The Flowing River Never Runs East for Long

Plot: In the territory of Liang Jingchunan, there is a county called Nao. It has suffered floods year after year, yet throughout the dynasties no one has ever thought to tame them. The reason is that the county produces a remarkable lotus root: the spring floods spur its shoots, and the autumn floods nourish its roots. Its color is like jade, its fragrance like balm, its flesh tender as paste, and its freshness like sliced fish. The powerful and wealthy adore it, and it is presented as an annual tribute. As a result, the people have no fields in which to grow grain and must forage for food in the mud. Heaven's fury comes as it will, and mercy is forsaken amid its might. Xie Tingyun arrives here after wandering from place to place. She diverts raging currents, tames the mighty waters, cuts through sheer cliffs, and opens up the boundless wilderness.

From now on, don't wish me smooth sailing through life. Let the currents of the world flow with me.

Romance: On a rainy night, a sudden downpour swells a tributary of the Hun River. Wang Yong's family, traveling by water with a secret imperial edict, are lost when their boat is wrecked. His son, Wang Yu, courtesy name Tuifenglang, is neither found alive nor confirmed dead. Once the commotion dies down, the Xie family of the capital, who had a marriage pact with the Wangs, are thrown into turmoil. The Xies have only one young daughter, whom they cherish like a treasure. They fear that if Wang Yu returns one day, he might be a dragon king, which would be fine, but if he is a drowned ghost, how could they give their precious pearl to him? After trying every possible way, they find another girl and enter her in the family register.

Years later, beneath the wedding candles, Xie Tingyun says, “We were never in love with each other to begin with. Even if we live together until our hair turns white, we could never become one in heart.”

The drowned ghost replies, “Our marriage was arranged by our parents and matchmakers. If we can share a bed in life and a grave in death, why should we mind being an ill-matched couple?”