Xie Liuyun is the illegitimate son of a prominent family in Shangjing, and has always been despised by his clan. He is trampled on, bullied, and scorned. He carries a grudge in his heart and is determined to take revenge on them all.
One day, his elder brother brings home a man of extraordinary elegance, whom the entire clan treats as an honored guest. Xie Liuyun has no right to meet him, so he can only sneak a look from a corner. But he hears from the servants that the man's status is exalted and that he seems set on helping the Xie family rise to greater heights.
Darkly, Xie Liuyun thinks: Why should he suffer so miserably while the Xie family gets to prosper? So he does everything he can to make himself noticed by the honored guest.
He acts helpless, plays the victim, and even leaps into an icy river on a winter night just to retrieve a fallen plum blossom for the man. At long last...
The honored guest summons him to his bed.
After their night together, the honored guest disappears for several days. When he returns, the Xie family forces Xie Liuyun to kneel at his feet. His elder brother clearly loathes him, yet has no choice but to force a smile and say, "My younger brother certainly knows how to hide his talents. To think he has won the favor of the Imperial Preceptor. From now on, you will go with the lord."
"My lord," Xie Liuyun says, pretending to be obedient as he repeats the words.
The Imperial Preceptor, Lou Xuejin, recalls that night. This lowly bastard had dared to take him from behind, and had been utterly incompetent at it. His chest tight with frustration, he can't help stepping on Xie Liuyun's hand. Smiling faintly, he says, "Don't call me 'my lord.' Call me 'Master.'"
Later on, Lou Xuejin asks him, "Do you want this realm?"
Xie Liuyun replies, "I want both the realm and you."
● Two powerful leads. Dark, light, and shades of gray. Not for readers with strong preferences for particular character types.
● The prince-switching plot: ruthless, patient, and vengeful emperor top x calculating, scheming Imperial Preceptor bottom
Theme: The swallows that once nested in the halls of the Wang and Xie families have flown into ordinary homes.
