Blood-Red Begonias

[Pure romance + pure angst + love and friendship intertwined + the helplessness of imperial power + friendship shattered + love destroyed]

That year, beneath the crabapple blossoms, their hearts first stirred;

A year later, beneath those same blossoms, they parted for good.

But how could Wei Xiaoyi ever forget the life he had shared with the flower reflected in the water that year?

The four young men once understood and supported one another. How did they end up like this?

Xiao Wanyan seemed to see them again: the three young men, spirited and radiant, fighting side by side.

But why had everything come to this?

At their first meeting, the crabapple blossoms had yet to bloom; winter snow had already ceased to fall.

Buds swelled and petals opened, while dragonflies played among the branches.

When next they met, the crabapples bloomed freely, and spring breezes chased the sunlight through the woods;

Their faint fragrance filled her sleeves, their gentle sweetness intoxicated her heart.

Then came the rustling crabapple blossoms, and a zither held in the summer dew, gazing across an empty distance;

Through joy and sorrow, through rise and fall, a lifetime's dream lay across the river.

At last, the crabapple blossoms were in full bloom, while Jiangnan's misty rain ushered in another autumn;

A scattering of stars fell, and the imperial city was stained red with blood.