t won't be easy to find such a sumptuous breakfast anymore."Ye Li was not one to shirk from anything; she invited Dark Three who had come down after her as well.Han Mingxi looked at the silent Dark Th...The Prime Consort of the Prosperous Era

Eleven

Zhang Gaowen said: ";Feiqing's ci poetry is profound, beautiful, vast, and concise (1)."; I believe that these four words can only apply to Feng Zhengzhong. Liu Xiliang said: ";Feiqing’s excellence surpasses others.(2);", which is somewhat close to the truth.

Notes:

(1) Zhang Huian's Preface to Ci Selections: ";Among Tang ci poets, Wen Tingyun stands out as the best. His words are deep, beautiful, vast, and concise.";

(2) Liu Xiliang’s “Yi Gai” Volume 4 "Ci Qu Gai": ";Wen Feiqing's ci poetry is marvelously exquisite beyond comparison, but it generally falls within the realm of luxurious sorrow.";

Twelve

"Painted screen with golden partridges (1)", this phrase comes from Feiqing. His ci poetry style resembles this description. "The yellow oriole’s song on strings (2)", these words come from Duanyi, and his ci poetry style also resembles it. As for Zhengzhong's ci poetry style, if one were to look for something similar in his verses, perhaps ";With tears I try on the severe makeup (3)"; comes close

Notes:

(1) Wen Tingyun’s [Geng Lou Zi]: ";Willow branches long and slender, spring rain fine. Fragrant flowers surround the distant sound of dripping water from the clepsydra. Startled geese fly away from the frontier, crows rise up from the city walls, while on a painted screen golden partridges remain still. A thin mist of fragrance penetrates through the curtains, bringing sorrow to the Xie family’s pavilion. The candle burns red behind, and the embroidered curtain hangs low; in your dream, you don’t know my longing.";

(2) Wei Zhuang's [Pavane]: ";On the night of parting from the red chamber, it was melancholy; incense lamps burned as brocade curtains were half-drawn. When she left at the time of the waning moon, a beauty parted with tears. The pipa strings spoke like orioles in gold and green feathers. She urged me to return home early; by the green window, people are like flowers."

(3) Feng Yansi's [Pavane]: ";Curls piled on pillows, phoenixes askew on hairpins, dreams of willow fluff in spring water flow. Tears run down candle wax, cold waves rise behind emerald screens. Jade pendants hang far away as the hourglass marks time. Wearing makeup with tears, morning frost flies while plum blossoms fall."

Thirteen

The emperor's words of Southern Tang: ";Lotus fragrance fades, green leaves droop; autumn wind stirs sorrow in tranquil waves."; This evokes a sense of wilting beauty and the wistfulness of missed opportunities. People only admire his line, ";Fine rain awakens dreams far from frontier posts, while cold jade flutes sound on a small tower.;", showing how truly perceptive critics are rare.

Note:

(1) Li Jing's [Washing Stream Sands]: ";Lotus fragrance fades, green leaves droop; autumn wind stirs sorrow in tranquil waves. Returning with the fading spring light, unbearable to see. Fine rain awakens dreams far from frontier posts, while cold jade flutes sound on a small tower. Many tears for endless sorrows, leaning against the railing."

Fourteen

Wen Tefei's lyrics are beautiful in their phrases; Wei Endi’s are elegant in form; Li Zhongguang’s are divine.

Fifteen

The rise of Li Houzhu marked a broadening of perspective and an intensification of sentiment, thus transforming court music lyrics into literati verse. Zhou Jiacun placing him below Wen Tefei and Wei Yianyi is quite mistaken. ";From henceforth sorrow in life flows eastward with the river."; and ";Flowers fall as spring departs; heaven and earth are apart.", could such a grandeur be found in Jin Quan or Huanyuas

Note:

(1) Zhou Ji, "Miscellaneous Essays on Ci Poetry": ";Mao Qiang and Xi Shi are the most beautiful women in the world. They look charmingly elegant when dressed up, equally lovely with simple makeup, and still irresistibly attractive even if disheveled. Wen Tingyun’s poetry is like a woman in full makeup; Li Yuanchun's poetry resembles a woman with minimal makeup; while Later Master [referring to Li Houzhu] appears as one who has just woken up without any care for appearance.";

(2) Li Houzhu, "Meeting Happiness" (Xianjian Huan): ";The flowers in the forest shed their rosy blooms so soon, alas too fast. It's hard to bear morning cold rain and evening chilly wind. The tears of rouge, drunk with sorrow, when will they reunite As if life’s long regrets flow endlessly like the eastward river.";

(3) Li Houzhu, "Washing Sand" (Lang Tao Sha): ";Outside the curtain, trickles the rain in a sad melody, spring's charm is fading. The silk quilt cannot endure the cold of the fifth watch. In dreams I do not know that I am but a guest here, indulging briefly in pleasure. Alone, don't lean on the railing, countless mountains and rivers, easy to part hard to see again. Water flows away flowers wither, spring departs, heaven and earth are transformed.";

Sixteen

A ci poet is someone who never loses his childlike heart. Therefore, being born in the deep palace and raised by women is a shortcoming for Later Master as a king but it's also his strength as a poet.

Seventeen

An objective poet cannot avoid experiencing life deeply. The deeper one experiences life, the richer and more varied are their materials; this can be seen in the authors of "Water Margin" and "Dream of the Red Chamber". A subjective poet does not necessarily need to experience much of life. The shallower their exposure to life is, the purer their emotions remain; Li Houzhu is a prime example.

Eighteen

Nietzsche said: ";All literature I love must be written in blood."; Li Houzhu's ci poems are truly writings penned in blood. The "Swallow Mountain Pavilion" ci poem by Emperor Huizong of Song (1) is somewhat similar, but Emperor Huizong merely laments his personal misfortunes, whereas Later Master seems to bear the sins of humanity with a sense akin to Buddha and Christ, thus their greatness differs.

Note:

(1) Song Huizong's [Yan Shan Ting] (Seeing apricot flowers on the way north): ";With scissors I cut out a piece of ice, folding it several times into layers. Lightly stained with rouge, its beauty and fragrance overflow, putting celestial palace maids to shame. Easily fading, how many ruthless winds and rains have there been In idle courtyards, desolate and bleak, how many springs have passed! Entrust my deep sorrow to these swallows, but do they understand human speech Far away in the distance, with rivers and mountains separating us, who knows where the former imperial palace is now How can I not think of it Except in dreams sometimes I go there. But even those dreams are fading."

Nineteen

Although Feng Zhengzhong's lyrics do not deviate from the style of the Five Dynasties, his scope is particularly broad, setting a trend for Northern Song dynasty literature. His works and those of the two emperors also fall outside the range of Huajian poetry (1).

Note:

(1) Long Muxing's Selections from Tang and Song Masters' Ci: ";The Collection of Rare Flowers mainly includes Western Shu poets, so it does not include works by the two emperors and Feng Zhengzhong. This is due to geographical isolation and age differences rather than stylistic divergence."

Twenty

Besides his famous [Que Tan Zhi] and [Pu Sa Man], Feng's other pieces such as in [Zui Hua Jian]: ";High trees with magpies building nests, slanting moonlight illuminating frosty grass,"; are no less poetic than Wei Zhuang's ";Fireflies crossing high terraces"; or Meng Haoran's ";Sparse raindrops on phoenix-talisman tree leaves.";

Note:

(1) Feng Yanshi's [Zui Hua Jian]: ";Spring has yet to reach my small garden under the snow. By the pool, early plum blossoms bloom. High trees with magpies building nests, slanting moonlight illuminating frosty grass. The landscape is beautiful, as it always was along the Jinling road. Youth passes swiftly into old age. Meet up and do not hesitate to drink deeply from golden cups, for partings are many while joyous reunions few."w easily he could manipulate Northern Jin's heart and power, and his strategic acumen was indeed not empty talk.Duke Huaguo and Leng Huai exchanged looks, both sighing involuntarily. With such great t...