During the reign of Emperor Kangxi in the Qing Dynasty, on a day in the forty-second year of his reign, Dashilan in Beijing was bustling with crowds and full of life.
Amid the hubbub arrived a boy of about ten named Ma Shou. He had a face as fair as jade, fine brows, narrow eyes, and a lively air. Wearing a straw hat and fish-white trousers and jacket, he held a fan in his hand and walked with a jaunty sway, looking every bit like a lad who had just picked up a little book learning.
