“For forty years, home and country. Three thousand miles of land and rivers. Phoenix towers and dragon pavilions reaching the skies, jade trees and branches of treasure form a veil of mist. How often did one know of war?”
It was an era of heroes and beauties, where iron horses and golden spears clashed, toppling kingdoms and cities alike. Joys and sorrows, partings and reunions became nothing more than tales of legend.
What surprised people most, however, was that the one who loved most passionately—so much that it almost defied belief—was not the renowned poet Li Yu, but the warlord Zhao Kuangyin.
Throughout his journey, the landscape stretched before him like a painting. Conquering cities and lands was as swift and unstoppable as a rolling tide. Amidst the smoke and flames of war, the only thought on his mind was her. But although his love ran as deep as the sea, it seemed she was always just out of reach.
When they first met, he was but a man of humble origin, yet she had already entrusted him with her heart.
From across the water, she stood at the bow of her boat, watching him leave. He called out from afar:
“I will come to Jinling to find you soon.”
And she simply replied:
“I will wait for you, no matter what.”
Bound by a vow for life, he pursued her across great distances, and she, for his sake, broke off an engagement, casting aside imperial power and wealth as though they were nothing more than passing clouds.
But in the end, they were no match for the forces of family and fate. All the threads of their love were severed before the flickering flames. Tears fell from her eyes like pearls.
“It’s too late. Everything has already... changed.”
If she were to follow him, where would that leave her parents and her clan? If she were to follow him, what of the centuries-old legacy of her family?
From then on, her heart was reduced to ashes, and she followed the arranged marriage.
The phoenix crown and red wedding dress became chains of a thousand burdens.
Though she was now married to the literary and charismatic King Li Yu, in her heart, the shadow of another man lingered at every moment.
In the end, her heart could never truly rest.
And over the course of more than ten years, the hand that had stirred the clouds and commanded the storms came closer and closer with each step.
As the winds of change swept through the land, his empire grew ever larger. But the man she loved stood on the opposite side, as his enemy.
Two nations clashed, swords drawn and tensions high.
Though she knew there was no choice, as the iron hooves of his army thundered toward her, she knew there was nothing she could do to stop it.
“The stars tonight are not the same as yesterday’s. For whom do I stand here in the wind and dew through the midnight hours?” (A reference to her thoughts of love and longing in contrast with the current political strife.)
And yet he said simply:
“Li Yu, if you truly treat her well, I will let everything go in this lifetime.”
All his burdens, all his thoughts over the course of ten years—everything was for her peace and happiness. For her, he was willing, he was able, to stop the war.
But in the end, the river of the Milky Way was shallow, and the gulf between them was unbridgeable.
Their final meeting took place at Waguansi Temple, by the water pavilion. The clear waves mirrored their surroundings, and she came, dressed in her finest robes.
“Even if we meet, we will not recognize one another. Dust covers my face, and frost touches my hair.”
He had grown old.
He had grown old amidst the fires of war, old with a heart seared by yearning, old in their love from afar.
Yet, despite the toll of illness on her appearance, to him, she was still his beloved Ehuang.
It was as if no time had passed—as if she were still that young girl, her hair in braids, her eyes bright with laughter, carefree and bold, letting him take her hand and dance like a butterfly.
“The twelve railings curve, and her hands hang by her sides, as white as jade.”
She playfully tossed a delicate embroidered handkerchief, as if it were a butterfly, its touch cool in his hand.
0 Comments