Written in part from the life of Liu Yong, "A Life of Pleasure by Imperial Decree" follows his turbulent fate after losing the top spot on the examination list and his rebellious spirit of trading empty fame for poetry. Beginning with Emperor Renzong of Song’s remark, “Go write lyrics instead,” the novel reveals the fierce collision between the Northern Song civil service examination system, street culture, imperial constraints, and the integrity of the literati. It shows how a “scholar in plain robes” takes lyrics as his sword and carves out a world of his own amid the clash between high and low culture.
