Chap 1 Part 8

'Screens displaying phoenixes and rocs are extremely commonplace, but these are as mud made up to look like gold
The colours of the winding mountains are jade-green, and resemble the billowing sleeves of a dancer.
The flowers of the pear tree, when flecked with rain, compete with each other in beauty,
Peonies and caged smoke hasten the arrival of charm
If only we had the use of the arts of love at our disposal
We would take you back with us to provide everlasting pleasure to us.'

When the King finished the poem, the Prime Minister, Shang Rong, hurriedly bowed to him and said, ‘Nuwa is a Goddess of Old, and the benevolent owner of our City, Chaoge. Your humble servant beseeches you to light some incense, to pray for luck and wisdom to rule the people well, to pray for good weather, and to pray that there will be no rebellions and no calamites befalling your reign. Your Majesty has written this poem which purports to show Your Majesty’s might and power, but which is truthfully rude and blasphemous; Your Majesty will surely offend the Gods, and this is not behaviour that a King, the Son of Heaven, should pursue! I beg of Your Majesty to please cleanse the walls with water, so that the people may not see this poem, and speak ill of Your Majesty's conduct!’

But the King said, ‘we saw the face of Nuwa, and its beauty is not of this world, and so we only wrote this poem in praise of this, and nothing else. Say no more! We are leaving this poem as it is; let the people see it, so that they may also see the beauty of Nuwa, of which our poem will be testament to!’

With that, he returned to his Palace, and the Literati and the Martial Officers, having all dared not to say another word, shook their heads silently, and followed him back. A poem says:

‘The cortege of phoenixes and dragons came from the royal capital to light incense and pay homage to the Woman of Women.
The best interests of the people were at heart, but how could people possibly imagine that the recital of a poem would leave tens of thousands quaking in their boots?
This is how the Vixen became Queen, and how jackals and scavengers clung to this Court
The Heavens did retaliate, and every hero felt injustice because of this!’

The King, he whom his people called ‘the Son of Heaven’, returned to his Palace, and was greeted by adoring crowds on his arrival. As the new day dawned, the Queen and the Concubines of the three Palaces – Queen Jiang from the Central Palace, Concubine Huang from the Western Palace, and Concubine Yang from the Palace of Fragrance – were summoned to him; the morning ended and they left, and what happened next will not be spoken of here.

Now, in the meantime, the Goddess Nuwa had just been to a birthday party held in her honour by three of the Gods - her brother, Fuxi; the Fiery Emperor, who was also known as the Farmer of Farmers; and the Yellow Emperor, and was now on her way back to her Temple. On arrival, she dismounted from her ride, a green-feathered roc, and being attended to by the Jade Girl and Golden Pageboy, went to sit on her throne. She raised her head, saw the poem on the chalk walls, and gave a furious cry.