Legend of the Orchid Dream

People of old often said that the pure, harmonious spirit of the land did not gather in men, but in women. Was that perhaps said out of some grievance? I can't help wondering: in these latter, degenerate times, do men not behave just like women? Perhaps it is because the petty have gained ground while the virtuous have faded, and yin and yang have been turned upside down!

The Hermit Yinhai wrote The Strange Tale of the Orchid Dream. Its twists and transformations are extraordinary, its humor comes freely from the pen, and every part of its composition is ingeniously conceived. It turns all the old conventions upside down, making it a pleasure to discuss and a fine way to drive away sleep. The message that moved the ancients to speak out is also embedded within it. Those with discernment will recognize it, and perhaps my needless comments are not required. Since the Hermit Chuchen asked me to write a preface, I have gladly penned a few words to place at the beginning of the book.

New Year's Day, the thirty-first year of the Guangxu Emperor's reign, the year Yisi

Inscribed by the Hermit Yanbo at the Bright Window Study in Shanghai

This novel and its characters are entirely fictional. Any resemblance is purely coincidental. Do not imitate.