A Song of Spring and Autumn at Shangyang Palace

I had only just clasped ten thousand miles of land firmly in my hands

When I licked the ink and wrote a love letter for another life

Before the ink could dry, the words had already blurred

The inkstone had gone cold; the fine paper was blameless

A single sheet of paper couldn't hold even a fraction of the pain

Your tears and my kisses, their origins impossible to tell

I only hope the gate of life will learn to forgive

That wager in my heart is the road beneath my toes

That outstretched finger is the oar in my palm

That loss between my teeth is the pursuit in my thoughts

That trembling lip is the plea within my soul

Those stubborn eyes are a map to distant lands

That faintly furrowed brow is the final stake

I think of clouds and trees, heedless of egrets soaring through the clear sky

I remain with the thought of you, still knowing only how to sway

Who could have known Heaven would favor us so deeply?

Even if mountains collapse and rivers sink, we must still find our way home

I had only just clasped ten thousand miles of land firmly in my hands

But everything between you and me was already sealed away

Flowers blooming on the forbidden path, a pot of fine wine

Whether or not the palace still holds the hope of spring and autumn

Written on a night in early spring, March 2020

Theme: When things reach their extreme, they reverse. This is called the cycle of change. The Zhang Dynasty had ruled the Central Plains for sixty years, blessed with prosperity and unmatched fortune. But twenty years after reaching its zenith, the emperor neglected his duties, factions filled the court, corruption spread everywhere, and extravagance took hold. Gradually, the dynasty began its decline. Then war broke out. In this chaotic era, every facet of human nature was laid bare. And for the heir to a dynasty's future, his life was inevitably transformed in dramatic ways along with these changes...