Famous flowers bring joy to both nations,
The king looks with a smile.
Explain the infinite hatred of spring breeze,
The Chenxiang Pavilion is located north of Langgan.

As the moonlight of late spring soaked through Chang’an City, the crabapples by the Chenxiang Pavilion were rustling their last flower petals. The Taiye Pool is filled with stars, and the reflection of a golden silk curtain floats in the sparkling waves, like a half scroll of cloud brocade left behind in the Heavenly Palace.

The skirt of the Imperial Concubine swept through the White Marble steps, and the twelve pieces of light silk blossoms into the shape of peony in the night wind. Tiantong Star is hanging on the west side of Ziwei Yuan, casting a warm halo on the tassels of her nine phoenix hairpin in her hair. The trembling and hanging pearls are dyed with moonlight, swaying with shattered waves of the Milky Way at her temples. Xuanzong’s hand holding the jade flute paused in mid air, watching the crimson clouds drift from the depths of the flower path, and suddenly felt that the peonies in the garden had lost their color.

When the Ni Chang Yu Yi Qu starts, Tian Tong Xing happens to reach the zenith. Cold and clear springs flowed from the strings of the musicians’ chopsticks, and the phantom of golden spears and iron horses danced in the sound of the drums. The Noble Consort spun her body like a butterfly, with silk draped over her arms as she passed by the candlelight. She even turned the entire hall into a flickering firefly, dancing around her. Xuanzong’s wine cup stopped at his lips, reflecting his affectionate eyes in the amber light. Suddenly, he felt that the star paths of a thousand years ago were intersecting at this moment – the Heavenly Lord Fuze, who should have seen this stunning color.

The night dew gradually thickened, and the palace maids quietly added agarwood from the Boshan furnace. The Noble Consort leaned against the Seven Treasures Bed, holding a half opened peony between her fingers, with the shadows of flowers and figures overlapping on the glass screen. Xuanzong held onto the jade ruyi and gently lifted a strand of green silk from her. Suddenly, he remembered the prophecy of the astrologer the day before: “When the heavens shift together, good fortune will arise.” At this moment, good fortune is in his arms, with the warmth intertwined with peonies and dragon saliva, making people willing to drown in this gentle village.

The sound of drums penetrated through the layers of palace gates, and Tiantong Star began to shift westward. The Noble Consort stood up and performed a dance, her jade belt outlining a thrilling curve around her waist, as if she wanted to tie the last strand of beauty on this spring night onto her skirt. Xuanzong looked at her and suddenly understood why peonies were called national colors – it turned out that the stars in the sky would also transform into such a stunning appearance when they fell into the mortal world.

When the first crowing of a rooster broke through the night sky, Tiantong Star had already hidden deep into the Taiwei Wall. The crabapples in the Chenxiang Pavilion have all fallen, and the stars in the Taiye Pool have sunk to the bottom of the water. Only the unfinished melody of the Ni Chang still gently vibrates in the folds of history, like the peony that never withers on the side of the noble concubine’s temples.

Wen/Xingchen Mountain People