"Flowers in the Mirror" is a chapter-length novel written by Li Ruzhen, a literati in the Qing Dynasty. The book has a total of one hundred chapters, divided into two parts.
The first half tells the story of the Flower Fairy who quarreled with Chang'e and vowed to throw herself into the lower world if she violated the order of blooming flowers at the right time. Later, Empress Wu Zetian drank wine and admired the snow in the cold winter, and when she was drunk, she ordered the flowers to bloom. At that time, the Baihua Fairy was not in the cave, and the flower gods did not dare to disobey the edict, so they had to bloom. As a result, the Baihua Fairy and the ninety-nine flower gods were condemned by heaven and relegated to the human world. The Baihua Fairy was reborn as Tang Xiaoshan, the daughter of Tang Ao, a scholar from Lingnan. After Tang Ao was blocked in the imperial examination, he traveled overseas with his brother-in-law Lin Zhiyang and the helmsman Duo Jiugong. He visited more than 30 countries such as Junzi Country, Adult Country, Black Teeth Country, and Daughter Country. He saw many strange customs, people and things, and then entered Xiao Penglai to practice Taoism and become an immortal. Tang Xiaoshan, led by Lin Zhiyang, went overseas to search for his father. After going through hardships and dangers, he got his father's letter in Xiao Penglai. He changed his name to Tang Guichen at his father's order and returned to China to take the exam.
The second half writes about Wu Zetian's edict to open a women's department, and hundreds of talented women were admitted. They drank wine, composed poems, discussed theory and art, and played piano and games, each showing his talents. The courtier of the Tang Dynasty missed her father eagerly and went to Penglai again to find her relatives. At the same time, the descendants of Xu Jingye and Luo Bin launched an army to attack Wu Zetian. Wu Zetian was forced to abdicate. Zhongzong restored the throne and respected Zetian as the "Great Sage Emperor". Wu Zetian issued an edict announcing that the women's examination will be resumed next year, and ordered talented women with criminal records to attend the "Red Wen Banquet" again.
Concept: "Flowers in the Mirror" has rich and diverse concepts:
- The awakening of female consciousness: The novel focuses on portraying many talented women, who are not inferior to men in terms of knowledge, skills, moral character, etc., Or even better. For example, in the Black Teeth Kingdom, Honghong and Tingting put Duo Jiugong to shame with their profound knowledge. This kind of depiction breaks the traditional concept of male superiority and female inferiority, affirms women's wisdom and ability, calls for equality between men and women, and speaks out for women to fight for social status and rights.
- Social criticism and satire: The author uses the book to use the country of gentlemen, the country of adults, the country of two faces and other strange countries and customs to satirize and criticize the adverse phenomena of real society and the weaknesses of human nature. In the Gentleman's Country, buyers and sellers give each other benefits, which is in sharp contrast to the selfishness in reality; in the Dual-faced Country, people are double-dealing, which satirizes the hypocritical and pretentious nature of human nature; in the Yi-Republic of China, people like flattery, which satirizes the social atmosphere of vanity.
- Cultural integration and dissemination: The book describes that Tang Ao and others traveled to overseas countries and were exposed to various unique cultures. They not only displayed the charm of Chinese culture, but also absorbed and accepted the cultural essence of other countries. For example, studying phonology in the Kingdom of Discord and exploring poetry culture in the Kingdom of Shushi reflect respect and tolerance for multiculturalism and advocate cultural exchange and integration.
- Discussion on life philosophy: Convey thoughts on life through character experiences. After Tang Ao failed in the imperial examination, he traveled to sea and finally became enlightened and became an immortal. This reflects his disdain for fame and wealth and his pursuit of a higher realm of life. It guides readers to think about the value and meaning of life, and to maintain a positive and optimistic attitude to face the ups and downs of life.