The founding emperor of Great Qi rose with his sword amid a time of chaos and established the kingdom. Across six dynasties and ninety-seven years, Great Qi pacified the southern barbarians, befriended the Western Regions and opened trade routes with their kingdoms, and suppressed pirates in the east to rebuild the maritime trade routes. Only the unruly northern kingdom of Quyu remained, kept in check by the Northern Garrison Army. Great Qi entered an unprecedented golden age.
She was the only daughter of the Prince of the Northern Garrison and the cherished little princess her mother had given her life to bear. As a child, she was educated under the Empress's care and became friends with the Crown Prince, the other princes, and the princesses. Renowned scholars of the age chased after her, eager to take her as a disciple, but she insisted on becoming a general and going to war. What business did a woman have being a general? Everyone waited to see her make a fool of herself, but she made her enemies fear and respect her, earning her rank through military merit.
He was the sole legitimate son of the Emperor and Empress of Great Qi: intelligent and kind-hearted, appointed Crown Prince at five, and learning to manage state affairs at his father's side from the age of eight. By thirteen or fourteen, he had earned a reputation for virtue and become the heir whom the court officials wholeheartedly supported. They first met beneath a peach tree. After hearing the young woman's troubles, he found himself a goal. Diligently attending to state affairs was both his duty as Crown Prince and a way to give her a steadfast source of support.
War was never destined to last. As the campaign between Great Qi and Quyu neared its end, turmoil began to stir. Years later, he, now Crown Prince, and she, now a general, reunited amid a dark whirlpool of intrigue. Together, they pierced the fog and safeguarded peace and prosperity. Two exceptional people were drawn to each other; two lines that crossed embraced at their intersection, and the phoenix alighted on the parasol tree.
They shared a goal: to preserve lasting peace and ensure calm seas and clear rivers. But was the capital, where undercurrents swirled, truly as peaceful as it seemed? When the waves rose, where would they go?
A few words from the author: I won't abandon this story, but updates will be irregular. I'll do my best to write around twenty thousand words a week.
Theme: No matter the circumstances, always maintain your independence of character
