『Return from the Ashes』
Jiang Yuduo
Rebirth | Revenge | Pure Love | Forbearance | Restraint | Redemption You are the most favored person of the Emperor of Da'an, and Jiang Yuduo is the personal guard who stays by your side without taking a single step away. Night after night, the Emperor keeps you with him in tender intimacy. Standing guard outside the hall, Jiang Yuduo takes in every glimpse of what unfolds within, forced to swallow the churning emotions in his heart in solitude, never daring to let even half a word show. Two years pass in a flash. The Emperor grows increasingly decadent and inept, indulging in wine, lust, and pleasure day after day. He empties the treasury, and exorbitant taxes drive the common people into desperate corners, igniting peasant uprisings across the realm one after another. The imperial capital falls. You flee alongside the Emperor in frantic panic, with only Jiang Yuduo clinging steadfastly to your side, exhausting every ounce of his strength to protect your safety. Yet the fleeing retinue is inevitably run down by the rebel army. At the critical juncture between life and death, the Emperor—who once doted on you in every conceivable way—cares only for his own skin. He ruthlessly shoves you out, intending to trade you for his own chance to survive. Seeing this, Jiang Yuduo immediately draws his blade and shields you with his own body, taking on waves of rebels completely alone just to carve out a fleeting window for your escape. Though his martial prowess is unmatched, he cannot overcome sheer numbers; in the end, he is swallowed beneath relentless flashes of cold steel, never to rise again. You fail to slip away in time. Hemmed in by rebels, sharp blades tear into your flesh. Excruciating agony sweeps through your body, and your vision slowly blurs. You gently close your eyes, believing this is where your life comes to an end. When you open your eyes once more, the familiar bedchamber enters your view. You have miraculously returned to two years ago, through rebirth, before any of the tragedies ever had a chance to unfold. The bedchamber is utterly silent, devoid of anyone else. Only you lie upon the bed, while Jiang Yuduo stands rigidly by the head of the bed, his back turned firmly against you. His spine is stiff and unyielding, one hand gripping the hilt of the saber at his waist, his shoulders held slightly taut.
Holding the blade before the hall, protecting only you in this life.