The third day of the third month was the Shangsi Festival, traditionally said to be the birthday of Xuanyuan, the Yellow Emperor. It had been established as a festival during the Han dynasty. The "Treatise on Ritual" in the Book of the Later Han stated, "On the first si day of this month, officials and commoners alike cleanse themselves in eastward-flowing waters, washing and purifying themselves to dispel accumulated grime and illness, performing a great cleansing." Over several hundred years, it had gradually developed into a day for waterside banquets, spring outings and flower viewing, meetings between men and women, and even prayers for children and blessings.
At dusk the previous day, a servant from the Zhang household had come to report to Gu Kaizhi that the Zhang Clan's young lady, Zhang Tongyun, and her party of several dozen had reached Meilong Town and would enter Jiankang early the next morning.
Delighted, Gu Kaizhi asked Chen Caozhi to accompany him to welcome Zhang Tongyun the following day. Chen Caozhi, however, urgently ordered Huang Xiaotong to call the Zhang household servant back and asked, "Has the Lu Residence been informed that Little Lady Zhang is coming to the capital?"
The Zhang household servant said, "My master gave me no instructions to inform the Lu Residence."
Gu Kaizhi had already understood Chen Caozhi's intentions. Smiling, he said, "The wife of the younger Minister Lu is Little Lady Tongyun's paternal aunt. How could you not inform her early, so she can come out of the city to welcome her and enjoy a spring outing along the way? Go there now." He ordered a household servant to reward the Zhang servant with five hundred coins. Overjoyed, the servant left in high spirits.
In the hazy darkness, Gu Kaizhi paced with his hands behind his