For the Nation

Setting: At the end of the Zhou dynasty, the government was corrupt and the people were destitute. On the twenty-third day of the first month in 306 AD, the powerful Jiang clan of the Zhou dynasty rose in rebellion, overthrew Zhou, and founded Qi, establishing its capital at Yong'an. During the uprising, the Lin family gave the Jiang clan its full support and pledged that generations of their family would remain loyal to them. After the founding of Qi, the emperor granted the Lin family extensive military authority, including command of the imperial guards. On the twenty-third day of the first month in 406 AD, the centennial celebration of the Qi dynasty's founding, Su, wife of the current Lin family patriarch Lin Ji, gave birth to a son named Jincheng. In 426 AD, Emperor Wu of Qi, Jiang Huaizhen, ascended the throne and changed the country's name to Dingzhen. In the fourth year of Dingzhen (429 AD), government officials were replaced. During this period, Wen Zixu, born to a humble family, rose to become chancellor through his foresight and resourcefulness. He was only twenty-five years old.

Name origins: "The Great Wall beyond the frontier, I once vowed to be; in the mirror, my temples have already turned gray.", Wen Zixu (Lu You, "A Poet's Lament")

"Though Jincheng is said to be delightful, it is better to return home soon.", Lin Jincheng (Li Bai, "The Road to Shu Is Hard")

"The peach and plum trees say nothing, yet a path forms beneath them.", Shen Yanqi (Sima Qian, "The Biographies of General Li" in Records of the Grand Historian)

"At dusk by the river, sorrow weighs on me; deep in the mountains, I hear the partridges.", Jiang Yuwan (Xin Qiji, "Bodhisattva Barbarian")

A heart wholly devoted, all for naught; three souls drift back to Jincheng.

In this life, I give all to home and country. In the next, may I share eternal life with you.

Content warnings: 1. Includes a female-female secondary couple. Proceed with caution.

2. The romance is subtle. Proceed with caution if that's not your preference.

3. Both the main and secondary couples have tragic endings. Do not read if that's not your preference.

Theme: The country comes first; personal love is secondary