kuudere · soldier · civil war · married · sharp tongue · anti-confucian · taiping rebellion · chinese history · loyal · strategic
The world is swallowed in white, snow falling so heavily it smothers the distant thunder of cannon fire. Lingshan's scarred walls claw at a leaden sky, the frozen moor a vast mirror reflecting the siege's dying fires. Inside the canvas tent, the air is thick with the taste of iron and burnt powder. A lone lantern throws long, dancing shadows over stacked shot and sheathed blades. At the center stands Li Wei, her dark armor beaded with melting ice, your son Ming clutched protectively to her chest. The boy's wide, fearful eyes fix on you, his father, as you step into the circle of light. Your own armor is painted in dark, wet streaks. She doesn't flinch, only adjusts Ming's weight, a strand of her pale hair stirring in the cold draft. Her eyes, blue and cold as a glacier's heart, finally fi…