
In a moonlit escape, a noblewoman and her two sons slip through secret alleys, trading their carriage for a clandestine walk toward the remote Water‑Cloud Hermitage. Their departure sets off a chain of frantic maneuvers: a grieving wife urges caution while a ruthless court official marshals troops to seize the entire household, demanding the family’s complete surrender or death.
Meanwhile, the emperor wrestles with reports of a disgraced general’s possible betrayal, dispatching trusted commanders to hunt down his sons and to confiscate the family’s wealth. As the palace’s edicts ripple through the provinces, loyal retainers and cunning conspirators alike scramble to protect their own, while the fleeing family seeks refuge in an austere monastery. The episode brims with tension between duty and survival, painting a vivid portrait of loyalty, intrigue, and the desperate choices forced upon those caught in the currents of a volatile empire.
Language
zh
Duration
~28 minutes (27K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Weny Lo
Release date
2003-10-01
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

Best known as the traditional author of Romance of the Three Kingdoms, this classic Chinese writer helped shape one of the most influential stories in East Asian literature. Much about his life remains uncertain, which only adds to the legend around his work.
View all books