A Dream Left Behind

Her mother stroked her swollen belly, longing for a sweet, considerate daughter. But on the day she was born, red light illuminated the entire manor, and a mystic arrived, saying she was a woman with the fate of a man, destined to rule the realm.

She wanted to be a butterfly breaking free from its cocoon and taking flight, but instead she was elevated to the heavens to become a phoenix reborn in flames.

Her beauty was breathtaking, stunning the four corners of the land and moving the realm, until she became mistress of the imperial harem;

With a discerning eye, she selected virtuous ministers, promoted renowned scholars, and advanced talented people;

Capable and sharp-minded, she traveled to the western frontier, ended the drought, and controlled the floods;

She thought that if she gave everything and tried hard enough, she could earn trust and support. Little did she know that endless schemes awaited her...

Years later, the cherry tree she had planted with her own hands bloomed with snow-white flowers and bore scarlet fruit, while she mourned alone in some corner of the six paths of reincarnation.

He held her tightly and said solemnly, "I will cherish you and love you, for all my life."

He said, "We will be husband and wife, devoted to each other and never in doubt."

He held close the only hope she had left him, keeping faith with the vow he had already betrayed;

When her life hung by a thread, he smiled calmly and said softly, "Keeping you safe and protecting your peace are both ways of loving you. And now, what I must do is let go."

He said wistfully, "Your blood and tears are the most precious things in my eyes."

He sighed, "Meeting you for the first time felt like welcoming home an old friend."

He guarded the frontier for his whole life, gazing north. Her face and smile never faded from his memory. Her confused eyes and sweet smile lit up his entire life.

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