A Proper Goodbye: Zei Dao San Chi 要好好说声再见——贼道三痴

1 清 The Cultured Guest 清客 Thieving Daoist, Third Fool贼道三痴Historical681k WordsOngoing Fine calligraphy, but no more than ordinary; second-rate talent, kept under wraps; three jin of liquor, yet never drunk; clothes for all four seasons, but never quite right; five stones at Go, without regret; six performances of Kunqu, never turned down; a crooked seven-character poem, written without delay; eight rounds of the card game ma diao, with nothing left unchecked; a rank of ninth grade, never sought; and a full ten parts of geniality, without a trace of vulgarity Travel five hundred y 9Votes99.7kRecs282.1kFans

Curator note

A good handwriting is not bad, second-rate talent is not revealed, a three-jin liquor capacity does not make one drunk, clothes are not appropriate for all seasons, five-in-a-row Go is not regretted, six performances of Kunqu Opera are not refused, seven-character crooked poems are not delayed, eight-card Mahjong is not checked, a ninth-rank title is not chosen, and a very amiable and unconventional person is — Tracing back five hundred years, experience the long-lost joys of life in "The Guest of the Qing Dynasty," a masterpiece by Thief Dao Sanchi.

2 丹 Cinnabar 丹朱 Thieving Daoist, Third Fool贼道三痴Eastern Fantasy679k WordsCompleted A boy who came drifting in with the river A pagoda tree that travels with him The cutest fox spirit in the history of fantasy A vivid imagination for details that will make you see things in a new light A heartfelt genre-shifting masterpiece from Zei Dao San Chi 0Votes143.4kRecs73.1kFans

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A boy who came with the water A portable dragon claw locust tree The cutest fox spirit in fantasy history A vivid imagination of details that will catch your eye Thief Dao Sanchi's Transformation Masterpiece

3 皇 The Royal Entertainment Guide 皇家娱乐指南 Thieving Daoist, Third Fool贼道三痴Historical1.8M WordsCompleted [A work signed by Qidian’s Fourth Editorial Team] The five great pleasures in life: To see all the world’s beauty, hear its wondrous music, dress in fine and colorful clothes, and enjoy clever, delightful conversation: this is the first pleasure. To feast in a grand hall, listen to music in the rooms behind it, and welcome a house full of guests amid drifting shadows of flowers and flowing robes: this is the second pleasure. To have a tower filled with books, gather more than ten kindred friends 0Votes285.8kRecs370.1kFans

Curator note

[A work signed by the fourth editorial team of Qidian.com] Five great joys in life: Seeing all the world's beauties, hearing all the world's wonderful sounds, wearing the finest clothes, and hearing the most wonderful words—this is the greatest joy. With tripods displayed in front of the hall, music played behind the hall, guests filling the seats, and the shadows of flowers shimmering on their robes, this is the second greatest joy. The house houses ten thousand volumes of books, and more than ten close friends compose poems to compete with each other; this is the third joy. To spend a fortune to buy a boat, with music and a few concubines, to drift on the water, oblivious to the approach of old age—this is the fourth pleasure. More than ten years later, his family fortune was gone, he was in a sorry state, living hand to mouth, begging for alms in brothels, sharing meals with the elderly and orphans, and visiting his fellow villagers without any shame. This was the fifth kind of happiness.

4 上EN A Top-Rank Scholar of Humble Birth 上品寒士 Thieving Daoist, Third Fool贼道三痴Historical1.6M WordsCompleted A seasoned modern-day backpacker transmigrates to the Eastern Jin dynasty, inhabiting the body of Chen Caozhi, a poor young man. His family’s farmland is about to be seized, and his virtuous widowed sister-in-law is being forced to remarry. How can Chen Caozhi overcome prejudice against his low-born status and change his fate, while protecting the interests of himself and his clan? Watch as this young man rises step by step through the rigid hierarchy of the Nine-Rank Official System, befriends 26Votes785.5kRecs822.6kFans

Curator note

A modern-day seasoned traveler travels back in time to the Eastern Jin Dynasty, his soul inhabiting the body of Chen Caozhi, a poor young man. Faced with the difficult situation of his clan's land being seized and his virtuous widowed sister-in-law being forced to remarry, how will Chen Caozhi overcome the prejudice of social class, change his own destiny, and thus protect the interests of himself and his clan? Witness how a poor boy rises step by step through the strict hierarchy of the Nine-Rank System of Officials, befriends Gu Kaizhi, marries Xie Daoyun, fights on the battlefield, achieves great merit in the Northern Expedition, and becomes the first time-traveling novel set in the Eastern Jin Dynasty.

5 雅 Elegant Dissipation 雅骚 Thieving Daoist, Third Fool贼道三痴Historical1.8M WordsCompleted He transmigrates to the forty-first year of the Wanli reign, hoping both to eat, drink, and be merry and to save the country by taking the most direct route. That’s right: this is a story full of zest and contradictions. The late Ming, Jiangnan, and the splendor of a world on the brink; the refinement of "The Roots of Wisdom" and the vulgarity of "The Plum in the Golden Vase"; an old monk in business and a famous courtesan worshipping Buddha. Yuan Hongdao savors tea and arranges flowers to expre 16Votes688.7kRecs361.8kFans

Curator note

Imagine traveling back to the 40th year of the Wanli Emperor's reign, wanting both to indulge in pleasure and to directly save the nation. Yes, it's a story full of intrigue and contradictions. Late Ming Dynasty, Jiangnan, a decadent prosperity; the elegance of *Cai Gen Tan*, the vulgarity of *Jin Ping Mei*; an old monk engaging in commerce, a famous courtesan worshipping Buddha; Yuan Hongdao expressing his spirit through tea and flower arranging, Li Zhuowu brewing wine, meditating, and continuing the burning of books; Dong Qichang, a master of both calligraphy and painting, yet a local tyrant; Zhang Zongzi, a young playboy, dreaming of West Lake in his old age; the refined see elegance, the vulgar see vulgarity. To find truly remarkable figures, look to the present (accompanied by a certain classic gesture).