Flowers in the Rain, Written by Tao Zhenhuai, Edited by Qingyang and Xiaoming

The Sky-Raining Flower is one of the representative works of ancient Chinese storytelling literature. Through the story of the protagonist, Zuo Weiming, and his struggle against the treacherous Zheng Guotai and Wei Zhongxian, it reflects the conflict between the Donglin Party and the eunuch faction in the late Ming dynasty, and recreates major historical events from the dynasty's final years, including the Palace Coup, the Red Pills Case, and the Move to the Palace Case. It exposes certain aspects of reality and portrays the unfortunate lot of women in feudal society with sympathy.

The book recounts the struggle within the imperial court during the reigns of the Wanli and Tianqi emperors of the Ming dynasty. Centered on the righteous official Zuo Weiming and his daughter, Zuo Yizhen, it depicts the bitter, complex conflict between members of the Donglin Party and imperial relative Zheng Guotai, treacherous minister Fang Congzhe, and eunuch Wei Zhongxian. It artistically recreates the contradictions and crises of late Ming society and possesses a degree of historical authenticity. The author was filled with a powerful, tragic sense of national identity, denouncing the rule of treacherous ministers and a country plagued by unrest and endless calamities. The work must have been written by a loyalist of the Ming dynasty. It is grand in structure, full of twists and turns, and written in relatively fluent language, though it apparently was never performed by professional storytellers. Still, it had a considerable influence on theatrical works. The Peking opera Panlong Sword, the Ping opera Yuhе Bridge, the Yue opera The Sky-Raining Flower, the Sichuan opera Three Mistaken Fates, and the Min opera Huang Jingying Forces Shui were all adapted from sections of this storytelling work.

Theme: Political struggle, nostalgia for the Ming dynasty