A Smile Among Flowers, Mountains Stretch Far and Wide

Look at this spring river, these peach blossoms by the clear stream, these blue-green mountains like painted brows.

Actually, I don't have to like you. It's just that once I started thinking about you, I couldn't be bothered to consider anyone else. One morning, you'll stand with your hands behind your back in your red-and-black imperial robes. Your sharp eyes will face the first rays of golden sunlight, and you'll smile proudly as you look out over the mountains turned red. I've been working toward that scene all along.

I actually posted this story on JJ in 2011. A few days ago, I dug it up and took a look, and thought, what the hell was I writing? What the hell? What the hell?! So I'm planning a major rewrite. But I forgot the password to my old account... I forgot the email, too, and there's no way to recover it... So I registered a new account and decided to repost the story. Major rewrite! Major rewrite!

A divider introducing real history

In the final years of the Northern Wei, the land fell into chaos and rival powers rose up. Gao Huan, a warlord of Xianbei origin from the Six Garrisons, seized the opportunity to raise an army, install a puppet emperor, and establish Eastern Wei. Together with Yuwen Tai's Western Wei and Xiao Liang to the south, the three powers stood in a tripartite balance.

In 545, a Rouran princess married Gao Huan, Grand Chancellor of Eastern Wei and Prince of Bohai, marking an alliance between Rouran and Eastern Wei.

Two years later, Gao Huan led a campaign against Western Wei, suffered defeat, and died exhausted. His legitimate son Gao Cheng succeeded him and married his stepmother, the Rouran princess.

During his tenure as Grand Chancellor, Gao Cheng quelled a rebellion in Yingchuan and expanded into the Huai and Yangtze regions, earning great merit. But, caught off guard by a schemer close to him, he was killed by a captive from Xiao Liang, dying with regrets. He and the Rouran princess had a daughter.

A year after Gao Cheng's death, his younger brother Gao Yang usurped the Wei throne and founded what became known as Northern Qi. Gao Huan was posthumously honored as Emperor Shenwu, and Gao Cheng as Emperor Wenshang.

It was an era of great upheaval, an era when you were destined to expand your dominion. I don't want you to settle for less.

I only hope to hold your hand and stand by your side, watching you become master of Guanzhong, conquer Xichuan, march south to Jiangling, and claim the whole world.