The Palace Walls

There's always some big news in the capital.

This year brings another spectacle: Tan Qianxing, eldest son of the Right Chancellor, has been rejected in marriage again!

This is already the second time. The first was when Young Master Tan was eighteen. Now he's twenty-three. If he doesn't get married soon, what will happen? The Right Chancellor is waiting for grandchildren!

Then again, Prince Qu, the Second Prince, has been married for seven or eight years without a child.

Someone once saw the imperial physician coming out of Prince Qu's residence, looking terribly worried. Who knows whether Prince Qu's infertility can even be treated?

Rumors that Prince Qu is impotent have circulated for years. No one has confirmed them, but everyone knows that the only woman in his household is his principal wife, Yang Rui, the granddaughter of Grand Tutor Yang, and they still have no children. Surely that means he can't perform!

Some people even claim, with great certainty, that Prince Qu prefers men and that's why he has no children, and that he secretly keeps a whole harem of male concubines in the rear courtyard!

With so many important people providing gossip for us common folk, life is never boring.

But then came the coup, and the capital was swept up in turmoil, with the air thick with the threat of a storm.

After Prince Qu became emperor, everyone discovered that the empress wasn't Yang Rui, the granddaughter of Grand Tutor Yang, but Tan Qianxing, the son of the Right Chancellor.

Everyone exclaimed: "What?! The empress is a man?! And it's the Right Chancellor's son, the one who's been rejected twice! How could two people with nothing to do with each other end up together?!"

Tan Qianxing debunked the rumor: "What do you mean, we have nothing to do with each other? I... No, I mean, His Majesty and I are made for each other! Who dares say we're unrelated?!"

The former Prince Qu, now Emperor Qi Ying: "...I know, I know. Stop shouting before you hurt your throat."

A hyper-sensitive girl (?), the pursuer who keeps getting rejected in marriage (Tan Qianxing) & a dark-hearted man who's still dark but doesn't care much (Qi Ying). No pairing changes or reversals.

*The historical system is based on the Tang and Song dynasties. I'm a novice writer writing what I want to read, so please don't scrutinize it too closely. Updates are irregular.

*It's recommended you check the author's notes for skits, character analyses, and hidden story content.

*The story has original timelines, an outline, character relationships, and character biographies, so it's generally unlikely to resemble other works.

*Prince Qu and his princess are married in name only. They're allies and friends. The main couple are both inexperienced and devoted to each other. Please don't read if that bothers you.

Theme: Court intrigue