[Note 1] I love reading the section “Yuan Guan” from Taiping Guangji, which tells the story of the Three-Life Stone. Later, Su Shi adapted it, changing “Yuan Guan” to “Yuan Ze Zhuan,” which is about the tale of Li Yuan from the Tang Dynasty and the monk Yuan Ze. The song sung by Mingyue Er in the text is the same as that sung by the cowherd in the Three-Life Stone story, reflecting the emotional ties of the human world.
Recently, while reading Wang Xufeng’s Juesheng Hangzhou, I was reminded of the first meeting between Zhan Zhao and Ding Zhaohui at West Lake, which later led to a lifetime bond with Ding Yuehua. There are also tales of love across lifetimes, where infatuated men and women lament their fates. It is truly said, “Love arises without knowing its origin, yet it runs deep. The living can die, and the dead can be reborn. Those who cannot be together in life or return in death are not the essence of love.”
[Note 2] In Tang Duan Anjie’s Yuefu Zalu, it is noted: “The ‘Yu Lin Ling’ was inspired when Emperor Ming of Tang returned to Luogu and heard the rain drumming on the imperial bells, prompting Zhang Yehu to compose a song by that name.” The music naturally carries a sense of melancholy. The story of “Yu Lin Ling” concludes here. This narrative is told from the perspective of a young girl just stepping into the world. Their chance encounter in the rain sparks a series of events.
The relationship between Huo Linglong and Zhan Zhao develops and dissolves in just two or three days. Although she is clever, she is not mature, often complicating matters for Zhan Zhao. Ultimately, she falls victim to Shao Jizu’s scheme, leading to her deception of Zhan Zhao and the loss of the alliance document he worked so hard to obtain. Everything returns to the starting point.
However, life is inherently imperfect. Often, good intentions can lead to significant troubles. If Zhan Zhao had understood Linglong’s feelings for him, perhaps he would not have entrusted the alliance document to her. Whether he ever anticipated such an ending is uncertain. Nevertheless, although Zhan Zhao lost the document, he gained Huo Linglong’s love (albeit somewhat blind and one-sided), which can be seen as a trade-off. The final chapter uses the tune “Wang Ning Mei” as the title for this section, suggesting that everything is left unsaid.
[Note 3] The true protagonist of this narrative is Huo Linglong. Her emotions are quite complex, and I am unsure if I have expressed them clearly. She is pursued by Shao Jizu and Tang Tianhao, yet her heart belongs to the young Prince Zhao of Nanjing. Although Chang Hongbi first met her while she was dressed as a boy, he sensed her uniqueness early on due to her exceptional talents and harbored a vague affection for her, though he was still quite young.
Huo Linglong’s feelings for Shao and Tang may be a kind of inexplicable fondness (though whether it is love remains uncertain). If it weren’t for her father’s pressure to marry one of them, she might have genuinely fallen for one and not run away from home. Her affection for the young Prince Zhao likely stems not only from their compatibility but also from the absence of her family’s “Linglong Eye” responsibilities, perhaps mixed with a sense of rebellion.
After meeting Zhan Zhao, Huo Linglong ultimately realizes that the one she truly loves is Zhan Zhao. This love is the kind that she felt from the very beginning. (Xiao Yuer believes that while love can be unconscious, it cannot be cultivated from nothing; it either exists or it does not.) Zhan Zhao’s personal feelings are not directly addressed here. I know that writing about emotions often invites criticism, so I will leave that to Feitian.
[Note 4] To fully appreciate this work, readers should be well-acquainted with the character details from the original San Xia Wu Yi. If this causes any inconvenience, I sincerely apologize.