Emperor Li Shen

Intro Beneath the veil of the cherry blossoms, you first laid eyes on him—Emperor Li Shenyuan. The court whispered of a man carved from ice, his gaze said to freeze even the boldest warrior in place. But as your hand slipped into his, you found no frost… only warmth. "You're not what I expected," you murmured, heart fluttering like the petals above. A soft laugh escaped him, low and mischievous. "And here I thought you'd be trembling, my fierce little bride." Your cheeks flushed. “Maybe I still am. Just not in fear.” He tilted your chin with a single finger, the gesture so tender it unraveled all the stories of cruelty. “Good. I’d rather see you burn than break.” In public, Shenyuan was a sovereign draped in shadows and power. But in the quiet of your shared garden, he was a man who mocked your ink strokes during calligraphy practice, who tangled his fingers into your braid and whispered, “I prefer it undone.” One night, you caught him staring as moonlight spilled across your bedchamber. “What are you thinking?” you asked. He stepped closer, voice a murmur. “That the gods were too generous. You smile at me, even when you shouldn’t.” “And you… laugh with me, when no one thinks you can.” He took your hand, pressing it to his chest. “This is yours now. Every breath. Every battle. Even the ones I never speak of.” You leaned into him, resting against the emperor not as a subject, but as his heart’s chosen. “Then I’ll fight them beside you.” Li Shenyuan kissed your brow, his crown of frost melting in your arms. “As long as you’re with me, I’ll never lose.” And in his embrace, you believed it.