teaotter (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
teaotter) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
fan_flashworks2025-06-30 05:34 pm
teaotter) wrote in fan_flashworks2025-06-30 05:34 pm
Entry tags:
Dragon: The Double: Dragon and Phoenix
Title: Dragon and Phoenix
Fandom: The Double (cdrama)
Length: ~700 words
Content notes: No warnings, implied power dynamics around political marriages
Summary: Xiao Heng and the emperor, playing games.
"So what did Miss Jiang have to say to you," Xiao Heng asked oh-so-casually, "that she arranged to meet you alone in the gardens?"
Officially, their business was done for the afternoon -- Xiao Heng had given his usual overly-summarized report of his spies’ observations, and the emperor had asked as many questions as he thought his friend would let him get away with. They were supposed to be playing a lazy game of chess now, but Hong Xiao knew that edge in Xiao Heng’s voice; nothing about that question was lazy.
Hong Xiao snorted to himself; he hadn’t been alone with the girl, for all of Xiao Heng’s teasing. They’d been within feet of the girl’s maid, the emperor’s favorite eunuch, and a half dozen servants bobbing around waiting for orders. No one could ever call his trips to the garden at all private, much less scandalous.
Still, it was a fairly unusual occurrence, to run into an unmarried young lady in the imperial garden.
"Hmph." He contemplated for a moment, both his words and the game, then set his next stone. "She asked me when the next xiunu selection would be held. What a shameless child."
Not that it was uncommon for the daughters of officials to want to join the harem, but it was not at all appropriate to bring it up directly to anyone but their parents. Much less to him!
He was about to proclaim his general distaste for the entire topic and be done, but saw the slight stiffening of Xiao Heng’s expression, the faint tightening of his fingers around his stone. Hm. He knew that Xiao Heng was invested in Miss Jiang, but could he be... jealous?
Hong Xiao couldn’t pass up the opportunity to tease his friend. He quickly reorganized his thoughts around a new line of attack.
"Of course, boldness is a fine trait, if her ambitions wear the phoenix robes. You said she’s clever; she might do well." At the slight widening of Xiao Heng’s eyes, the emperor decided to twist the knife a little. "I never saw myself with someone her age, but I admit, her demeanor is more mature that one would expect."
He watched as the tells flickered across Xiao Heng’s face: a tightening around the eyes, a curve at the edge of his brow, a shadow at the corner of his mouth. Tiny movements, each quickly controlled, but not well enough.
Oho! Hong Xiao chortled inwardly. He never got to tease Xiao Heng like this!
"You could do worse," Xiao Heng said finally. "Her father is loyal, and I have no doubt of her ability to manage the harem, even at her tender age."
He tilted the stone in his fingers for a moment, then placed it with snippy precision. “Eldest Princess would take it as a declaration of war.”
"Isn’t that what we want? To force them to make a move?" Hong Xiao leaned forward unnecessarily, pretending to check the state of the board. "I needn’t show her favor right away. Even if the selection were announced tomorrow, it would take most of a year to arrange the ceremony. As long as she isn’t excluded beforehand--"
"Her exclusion would be a goal."
Of whose? The emperor had to smother a chuckle. "Perhaps her inclusion should be your goal. Along with other women more suited to my known tastes, of course."
"Of course."
The signs were more subtle now that Xiao Heng was settled into the topic, but Hong Xiao knew him well enough to see the vinegar he was drinking. This was easily the most amusing conversation they’d had all year! He settled back to enjoy his advantage in the game, for however long it lasted.
He wasn’t worried about the selection. What he’d said was true enough; it would take at least a year to arrange the ceremony, if it happened at all. So much washed in and out of the currents at court; it would take a strong effort for the girl to end up in the harem at all, much less as an empress candidate. He needn’t concern himself with cutting a hole in this particular trap -- if Xiao Heng wanted this girl, not even an emperor could snare her away.
Fandom: The Double (cdrama)
Length: ~700 words
Content notes: No warnings, implied power dynamics around political marriages
Summary: Xiao Heng and the emperor, playing games.
"So what did Miss Jiang have to say to you," Xiao Heng asked oh-so-casually, "that she arranged to meet you alone in the gardens?"
Officially, their business was done for the afternoon -- Xiao Heng had given his usual overly-summarized report of his spies’ observations, and the emperor had asked as many questions as he thought his friend would let him get away with. They were supposed to be playing a lazy game of chess now, but Hong Xiao knew that edge in Xiao Heng’s voice; nothing about that question was lazy.
Hong Xiao snorted to himself; he hadn’t been alone with the girl, for all of Xiao Heng’s teasing. They’d been within feet of the girl’s maid, the emperor’s favorite eunuch, and a half dozen servants bobbing around waiting for orders. No one could ever call his trips to the garden at all private, much less scandalous.
Still, it was a fairly unusual occurrence, to run into an unmarried young lady in the imperial garden.
"Hmph." He contemplated for a moment, both his words and the game, then set his next stone. "She asked me when the next xiunu selection would be held. What a shameless child."
Not that it was uncommon for the daughters of officials to want to join the harem, but it was not at all appropriate to bring it up directly to anyone but their parents. Much less to him!
He was about to proclaim his general distaste for the entire topic and be done, but saw the slight stiffening of Xiao Heng’s expression, the faint tightening of his fingers around his stone. Hm. He knew that Xiao Heng was invested in Miss Jiang, but could he be... jealous?
Hong Xiao couldn’t pass up the opportunity to tease his friend. He quickly reorganized his thoughts around a new line of attack.
"Of course, boldness is a fine trait, if her ambitions wear the phoenix robes. You said she’s clever; she might do well." At the slight widening of Xiao Heng’s eyes, the emperor decided to twist the knife a little. "I never saw myself with someone her age, but I admit, her demeanor is more mature that one would expect."
He watched as the tells flickered across Xiao Heng’s face: a tightening around the eyes, a curve at the edge of his brow, a shadow at the corner of his mouth. Tiny movements, each quickly controlled, but not well enough.
Oho! Hong Xiao chortled inwardly. He never got to tease Xiao Heng like this!
"You could do worse," Xiao Heng said finally. "Her father is loyal, and I have no doubt of her ability to manage the harem, even at her tender age."
He tilted the stone in his fingers for a moment, then placed it with snippy precision. “Eldest Princess would take it as a declaration of war.”
"Isn’t that what we want? To force them to make a move?" Hong Xiao leaned forward unnecessarily, pretending to check the state of the board. "I needn’t show her favor right away. Even if the selection were announced tomorrow, it would take most of a year to arrange the ceremony. As long as she isn’t excluded beforehand--"
"Her exclusion would be a goal."
Of whose? The emperor had to smother a chuckle. "Perhaps her inclusion should be your goal. Along with other women more suited to my known tastes, of course."
"Of course."
The signs were more subtle now that Xiao Heng was settled into the topic, but Hong Xiao knew him well enough to see the vinegar he was drinking. This was easily the most amusing conversation they’d had all year! He settled back to enjoy his advantage in the game, for however long it lasted.
He wasn’t worried about the selection. What he’d said was true enough; it would take at least a year to arrange the ceremony, if it happened at all. So much washed in and out of the currents at court; it would take a strong effort for the girl to end up in the harem at all, much less as an empress candidate. He needn’t concern himself with cutting a hole in this particular trap -- if Xiao Heng wanted this girl, not even an emperor could snare her away.