A Song of Long March

The red candles flickered, and the bed curtains still held their fragrance. Third Young Master Fu had just finished with the lovely Xiangjian when a military dispatch sent him to the barren northwest.

In June, as the army advanced to the walls of Tongwei, Fu Kang'an looked at Vice Commander-in-Chief Mingshan, impaled like a pincushion and hanging from the flagpole. His expression turned grim.

In the capital, the lovely Xiangjian had planned to focus on renovating her home, but she couldn't withstand the friendly pressure from the wives of the various households. She packed her bags, ready to embark on a thousand-mile journey to join her husband...

Dreams are lonely, plum-blossom shadows slant. I was startled to realize my longing had gone unspoken, only because it had already sunk into my bones...

Suppressing rebels, capturing islands, shedding blood in Gurkha, and facing danger in Miaojiang, she willingly served as a personal guard under his command. She never feared danger, and she would never leave his side, in life or death...

The continuing story of Xiangjian and Fu Kang'an. For the first part, see Meeting in Joy. The story follows the historical record and has a happy ending.

1. A slow burn, with the timeline extending to the Qianlong Emperor's abdication and the Jiaqing Emperor's accession.

2. The heroine is proud but not melodramatic, devoted in love, and sharp-minded.

3. The hero and heroine are evenly matched. The story blends romance and family, country, and duty, with ambition and a sense of responsibility.

4. The historical background draws on sources related to the Qianlong era. Historical research buffs are welcome to offer corrections.

5. The story features many well-known figures from the Qianlong era.

Theme: Amid a ceaseless stream of military dispatches, rise early and work late, dust on your cap as you march, and protect your home and country.