[Tragic ending + devotion to country and family + love and hatred intertwined + ensemble cast]
My imperial uncle summoned me to the palace, supposedly to raise me, but in truth, I was a hostage under house arrest.
Seven years in the palace, and then the snowstorms of Yanmen Pass brought the most devastating news.
My father, the general who had guarded the frontier for decades, was framed by villains and suspected by the emperor. The emperor turned a blind eye as he was secretly killed beneath a hail of enemy arrows, leaving no body behind.
My mother, overcome with grief, leapt from the city wall.
My sister-in-law was violated, then died alongside my nephew beneath the enemy's dagger.
…
The loyal souls of the Song family have never feared death. My eldest brother held the city gates to cover the retreat. An enemy spear pierced his throat, but he never let go of his weapon.
My second brother was escorting a grain convoy across the wilderness when a wolf pack attacked. In the end, all that remained was his bloodstained armor, proof that he had given his life for his country.
My third brother had been frail since childhood and couldn't even draw a bow all the way. Yet, with the family branded as traitors, he still insisted on putting on armor and taking the field. At last, an enemy blade pierced his throat, and he fell on the same blood-soaked ground where our father and brothers had fought.
That winter, when the bitter wind swept snow across the land, I was left forever in a foreign country. I never set foot on my homeland again.
