The South Wind Knows No Dreams

(A sickly, scheming Grand Tutor and a princess of a fallen kingdom set out together to dream of ruling the realm. He plotted every move himself, drawing her into the game. She went to her death without hesitation, unaware that she was the only living piece on the board.)

In the forty-eighth year of Yong'an, Bei Qin built a pontoon bridge across the Ling River, the last line of defense for Nan Tai. Then Bei Qin's cavalry charged straight through and made for Jinling, their thundering hooves rousing the princes and nobles from their drunken dreams of luxury.

On the night before Jinling fell, Prince Yong'an granted poisoned wine to every imperial consort, prince and princess, and noble official, hoping to preserve the royal family's last shred of dignity. The palace ran red with blood, and cries of anguish filled the air.

Yet it was all an illusion. In truth, it was Grand Tutor Xiao Changfeng's plan to save the day: openly repairing the plank road while secretly crossing the pass. Under the Grand Tutor's scheme, Princess Li Yu disguised herself as the Crown Prince to mislead the enemy and cover the escape south of the true spark of hope, Crown Prince Li Yan.

The city of Lingjiang, where the routes north and south diverged, marked the beginning of destruction, yet also carried hope like a lone boat. The people of Bei Qin searched every mountain and sea in relentless pursuit, while Nan Tai's loyal generals, chivalrous fighters, and even ordinary people helped escort the spark of hope to safety. A struggle over the dynasty's survival was unfolding across this land, with tales of spies and intelligence woven into every contest of wits.

At their first meeting, Grand Tutor Xiao Changfeng cornered her against a wall and told her, "A princess stands above the people, so she must seek a way for them to live." With the muddy hand she'd just used to climb over the wall, she pulled up the sleeve of his ink-wash robe and wiped away the crumbs of osmanthus cake at the corner of her mouth. "You give me too much credit, Grand Tutor. What do the people have to do with me?" Then she walked away.

At their next meeting, dressed in the Crown Prince's robes, she said respectfully to the Grand Tutor, "I put my life in your hands. Command me as you will."