Blurb:
War and smoke rage without end in the northern lands. Only a corner of Jiangnan remains a haven, safe from the turmoil.
At the time, Cui Xian, lord of Jiangnan, was debauched and extravagantly wasteful, amassing the people's wealth to fill his private treasury. He spent every day indulging in wine and women, living without restraint and neglecting the affairs of state.
As the dynasty crumbled and the common people suffered, only Zhang Heqing, born into an eminent southeastern clan, used his frail body to reform the bureaucracy, execute treacherous ministers, root out corruption and tyranny, tame the floods, and command an army of thousands, holding together the collapsing court as its pillar.
Countless people were grateful to him. Across the realm, they built shrines in his honor and prayed day and night for his safety, good health, and a life without end.
Even his old political enemy, despite their differences, stood red-faced with hands on hips to argue when treacherous officials accused Zhang Heqing of seizing power and coveting the throne: "Without Zhang Heqing, the southeast would be doomed."
But later, Zhang Heqing, gravely ill, died a miserable death within the palace walls. The order came from Cui Xian, the extravagant, debauched, and tyrannical lord of Jiangnan.
The whole realm was stunned. Fury swept the people, who rose in revolt, and the ruler lost the people's trust entirely.
That same month, the northern cavalry rode south, stormed the land of splendid prosperity, and unified the realm.
Cui Xian, whose attempt to burn down the palace had failed, was taken to the capital in chains. All along the way, the people lined the Yangtze, hurling curses at him.
The realm was in turmoil. Northern barbarians had been invading the Central Plains for decades, and seven rulers of the Central Plains had come and gone like scenes in a play, their lives ending in decline and death.
At the time, the peerless warlord Yan Mingche burst onto the scene. He fought his way through countless armies, swept away the disorder in the Central Plains, and unified the realm.
He had spent half his life on the battlefield. The one person he could never forget was the frail young nobleman he had met in Jiangnan. They had disliked each other at first sight, but as they spent time together and discussed the fate of the realm, he could only regret that they had not met sooner.
When their love was at its height, they were tender and intimate, in perfect harmony.
As flames of war engulfed the north, he rode alone toward his future, one man and one horse. At sunset, a mighty wind saw him off.
In times of mortal danger and hardship, only his handwritten letters offered comfort through a life of upheaval.
The next news he heard was that the other man had died a brutal death in the Han palace.
In a fury, Yan Mingche personally led an expedition. In a single night, he broke through the city, captured Cui Xian, lord of the Han palace, and brought him back to the capital, where he made him the Marquis of Betrayal and imprisoned him deep in a desolate tower.
Even a hundred deaths would not have eased Yan Mingche's heart-piercing hatred for Cui Xian.
Poisoned wine and a white silk cord were brought to him. On the tower's upper floor, Cui Xian drank alone, a vast wind sweeping over his white robes.
Yan Mingche's face suddenly changed. Hanging from the neck of the condemned Cui Xian was the very same wooden charm for safety that he had carved for Zhang Heqing with his own hands years ago.
One-sentence summary: He loves the other me, the one with a great reputation.
Blurb recorded on May 13, 2026.
Premise: Uphold the heart of Heaven and Earth, and secure the lives of the people.
