Angie Bellender
Stories
1
Chapters
11
Words
430.0 K
Comments
0
Reading
1 d, 11 h
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In times of peace, the national destiny flourishes. Heaven and earth are clear; the seasons are regular. The winds and rains are balanced; the miasma is cleansed. Civil officials are incorruptible; military generals are vigorous. Clerks do not embezzle; the people suffer little illness. The wicked are purged; the virtuous are promoted. Scholars cultivate themselves; ministers offer honest counsel. Bribery is blocked; sycophancy is ended. Backdoor dealings are sealed;…-
430.0 K • Ongoing
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Do not say there are no ghosts or gods in this world, For they have existed among us since ancient times. They do not dwell in the mid-air above, But walk beside us throughout our lives. The spirit waxes and wanes with one’s own heart; If the heart is corrupt, the ghost runs wild. If you can trust in your own conscience, What ghost would dare open its mouth? When courage fails and the heart turns ugly, That is when ghosts come to hinder your path. Since the ghost is born of your own mind, You know that…
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430.0 K • Ongoing
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Of the three virtues of an official, integrity is the foremost beauty. Only by strictly observing the "Four Hidden Truths" can one be a gentleman. To pervert the law and accept bribes is to lack honor and shame. Disregarding human suffering, blurring the path of divine reason. Public opinion is overturned, right and wrong are brought to ruin. Despised by mankind, shunned by the scholarly forest. A bandit in official robes, the fragrance of books turned to stench. People’s resentment pierces the heart;…
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430.0 K • Ongoing
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Two kinds of people ruin states and homes: The home by a favored concubine, the state by a eunuch minister. A clever scheme is hatched to part the new from the old, A few subtle words are used to estrange the closest kin. The virtuous are made villainous, the false becomes the true, Loyal flesh and blood are treated as mere dust. To be toyed with until death, without a single regret, Leaving bystanders to laugh until their hearts break. Sister-in-law Gao used a mix of "sweet and bitter" words to…
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430.0 K • Ongoing
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At fourteen I became your wife, with knitted brows I served your parents. Though my family were but reclusive scholars, my husband’s ways were those of a poor student. Our lineages were ancient and matched, our reputations not far apart. I did not complain that my coat was not of silk, nor did I crave pearls for my pendants. Holding the ritual gifts, I approached the ancestral temple; grasping the ladle, I entered the kitchen. Your father and mother were pleased and content; even the chores of laundry…
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430.0 K • Ongoing
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Separated from her son for years, across three thousand miles, Leaning by the gate in longing, the mother gained only a withered face. Now finally reunited, yet he is led astray by another. Her heart hangs in suspense; she helps bring them together so he won't linger afar. Before their daily routines are even settled, urgent feather-dispatches suddenly arrive, Fierce beacon smoke and battle drums echo from the distant horizon. Claiming he holds no official post, what does he care for loyalty or virtue?…
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430.0 K • Ongoing
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Chapter 3: The Old Scholar Appears Twice in a Dream; The Young Master Decides to Visit his Relatives
The Opening Verse Parents worry only when their children fall ill, To guard one's body is to honor their will. Look upon the dry bones within the grave, Even in death, for their kin, they remain a slave. The Omen of the Hawk One of the Chao family servants, Li Chengming, tucked the white fox pelt under his arm and headed out the gate. He was tasked with getting it cured quickly so it could be made into a saddle cushion for the New Year's ride. He hadn't walked more than a few dozen paces when…-
430.0 K • Ongoing
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If you have wealth, do not abandon the wife who shared your chaff and bran, In times of poverty and hardship, you relied upon each other. Why surround yourself with jade hairpins and pearls? Better to be full on home-cooked meals, and brave the cold in coarse cotton. Do not envy the beauty of a glamorous concubine, For guarding against her wiles will exhaust your mind. Given half a chance, she will slip away for secret trysts. How could she ever be content to stay by your side? She only knows how to fly…
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430.0 K • Ongoing
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The Opening Verses Not a single word of learning, yet he wears a scholar's cap, Swaggering through the markets as a "Man of the Mountain." A tongue for gossip like a matchmaker’s mouth, A body that bows and scrapes like a concubine’s frame. Falsely claiming the famous as his acquaintances, Recklessly boasting that noble lords are his kin. With a few medicinal threads presented as a gift, He lightly swindles away a mountain of silver. And another: The arts of the…
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430.0 K • Ongoing
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The Opening Verse Leaves even the greatest doctor's skill quite spent. Rely not on the strength of youth or pride, For spirit fades when darkness starts to stride. To slaughter living things with cruel intent, After seeing off his guests that evening, Chao the Young Master felt as though someone had slapped him hard across the face. A chill ran through his body, his hair stood on end, and he felt thoroughly unwell. He managed to hold on for a while, handing the divided pheasants, rabbits,…
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430.0 K • Ongoing
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