Last night, red candles burned in the bridal chamber;
At dawn, before the hall, I would bow to my in-laws.
After dressing, I softly asked my husband:
"Are my painted brows fashionable enough in depth?"
—Zhu Qingyu of the Tang Dynasty, "Presented to Zhang, Assistant Director of the Ministry of Water, Before the Examination"
"Ancient literati often liked to express themselves by comparing themselves to women, with an underlying implication of submitting as the female. As it happened, Zhang, the Assistant Director of the Ministry of Water, to whom Zhu Qingyu presented this poem, was Zhang Ji." Having said this, Liu Chang'an glanced at Zhu Juntang.
When teaching, students ought to respond appropriately. Her wide-eyed, utterly baffled expression always made teachers feel as though they could not go on, wondering whether what they were saying was some incomprehensible heavenly tome.
"Mm, my mistake. I shouldn't have expected you to react upon hearing Zhang Ji's name. Zhang Ji also wrote from the perspective of a woman in his very famous 'Song of a Chaste Woman,' which includes another marvelous line: 'I return your bright pearl, tears streaming in pairs; I only regret we did not meet before I was wed.'" Liu Chang'an continued.
"It's good that you know you were wrong. I forgive you." Zhu Juntang spoke generously, raising a hand to pat Liu Chang'an on the head, telling him not to take it to heart.
Liu Chang'an clenched his fists. In virtually every other field, this little sheep had no talent whatsoever, but when it came to provoking him, she was uniquely gifted—unmatched in the world.
"Zhu Qingyu's poem drew upon a story from the Tang Dynasty. The famed performer Sun Sun met the dashing scholar Qin An when they were both unknown. Later, Qin An became entangled in several