[Delicate, sickly, scheming boy x radiant, noble "widow" of a great general]
Wei Xu was a Kunze, frail and delicate from birth.
Though the land was in turmoil and the world in chaos, his brave, battle-hardened Tianqian elder brother had protected him well and carved out a vast domain.
Then, in a sudden turn of fate, his brother's bones were buried in the sands, and the mighty Wei family teetered on the brink of collapse.
At sixteen, Wei Xu gritted his teeth and stood up, his slender frame held straight.
But no one was willing to accept a Kunze as their leader, including the arrogant, battle-hardened commanders his brother had left behind.
Suppressing his fear, Wei Xu bit his lip and turned his gaze toward one man.
Pei Yan.
The eldest legitimate son of the Jiangzuo Pei clan, born to nobility, dignified and accomplished in both letters and arms. He had been his brother's most trusted right hand, following him ever since he first raised an army. He had never lost a battle, large or small.
Everyone under heaven knew the name "Pei Lang of Jiangzuo."
If Wei Xu could win his support, he could use Pei Yan's prestige to control the army and secure his shaky position as the "ruler of Jiangdong."
But his brother was dead, and people's hearts could change. He didn't know what Pei Yan thought now.
Wei Xu lowered his trembling lashes.
Perhaps the only thing he could hold on to was...
Pei Yan was a Tianqian.
*
Pei Yan had made a name for himself in his youth, his talent unmatched. He and his close friend had built a vast domain together, both full of youthful ambition.
After a bloody battle, his friend came home wrapped in a horse's hide. Pei Yan escorted the coffin back to his hometown, where he saw his friend's younger brother prostrate before the coffin, weeping until he nearly fainted.
Pei Yan had once taught the boy to write, practiced swordsmanship with him, and told him stories about life in the army. He had watched him grow up with his own eyes.
He had always been an upright gentleman, open-hearted and broad-minded. Yet now his heart ached, and he didn't know how he could face the boy.
But that very night...
The slender young man appeared in his bed.
His plain white mourning clothes slipped from his shoulders, revealing their smooth, rounded curves. Tears shone in his eyes. "Brother A Yan, you'll help me, won't you?"
*
Pei Yan had thought his affection for the boy was nothing more than pity.
At first, he had resolved to take his friend's place as the boy's father and elder brother, protecting him and keeping him safe. Later, he had also come to feel a subject's loyalty to his lord.
But the boy's sweet, intoxicating scent lingered around his nose. He couldn't control himself as he gripped the young man's pale wrist, which had reached out to him. At the boy's cry of pain, he suddenly realized...
He, too, was a despicable man.
[Bonus scene]
"I've inherited everything my brother left behind. They say the younger brother succeeds the elder. Brother A Yan, since you helped my brother win Jiangdong, why can't you help me, too?"
Looking at Wei Xu's youthful yet stubborn face, Pei Yan felt a jumble of emotions. He wanted to tell him that "the younger brother succeeds the elder" didn't mean that.
But...
He sighed, conflicted and helpless, with a hint of indulgence.
"Your servant obeys."
The child he had spoiled with his own hands: Pei Yan was more than happy to indulge him.
[Historical ABO fiction: A = Tianqian, B = Zhongyong, O = Kunze]
Theme: Stay positive and keep moving forward.
