The Frontier

Drunk, I light the lamp and look upon my sword. In my dreams, I return to the bugle calls of the military camps. We divide the meat among the men and play fifty-string instruments to the tune of frontier songs. On the autumn battlefield, troops are reviewed. The horses race like Lu, the bowstrings crack like thunder. I fulfill the king’s ambitions and win fame in life and after death. Alas, my hair has turned white!

The story takes place in a remote frontier town. Ning Yi has lived there for as long as he can remember, doing odd jobs in the army kitchen under Wang the Lame. Life is not bad, but one night brings an end to eleven years of peace.

This novel and its characters are entirely fictional. Any resemblance to real people or events is purely coincidental. Do not imitate.