One swears by blood, the other by legacy. As the old world yields, Gu Lian and Ai Miao claim their place—not in secret, but in solemn light.
The Empress summoned Gu Lian to Fengyi Palace.
Incense drifted softly through the chamber, but the atmosphere lacked its usual warmth. She dismissed all attendants, leaving only mother and son.
"Lian'er," she said, gazing at her increasingly composed son with a sigh, "your father… didn't sleep at all last night."
Gu Lian bowed his head. "Your son has been unfilial, causing worry to both Father and Mother."
"Worry?" She stepped forward and gently adjusted his already neat collar. Her touch was loving, but her tone carried weight. "Do you know why your father ultimately allowed Ai Miao's promotion to Minister of War—and even tolerated your current… closeness?"
Gu Lian looked up, eyes clear. "Because Ai Miao and I can stabilize the frontier, command the court, and serve the nation."
"That's true. But not the whole truth." Her gaze sharpened. "More importantly, your father saw your resolve. He saw that even without his support, you could control the situation—perhaps even do better. He's weighing options. For you, and for Da Sheng's future."
She took his hand, voice low and earnest. "My son, you are the Crown Prince—the future emperor. Every decision you make affects the lives of millions. You chose Ai Miao. I do not blame you for loving deeply. I only ask you one thing—" She looked into his eyes. "Can you promise never to betray him? Can you promise the people of this nation that even with him by your side, you will remain wise and just, never letting personal feelings cloud your rule?"
Gu Lian gripped her hand in return, gaze firm as stone. "Mother, I can. Ai Miao is no seducer—he is the cornerstone of this realm. With him, I will govern better. I swear on my life and my title as Crown Prince: I will never fail him, nor this empire."
The Empress saw the unwavering sincerity in his eyes. After a long pause, she nodded, tears glimmering faintly. "Good… good. If your heart is set, I will no longer stand in your way." She paused, voice barely audible. "I only hope… you truly can be each other's rock."
—
Meanwhile, Ai Miao was summoned alone to the imperial study.
The Emperor didn't look at him. He was writing a single character—衡 (balance)—each stroke heavy with thought.
Ai Miao knelt quietly, head bowed, waiting.
After a long silence, the Emperor set down his brush. His gaze fell on Ai Miao like a blade. "Marquis Wen'an, do you know why I summoned you?"
Ai Miao bowed. "I do not. I await Your Majesty's instruction."
"Today, I speak not as emperor, but as a father." His voice was unreadable. "Your relationship with the Crown Prince has stirred controversy. Do you regret it?"
Ai Miao looked up, eyes clear and steady. "Your Majesty, the only thing I regret is leaving without a word five years ago—causing His Highness pain. Beyond that, I have no regrets."
"Even if it means disgrace? Infamy?"
"My heart is clear before heaven. Let history judge. I only wish to serve His Highness and protect Da Sheng."
"Even if you can never be acknowledged? Always hidden?"
Ai Miao paused. A flicker of emotion passed through his eyes, then settled into deeper resolve. "Titles mean little to me. What matters is His Highness's safety and the peace of the realm."
The Emperor stared at him, as if trying to see through his soul.
The study was deathly silent.
At last, the Emperor spoke, voice tinged with fatigue—and concession. "Remember your words today. I will no longer interfere in your relationship with the Crown Prince. I will suppress most of the court's dissent. But Ai Miao—" His tone turned sharp, imperial. "You must swear a blood oath. Pledge your absolute loyalty. If the Crown Prince falters because of you—if the empire suffers—I will destroy you, and the entire Ai clan."
It was not a negotiation. It was a sovereign's final line.
Ai Miao did not hesitate. He bowed low, forehead to the floor. "I, Ai Miao, swear: in this life, I will be loyal to Gu Lian and to Da Sheng. I will serve His Highness and protect the realm. If I break this vow, let heaven and earth abandon me, let the Ai clan be cursed for eternity!"
—
Three days later, the Emperor and Crown Prince Gu Lian made a secret visit to the ancestral temple.
Incense smoke drifted through the solemn hall. The ancestral tablets stood in silent witness. All attendants were dismissed—only father and son remained.
Gu Lian knelt on the mat, back straight.
The Emperor stood behind him, facing the tablets. "Before our ancestors, I, Gu Yan, and my son Gu Lian, come to make our vows."
He turned to Gu Lian, eyes complex. "Lian'er, speak your choice. Make your promise."
Gu Lian took a deep breath and declared: "Before our ancestors, I, Gu Lian, vow: in this life, I choose Ai Miao as my only companion. I will marry no other. I will share this empire with him, shoulder its burdens with him. I will govern wisely, protect our legacy, and ensure peace for our people. If I break this vow, I accept the loss of my title and exile from this temple forever!"
His voice echoed through the hall, resolute and unyielding.
The Emperor closed his eyes, inhaling the cold, incense-laced air. He knew—this was the heaviest promise his son could make. A vow sealed with his future.
"Remember what you've said today." His voice was hoarse. "Rise." As Gu Lian stood, the Emperor added quietly, "Tell him… there's a gift waiting in my private treasury."
Gu Lian looked at his father, eyes filled with quiet relief.
The Emperor patted his shoulder—a gesture awkward, but filled with final understanding. "Go. Treat him well. Don't waste my concession. And don't fail this empire."
—
That night, the Eastern Palace was lit with lanterns—not for celebration, but for two people alone.
Gu Lian dismissed all attendants. A table of fine food was set in the bedchamber. Ai Miao arrived, pausing at the sight.
"Come here," Gu Lian said, extending his hand with a gentle smile.
Ai Miao walked over and placed his hand in Gu Lian's. Gu Lian pulled him close, seating him at his side.
"Today, it's done," Gu Lian said, pouring wine. "No crown, no ceremony, no public decree—but in my heart, this is our wedding day."
He raised the cup to Ai Miao's lips. "With this wine, I swear before heaven and our ancestors—Gu Lian will never betray you."
Ai Miao drank, the heat of the wine spreading into warmth. He met Gu Lian's gaze, eyes shimmering.
He picked up the second cup and offered it to Gu Lian. "I swear with this wine—Ai Miao belongs to you alone. In life and death, I will never leave you."
They drank together, eyes locked, inseparable.
Gu Lian touched Ai Miao's cheek, fingers tracing the warmth. "The vow is made. The empire is ours." His voice was low, magnetic. "Tonight, there is no prince, no minister, no duty—only Gu Lian, wanting his Ai Miao."
He led Ai Miao toward the bed, wrapped in red silk and candlelight. At the edge, Gu Lian paused and drew a golden dagger from his sleeve.
"In folk tradition, couples cut a lock of hair to bind their lives." He carefully cut a strand of Ai Miao's hair, then his own. Twisting them together, he tied them with a red-gold ring into a heart-shaped knot.
"Bound by hair, bound by life." He placed the knot in Ai Miao's palm and held it tightly. "With this, you are my chosen one—my only love. We will share this empire and this life."
Ai Miao stared at the knot, hands trembling. He tucked it into his inner pocket, close to his heart, then wrapped his arms around Gu Lian's neck.
"You offer me the empire—I offer you my heart. In life and death, I am yours."
Their words faded into a kiss—gentle, lingering, filled with devotion. They sank into the soft bed, the red curtains falling, veiling the room in warmth.
Gu Lian's kisses fell with meticulous care, as if handling a priceless treasure—from the bridge of her nose to her eyelashes, from her lips to her delicate throat, lingering at last upon that fragile Adam's apple.
His palms carried a scorching warmth as they slowly, tenderly traced every inch of Ai Miao's skin, sensing the strength and faint tremors beneath the lean texture.
"Are you cold?" he murmured, drawing Ai Miao closer into his embrace.
Ai Miao shook his head softly, offering himself more willingly to the touch, a satisfied sigh escaping his throat.
He opened his drowsy eyes to meet Gu Lian's loving gaze above him. Raising a hand, his fingertips traced the sharp contours of Gu Lian's face—from the fierce brow bone to the high nose bridge—finally resting on the lips, slightly damp with desire.
"Your Highness..." he murmured, his voice carrying an unprecedented tenderness and dependence.
"I'm here." Gu Lian grasped his fingers, kissing each one in turn, then guided that hand downward to explore together, feeling the mutual heat and palpitation ignited for one another.
Gu Lian lifted his head, picking up an exquisite jade box from the pillow. Inside lay a court-secret-recipe balm, its scent refined and elegant.
He dipped a fingertip into it, the warmth of his skin carrying the balm as he gently probed toward that hidden place.
When his fingertip touched, Ai Miao's body instinctively tensed for an instant. Gu Lian paused, kissed his forehead, and whispered, "Don't be afraid. Look at me this time. It's just you and me."
Ai Miao gazed into his gentle yet resolute eyes, slowly relaxing his body, opening himself completely, surrendering.
The expansion was slow and meticulous, carried out with endless patience and tenderness. Only when the tight entrance gradually softened and moistened, able to accommodate more, did Gu Lian withdraw his fingers.
He leaned down, interlaced his fingers with Ai Miao's, lowered his hips, and entered him with an unstoppable, deliberate slowness.
"Ah..." The sensation of complete fullness made Ai Miao tilt his head back, letting out a long, satisfied sigh. There was no pain of the first time, only a feeling of being utterly filled, a soul-shuddering fit.
Gu Lian also paused, feeling the maddening warmth and tight embrace, fine beads of sweat forming on his temples. He lowered his head, their noses touching, their breath mingling.
"Can you feel it?" he asked hoarsely, beginning to move slowly. "This place... it beats only for you." Each thrust and withdrawal was laden with lingering meaning, no longer about conquest but the deepest possession and fusion.
Ai Miao lifted his hips to meet Gu Lian's rhythm, wrapping his legs around the man's waist, binding them together in an inseparable union. His body seemed to possess a will of its own, tenderly enveloping and sucking at the source of his tremors deep within. Each subtle tightening drew more uncontrolled gasps from Gu Lian.
As passion peaked, Gu Lian pulled Ai Miao tightly into his embrace, as if to embed him into his very bones. He murmured words of love into his ear over and over—from "Ai Miao" to "my strategist," then to "my beloved."
Ai Miao answered with even more fervent responses and broken, tear-choked moans.
"Ai Miao..." Gu Lian panted against his ear, sweat dripping, his voice choked with overwhelming emotion. "Look at me... I want you to see who loves you, who... will possess you forever."
Ai Miao opened his eyes, gazing into those depths of devotion that threatened to swallow him whole. At the peak of passion overwhelming his senses, he heard his own voice respond, broken yet clear: "Yes... my Highness... it is A Lian... my... beloved..."
The utterance of "A Lian" and "beloved" utterly delighted the man upon him, heralding the dissolution of the last vestige of barrier between them.
In the moment of ultimate arrival, Gu Lian's immersion and Ai Miao's acceptance merged in perfect harmony.
Violent tremors rippled outward from their union like waves, spreading through every limb and bone, propelling them both toward the pinnacle of ecstasy. It felt like taut bowstrings releasing simultaneously, achieving an unprecedented harmony.
In the lingering aftermath of their climax, they remained tightly entwined, neither willing to part.
Gu Lian gently turned over, letting Ai Miao rest against his chest. His fingers idly combed through Ai Miao's damp black hair.
He pressed a soft kiss to Ai Miao's sweat-dampened forehead and whispered, "After the coronation, I'll build you a private residence within the palace. No need for a harem title—but I want you where I can see you, touch you, every day and night. I want every corner of this Forbidden City to bear traces of us."
Ai Miao curled up in his arms, exhausted and content, his cheek resting against Gu Lian's still-rapid heartbeat. A lazy, blissful smile played on his lips—one he had never worn before.
"Alright," he murmured. "I'll follow Your Majesty's will."
The red candles burned low, wax tears piling like tiny mountains. In the soft glow, the two slept in each other's arms, breath mingling, bodies entwined—just like the vows they had made, never to be parted again.
That night marked the end of wandering, and the beginning of home. All the past schemes and undercurrents settled into a quiet, steady belonging.
Outside, dawn broke. A sliver of morning light slipped into the room, gently illuminating the two who had finally found peace—and the heart-knot of intertwined hair resting quietly on the desk.
And on that very morning, a decree shook the court: The Emperor, citing a desire to pursue spiritual cultivation and rest, formally abdicated the throne to Crown Prince Gu Lian. He named himself Retired Emperor and moved with the Empress to the Western Palace.
The coronation was set for one month later.
Though sudden, the decree came as no surprise to those who had been watching closely. It was the Emperor's final, resolute gesture—clearing all obstacles for the Crown Prince and placing the weight of the empire into hands young, but already proven.
—
After court, Gu Lian and Ai Miao stood side by side atop the palace walls, gazing down at the land that would soon be fully theirs.
"Are you afraid?" Gu Lian asked softly.
Ai Miao turned to him, a quiet, genuine smile curving his lips. His dark eyes shimmered in the sunlight. "With Your Highness beside me, I fear nothing."
Gu Lian took his hand, fingers interlacing. His gaze stretched toward the distant horizon. "Then, Ai Miao—my Minister of War, my Marquis Wen'an, my… beloved."
"Walk with me. Let's build a golden age the world has never seen."