Postscript

It is with those heroes that we have the present era.

I can quietly write a romance story late at night, and you just happen to be able to... read it.

In that tumultuous era, knowing that China was deeply mired in suffering and war, I was unable to ensure that Ye Kaizheng would emerge victorious in every battle

May we all live in a warm era, yet remember the existence of such "heroism"

However, true heroism is not merely about being "invincible." Rather, it is about having the courage to bear the great responsibility of the nation in an era when the landscape is withering.

During the writing process, I tried many methods to get myself into the right state. ... Traveling, alcohol, coffee, reading ... . ... I even bought a sound system—simply because I felt that the playback quality of my existing tablet was not quite "satisfactory" ... . However, ultimately, I know it is because ... ... in these extraordinary times, it is difficult to arrange a perfect life for the characters you love.

The man, however, did not give up and was determined to marry the female student. The great-grandfather wanted the other party to retreat in the face of difficulty, so he required them to sign a guarantee letter, declaring that they would not take a concubine for the rest of their lives in order to receive his consent. The next day, the great-grandfather received the guarantee letter and the betrothal gifts, and he had no choice but to agree to the marriage. In the end, he was indeed convinced that he kept his promise, remaining faithful to only one wife in an era when taking concubines was extremely common

In the end, to the best of my ability, I captured their departure at the warmest moment, allowing for a peaceful farewell to both the commander and Xing Yi

The day the manuscript was completed was a weekend afternoon, and it was rare for the sun to shine during the drizzling spring. I had imagined that the moment of finishing the manuscript would be quite joyful, as this story had been exceptionally difficult to write, to the point where I once thought I would not be able to complete it.

Such heroes are not merely warriors like Ye Kaizheng and Xiao Cheng, who bleed and sacrifice themselves fearlessly on the battlefield. They are scholars like Liao Yihang, who uphold the legacy of academia amidst the chaos of war; they are physicians like Liao Xingyi, who, in a somewhat ignorant society, are determined to popularize medical knowledge and strive to eradicate the old image of the "sick man of East Asia"

Many years have passed since my grandfather's passing, which occurred over ten years ago, yet I can still vividly recall the various details of that event. Then, on a certain day last year, I decided to write it down

In that tumultuous era, knowing that many brilliant figures ultimately did not meet a satisfactory end, I could not force the protagonist to have a fairy-tale conclusion

It took more than a year to complete this story in bits and pieces, yet the roots and sprouts of the tale had begun long, long ago. So long ago that many years back, on a hot summer day, my grandfather recounted the family's past to me

The protagonist of the past is my grandfather's grandaunt. While she was studying at a girls' school, the then city defense commander visited the school and fell in love with her at first sight. Before long, he sent someone to propose marriage. Of course, this story is not one of abduction or coercion. My great-grandfather was a scholar of considerable integrity, and he resolutely rejected the marriage proposal on behalf of his younger sister, citing the disparity in social status as the reason, fearing that his sister would be mistreated if she married into a prominent family.