MC used to come from a happy family. His father was just a scholar who made a living selling calligraphy and paintings. But all that happiness vanished after - out of compassion - they helped someone who was injured and fell unconscious in front of their gate. That person then wanted to return the favor by recruiting MC's father but MC's father refused. Then he simply handed over a jade pendant and said that if they ran into any trouble, they could come to him for help.

That was the start of the nightmare. Soon they find out that the person they are helping is a rebel leader. But the man lost and was killed. The emperor ordered to kill all those who sided with the rebels, so instead of letting one fish escape the net, the emperor's subordinates arrested all who had been in contact with the rebels, whether they were guilty or not. Without exception all were imprisoned and tortured to death... Including MC's father and mother.

MC witnessed how his parents died in prison. Even though he was released afterwards, they branded MC as a s*ave.

The MC first met the third prince when he was sold in a cage by the salve dealer. The third prince then released MC and from then on MC became his confidant.

But after the third prince ascended the throne to replace his emperor father, he began to distrust his subordinates who used to help him in winning the battle for the throne. MC then uses the new emperor's will to consolidate his power to seek revenge for the mu*der of his parents. The new emperor didn't want to spoil his image as a benevolent emperor, so the MC did all the dirty works.

That's the main reason MC has such a bad reputation. Coupled with his bitter experience which resulted in him becoming such a ruthless person, MC became a frightening figure for all the court officials.

Regarding MC's marriage to ML. The main cause was the new emperor who no longer trusted MC as his confidant. But he didn't have the heart to kill him, because in the past, MC had almost lost his life to save the emperor.

The emperor didn't want the MC to expand his influence in court but he couldn't simply remove the MC position. If he did that his image would be ruined. So the emperor used the earthquake that rocked Mount Tai as an excuse to remove MC from imperial court, by ordering that marriage.

Regarding ML.

The reason ML returned to the capital was to find the cause of his father's death. His father was given poison that is odorless and colorless. The poison didn't kill him immediately, but it caused ML's father to slowly weaken, so he was later killed on the battlefield.

ML managed to catch and interrogate the person who betrayed his father. But that person was also poisoned with the same poison. Before his death, the man said that his family was captured and he was forced to betray his master. He also said that he didn't know who gave the order, but that person had very strong influence.

At first ML suspected MC. In an attempt to get rid of the emperor's secret intels, ML took the opportunity to arrest and interrogate MC's personal servant, XiaoGao.

However, it turned out that it was not MC who was behind the mu*der of his father. Then ML decides to ask MC for help in finding the real killer.

Regarding ML's reputation as Evil Star General.

The cause was mainly because the death of his family and his first fiance. Although everything was coincidental. Not his fault at all. But people just believed all the nonsenses.

His younger brother was dead at the very young age because of sickness. His mother too. And his father was poisoned and then killed in battlefield.

It was different case with his first fiance. She was r*ped by the late emperor (the third prince's scumbag father) 😡

His first fiance was the daughter of Right Minister Li. She was invited by the Empress dowager to her banquet. At that time the late emperor spotted her. The late emperor only knew that Li family have one daughter that already have marriage contract, but that was the first time he met her. The late emperor was a very lustful and vain persona. Without regard of his relationship with his minister, he later personally called her to his study and r*ped her there.

She came back home in devastating condition. At one side she was afraid that the general mansion would blame her father and made a fuss. And another side, she didn't want to be late emperor's concubine and afraid that the cruel emperor would kill her father and brother. Then she decided to drink poison so that Li family would be save.

About MC's sickly state.

The new emperor thought that MC's condition became weak after he almost died saving him in an assassination attempt.

But in reality, MC did deliberately let himself be injured because he was afraid that in the future the new emperor would suspect him and want to kill him like what he did to his other subordinates.

The wound did eventually heal, but the MC knew that he could not fully recover as before, in order to maintain the emperor's nostalgia. So he purposely used a fragrance that was actually a special medicine from the Western Region which made him weak and sick.

Regarding the relationship between MC and ML.

In my opinion, ML was the first to fall in love. And that wasn't unknown by MC.

He knew, but he already planned to leave the court for so many years. MC had planned that after he completed his revenge, he would be dead and then resurrect with another identity.

That plan also known by ML of course. But in the end our MC just couldn't bear to leave his beloved man... 😍

The MC is supposed to leave and the ML could feel it too but the MC decides to stay and even confess his feelings hihihihi

Another thing that I didn't like was how the author decided to introduce a totally new character at the end and made him the villain w/o any prior foreshadowing. ML also totally forgets about finding his father's killer but the killer himself just appears in front of them🤷🏽‍♀️ I felt like the last few chapters were written in a rush and the author just congested everything in those chapters. Btw for some reason the emperor also makes a 360 degrees changes in his behavior and I don't get why. His character perfectly fit the image of an emperor who's wise but somewhat wicked, in the beginning imo.

their actual first kiss was on ch 59.....

Zhao Yelan is so cute man, he’s more tsundere and I feel like he reveals his true self more to Yan Mingting more than the emperor

In front of the emperor he acts accordingly and more falsely.

I love how they slowly start to love each other, you can see it progressing! I’m loving it!

I love how Zhao Yelan cares about how Yan Mingting thinks of him and tries to look good and tries to impress him

They’re so genuine to each other! Ugh so cute, my heart hurt when Zhao Yelan was thinking of leaving 😭

Chapter 59... when they started being more and more intimate ehehehehe

CHAPTER 61, I’ve lost all composure and I’m currently screaming in my pillow while typing this! HES SI DJEHRUVRKW. THEY’re TOO BLOODY CUTE SHEGIFVEKWBDURBEK

Might I add that Yan Mingting is infatuated with Zhao Yelan so you don’t need to worry about scum gongs

Chapter 65, I’m blushing rn, they’re too cute, it’s currently 2am, I’ve got work tmr...

No my heart hurts so badly, 😭,

They’re so funnyyyy, they smuggled nuts and little snacks to a royal banquet/meeting, they were even sharing it out 😂😂

Love all the characters man! Yan Mingting, best husband goes to you!!!! He’s so genuinely sweet and funny!

I didn't like how he planned to put one of the Ml's lieutenant in his harem, he's obviously testing the MC, to see if he'd pick the ML or help him, when he's the one who demoted him from 1st rank to 7th (its ridiculous) I've never disliked a fictional character with passion like this lol

ML had come back to the capital to investigate his father's mu*der. Although he was reported as dying in battle, he was actually poisoned. After MC and ML become closer, ML confides to MC. MC helps ML and they narrow down the suspects.

MC's parents were killed by the late emperor when he was a child. His parents were commoners and good people. They had rescued someone once but got implicated because that person had rebelled against the late emperor. After his parents died in prison, MC was branded and sold as a s*ave. The emperor was the one who bought MC.

SPOILER...

The mu*derer is actually the first prince. He used to be the crown prince and colluded with another country to poison ML's dad. He was wary of ML's family siding with the emperor (who was the third prince at that time).