A tender love buried beneath the ink of official histories, and a fated cycle of reincarnation spanning a thousand years.
Ancient Era: Love Hidden Beneath Duty to Country and Family
During the Yongxi era, the Great Jing dynasty was beset by internal strife and external threats. Xie Heng, Left Vice Minister of the Secretariat and an upright court scholar, believed in overcoming force with gentleness. Xiao Jingyan, Marquis of Zhenbei and a battle-hardened god of war, favored striking with overwhelming force. In the grand hall, they were political rivals at odds with each other. But the late emperor’s decree forced them to become allies, combining civil and military strength.
After ten years at each other’s side, they went from political maneuvering to entrusting each other with their lives, from exchanging jade on a snowy night to confessing their love in the study. But the love they never got to voice could not withstand imperial suspicion and the heavy burden of their country. When war flared again on the northern frontier and Xiao Jingyan was trapped with no way out, Xie Heng gave his life to save him, leaving behind only these words: “Though we were never husband and wife, in the pages of history, I stand beside you alone.” Xiao Jingyan spent the rest of his life searching, and ultimately inscribed the most cryptic yet eternal declaration of love for them both in the historical records.
Modern Era: Fate Repeats, and a Broken Relationship Is Made Whole Again
A thousand years later, archaeological excavations uncover a Han dynasty general’s tomb and a civil official’s tomb. The names of “Xiao Jingyan,” Marquis of Zhenbei, and “Xie Heng,” Vice Minister of the Secretariat, appear side by side on unearthed bamboo slips, causing an uproar.
Business magnate Gu Jingyun is unusually obsessed with that history, while cultural relic restorer Xie Mingjin is overcome by heartache the moment he touches an ancient piece of jade. By chance, they meet, and a familiar flutter of the heart transcends time. As the archaeological discoveries deepen, dreams and reality begin to intertwine, and fragments of memories from a past life surge back: the battlefield, the snowy night, the parting, the regret...
When the truth comes to light, a thousand years of longing and regret finally break free. Gu Jingyun clasps Xie Mingjin’s hand, his gaze resolute: “In our last life, history...”
