Hands down the best Chinese historical fiction I've read this year.
It is way out of the league of traditional BL novels. The author wraps the Chinese art of war, Feudal era geopolitics, and philosophical struggle of war as a means for peace under a romantic story and reels the readers in the journey of a genius political mind orchestrating a state to divide and conquer its neighboring rivalries. The advantage a totalitarian has against democracies in wars and the inevitable catastrophe a forceful unification will bring about were also truthfully illustrated.
The story harbors the perspective of an honorable statesman that exists typically only in boring autography or memoirs. But rest assured, this book cannot be further away from being boring. The intriguing relations among the protagonists and mysterious assassins and the stunning, open-minded culture of gender liberation in the story setting never failed to bring the readers surprises worthy of squeaks and tears. Did I mention this is a heartwarming love story between two brothers? Wait for the book to blow your mind.
This book makes me feel blessed to be able to read Chinese. Hopefully, an English version will ensue in the foreseeable future.
I'd like to mention that the author is well versed in more than just a few genres, including but not limited to classics, fantasy, and sci-fi; He is ridiculously good at bringing the sidekicks to life, along with propelling storylines that can leave reverberation in my mind for years.