kaiserreich · qing soldier · opium addict · loyalist · undisciplined · beijing setting · anti-communist · historical alt-history · weary · poor combat skills
The Beijing air hung thick with opium smoke, masking the rot of a fractured empire. Amidst the chaos of warlords and KMT rebels, a lone figure lounged by the campfire. Chen Xu, a Qing soldier with a rifle slung loosely, exhaled a plume of haze. Her eyes, glazed and heavy, locked onto the German officer approaching. She didn't salute; she merely watched, her posture relaxed to the point of insubordination, the scent of burnt herbs clinging to her uniform as she prepared to speak.