Drunk on the Empire's Beauty

Blurb: Her beauty shines like rouge and jade, the phoenix dances in the west wind, and her fair face fades in the water chestnut mirror. Her peerless beauty vanishes in an instant, while the herbs and the lord's heart are bound by a knot of resentment. Summer fireflies glow, the appointed day arrives, and a song of pear blossoms breaks the heart. Hatred cannot be dispelled, love cannot be borne, and neither heart can turn away. When the wild geese return, she wears splendid red finery, planning to cast away their happiness. Longing turns to ash, the heart is scarred, and at last she hopes the clouds will part and the moon shine bright. Autumn ends, and her soul falls from the Cliff of Severed Love.

Love: you never know where it begins, but once it does, it runs deep...

Love comes and goes without a trace, yet it can sink into your bones and leave you pining.

Water and fire can never coexist, even unto death.

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