When the Splendor Fades

One song, carried on the sheng, ushered in an era. When the splendor faded, countless years were swept away.

One song, "Song of the Nine Heavens," heralded a new era. National grudges and family feuds, love and resentment, all played out amid the chaos...

This was an age of heroes.

Here were ambitious rulers with the world in their sights: Qi Jingyu, Qin Qizun, Jin Chuyang...

Here were extraordinary women whose names resounded across the land: Jin Lanxuan, Jin Chuyang, Ye Jiuge...

Here were the Four Young Masters, famed throughout the land: Weiming, Wuming, Chang Cuo, Yifan...

Here were strategists renowned for their clever schemes: Weiming, Chang Cuo, Xie Yu, Xie Jin...

Here were absurd dramas of brothers turning against each other, faithless men, ingratitude and betrayal; and here, too, were the bonds between master and servant, devoted protection, a loving mother shielding her child, and people laying down their lives for what they believed in...

This was an age of ceaseless war. The era of rival lords would eventually come to an end, but who would become the emperor who united the land?

Would it be him? Qin Qizun, who inherited the throne as a boy and ruled with diligence. He ascended the throne young, ousted corrupt ministers and revived the economy at home; abroad, he expanded his territory, making distant allies and attacking nearby rivals. Under his rule, Qin reached the height of its power, with a prosperous people and an honest government. Now past forty, could he raise Qin to even greater heights?

Would it be him? Qi Jingyu, the young heir who defeated the northern frontier at just fourteen. His literary skill could bring peace to a nation: his treatise, "The Art of Strategy," earned praise across the land for its statecraft. His military prowess could secure a kingdom, too: he pacified the northern frontier, destroyed Jin, and earned fame as a god of war. With Young Master Jing at its helm, Qi was rich in talent, with powerful troops and many accomplished generals. Could this promising young man create another legend?

Would it be her? Jin Chuyang, a queen who excelled in both letters and arms and championed innovation. She climbed to the thorn-covered throne over a path of blood, killing her father and brother and drawing fierce controversy. With an iron hand, she drove reforms in Jin, breathing new life into the decaying kingdom. Under her rule, Jin became a mighty state capable of standing alongside Qin and Qi. Would this iron-willed woman wear the crown of an empress?

To whom did the world belong?

One song, "Song of the Nine Heavens," brought countless heroes to their knees!

Our story begins with Jin Lanxuan, the legendary princess of the fallen kingdom of Jin.

Young Master Jing once said, "The princess should never have been born into the royal family. She should be an orchid hidden away in this world, pure and untouched, standing apart from all others."

Weiming once said, "In my view, the princess is no star in the heavens. No matter how bright a star may shine, it cannot outshine the moon. The princess is that luminous moon."

Wuming once said, "The princess is dust, and also the earth made from fallen plum blossoms. Even so, it still bears their fragrance. There is no one else like her in all the world."

Ye Jiuge once said with a laugh, "There are only two women I've ever admired: Jin Chuyang and Jin Lanxuan. The former achieved an unprecedented, peerless feat and is a model for all women. The latter captured me at Changbai Slope, and I never got to cross swords with her again. That is a lifelong regret."

Jin Chuyang once sighed, "I am beginning to envy Princess Huayang. In many people's hearts, Princess Huayang matters more than these nine provinces and all the world..."

Yet for her, meeting him was both a blessing and a burden. In this troubled age, she lost her heart and had it broken.

She told him, "Love laments the heartless, while the heartless resent the loving. Even when we know each other, we regret ever meeting!" She would not become like her mother, a woman whose heart broke year after year and whose love brought her pain at every turn. One mother like that was enough, and she...

Our story begins with Jin Lanxuan, but it is about more than her. It tells of a grand and turbulent age, the best of times and the worst of times. Was this chaotic age made extraordinary by these dazzling people, or did these people shine so brightly because they were born into such a tumultuous age?

First, I want to apologize to everyone who has read this story before. After more than ten years of writing it on and off, I have finally finished. Even though not many people have read it, I'm still truly sorry that I didn't give those who did a better reading experience.

I finally finished this novel on February 8, 2024. After the New Year, I may write a few character side stories to fill in some details.

I kept going with this novel not because of reader support, since there weren't many readers, but because I love writing. I just didn't want to let myself down, the characters I'd written, or the story in my heart.

Honestly, I still can't figure out how a story I originally planned as a clichéd Mary Sue romance between a fallen princess and the prince of an enemy kingdom turned into an ensemble drama. I think I first wrote a few thousand words of it in high school on Hongxiu, but that was just a sudden flash of inspiration and an impulsive start. Then nothing came of it. I officially began writing it again in college, but I couldn't recover my Hongxiu account after changing my phone number and password, and by then I'd switched to a different novel site, so I started writing it on Jinjiang. Of course, by then the story had changed a lot from the original idea. After that, I stopped updating. I added a little more here and there over the years, but not much. I don't even know whether I should be glad I stopped updating. Without those breaks and all the repeated revisions and cuts, the novel probably wouldn't be what it is now.

Thank you to everyone who has read this novel. Thank you for enjoying my writing.

Theme: Who says women are the only ones capable of devotion? Who says women are inferior to men? Devotion knows no gender, and women are every bit the equal of men!