Note: This wasn't really requested, but I've already summarized the Replanted AU, Abandoned Yue AU, and the Fae AU, so why not this one? This particular AU has a place in my heart - mostly because it's silly. Also because there was a plot twist in there that I never managed to address so I'm writing it out now.
Summary: When Wukong wakes up in a trashy imperial harem novel he'd been reading, he's horrified. Why? Because he's in the body of a character who shares his name - a tyrant king who causes a lot of pain and suffering to everyone including the female lead. Wukong decides that, since he's here for the time being, he was going to fix the other him's mistakes and leave the world better than he found it by the time he finds a way back home.
(Sounds easy enough as a concept, but Wukong can't act for his life and he has serious imposter syndrome. Oh well, time to spam the amnesia button and fake it 'til he makes it.)
Everyone Else's POV:
The Monkey King was a tyrant who either spilt blood or added to his large harem. He selfishly ignored the matters of the crown and contributed to the suffering of his people.
Queen RinRin is left to manage the throne's affairs on her own, frustrated by her husband's selfishness and destructive tendencies.
Consort Macaque is tormented by the endless string of lovers his husband takes. He grows resentful after so many heartbreaks and lets it out on the harem. Violently.
Concubine Shanzha heard the rumors about the king. She tries to keep her head low but she's somehow gained his attention. And she's scared of all the trouble that is going to come with it.
Unexpectedly, the Monkey King suffered a head wound and was bedridden for days. Perhaps it was an assassination attempt? No one knows.
It didn't matter because the Monkey King woke up without his memories. It caused a bit of chaos all around. Everyone expected even more trouble.
To everyone surprise, he didn't.
The king started to participate in state affiars. He was clumsy and inexpierienced, but he was still trying his best. RinRin finds herself charmed by this new version of her husband.
While he doesn't remember Macaque, the king has become far more considerate and had dissolved the harem. The consort's resentment and bitterness was all but forgotten.
While the majority of the harem disbanded, Shanzha had to stay because of her political hostage position. But...it wasn't that bad? The king was respectful and gave her a lot of agency. She could pray and shoot at the archery range when she pleased.
Everyone doesn't say it out loud, but they liked this new king better. They hoped he never got his memories back.
Wukong's POV:
He's freaking out y'all.
I mean, it's pretty obvious, but it still needed to be said. He was freaking out.
Wukong didn't finish reading the novel before he was yeeted into it. He got so frustrated that he tossed it away. He regrets it so much now.
Wukong is the sheer definition of faking it til you make it. He spammed the HELL out of his amnesia while he tried to get into the groove of his role as Emperor.
Wukong's initial goal was to survive and not have any one find out he was an imposter. Then, after seeing just how much the OG!Wukong fucked everything up, he took it upon himself to unfuck as much as he can.
Good news: Wukong is making more progress than he expected. He's taking some of the load off of RinRin's shoulders by participating in meetings; he's taking away the major stressor in Macaque's life by dissolving the harem; and he's trying to make Shanzha's time in the kingdom as bearable as possible.
Bad news: All three of them somehow took his actions as an invitation to start trying to seduce him. Don't get him wrong. They're all gorgeous and amazing - Wukong isn't blind - but he's not really their husband. He's just some loser who hijacked their real husband's body. So he puts on the "I don't know I'm dumb" vizor on and hopes to high hell that no one sees through it.
They eventually do, so Wukong elects to scream and run.
When Shanzha opened up to Wukong and told him about her life and of her niece, he cried. He was always a sucker for tragic backstories. Why didn't the novel talk about this?
Not long after, he requested demanded Shanzha's homeland to send over her niece. Shanzha was overwhelmed when he gave her the exciting news.
Since Wukong taking a ward was huge, the entire court were there to recieve Yue. It was actually the first time RinRin and Shanzha crossed paths. It was butterflies at first "hi" for the queen who was regretting not being more involved with the harem.
Shanzha and Yue's reunion was so tearjerking that Wukong had to take a minute. Then, it was revealed that Yue was actually Macaque's family too. The six ears kinda made it obvious. Plot twist after plot twist, why didn't the author of the trash novel focus on THIS?!
Wukong never saw a baby monkey before so he's practically exploding because of Yue's cuteness. He was super duper doting.
Wukong also saw a way out of the entire "making an heir" business, so he names Yue his heir and hopes that this stops his spouses from trying to jump him.
It doesn't. Wukong's "Baba" energy just made him even more irresistable. Sorry Wukong.
The three have also joined forces. Oh no.
The Plot Twist:
One day, little Yue blinks up at Wukong and asks him if he can pretty please take her to see the nearby waterfall together. When he does, Yue takes advantage of the waterfall being a natural white noise machine to talk to him.
Yue: "You're a transmigrator too, aren't you?"
Wukong: 😮"Whaaaaaaa-?!"
Yup, Yue's a transmigrator. She also read the trashy novel - all of it. So she has all the deets, which Wukong begs off of her by helping her reach high places and giving her treats.
Everyone: Aww, he's so good with her
Wukong: Oh wise senior, please share your wisdom
Yue: Tell the cooks to make the Dan Dan Noodles extra spicy hot and I'll think about it
Yue also helps her fellow homie out by being a deterrent for romantic advances. Can't talk or do anything beyond PG around the baby.
Wukong tells Yue about his plan to run away after setting everything and leaving the kingdom to her and she bluntly tells him that it was a dumb plan.
Yue: "At least wait until I'm not a baby to abdicate."
Yue also (gently) breaks it to Wukong that he's stuck here. The him in his original reality is most likely dead.
So, after a bit of spiraling, Wukong approaches his spouses and tells them the truth.
It was a bit shocking and they (Macaque and RinRin) needed some time to come to terms with the revelation, but this doesn't deter the three of them in the slightest. They're all in love with this Wukong and want to spend the rest of their lives with him.
(By the time Yue comes of age, Wukong does accept their advances enough to give her cute little brothers lol.)
What are some of their attempts to convince Wukong? What Modern dating methods do they try (and occasionally butcher)? Old ones that don't quite translate (or Wukong pulls Amnesia)?
I sense shenanigans.
(And also have been struck by the image of Wukong opening a door to find one of the trio laying in bed with a "F*ck me" sign above them.)
(I was then subsequently struck by the image of Wukong responding, "Uhhhhh, I can't read? *closes door*"
When RinRin, Macaque, and Shanzha started their attempts in luring their husband to bed, they were completely blatant…in traditional standards.
Romantic gestures in that era were subtle. A simple exchanging of gifts would be a proclamation of eternal love. And there are so many secret languages: the language of flowers, the language of fans, etc.
(Warning: Slightly suggestive)
RinRin preferred slipping in sly, subtle innuendos in conversations and teasing Wukong like she used to do when they were young. She also likes using food as a tool to be touchy and suggestive. (Those poor bananas.)
Macaque would drag Wukong out to walks in the garden and anywhere else pretty. He would cling onto his arm during walks while wearing all the pretty hairpins and jade pendants that OG!Wukong had gifted him throughout the years of their marriage.
Unlike the other two, Shanzha doesn’t have any history with Wukong and is in an unstable position, so she’d be less blatant. She’d show off her skills in archery and would spar with him to encourage contact. She’d also wear clothing that would turn slightly sheer with enough sweat during these sessions.
When all of this didn’t work, the three of them would outright ask Wukong to come visit their rooms.
All of this, of course, flew over Wukong’s modern head. The first time he accepted, he thought it was a sleepover. Shanzha and RinRin were too shocked to correct him when he visited them for the night (he tried to recreate scrabble lol) but Macaque doubled down and scared Wukong off when he made it clear what he invited him into his room for.
It was a little heartbreaking for Macaque but that sting was quickly eased when Wukong came to him with flowers the next morning and babbled about his amnesia. He played dumb and would continue to play dumb.
Unfortunately, upon every “failure,” the three became more and more bold. (Thus, the hilarious scenario you painted in your ask. They had to spell it out for him at that point.)
When it was revealed that Wukong came from another world and time, everything clicked. They shifted gears. Instead of approaching all of this like spouses, they would then approach this as suitors. This would be a courtship.
After wiggling as much info about modern day courtship out of Yue, they took a try at this “dating” thing. It was…fun. There was a bit of flower giving and hand holding. They would watch plays together with snacks (a try at a movie date). They would try to make homemade food with varying results (RinRin and Macaque burnt their offerings). They snuck out of the palace in disguises once to have a casual date without the pressures of court.
(Though they did bungle up the “Netflix and Chill” idea and flustered the hell out of Wukong lmao. Yue only added that one as a joke.)
Wukong would see all this effort and be so, so flustered and yet so, so happy. He’s a bit of a romantic so he’s a bit of a sap about these things. Even if the results aren’t perfect, he appreciates the effort and he tries to reciprocate traditionally (though the three are beyond subtleties at this point and prefer the modern straightforwardness.)
Would it hurt macaque to see Rinrin making heart eyes at shanzha the person wukong killed him for? I would think macaque has bitter feelings towards her.
Macaque’s feelings towards Shanzha is…complicated. He’s had enough time to understand that she wasn’t the problem - Wukong was. Still, Wukong chose her over him and that stings.
The thing is, RinRin’s instant infatuation with Shanzha would’ve been a great betrayal to Macaque if it weren’t for the timing of it. RinRin doesn’t properly meet Shanzha until after the LBD debacle. By then, Macaque has discovered Yue’s existence and her familial connection with him and Shanzha’s position. She had no choice.
Shanzha and Macaque’s reunion was more pleasant than he had expected and she even cheekily teased him that the only reason he got so close to killing her was because she was too stunned by his good looks. (This was after he witnessed her nuking the Mayor with a single arrow.)
So yeah, once RinRin went all heart-eyed and giggly at Shanzha, Macaque wasn’t upset. Instead, he thought it would be a genius idea to just steal Shanzha from Wukong. Wouldn’t that be the perfect revenge? Wouldn’t that just make Wukong go insane?
I feel like wukong would go from not caring about Shanzha to being mean and jealous about her. Macaque would have to hit him in the head for him to be normal. And ffm, no idea. New celestial bride is a double obstacle now, but also the mother of one of their own's child
Since Macaque only gets murderous when Wukong shows romantic interest, Shanzha wouldn’t be ignored or bullied at the revelation, but Wukong would definitely have some complicated feelings and maybe (?) a moment of enlightenment about his feelings towards Macaque.
But that would be put in the back burner when they have to attack LoES to save Yue.
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