Gazing at the Mountain

Yan Wanxi was once the most spoiled young master around, skilled in all the pleasures of eating, drinking, and making merry.

His father, the Lord of Huashan, loved him dearly and couldn't bear to punish him, yet understood the consequences of letting him continue this way. Gritting his teeth, he sent Yan Wanxi to the Taishan Prefecture, placing him under the tutelage of its Lord, Jiang Ziqing.

Jiang Ziqing was remarkably patient. No matter how much trouble Yan Wanxi caused, he could keep his temper. Even when he had to punish Yan Wanxi, he would follow it up with a reward and coax him into admitting his mistakes.

Many years later, long since grown, Yan Wanxi thought back to his time in the Taishan Prefecture and couldn't help but marvel at how well Jiang Ziqing wielded both kindness and authority, and how well he understood people.

With a smile in the breeze, Jiang Ziqing captured his heart.

Looking at Jiang Ziqing on the bed, Yan Wanxi asked with a smile,

"My lord, did you ever expect to fall in love with me?"

Jiang Ziqing was always unruffled, but now his face flushed. "You were the one who fell for me first."

Yan Wanxi burst out laughing, then embraced Jiang Ziqing and made love to him.

Yan Wanxi first met Jiang Ziqing at the age of twelve, admired him at sixteen, and fell out with him at twenty-one.

At twenty-eight, though time had changed everything, his heart remained the same.

Seeing Jiang Ziqing on the city wall, he was overcome with grief and forcibly kept him alive.

Yan Wanxi thought, This time, I won't have any regrets.

Theme: One must learn to accept the past with equanimity when standing atop the mountain.