The continent is a chessboard, with five kingdoms standing in opposition. (This is a fictional setting. Please do not connect it to real-world history or geography. Most of the cited texts are genuine historical works.)
In the far west, the bitter wind drives the sand. There lies the kingdom of Western Qin, occupying the Qin River plain and the Longban heights, protected by the natural defenses of the Xiao and Han passes. Its weapons are sharp, its people fierce, and it eyes the east like a tiger. King Ying Lie is ambitious, suspicious, and ruthless, always plotting to conquer the other kingdoms.
South of the great river, mist and waves stretch as far as the eye can see. This is Southern Chu, a land rich in fertile fields, fish, and rice, with ships crowding its ports and a literary culture unrivaled across the realm. Emperor Xiang Hong is fond of poetry, but power is gradually slipping into the hands of his powerful chancellor, and the threat from the north is a constant concern.
On the shores of the Eastern Sea, salt revenues flow across the four seas, and warships blot out the sun. This is Eastern Qi. Its ruler, Jiang Huan, is skilled at naval warfare. His fleet rules the waters, and he relies on the sea as a shield, dealing with the other kingdoms while waiting for an opportunity to strike.
Across the northern steppes, tents stretch beneath the vast sky and iron hooves thunder. This is the royal court of Northern Mang. Its king, Ashina Duoji, is like a wolf and an eagle. He commands hundreds of thousands of mounted archers, raids the border year after year, and regards the fertile lands to the south as meat in his jaws.
Dominating the center, holding back the Mang cavalry in the north, resisting brutal Qin in the west, connected to Chu's culture in the south, and linked to Qi's ships in the east, is Northern Liang! Emperor Yuanlong Xiao Qi has ruled for twenty years. In his early years, he governed diligently, opened up the frontier, and established farming settlements, restoring some of the kingdom's strength. In recent years, however, natural disasters have struck one after another, Northern Mang's invasions have grown more frequent, tributaries of the Yellow River (the Liang River) have repeatedly burst their banks, and corrupt court eunuchs have gained power, while the bureaucracy is riddled with longstanding abuses. Liang is a martial kingdom with a tough, forthright people, especially in Liangzhou Prefecture, its northwestern frontier, which bears the brunt of Northern Mang's iron hooves. It is a harsh, cold land of yellow sand and pale grass, where beacon towers stand within sight of one another. Its men are brave and passionate, and many are buried there...
Follow the Tian brothers of Great Liang on their journey from starving villagers in a frozen land to earning honors for their civil and military achievements...
It looks pretty good for now.