Introduction to The Sword of Zhenguan, The Blood of Tianbao
A silver medallion from the Zhenguan era reflects the bloodshed of the chaotic Tianbao years.
Xu Peng, a junior officer in Yingzhou, fought with all his heart to defend an isolated city, only to be framed by his superior and branded a deserter. Carrying his great-grandfather’s merit medal, he led the remnants of his unit to Chang’an to seek justice, where he met Zhang Xiaojing and Long Bo, survivors of the Eighth Regiment. One still guarded Chang’an, yearning for a peaceful world; the other formed the “Mayflies” to shake a corrupt court.
From the fighting atop Yingzhou’s city walls, to the flames engulfing Chang’an’s lantern tower, to the laments before Mawei Slope, the blood of veterans, the tears of ordinary people, and a young woman’s long wait all soaked into this dimming Tang Dynasty. Only when they reached a small shrine to the mountain god in the wilderness, with two statues standing side by side, did the afterglow of Zhenguan finally shine on a reunion long delayed.
