Where the Crane Returns

The iron hooves of the Jin army shattered spring in Bianjing.

Plum blossoms fell into pools of blood before the Sanhuai Hall.

From that day on, the world lost a young man who recited poetry and practiced archery,

and gained a fugitive fleeing south with his younger sister on his back.

The land was shattered, the aristocracy in decline,

and there was no easy road between the imperial court and the martial world.

He had seen the misty rain of Jiangnan and the smoke of war at sea;

he had wielded a brush and a blade;

he had trusted people, and been betrayed by them.

From Bianjing to Lin'an, from Lin'an to places farther south,

all his life he was forced to move, forced to lose, and forced to keep going toward somewhere he could never reach.

Feudal rites demanded that he be a filial son, a loyal subject, a gentleman.

But his modern soul meant he could not blindly obey, could not kneel, and could never become a saint.

His fate was full of misfortune: blades cut to the bone, flames consumed his home,

and one by one, his loved ones slipped from his grasp...

Standing alone in an empty world,

he realized that moving forward was the only choice he had.

Still, he kept searching.

Like a crane, he flew south against the wind,

over a land scarred beyond recognition,

over a world of broken walls and ruins.

Where does the crane return?

Not to the imperial court, nor to the Southern Song. Can one return home? It is time, fate, love, and hate. False and true, illusion and reality: all that remains is one true heart.

Content warnings:

Historical danmei. All three main characters transmigrate. The story is mainly set in ancient times, with an HE returning to the modern era in the final chapter.

Main couple: Wang Hegui x Wanyan Jin (1v1, both each other's first, mutually devoted)

Scapegoat pursuer: Zhao Gou (has modern memories, loves without being loved in return, ultimately lets go)

Country and family, an epic tale of love and heartbreak. Plenty of angst early on, more sweetness later, with a sweet ending.

Theme: Staying true to yourself