His Majesty Won't Leave Me Alone, Even as a Ghost

Yuan Xi died.

His ambitions were unfulfilled, the realm remained unconquered, and the empire he had built with his own hands was left in shambles, surrounded by wolves circling both within and beyond its borders.

His soul returned to the imperial palace. Yuan Xi watched the imperial relatives and court officials who had never dared utter a peep while he was alive leap out and stir up trouble. The entire court was a cesspool of corruption and chaos.

What chilled him most was the man he'd mentioned while entrusting the empire and its young ruler to someone, just before his death, after personally burning the decree ordering that man's execution: Gao Huaiyu!

He watched as the enemy prince he'd once saved fought his way back to the capital, slaughtered his way down the main streets, and installed a new emperor, acting like a regent controlling the ruler from behind the scenes.

How ungrateful! What a treacherous, ambitious wolf!

Yuan Xi decided that even as a ghost, he wouldn't let Gao Huaiyu off. From then on, he would haunt him without end.

Yuan Xi: Gao Huaiyu, I'll haunt you forever...

Gao Huaiyu: Really? That's wonderful.

Yuan Xi: ?

One night, Yuan Xi clearly heard the powerful chancellor, who could make or break fortunes in court, the traitor he was certain intended to usurp his throne, calling his name again and again in a passionate, bewildering dream.

Yuan Xi: ...??

Something didn't seem right.

#TheChancellorHasBeenSecretlyInLoveWithTheLateEmperorForYearsAndApparentlyDreamsOfDefyingHim#

A widower chancellor, more ghostly than a male ghost, as the pursuer (Gao Huaiyu) x a short-lived emperor who died young and became a male ghost, initially bent on vengeance but soon lost his head, as the pursued (Yuan Xi)

The emperor dies, believing his beloved courtier has betrayed him, and angrily haunts him to take his life. But as he keeps haunting him, he discovers that the courtier is desperately in love with him.

Mutual unrequited love, with the pursued convinced he's the pursuer.

Theme: Keep striving toward your ideals