A Song of Sparse Shadows and Hidden Fragrance: Jiang Kui

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This story follows the life of Jiang Kui, the greatest musician of the Southern Song, a brilliant lyric poet, and a free spirit known as the "White-Robed Minister."

1. Jiang Kui, the man

Jiang Kui was a musician of the Southern Song, handsome and refined, with the air of an immortal.

He was broad-minded and unconventional, neither eager for wealth and status nor troubled by gains and losses. With the moon over the Twenty-Four Bridges for company, he sang "Dark Fragrance" and "Sparse Shadows." He dreamed of battles fought with words on paper, and leaned by the Qiantang River to watch the tides ebb and flow. He spoke out against the decline of his age, and his life passed in a flash.

2. Jiang Kui, the heart

Jiang Kui's feelings were pure.

He admired women, but never sought their love in return.

[Three romances] The Liu sisters, Miss Hong Shao, and Xiao Yan'er

[Three partings] The Jin army besieged the city and Liu Xu perished; a clear, graceful melody played once more, but the peony was left without an owner; beneath the cold moon at the window, longing was planted in vain, and the swallow had flown away.

In the end, all that remained was a glimmer in his eyes and a heart full of lingering thoughts:

The years of youth flow away like water; I grieve for the fading blossoms, and wither away.

Only by the flowers can I drink myself into a stupor, as if competing with a lovely face for beauty.

3. Jiang Kui's journey

Alone beside the plum blossoms, the sparse shadows lie silent, as ever.

Among a thousand trees, the dark fragrance lingers, clear through the frost.

Half a lifetime of wandering, his white robes flowing, where will he go?

At the heart of the Twenty-Four Bridges, he sails alone through the waves.

The chill of the western fields carries the clear horn's notes, all the way to Qiantang.

Note:

1. A thorough and complete portrait of the Southern Song master Jiang Kui.

2. Written in accordance with historical facts, with vivid details wherever possible.

3. After enduring countless hardships, he became a master. This story explores the music and poetry of Jiang Kui, and seeks to strike a chord with readers.

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Screenshot saved as proof on October 27, 2024.

Theme: Focusing on Jiang Kui, the Southern Song musician and lyric poet, this story tells of a life in which he remained refined despite hardship and kept his resolve despite failing the examinations.