The Phoenix Nests in the Green Parasol Tree

Xie Qingwu was dead. As heavy snow fell in the afternoon, she swallowed the pills she had hidden for two years, then climbed into her coffin and lay down. Her once exquisite, breathtakingly beautiful face was thin and peaceful, as if she had drifted off to sleep.

First, may Heaven's officials bestow blessings; second, may the underworld bring lasting peace; third, may the living enjoy long lives; fourth, may evil spirits be driven away; fifth, may the descendants prosper for generations.

This was the rhyme passed down through generations by coffin sealers as they nailed coffins shut.

On the day Xie Qingwu died, however, the coffin sealer recited only three lines.

"First, may Heaven's officials bestow blessings; second, may the underworld bring lasting peace; third, may evil spirits be driven away!"

Because she was the last living member of the Xie family of the capital, and because the childless woman had been cast off by the great general!

This novel and its characters are entirely fictional. Any resemblance to actual people or events is purely coincidental. Please do not imitate.