Chapter 1: Prologue

In the twenty-eighth year of Jingping, Emperor Jingping passed away. The young monarch ascended the throne, and the following year, the era name was changed to Longxing. Barely a year later, the Northern Qi army closed in on the capital, and the young emperor fled south to establish a new capital in Linzhou.

In the thirty-fourth year of Longxing, Linzhou fell. Emperor Longxing, along with his consorts and officials, immolated themselves within the palace walls. With this, the Xia Dynasty was completely extinguished, and the land and its people fell into the hands of a foreign race.

Three years later.

"Let me go, let me go—" On the streets of Linzhou, which had long since returned to its bustling state, a delicate young girl struggled with all her might, pleading with passersby for help.

A man dressed in fine robes swept a cold glance over the crowd, struck the girl unconscious with a swift blow, slung her over his shoulder, and swaggered away.

In the crowd, someone couldn't help but take a step forward, only to be held back tightly by another: "Do you have a death wish? That’s a nobleman. Never mind taking away a common girl; even if he killed someone in broad daylight, he wouldn't have to pay with his life!"

A life for a life—that had always been the natural order of things. But the world had changed; for a Qi person to kill a Xia person was a crime that could be mitigated.

The street fell into a suffocating silence. Only a single embroidered shoe lay lonely on the ground, a reminder of the withering of a girl in the prime of her youth.

Suddenly, a sob broke out. Someone had lost control and cried aloud, but the sound was quickly stifled. The people dispersed in silence, leaving three figures who remained standing to appear conspicuous.

Among the three, the white-haired old man turned his head and nodded slightly to the youth beside him: "Finally, you have the composure to hold back."

The youth lowered her eyes, silent, her hand hanging at her side clenched tightly.

"Let's go." The old man took the first step.

He looked very frail, yet his pace was not slow. The youth walked beside him, and a tall, middle-aged man followed behind. The three traversed streets and alleys without stopping, until finally, a vast expanse of broken walls and ruins appeared before them.

The place was devoid of people and sound. Suddenly, a bird flew over, but as if sensing an ominous aura, it hurriedly spread its wings and fled.

The youth gazed at the collapsed halls and charred bricks; the great fire from three years ago seemed to reappear before her eyes.

So many people were screaming, wailing, and rolling on the ground, yet the emperor, standing amidst the flames, did not utter a sound, his gaze fixed in the direction where she had been.

Later, she thought that perhaps one could endure the pain of being consumed by fire only because the pain of a fallen nation was far greater.

"A-Heng—" the old man called the youth's name, "Change your clothes and go home."

The words "go home" pricked the youth's heart like a fine needle, bringing her back to reality in an instant: "Can I... really go back?"

The hesitant tone revealed her to be a young woman.

A trace of a smile appeared on the old man's solemn face: "The time has come. Go home."

The girl no longer hesitated. Carrying her bundle, she went behind a broken wall, and before long, she emerged dressed in women's clothing.

A blue cloth dress, hair tied in double buns—the simplest of appearances.

It was exactly how she had looked when she arrived here ten years ago.

Ten years of time seemed to have frozen upon her.

Also unchanged was the Que Lake in the palace's rear garden. Even though that great fire had consumed everything else, the Que Lake before her eyes remained rippling with light, its water a deep, tranquil green.

The girl took a step forward, then turned back.

"Go," the old man said, raising his hand. Gratitude, reluctance, heaviness, and pain flashed through his eyes—a complex mix of emotions.

The girl bit her lip, knelt down, and pressed her forehead to the ground: "Take care, Sir."

She looked up, her eyes brimming with tears, toward the middle-aged man who had remained silent: "Take care, Uncle Fu."

The middle-aged man’s voice was hoarse, unable to hide his trembling: "You take care too, A-Heng."

The girl turned quickly, struggling to control her trembling body as she leaped into the lake.

The tears she had not shed before the old man and the middle-aged man finally poured forth, merging into the cold lake water.

*This is a fictional setting; official titles, customs, and the like are blended to serve the plot. Hello everyone, we meet again.*

(End of chapter)