Did Jiao Zhongqing and Liu Lanzhi have children in "Southeast Flight of the Peacock"?

"Southeast Flight of the Peacock" Appreciation Essence

"Southeast Flight of the Peacock" is one of the longest narrative poems in the folk songs of the Han dynasty. It was first found in Xu Ling's "Jade Terrace New Rhymes" of the Southern Dynasty, titled Ancient Poems for Jiao Zhongqing's Wife. In the Song Dynasty, Guo Maoqian (郭茂倩) included it in his "Miscellaneous Songs and Diatribes" (雜曲歌辞), entitled "Jiao Zhongqing's Wife" (焦仲卿妻). Southeast Flight of the Peacock" was composed during the Jian'an period of Emperor Xian of the Eastern Han Dynasty, and its author is unknown. The poem has more than 340 lines and 1,700 words, and is mainly about Liu Lanzhi, who married into Jiao's family and was disallowed by Jiao's mother to be repatriated to her mother's home, and was forced by her elder brother to remarry. On the wedding night, Lanzhi threw herself into the water and killed herself. From the end of the Han Dynasty to the Southern Dynasties, this poem was widely circulated among the people and was constantly being processed, and eventually became the most outstanding long narrative poem among the folk songs of the Han Dynasty.

Widow Re-marriage in Marriage Customs

After Liu Lanzhi was driven back to her mother's home by her mother-in-law, the magistrate sent someone to propose marriage to her son in only ten days; a few days after the magistrate's matchmaker left, the governor came to propose marriage to her son with the chief magistrate as the matchmaker. Why did Liu Lanzhi, who was condemned to return to her mother's home, have so many marriage proposals? And the status of the suitors is higher, from the performance hand of the article, this is mainly to set off Liu Lanzhi's beauty and talent much virtue, in addition is also determined by the marriage customs at that time. During the Han Dynasty, the society did not care much about women's chastity, and after a woman was widowed or divorced, she could still remarry, and men were not ashamed of marrying such a woman. As we all know, the famous Western Han scholar Sima Xiangru married the widowed Zhuo Wenjun; Cai Wenji married many times; according to historical records, Emperor Jingdi of Han Dynasty also made Wang, who had a history of marriage, as his queen, who was the birth mother of Emperor Wu of Han Dynasty. By the end of the Han Dynasty, marriage was very much emphasized on the concept of men and brothers; county magistrates and governors all courted Liu Lanzhi for their sons, in addition to the reasons mentioned above. Due to all the selfish reasons of people, widows were bullied in all kinds of ways instead of marrying. The Theory of the Submerged Heaven. The book of the broken treatise" says that at the end of the Han Dynasty, those widows who wanted to keep their chastity and purity, if they met unkind and unrighteous uncles, unkind and unrighteous elder brothers and younger brothers, some of these people forced the widows to remarry because of the bride-price, some of these people did it for the sake of money, and some of these people forced the widows to marry again in order to take possession of the widows' sons. In order to resist, some widows hanged themselves in their rooms, while others drank pills and died in the dowry car. Liu Lanzhi was forced to marry by her brother and threw herself into a clear pool to die in resistance, which was a concentrated reflection of the fate of many widows at that time.

The Tanabata Festival

The Tanabata Festival, also known as the Daughter's Festival and the Beggar's Day, roughly began in the Western Han Dynasty. When Liu Lanzhi said goodbye to her sister-in-law, she said, "The seventh day of the seventh lunar month and the ninth day of the ninth lunar month, let's not forget each other's games." The "seventh day of the seventh month" refers to the seventh day of the seventh lunar month, when people hold traditional festivals both during the day and at night. According to Han customs, clothes and books are dried on this day.

The custom of begging for coquettish objects is accompanied by the beautiful legend about the cowherd and the weaving maiden. July 7 is the night of the Cowherd and Weaver's party. On this night, women put up lanterns, carry various kinds of needles, and set up melons and fruits in the courtyard to beg for coquettish gifts. Legend has it that women who can see the white gas of the heavenly river and the colorful colors of the cowherd and the weaving maiden at the time of the festival will be blessed with good fortune. Begging for coincidence is mainly an activity of women, which is why it is also called the Daughter's Day, who hope to make themselves handy with the power of the gods.

Another activity on the night of Tanabata is the Night Vigil, in which people pay homage to the sky and say their wishes, mainly begging for wealth and longevity, and begging for children if they don't have any. The vigil is attended by a number of men, with the aim of begging for blessings for the whole family. The legend of the Cowherd and the Weaving Maiden expresses the yearning of the peasants in feudal China for the way of life of men farming and women weaving in a small peasant economy.

Sitting utensils

The "bed" and "couch" in the poem are sitting utensils. The bed, which was originally a sleeping place, was later used as a sitting place. In order to understand the "bed" and "couch" for sitting, you need to first understand the form of ancient people sitting. Pre-qin, people in daily life in general use kneeling form but directly kneeling on the ground is very uncomfortable, so very early mat to cushion the habit, is the so-called mat to sit on the ground, i.e., to the seat for sitting. Sit with both knees on the mat and put your buttocks on your heels. In this way, the pressure on the heels was too great, and after a long time, they would become sore. It is estimated that, with the passage of time, people felt more comfortable sitting with their hips on a shorter bed or couch than on their heels, so, around the Qin and Han Dynasties, beds and couches began to become sitting furniture. The beds and couches of the Han Dynasty were lower, about a city foot today. Beds, generally larger and heavier, were mostly fixed indoor furniture; couches, smaller and lighter, were mostly temporary furniture for guests, moved out when in use, and collected afterwards. Therefore, in the poem, there is a line "Move my glass couch and put it under the front window". The couch where two people sit together is called a joint couch. During the Three Kingdoms period, Sun Quan summoned Lu Su, and the two of them "drank together on the couch," which is not to be interpreted as the two of them lying on the bed and drinking. During the Northern and Southern Dynasties, the use of the couch as a seating device became extremely common in the north and south. Today, there are still many places to call the small bench "foot bed", may be the evolution of the name of the seat of the results.

Transportation in the oxcart

Poetry in the "his day oxen and horses hissing" sentence, oxcart since ancient times. Because oxen are strong and slow, people often use oxcarts to pull things. And because of the wide carriage, so it is also called the big car. Before the Qin Dynasty, most of the aristocrats rode on horse-drawn carriages, and very few of them rode on oxcarts. This trend still existed in the Qin and Han dynasties. In the early years of the Western Han Dynasty, due to the prolonged war, the economy withered. According to the Book of Han, many civil and military officials in the court took oxcarts, so it can be said that at this time, they took oxcarts out of necessity. Throughout the Western Han Dynasty and the first period of the Eastern Han Dynasty, people have always believed that riding an oxcart is a lowly behavior. However, in the late Eastern Han Dynasty, the culture changed greatly, the aristocrats, bureaucrats and rich families no longer see riding an oxcart as a shameful thing. The Book of Jin records: "Afterwards, I saw a little bit of your (oxcart). Since the (Eastern Han) Ling and Xian, the son of heaven's aspirants and the common people thought that they often rode." The period in which "Southeast Flight of the Peacock" was written (during the Jian'an period) was the time of Emperor Xian of the Eastern Han Dynasty, so the word "oxen and horses" in the phrase "the oxen and horses hissed on those days" cannot be interpreted as a partial compound word, "horses". When the governor gave his son a wedding welcome, the carriage and oxcart were put to use for different purposes because of the people they carried.

The Southeast Flight of the Peacock Translation

The preface says: At the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, during the period of Jianfa (196-219 A.D.), Liu Lanzhi, the wife of Jiao Zhongqing, a minor official in the magistrate's office in Lujiang, was driven back to her mother's house by Jiao's mother, who swore that she would not marry again. When her mother's family forced her to remarry, she threw herself into the water and died. When Jiao Zhongqing heard of this (Liu Lanzhi's death by throwing herself into the water), he also hanged himself from a tree in the courtyard (of his house). The people of that time mourned them and wrote this poem to recount the incident.

The peacock bird flew in a south-easterly direction, and hovered for a while as it flew up to five miles.

"(I) was able to weave fine white juan at the age of thirteen, learned to cut clothes at the age of fourteen, played konghou at the age of fifteen, and was able to recite poetry at the age of sixteen. At seventeen, I became your wife, and I often felt a painful sadness in my heart. Now that you are a minor official of the Imperial Household, you abide by the rules of the government and are dedicated to your duties. I stayed alone in the empty room, and the days we met were really few. I got on the machine to weave silk when the rooster crowed, and I could not rest every night. Three days to weave five silk, mother-in-law still deliberately think I weave slow. It's not that I'm slow, it's just that it's hard to be your daughter-in-law! Since I can't take care of your family, there's no point in keeping me around for nothing. （You can tell my mother-in-law now and send me back to my mother's house before it is too late."

After Jiao Zhongqing heard this, he went to the hall and told his mother, "I no longer have the destiny to be a high-ranking official or to enjoy great wealth, but I am fortunate to have been able to marry this (wise and capable) wife, and after we got married, (the teenage couple) lived lovingly with each other and (agreed) that we would be companions in the ground after our deaths. (We) have been together for less than two or three years, and (life) has only begun, which is not very long, and there is nothing improper in this woman's behavior, so how could I have expected that it would displease my mother?"

Jiao's mother said to Zhiqing, "(How) are you so uneducated! This woman has no sense of propriety, and her every move is entirely at her own discretion. I've been holding my breath for a long time, how can you make up your own mind! There is a wise woman in the neighborhood named Qin Luoshi, (who) looks lovely and has no one to compare with her, and my mother is going to ask for her hand in marriage for you. (You) then quickly repudiate Liu Lanzhi and send her away, never retain (her)!"

Jiao Zhongqing straightened his back and knelt down to report, "My son respectfully sends a report to my mother, now if I repudiate this woman, I will never take another wife in my life!"

Jiao's mother, hearing her son's words, knocked on the bed (with her fist) and lost her temper (scolded): "You have nothing to fear from this boy, how dare you speak for your daughter-in-law! I have no more favors for her, of course I can't agree to your (request)."

Jiao Zhongqing silently dared not make a sound, to the mother to pay two obeisance, back to his own room, opened his mouth to speak to his wife, but drawled and swallowed words can not say sentence: "Originally, I do not want to drive you away, but there is a mother to force. You can only go back to your mother's home for the time being. I now temporarily go back to the governor's office to do business, soon I will definitely come back, come back to welcome you back to my home. For this reason, you will suffer a little, and never go against what I say."

Liu Lanzhi said to Jiao Zhongqing, "Do not add to the trouble! I remember the end of that winter, I resigned from my mother's family and married into your house, serving always obeyed my mother-in-law's will, every move where I dared to make my own decisions? I operated diligently day and night, and I suffered hard work and torture alone, always thinking that I had no faults, serving my mother-in-law all my life. （After all, I was driven away, so how can I talk about coming back to your house again? I have an embroidered waistcoat with beautiful embroidery that shines brightly, a double-layered doily made of red gauze with incense bags hanging from the corners, and sixty or seventy suitcases for my clothes, all of which are tied with turquoise silk ropes. All kinds of things are not the same, all kinds of utensils are in that box curtain. I am a lowly man, and my things are not worth much, and I am not worthy to take them to your future wife, but keep them as a souvenir of my gift (to you), for I shall never see you again. Take these things as a consolation from time to time, and (I hope you) will never forget me."

The chirp crowed, outside the sky will be bright, Liu Lanzhi got up and dressed neatly. Putting on my embroidered clip-on skirt, she changed every piece of clothing and jewelry several times. Feet wearing silk shoes, head wearing (inserted) sparkling jewelry, waist girded with white silk, gloss like water waves flow, ears wearing earrings made of bright moon beads, fingers slender and white like sharpened green onion roots, lips red, like containing red gems, lightly stepped on a fine step, delicate and beautiful, really no second in the world.

Liu Lanzhi went up to the hall to see her mother-in-law, who was constantly angry. (Lanzhi said:) "In the past, when I was a daughter, I was born and grew up in the countryside, so I was not well educated, and I am even more ashamed to be married to your young master. I have received much money and gifts from my mother-in-law, but I cannot bear her call. I will go back to my mother's home today, just remembering my mother-in-law's hard work at home." Turning back to say goodbye to her little aunt again, tears fell like a series of beads. (Liu Lanzhi said to her little aunt:) "When I first came to your house, you were just able to hold the bed and learn how to walk; today I have been driven away, and you have grown as tall as me. I hope you will endeavor to serve your mother with all your heart, and serve her old man well, and in the seventh and nineteenth days of the year, do not forget me when you are at play." (Lanzhi finished) went out and boarded the car and left, tears kept falling.

Jiao Zhongqing's horse walked in front, Liu Lanzhi's car line in the back, the car made a faint sound, together at the intersection, Jiao Zhongqing dismounted and sat in Liu Lanzhi's car, the two men lowered their heads to each other close to the ear to speak in a low voice. (Jiao Zhongqing said): "I swear not to break off relations with you, you temporarily go back to your mother's home, I am now temporarily go to Lujiang Taishoufu (errand), soon will certainly return, I swear to heaven, will never apologize to you."

Liu Lanzhi said to Jiao Zhongqing, "Thank you for your loyal and loving wish! Since you remember me in this way and look forward to your coming to fetch me soon, you must become a rock, and I must become a cattail and a reed. The cattail and the reed are soft and strong as silk, and the rock is not easily shifted. I have a brother of my own, whose temperament and behavior are stormy, and I am afraid he will not listen to my wishes, and the thought of the future is like a torment to my heart." Then he raised his hand in farewell, with more than a little despondency, and the two were equally attached to each other.

Lanzhi walked into the house, came to the inner hall, up and back feel no face. Liu's mother (who saw Lanzhi's return) was greatly surprised, clapping her hands and saying, "I didn't expect you to come back on your own! At the age of thirteen, I taught you to spin and weave; at fourteen, I could cut clothes; at fifteen, I could play konghou; at sixteen, I knew how to be courteous; at seventeen, I sent you to be married, and I always thought that you would not have any faults. What faults do you have now that you have come back on your own without anyone to greet you!" Lanzhi was ashamed and said to her mother, "My daughter really has no fault." The mother was very sad to hear this.

(Lanzhi) had been home for only ten days when the magistrate sent a matchmaker to her door. (The matchmaker) said that the magistrate's family had a third son, who was beautiful and elegant, unrivaled in the world, only eighteen or nineteen years old, very eloquent, and very capable.

Mother Liu said to her daughter, "You may go and say yes to him." With tears in her eyes, her daughter replied, "When Lanzhi only came back, Jiao Zhongqing repeatedly instructed me to make a vow never to part. Today it is against love and justice, and I am afraid that it is not proper to do so in this matter. Then you can rebuff the people who come to matchmaking, and (later) speak about this matter slowly."

Liu's mother told the matchmaker, "(We are) a poor family with this daughter, who was repudiated back to her mother's house soon after she was married. (She) can't be the wife of a government official, so how can she be worthy of the county governor's son? I hope you will make inquiries (and visit another woman), and I cannot just grant you a favor."

A few days after the magistrate's matchmaker left, the governor soon sent the county minister to propose marriage. ...... said that the fifth son of the Taishou family, dainty and handsome, was not yet married, and asked the county minister to be the matchmaker, which was the word conveyed down by the chief minister. The county chancellor said directly to Liu's mother, "Our Taishou's family, with such a good son, since they want to marry your family, so they sent me to your house to make a match."

Liu's mother thanked the matchmaker and said, "My daughter has previously made a vow, how dare I, old woman, speak (to her) about this matter of remarriage?"

Lanzhi's brother, hearing that the governor's proposal had been rejected, was troubled and said to his sister, "Why don't you think it over when you make such a plan? The previous marriage was to a minor official, this time to get married to a noble gentleman, the difference between good and bad luck is like heaven and earth, (good luck) enough to make you life-long honor and wealth, not to marry such a benevolent gentleman, what do you plan to do in the future?"

Lanzhi looked up and replied, "The reasoning is indeed like what my brother said, I resigned from my mother's house to serve my husband, and returned to my brother's house halfway. How to deal with it is entirely at my brother's whim, how dare I just make up my own mind? Although I made a vow with the official, I will never have the chance to meet him. Promise the Tai Shou this marriage at once, and it will be a marriage."

The matchmaker of the Taishou got up from his seat and said in a loud voice, "Yes, yes, let it be so, let it be so." He returned to the county government and reported to the Taishou, "I accepted the mission you gave me and went to Liu's family to make a match, and the prince was very much in love, and the matchmaking was a success." Hearing these words, the Taishou was very happy in his heart, and (immediately) checking the marriage calendar, and looking through the marriage book, he told the county minister, "It will be very auspicious to set the date of marriage within this month, and the year, month, and day of the year's stems and branches are all suitable for each other, and the good day will be on the 30th of the month, and today it is already the 27th of the month, so you should hurry up and go to Liu's family to set a date for the marriage." Everyone in the Taishou's residence passed the word to each other, "Hurry up and organize the wedding!" (People rushing to organize the wedding) came and went like floating clouds in the sky. The ships carrying the wedding goods were painted with green sparrows and white swans, and flags embroidered with dragons hung from the corners, gently fluttering in the wind. The golden car with white jade wheels and the buckskin horse walking slowly had a saddle with colorful tassels hanging around and gold ornaments engraved underneath. The bride-price was three million dollars, all dressed in green silk thread, and there were three hundred pieces of various colors of silk and satin, as well as delicacies of the mountains and the sea procured from Guangzhou in Jiaoshu. There were four or five hundred followers, and they came to the door of the Lujiang county government in great hustle and bustle.

A mother said to her daughter: "Just now I received a letter from the governor to come to meet you tomorrow, why don't you make clothes yet? Don't let the marriage not take place!"

Lanzhi was silent, covered her mouth with a handkerchief and wept, her tears dripping down like water pouring out. Moving the glazed couch on which I was sitting, moved it out and placed it under the front window. I took scissors and a ruler in my left hand, and damask in my right hand (to make a garment with my hands). In the morning, I made an embroidered skirt and in the evening, I made a single robe. When it was almost dark in the gloomy sky, Lanzhi, full of Sydney's thoughts, went out of the door and wept bitterly.

Jiao Zhongqing heard this change, so he took leave to come back temporarily, to Lanzhi's home is still two or three miles away, people sad, the horse also clothes singing. Lanzhi, familiar with the sound of the horse's cry of the government official, lightly trotted quickly to meet him, sadly disillusioned look, knowing that the (beloved) man has come. She raised her hand and stroked the saddle of her horse, and with a long, mournful sigh made her heart break. She said, "Since you left me, the changes in human affairs have been unexpected! I have my own mother, forced me and my own brother, hard to betroth me to someone else, you come back to have what to count on!"

Jiao Zhongqing said to Lanzhi, "Congratulations on your promotion! This rock of mine is square and solid, and can be kept for thousands of years, while the bushy reed is momentarily pliable, and can only be kept for a matter of time between morning and evening. You will grow richer and richer day by day, and I will walk alone to hell!"

Lanzhi said to Jiao Zhongqing, "Where did I expect (that) you would say such things? We are both forced, you are like this and I am like this, (let us) meet each other under the hell! (I hope) not to break today's oath!" (They) clasped each other's hands tightly, then bid farewell and departed, each to his own home. How can we say enough about the indignation of those who are alive and are bidding farewell to those who are about to die? And when they think that (they) are going to depart from this world for ever, they will not be able to preserve (their lives) by any means!

Jiao Zhongqing returned home and went up to his mother in the hall, saying, "Today the wind is strong and very cold, and the cold wind has broken the trees, and the orchids in the yard are covered with frost. My son is now like the sun that is about to set, making my mother very lonely in the future. （It is my intention to make such a bad intention, so don't blame any ghosts or gods! May your life span be as long as the stones of the southern mountains, and may your body be healthy and comfortable forever!"

Hearing these words, Jiao's mother, with tears streaming down her face along with her son's voice, said, "You are the son of a great family, and you are an official in a great officialdom, do not seek death for (a) woman, (you and she) are different, and (you and she) are different, (you and she) are different, (you and she) are different, (you and she) are different, and (you) are different, and (you) are different, and (you) are different, and (you) are different, and (you) are different. There is a virtuous woman in the east neighbor, whose beauty is famous in and out of the city; I will go and propose for you, and sooner or later there will be an answer."

Jiao Zhongqing paid two obeisances to his mother and returned to his room, where he sighed long and loud in his empty room, and his intention to commit suicide was decided. (He) turned his head toward the inner room where Lanzhi had lived, (witnessing) and was increasingly driven by the torment of grief.

(Lanzhi) On the day of her wedding, when the oxen were mooing and the horses were neighing, Liu Lanzhi went into the green cloth tent where the wedding was to take place, and in the silence after the dark dusk, people began to rest. (Lanzhi said to herself): "My life is over today, my soul is leaving, let this body stay on earth for a long time." (So) pulling up her skirt and taking off her silk shoes, she plunged into the pool of clear water.

When Jiao Zhongqing heard that Liu Lanzhi had committed suicide by throwing herself into the water, he knew in his heart that he had parted with Liu Lanzhi forever, and after wandering for a while under the trees in the courtyard, he hanged himself from the branch of a tree facing southeast.

The Jiao and Liu families asked to be buried together, so the two were buried together near Mount Hua. （They planted pines and cypresses on the east and west sides (of the grave), and sycamores on the right and left sides (of the grave), and (of these trees) the branches covered each other, and the leaves were connected with each other. There was a pair of birds in the trees, whose name was Mandarin Ducks, and they called to each other with uplifted heads, and every night they called until the fifth hour. Those who walked stopped to listen; the widow heard them, and rose from her bed, and her heart was troubled. I urge the people of future generations to take this incident as a lesson and never forget it!

Meticulous and complete, seamless - on the artistic structure of Southeast Flight of the Peacock

The long narrative poem Southeast Flight of the Peacock is a treasure in China's poetic heritage. The poem has reached a high level of achievement both ideologically and artistically, and has always been praised by people. This paper only tries to make some analysis on the meticulous and complete structure of the poem and the positive role of artistic structure in the expression of thematic ideas and the shaping of characters.

^^^Two-line structure Alternate development

The whole narrative of the Psalm is organized by the contradiction and conflict between Zhongqing and Lanzhi and their feudal parents and the emotional entanglement between them. These are the two main lines. These two lines develop alternately, making the structure of the Psalm seem very tight.

First, let's talk about the thread of conflict between Jiao, Liu and the feudal parents. In the section before Lanzhi's repatriation, there are two subsections on this line: Zhongqing's plea to her mother and Lanzhi's farewell to Jiao's mother. The passage in which Zhongqing pleads with his mother for leniency portrays the tyranny and selfishness of Jiao's mother, and also shows the weakness of Zhongqing's character. Lanzhi's farewell to Jiao's mother is the first positive conflict between the protagonist of the tragedy and her oppressor. Through Lanzhi's attire, demeanor, and words, the poem expresses her unique and more subtle defiance.

After Lanzhi's repatriation, the conflict between the two opposing sides is characterized by Liu's forced marriage and Zhongqing's resignation from her mother before she commits suicide. The forced marriage of Liu's brother is the second positive conflict between Lanzhi and her oppressors. The poem demonstrates Lanzhi's strength and unyieldingness through the action of "tilting her head to answer", and her clear understanding of her own situation through her confrontational and revealing words, "I thanked my husband and son-in-law, and returned to my brother's door in the middle of the road, and my disposition suited my brother's wishes, so I could not leave myself free to specialize". She knew that she did not have the freedom of choice, and was therefore prepared to die in resistance to the marriage.

After Jiao and Liu have agreed to die together, the poem arranges the episode of Zhongqing's resignation from his mother, focusing on the conflict between Zhongqing and Jiao's mother. The conflict between Zhongqing and Jiao's mother also occurs twice. The first one centers on the question of whether to abandon Lanzhi, and as a result, Zhongqing succumbs to Jiao's tyrannical power; the second one (i.e. the one in which he resigns from his mother) centers on the question of Zhongqing's life and death. In front of the brutal Jiao mother, Zhongqing makes this complaint: "You made a bad plan in the past, don't complain to the ghosts and gods again" (You made a bad plan in the first place, so don't complain to the ghosts and gods), which clearly points out that Jiao mother is the maker of the tragedy, indicating that there is a change in Zhongqing's attitude. The poem inserts Zhongqing's farewell to his mother before the end of the tragedy, showing the universality and cruelty of the poison of feudal rites. Jiao's mother and Liu's brother did not want to cause the tragedy subjectively, but their deep-rooted feudalism and vulgar and corrupt outlook on life finally made them act as the executioners who killed their own relatives.

Another clue in the psalm is the relationship between Lanzhi and Zhongqing. The relationship between the characters is delivered at the beginning of the psalm. Lanzhi can be said to be resentful of her family but in love with Zhongqing. She trustingly tells Zhongqing of the abuse she has suffered, and angrily says that she will return to her family. A sharp family conflict emerges in front of Zhongqing. After this, the psalm arranges three stanzas, i.e., three parting episodes, to show the entanglement of feelings between the two.

The first part is when Zhongqing, having been denied his request, returns to his room and says a painful goodbye to Lanzhi. Zhongqing has fantasies in his heart, while Lanzhi is aware that it is difficult to reunite the broken mirror. She left her clothes behind and said, "I am not enough to welcome my descendants", but she had some grievances; she said, "I will not forget you for a long time", and she had some love for you. The short dialogues have written Lanzhi's agonizing feelings of resentment and love.

The second part of the poem is the parting of Jiao and Liu at the entrance of the main road. The poem expresses the lingering love between the two of them. Through a series of actions and words, such as riding together, whispering, and exchanging vows, the poem shows the rich inner world of the characters. Describing the sincere love between Jiao and Liu has a significant relationship with characterization and theme. Imagine if there was a lack of sincere love between Jiao and Liu, then Lanzhi's refusal to remarry rather than die could have been interpreted as a "chaste" behavior (as stated in the old notes).

The third paragraph is about Lanzhi being forced to marry, and Zhongqing rushing to say goodbye. This paragraph is about the parting of Jiao and Liu, and about Zheng's agreement to share the same fate, which rendered the tragic atmosphere of the whole piece. At this point, Lanzhi uses the opposite language to try and test Zhongqing: "If I am to be married to someone else, what else can you expect?" Zhongqing, however, was resolute and replied indignantly, "I wish to congratulate you on your high position! A rock is so square and thick that it can last a thousand years, and a reed is so tough that it can be used at any time. The rock is square and thick enough for a thousand years, but the reed is tough enough for a while, but it will be a matter of days. This is full of sarcastic and reproachful words, so that Lanzhi's doubts were cleared up, the oath was reaffirmed, they decided to die to accuse the feudal oppression, to die to maintain the fidelity of love.

The psalm pushes the conflict forward through the alternating development of the two clues, enriching the characters and deepening the theme.

^^^Interpolations are skillful, and their simplicity is appropriate

The psalm makes some skillful interludes in its rather neat layout. For example, after Lanzhi's farewell to Jiao's mother, she inserts a farewell to her sister-in-law. When Lanzhi said goodbye to her sister-in-law, her "tears fell like pearls", in contrast to her farewell to her mother. Lanzhi speaks some sincere words to her sister-in-law, which shows the close relationship between her and her sister-in-law. This episode shows Lanzhi's kind and gentle character. Another example is that after Lanzhi was forced to agree to the marriage, there is an interlude about the bustle of the Taishou's family preparing for the marriage. The poem uses the highly exaggerated technique of folk songs to describe the splendor of the boat and the abundance of gifts. Such a description of Lanzhi's noble character of not admiring the rich and noble plays a role in contrasting, and want to suppress the first to raise, the festive atmosphere and the tragic end of the successive, so that the ups and downs of the poem, more swaying and colorful.

The psalm's complexity and simplicity are appropriate, showing the author's ability to cut. For example, it begins with Lanzhi's self-description, "Thirteen can weave veils, fourteen learns to tailor clothes, fifteen plays Konghou, sixteen recites poems and books," followed by a jump, "Seventeen is the wife of the king, and my heart is often bitter and sad." The phrase "often bitter and sad in my heart" powerfully summarizes all the torments I suffered in my daily life, and after that, I only talked about the matter of being late for work, and then omitted everything else. The poem focuses on the incident of repudiation, which fully illustrates the various misfortunes inflicted on Lanzhi by Jiao's mother. Another example is that after Lanzhi's return home, Zhongqing is not mentioned for the time being, so that the poem can concentrate on Lanzhi, which is also an effort of cutting. Another example is the writing of Lanzhi's return to her mother's home, which is only rushed through with her mother's shock and Lanzhi's defense that "my son is not guilty", and then a new contradiction immediately unfolds. The writing is very economical and the transition is very quick.

The poem often spares no effort in describing important episodes. For example, Lanzhi's repudiation and departure from the Jiao family is the key to the character's change of fate, which the psalmist describes in detail. The author writes that Lanzhi said goodbye to Jiao's mother, her sister-in-law, and Zhongqing in different ways, portraying the character from different angles. Another example is that after Lanzhi returned to her mother's house, the Psalmist arranged two forced marriages. This is another big change in the character's fate. The suitors are bigger and bigger, while the conflicts in the family are sharper and sharper. First, the magistrate's family proposed marriage, and her mother expressed her resentment by saying, "You may go and answer it"; then the governor's family proposed marriage, and her elder brother said, "If you don't marry the body of a righteous man, what do you want to do with it?" Such a serious reproach. The psalm describes in detail the process of the forced marriage, such as the activities of the matchmaker, the urging of her mother and brother, and Lanzhi's attitude. These two forced marriages complement each other, profoundly exposing the social roots of this tragedy and providing sufficient grounds for Lanzhi's temporary consent to marriage and her final suicide.

^^^Echoing each other before and after, and mirroring each other

There are many places in the Psalm that echo each other before and after, and play the role of mirroring each other very well. For example, the beginning and the end of the bird as a metaphor, respectively, to write the wandering peacock and never separated mandarin ducks, rendering the atmosphere of tragedy, symbolism? /div>