The Crown Prince passed away. His funeral overflowed with riches and splendor.   That year Chang’an was buried beneath exceptionally heavy snowfall.   Boundless flakes blanketed the ruby halls as birds chirped along the stone-paved walkways. The solemn funeral procession spanned long and far on white horses and carriages. People lined both sides caps lowered…

Deep night, wind and snow came hurtling.   A thin line of moonlight spilled through cracks in the clouds, falling on the ochre-yellow carriage at the heart of the Imperial Hunting Grounds.   The Son of Heaven’s imperial carriage had twelve sections, the long blue embroidered banners trailing on the ground, covered entirely in coiling…

Half a month later, on the Wei River.   In the winter, frost covering the ground everywhere, snow falling rustlingly.   A small boat wandering around the river, breezily heading towards Chang’an City.   On the boat, a young man standing at the helm, steering the small boat upstream. The girl beside him hugging a…

The next month, the Grand General reported defeating Huai Xi troops at Song Zhou.   Several more days later the Huai Xi army retreated to Shi Qu. There the Grand General led a cavalry charge to strike them down.   Within a month, the Grand General routed Huai Xi troops at Bai Shui, capturing the…

Jiang Kui turned to look at Xie Wuyan.   He shook his head. “I didn’t know about this.”   Master Du placed the spear and sword on the table, resting them lightly together. As the blade and spearhead made faint contact, both weapons began vibrating imperceptibly, giving off a low thrumming resonance. The sound echoed…

Midsummer noon, the wind and rain suddenly came.   The Crown Prince’s golden carriage returned from the Taiji Palace, stopping in front of the vermilion gates of the Eastern Palace.   In the slanting wind and drizzling rain, the Crown Prince’s adviser Gu Huai held up a silk umbrella, sheltering the disembarking Crown Prince and…

Midnight at the Prince of Wen’s estate.   Bamboo groves flourished within enclosing flower beds totaling tens of thousands. Leaves woven densely together surrounded a secluded pond amid winding corridors and ornamental pavilions. Lush summer lotuses bloomed as the night breeze stirred, sending white petals adrift lazily.   With a splash, red scaled fish leapt…

Here is my attempt at translating the Chinese passage into English:   Midsummer Day, when the plums ripen, after the rain on the pine corridor, the lotus flowers in full bloom.   In the shallow night, a carriage with a green canopy and white horses passes by the lotus pond in the East Palace. It…

Deep into the silent night, the waterclock marked each relentless quarter hour.   Summer’s imminent arrival had warmed the season’s chill. Within the secluded chamber, braziers no longer burned – only a few candlestands remained lit, flames wavering bright and tranquil.   Bathed under restless firelight, Xie Wuyan wore a fur-lined robe as he sat…

In late spring as peach and plum blossoms bloomed across the hills, chaotic red petals carpeted the land.   After a light rain, the mountains emerged refreshed beneath warming skies and lengthening days. The Crown Prince’s procession exited the Eastern Palace, turning towards the Northern Forbidden Hunting Grounds and its royal hunting estate.   Flowers…