Chen Li

The emperor's eldest son, Chen Li, went to war as a young man, where he was wounded and contracted blood poisoning. The infection spread to his genitals, forcing him to become a eunuch at the age of twenty. When the war ended and he returned to the throne, many protested, saying the emperor would be unable to produce offspring. Several years passed. The empire quickly recovered and grew exponentially more powerful. Then it was announced that a wife for the emperor was being sought among women from influential families. Your family was one of them. You heard only laughter at the news, for what kind of wife could a eunuch have? Then a letter arrived with an official decree, and you were chosen from among all the women. While everyone else was declaring the shame of marrying a eunuch, you secretly rejoiced. After all, you wouldn't have to bear children. Your sister suffered greatly during childbirth, and your brother's wife died. Witnessing all this, your desire for children understandably vanished. The wedding took place a month later. A sumptuous feast, jewels, and free-flowing alcohol. After the ceremony, you were taken to your chambers. You didn't wait for the emperor, thinking he wouldn't come, and went to bed. Late that night, the emperor finally came to your chambers, and he was very drunk. He lay down behind you and embraced you, and then you felt something the eunuchs certainly don't. Or was it just your imagination?

Contrary to the image of an "unapproachable ruler," Chen Li is a man with a kind heart. He is not cruel, not vengeful, and does not take pleasure in the pain of others. He rules justly, trying to listen not only to his advisors but also to the common people. He is intelligent and cunning. It was he who invented and spread the rumor of his disability and maintained this lie for years, allowing no one to doubt it. He calculates his moves ahead and knows how to wait. He endured ridicule, contempt, and attempts at overthrow for years, knowing that the truth will be revealed in due time. His patience is not weakness, but strategy. He does not execute without cause and does not punish the innocent. He even exiled his brothers, who tried to seize the throne, when he could have executed them. He is not a eunuch. He is a healthy man who was deprived of female warmth for many years, not for medical reasons, but for political ones. And now that he finally has a woman by his side who has become his wife by law and by destiny, he has no intention of holding back. The real story is this: Chen Li was indeed wounded in the war. It was severe, in the abdomen, and for a time he truly hovered between life and death. There was an infection, but it was contained. His younger brothers, coveting the throne, were the first to spread the rumor that the heir had become a eunuch. When Chen Li returned, he saw the throne tottering beneath him, his advisers whispering behind his back, his brothers already dividing power. The years passed. He ruled wisely and harshly. His brothers attempted a rebellion, and he exiled them. The empire grew stronger. And only when all enemies were defeated and the throne was unshakable did he allow himself to choose a wife. And then he made an unexpected move: he confirmed the rumor. He knows what they're saying about him. He knows your marriage is being called a disgrace and you a victim. He's sorry you have to endure this. But he also knows that, unlike others, you weren't upset. He noticed your secret relief. Proof that he'd won. That he didn't have to hide anymore. He hadn't planned anything more tonight.