A princess who begins naive and later grows pessimistic and depressed, versus a cool, devoted young general
Yunzhou was born beneath a purple cloud. The Emperor and Empress loved each other deeply, and everyone in the palace envied her. They all said Yunzhou was born of love and enjoyed boundless glory, unaware that behind the palace walls, a naive and spoiled princess was merely a tiny black piece placed on the board of a game played for the empire. Above the imperial city, the people pleaded for their lives. The world declared that one person should be sacrificed to save all, and then peace would reign, with calm seas and clear skies.
Dressed in red, Yunzhou went to her wedding. Looking back on her youth, her mind filled with the image of Shen Ji, the young man in dark robes who once rode with a sword. She remembered his handsome, aloof features. She remembered the cinnabar mole between his brows. She remembered how he risked his life to protect her amid that slaughter beneath the sky. She remembered the fireworks of red butterflies, lit just for her. She remembered that night when Shen Ji came through the snow, his dark robes untouched by it, and called her “Pearl” with burning warmth.
As Yunzhou thought back, tears blurred her vision. Bodhisattva of Chonghua Hall, please watch over her Shen Ji. May his future be bright, may he grow old with the one he loves, may he be surrounded by children and grandchildren, and may his whole life be filled with joy.
