Snow locks the border, a promise awaits.
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In the third year of Yong'an reign of the Dajing era, in winter.
A northerly wind whipped up heavy snow, ravaging the land of the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun. The city gate towers of the border fortresses stood majestically, their dark blue bricks covered in ice and snow, yet still unable to stop the great banner of the "Zhenbei Army" atop the towers from fluttering in the wind.
Beneath the city gate, a prison cart slowly passed by, its wheels leaving deep ruts in the snow. Inside, a man in prison clothes stood tall, his refined and elegant bearing undeniable even with chains binding him and snow-covered hair. He was Shen Qingci, the only son of Shen Yanzhi, the former Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel—three months ago, he was sentenced to exile three thousand li (approximately 1500 kilometers) for "treason," his destination being Ningguta, a harsh and desolate place in the far north.
In the crowd, a young girl dressed in plain clothes stood on tiptoe, gazing at the familiar figure in the prison cart. Tears welled in her eyes, but she bit her lip tightly, refusing to cry out. Her name was Su Yunqing, Shen Qingci's fiancée, and a renowned talented woman in Dajing, skilled in painting and calligraphy, having created countless masterpieces.
As the prison van drove past her, Shen Qingci seemed to sense something and slowly turned his head. In that instant when their eyes met, time seemed to stand still. He looked at her cheeks, red from the cold, at the tears she was trying to hold back in her eyes, and his chapped lips moved, ultimately uttering only a silent utterance: "Wait for me."
Su Yunqing nodded vigorously, tears streaming down her face, instantly freezing into ice beads in the cold wind. She knew that this journey would be long and arduous, her fate uncertain, but she would wait. She would wait for him to clear his name, for his safe return, and for him to fulfill his promise of "holding hands and growing old together."
At this moment, Shen Qingci looked into the girl's determined eyes and felt a surge of warmth in his heart. He secretly vowed that no matter how difficult the road ahead, he would return alive, not only to clear his name but also to carve out a path to survival for the Great Jing in this chaotic world, and for the people and families behind him.
With snow-covered robes and hands clasped, they faced mountains and rivers. Their story officially began with this farewell amidst a heavy snowfall.
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