Ode to the Pavilion

Wuxia is dead. I'm burning paper for it. A light mystery, heavy scheming, a little humor, and classic wuxia: a sweeping epic of love and mutual destruction, The Ode of the Pavilion, also known as The World on the Brink. A few things to know before you read: jianghu and court politics, the elegance of the Wei and Jin dynasties, a long classic wuxia epic, and a roller-coaster romance. The sweeter it gets, the harder the heartbreak; the more it hurts, the bigger the sweet payoff. This story is quite large in scale and has many plotlines. To help everyone follow along, here's a breakdown: Splendid rivers and mountains, the spirit of Jian'an; a thousand-year dream, the elegance of the Six Dynasties. The lanes of Wuyi, the romance of pavilions; cloud-mounted cavalry from Yanshan, and war across ten thousand miles. **Court Revenge Arc** (early story) In the first year of Xiankang, on the birthday of Emperor Ming of Yan, Murong Huang, the emperor hosted a grand longevity banquet for his ministers. His elder brother, Prince of Leling Murong Han, got drunk, and the emperor ordered him to stay in the palace. The next day, as he returned home, the emperor gave him wine. Han drank it and died. Before long, the Prince of Leling's estate was confiscated. The princess shut the gates and set the residence ablaze, and no one inside survived. The heir, Murong Jun, was twelve at the time and vanished without a trace. That same day, Empress Duan poisoned the emperor's beloved consort, Consort Mu, in the inner palace and set Tongxin Hall on fire. Yet the body of one little girl was missing. Two fires in a single day. The past was reduced to ashes, and turmoil in the jianghu stirred anew as the winds of a troubled age shifted... Seven years later, another longevity banquet was held at Helong Hall. The boys and girls who had escaped the flames that year returned, reborn from the ashes and driven by vengeance. On the ninth day of the third month, two stars trespassed into the Purple Palace. Their romance would bring them together, not only to uncover the mysteries and old grudges of the past, but also to stir up the winds of this troubled age. Revenge in the early story, a struggle for supremacy later on. Two formidable leads clash and then join forces, with every character clever and calculating: the scheming boy and the drama queen make trouble together. **Warlord Era Arc** (later story) Countries involved: Jin (Eastern Jin), Yan (Former Yan), Qin (Former Qin). I'll post an announcement chapter before this arc begins. There's too much to explain here, so I'll simply quote Xin Qiji's poem: The Han River flows east, washing away all the blood and sweat of heroes. People all say that your family boasts a Flying General, a hero from days of old. Your thunderous advance against the enemy at Longcheng, your icy cheek as you discuss war in the jade command tent. I think of Gu, who took up arms when he married, inheriting the legacy of his forebears. The sword at your waist, casually plucked like a zither. The wine in your cup, fit for a farewell. And now an old friend has taken command, bearing the banners and insignia of the Han altar. Swear to wrap your corpse in horsehide; let us not speak again of beauty that saps a man's strength. From now on, remember the breeze at Chu Tower and the moon over Pei Terrace. **Jianghu Romance Arc** (runs throughout) One-on-one, love and mutual destruction: a flirtatious, devious young prince and a beautiful, mischievous, icy consort. They are each other's most familiar enemies and closest rivals. They live side by side, gazing at each other from afar, bound by fate to fight to the death. I hate you, hate you until my teeth pierce my gums and my heart is shattered to the core. I love you, love you until it pierces my heart and bones, until every step feels like walking on ice. That year, beneath General's Terrace, your smile warmed the frost and cold moonlight of Yanbei. That year, atop Qingling Terrace, your tears chilled the blazing springtime of Jiangnan. Shadows of bamboo in Xiaolin, sunlight on Qin Lake, seven years ablaze, a wound of love and loss. Longing without end, a broken string that cannot be mended, love and resentment sharing one wound, a heart's devotion buried with love. The Moon over Pei Terrace: Love can cross ten thousand miles of mountains and rivers, can cross the hatred between nations and families, can cross all the bloodshed and ugliness of the human heart in this world, but in the end it cannot cross the short distance between us, where a pavilion and stone marker stand at the crossing. The Wind at Chu Tower: If we can't cross it, then let's shatter it. 1. A revenge-and-mystery wuxia story, with court intrigue and jianghu grudges interwoven, and a romance of love and mutual destruction, with both sweetness and angst. 2. Set in the Former Yan of the Sixteen Kingdoms period, among the various Murong-led Yan states. Half historical, half fictional. If you have historical questions, please come talk to me. I'd love to hear the details. 3. A bonus that's not really a bonus: the male lead wasn't very famous in history, but he had a very handsome son. Little Phoenix Murong Chong will appear in an extra story, so stay tuned. 4. Thanks to my friend @Hong Jun Lao Zu for the cover. Theme: Grudges and forgiveness in a troubled age.