Li Qingzhao's Love Across a Lifetime

This book begins with a magnificent scroll slowly unfurling. Historical figures such as Li Qingzhao, Zhao Mingcheng, Su Shi, and Mi Fu gradually emerge from the painting and step into our story. Also stepping out are the indispensable figures of that era, Emperor Shenzong and his descendants: Zhezong, Huizong, and Qinzong, among others. And, of course, the artist behind the scroll also comes to life: Zhang Zeduan, one of the protagonists of this book. The scroll that unfurls is, naturally, Along the River During the Qingming Festival.

Many works have been written about Li Qingzhao throughout history, but this book has its own distinctive qualities:

First, it intricately entwines the emotions and connections between Li Qingzhao, Zhang Zeduan, and Zhao Mingcheng over the course of decades. It also sets side by side three treasures of Chinese culture: Li Qingzhao's Shuyu Ci, Zhang Zeduan's Along the River During the Qingming Festival, and Zhao Mingcheng's Record of Metal and Stone. Together, they bloom as twin flowers, vying in beauty and radiating brilliance.

Second, it follows the historical figure Li Qingzhao from her youth to the age of seventy. The emotions, poetry, and marriage of nearly sixty years of her life, along with its brightness, freedom, and sorrow of parting, are gathered into a single story.

Third, the Li Qingzhao in this book is vividly multifaceted. She is exceptionally talented, romantic, and passionate; kind and gentle, yet fiercely independent. She despises convention and follows her own unconventional path; she loves wine and extravagant gambling, yet is also elegant and charming. This many-sided nature is the very character and spirit of Li Qingzhao.