A Chilly Breeze in the Little Tower, Qin Guan Stands Tall

[Little darlings, please add this to your collection~]

Other people's poems show their talent;

Qin Shaoyou's poems reveal his heart.

The phrase "the highest realm of deep feeling" brings Qin Guan to mind:

"Immortal at the Magpie Bridge: Clouds Fine as a Craft"

Fine clouds display their craft, flying stars convey their sorrow, and the Silver River lies far away, silently crossed in the night. When golden wind meets dewdrops of jade, one encounter surpasses countless others in this world.

Tender feelings flow like water, a promised meeting is like a dream. How can I bear to look back at the road from the Magpie Bridge? If two hearts remain true for a long, long time, why must they be together morning and night?

Qin Guan was handsome and talented, affectionate and loyal. He respected his teacher and loved his wife.

He was perceptive and sensitive, upright and ambitious, and his writing reflected his own convictions.

Qin Guan was one of the Four Great Disciples of Su Shi.

Su Shi praised his learning, saying he had the knowledge of Qu Yuan and Song Yu.

Wang Anshi praised him as resembling Bao Zhao and Xie Lingyun.

Huang Tingjian marveled at him, calling him unmatched among the nation's finest.

Li Shishi admired him: "Beyond the half-drawn curtain and the dim lamplight, the moon we saw then shines upon us both, illuminating our longing."

Explore the bearing of famous Northern Song figures and witness the shifting tides of the court:

Volume One: My True Self, I Must Marry Xu Wenmei

Volume Two: Ten Years Pass in a Flash, Dreams of Yangzhou in Huaihai

Volume Three: Joining Su Shi's Circle, Skilled in Letters and Statecraft

Volume Four: A Gathering of the Worthy, All Gains and Losses Left to Fate

Volume Five: A Poem for Shishi, A Smile Worth More Than a Thousand Gold Pieces

Volume Six: A Life Like Wisps of Cloud, Long Conversations to Ease Resentment

Volume Seven: West Wind Blows Tears, A Long-Held Wish Fulfilled in This Life

Volume Eight: Shaoyou Is Gone, Asleep at the End of the Magpie Bridge

Notes:

1. Recommended reading order: Little darlings, please read The Emperor's Courtier: The Life of Nalan Rongruo and Record of Bashan Night Rain: The Legend of Li Shangyin before reading The Magpie Bridge Road: The Legend of Qin Guan. These three books build on one another.

2. Three talented men, three different lives, three legacies of true feeling.

Nalan: "First Meeting." If only life could always be like that first meeting, why must the autumn wind grieve over the painted fan?

Shangyin: "Longing to Meet." When shall we trim the candle by the western window together and talk of the night rain at Bashan?

Qin Guan: "Meeting Forever." If two hearts remain true for a long, long time, why must they be together morning and night?

3. Qin Guan's wife was Xu Wenmei, his concubine was Bian Chaohua, and he had no connection to Su Xiaomei. His confidante was the famous courtesan Li Shishi.

4. A plot-driven, purely historical costume drama, combining literary biography, Northern Song politics, and a large cast spanning court and jianghu.

5. After reading about Nalan Rongruo and Li Shangyin, Qin Guan is a must-read. The three masters of graceful poetry had talent to match their looks, looks that did justice to their ambition. Their poetry expressed their feelings, and those feelings were rooted in their country and family.

6. Updated daily at noon. Thank you, little darlings! Please add the story to your collection.

Screenshot saved as proof on 2024.09.03

Theme: Focus on Qin Guan, the Northern Song master of graceful poetry, and walk together along the long road to the Magpie Bridge