[Preface]
Where, one wonders, does Peach Blossom Spring lie? Through winding, rugged paths, it leads into a world of mirror flowers.
This book is merely the product of a whim that came to the author one day, a little work written for comfort. At first, I meant only to write of romance and tender words, but as I thought it over, I found myself adding tales of sorrow and laughter. And so I ask:
You say this world turned upside down, its laughter and anger no more than mirror flowers and moonlight on water, a dream of Nanke? If it brings sorrow, was it all just a foolish waste?
Who knows that the great dream of human life lasts but a hundred years? In the end, all that remains is a handful of bones in the sand, and grand halls brought to ruin. If this is what is real, where can it be found? Yet in the empty, illusory world you speak of, between infatuated men and resentful women, true feelings still exist. If this is all false, how could it be faked?
And so I say: the real holds the unreal, and the unreal holds the real. Real and unreal, unreal and real: how can they be told apart? Better to sigh, cover your face, and come along with me. Do not grieve, and you will find your own understanding.
Note:
1. The heroine is petty and roguish, with a chance of turning dark. She will stop at nothing to achieve her goals, and is not a typical heroine.
2. The Jin dynasty in this story is fictional, not the historical Jin dynasty.
3. A polyamorous ending? One-on-one? The author has no outline, so the ending is undecided.
The author is also very comfortable in exploring his own style of writing, which is similar to the Dream of Red Mansions. But the author always doesn't finish it, which is a bit overwhelming. Otherwise, he wouldn't write a long story. He would start an article specifically to write short stories. Each story should have at least five or six chapters and at most ten chapters. It is quite popular recently. Such articles are very popular.