Chapter 1 Prologue
In the twenty-eighth year of the Jingping era, Emperor Jingping died, and a young emperor ascended the throne, changing the era name to Longxing the following year. However, just over a year later, the Northern Qi army approached the capital, and the young emperor fled south, establishing his capital in Linzhou.
In the thirty-fourth year of the Longxing era, Linzhou fell, and Emperor Longxing, along with his empress, concubines, and officials, committed suicide by burning themselves in the palace. With this, the Xia dynasty was completely destroyed, and the land and its people fell into the hands of foreign tribes.
Three years later.
"Let me go, let me go—" In the bustling streets of Linzhou City, a pretty young girl struggled desperately to ask passersby for help.
The man in fancy clothes glanced coldly at the passersby, then knocked the girl unconscious, hoisted her onto his shoulder, and swaggered away.
In the crowd, someone couldn't resist taking a step forward, only to be pulled back by others: "Are you out of your mind? That's a noble person. Even if you killed someone in the street, you wouldn't have to pay with your life, let alone take away a commoner's daughter!"
The principle of "a life for a life" has always been a matter of course, but the world has changed. People from Qi who kill people from Xia can have their punishment reduced.
The street was eerily quiet, with only a lone embroidered shoe lying on the ground, a reminder of the passing of a young girl in the prime of her life.
Suddenly, a sob escaped someone's lips; someone had lost control and started crying. The sound quickly faded. People dispersed in silence, leaving the three who remained standing out.
Among the three, the white-haired old man turned his head and nodded slightly to the young man beside him: "Finally, you've calmed down."
The boy lowered his eyes and remained silent, his hands clenched tightly at his sides.
“Let’s go.” The old man took the first step.
He looked very old, but his steps were not slow. The young man walked beside him, and a tall, middle-aged man followed behind. The three of them walked through the streets and alleys without stopping, until finally they came into view a vast expanse of broken walls and ruins.
There was no one or any sound in the place. Suddenly, a bird flew by, seemingly sensing an ominous atmosphere, and hurriedly spread its wings and flew away.
The boy gazed at the collapsed palace and the charred bricks, as if the great fire of three years ago was replaying before his eyes.
Many people were screaming, wailing, and rolling around in agony, but the emperor standing in the fire remained silent, his gaze fixed on her direction.
Later she thought that people could endure the pain of being burned alive probably because the pain of losing a country was too great.
"Aheng—" the old man called out the boy's name, "Change your clothes and go home."
The word "go home" pierced the young girl's heart like a fine needle, instantly bringing her back to her senses: "Can...can I really go back?"
The woman spoke hesitantly.
A slight smile appeared on the old man's solemn face: "It's time to go home."
Without further hesitation, the girl picked up her bundle, went around to a broken wall, and soon came out dressed in women's clothing.
She wore a simple blue cloth dress and her hair was styled in two buns.
This is how she looked when she first came here ten years ago.
Ten years seemed to have stood still for her.
Similarly, the Magpie Lake in the imperial palace's rear garden remains largely unchanged. Despite the devastating fire that destroyed everything, the lake still shimmers with serene blue waters.
The girl unconsciously took a step closer, then turned around.
"Go." The old man raised his hand, his eyes flashing with a complex mix of emotions: relief, reluctance, heaviness, and pain.
The girl pursed her lips, knelt down, and pressed her forehead to the ground: "Take care, sir."
She looked up, her eyes brimming with tears, at the silent middle-aged man: "Take care, Uncle Fu."
The middle-aged man's voice was hoarse and trembling: "Aheng, please take care of yourself too."
The girl quickly turned around and, with all her might, leaped into the lake while trying to control her trembling body.
The tears that she had never shed in front of the old man and the middle-aged man finally welled up and mingled with the cold lake water.
It's a fictional story, with official positions, customs, and other elements blended together to serve the plot. Hello everyone, we meet again.
(End of this chapter)
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