The An Lushan Rebellion of the Tang dynasty drove the people from their homes, leaving them displaced and scattered. The dead, starved or struck down by illness, could be seen everywhere along the roads. While the governors of various prefectures fled or surrendered one after another, the brothers Yan Zhenqing and Yan Gaoqing rose up in resistance. Betrayed by a traitor and left without reinforcements, Yan Gaoqing and his sons were captured by the rebels. Neither enticements nor threats could shake their loyalty, and more than thirty members of the family were brutally killed. Yan Zilong spent two years searching for the remains of the Yan family before finally recovering them and avenging his kin. He also won the heart of a beauty. To commemorate Yan Jimin’s loyal service to his country, Yan Zhenqing wrote the running-script work Draft of a Memorial for My Nephew. Passed down for a thousand years, it became a celebrated tale. This story is entirely fictional!
