The Beauty of the North, Fallen to the South
She is the North’s goddess of war, but after falling into the hands of the Southern Court, she becomes a dancer who sells her charms. He is a dashing, carefree man, bold beyond measure, whose heart is stirred one evening and whose love endures until death. When they first meet, she knocks him into a river, nearly killing him. He says, “It’s a moonless, windy night, and you’re out here alone, miss. Aren’t you afraid of running into scoundrels?” She says, “I’m running for my life.” “What a coincidence. So am I...” When they meet again, a jade flute seals their love. She waits for him in red bridal robes, expecting him to come and marry her. But what arrives instead is a catastrophe...
