Rumors throughout the capital say Zhang Yao, also known as Zhang Yanqing, is a wastrel with no future. Only Shen Tongtong sees the sincerity beneath his dissolute facade.
A casual word of fair praise awakens the young man, trapped in a life of luxury. Determined to live up to the words of this rare kindred spirit, he leaves the bustling imperial capital and heads for the bitterly cold northern frontier.
Five years of hardship strip away his youthful recklessness. Clad in armor and laden with military honors, he meets again the girl who understood him all those years ago.
As powerful officials stir up turmoil at court, the two stand side by side through one crisis after another, seeking revenge for her father's death. Dawn finally breaks bright, bringing peace to a troubled age. The young general gets his heart's desire and spends a lifetime with the one he has always held dear.
It's as good-looking as ever, following the author's first two works.