household fell into chaos.

They feared that deceiving the sovereign would be a grave crime, since their beloved was not, in fact, a daughter.

They had only deceived the King to let their younger son inherit the family title.

They had no choice but to claim that the beauty had died young.

They urged the King of Chu to forget the past, let go of what was lost, and find a suitable match soon.

Who could have guessed the King of Chu was too clever to fall for it?

I got the itch to write ancient danmei, so I'm writing some to reward myself.

A scheming, pitiful-acting, cross-dressing top x a quick-witted, capable, and resourceful bottom

The bottom learns the top's identity right from the start, so there won't be angst.

The story probably won't be very long, either.

Entirely fictional setting with no real-life models. Every plot point serves the romance, so don't overthink it.

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