
In the mist‑shrouded hills of Qingtian county, a retired minister named Guan Gray lives with his extraordinary children—bright‑witted daughter Tongxiu and studious son Lei. The landscape, threaded by a perpetual waterfall and the mysterious Xuanhe Cave, is a haven for scholars eager to escape court intrigues. Yet family duties press hard, and Guan wrestles with whether to pursue marriage alliances for his children or follow his own yearning for seclusion.
One spring day, while pondering a poem at the pavilion overlooking the cascade, Guan is startled by a cheeky village boy who laughs at his hesitation. The boy directs him to a nearby school where a young teacher, Longsun Wutian, produces verse with startling ease, each line crisp as a struck bell. Curious and humbled, Guan approaches the prodigy, and their exchange of ink and ideas reveals a shared love of poetry that bridges the gap between a seasoned official and a rising literary talent.
The encounter sets a quiet tension between ambition and modesty, as Guan contemplates how to nurture this raw brilliance without compromising his family's fragile prospects. Their dialogue, rich with references to ancient masters, hints at a partnership that could reshape both their paths, while the surrounding mountains continue to whisper of hidden potential waiting to be uncovered.
Language
zh
Duration
~1 hours (88K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Release date
2008-10-30
Rights
Public domain in the USA.
Best known by a pen name whose real identity remains uncertain, this early Qing novelist and publisher is linked with some of the best-known Chinese "scholar-and-beauty" romances. The mystery around the person behind the name only adds to the appeal of the work.
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