The Greatest Hero: The Pride of the Northern and Southern Dynasties

Pei Gou'er was an orphan from Yinping County in the Southern Yan state at the end of the Jin dynasty. By chance, he met his mentor, Jiang Shulan, a deputy hall master of the Peach Garden Alliance. After the fall of the Shu Kingdom, Jiang Wei had devoted himself to restoring the Han dynasty, but his efforts failed and he died. His literary and military knowledge, however, was preserved by loyal patriots. This lineage remained in hiding until it later founded the Peach Garden Alliance. The alliance joined forces with the powerful Eastern Jin official Huan Xuan to revolt against the Jin, only to be betrayed by Huan Xuan and suffer heavy losses. As the Peach Garden heroes fled, they took in Pei Gou'er and named him Pei Fangming after two of their hall masters. Having mastered both civil and martial arts, Pei Fangming rose to prominence and assisted Liu Yu, a descendant of the Han imperial house, in overthrowing the Jin and founding the Liu Song dynasty. He had, in a sense, restored the Han dynasty. But Liu Song won its empire too quickly and failed to prepare for danger in times of peace. The court grew increasingly arrogant, extravagant, and corrupt, and the common people were once again on the verge of misery. Pei Fangming had wanted to retire and roam as a righteous hero, but he could not turn a blind eye to the people's suffering. A true hero serves his country and its people, so in the name of his status as a founding hero of Liu Song, he used his eloquence to navigate the court and assist in governing, while using force to punish corrupt officials and aid the people. In the end, however, his achievements eclipsed those of his ruler, and Emperor Wen of Song, Liu Yilong, the third emperor of Liu Song, grew suspicious of him. The emperor used Pei Fangming's political enemies to convict him of corruption. When his home was confiscated, the vast grounds of the general's residence contained only a few thatched huts and a young servant. As he was about to be executed, his close friend saved him by taking his place. Knowing that even a single close confidant had limited power, Pei Fangming saw through the complications of worldly life and from then on roamed the world with his beloved, becoming the stuff of legends as an immortal couple of chivalrous heroes.