SPRING RIVER FLOWERS AND MOON - CHAPTER 1

SPRING RIVER FLOWERS AND MOON - CHAPTER 1


Translations by: Lily of the Valley


Chapter 1: Gao Luoshen

By the White Egret Island, the spring was deep in the imperial capital.

Once again, it was that time of year in Jiangnan, where apricot blossoms danced in the pear-scented rain, and bees and butterflies reveled in fragrant blooms.

Gao Luoshen sat silently in the quiet chamber of her Daoist temple, where she had lived alone for the past ten years.

"You should leave. Go as far as you can," she said to the few Daoist nuns who had not yet departed.

Before her words could settle, a guard burst in with hurried footsteps from outside the cell.

"Madam! The Jie people have breached the city gates! There are rumors that the Empress Dowager has been captured on her way south! Rong Kang, leading the Jie soldiers, is approaching, and it doesn't bode well for you! If you don't leave now, it might be too late!"

Everyone knew that the Jie soldiers were known for their brutality, and whenever they conquered a southern city, they would burn, kill, and plunder without mercy. The current Jie Emperor was even more inhumane, said to have cooked Southern women captives with venison, amusing himself as his guests tasted the flavors.

The Daoist nuns were already panicked, and upon hearing this news, their faces turned pale, and they burst into tears. Some of the more timid ones were on the verge of collapsing, trembling uncontrollably.

Gao Luoshen closed her eyes.

A flickering candlelight cast her slender figure, dressed in Daoist robes, against the wall, making her appear even more ethereal.

The Divine Land was sinking. Foreign invaders trampled successively on the once prosperous capitals of the Northern and Southern regions.

In the hopes of regaining their homeland, the people of the South had launched countless Northern expeditions, but the outcomes were either futile or ended in defeat before they could achieve their goals.

When the dream of reclaiming their lost land had completely shattered, all the people of the South could do was to take refuge in the lands east of the Yangtze River, still clinging to the last vestiges of their superiority in the customs and traditions of Huaxia, reminiscing about their past glory.

But today, even that was no longer possible.

The once thought impregnable Yangtze River could not stop the advance of the Jie people from the North.

Rong Kang, once a regional governor in Badong, had sought Gao Luoshen's hand in marriage years ago after losing his wife. He was able to do so because of his military prowess, and the court had high hopes for him. However, how could a noble like Gao Luoshen marry a regional governor like Rong Kang?

Moreover, Gao Luoshen had entered the Daoist sect ten years ago and had sworn to remain celibate for life.

Her cousin, the Empress Dowager, felt indebted to her because of an incident from ten years ago and did not dare to force the matter.

Unable to secure the marriage proposal, Rong Kang felt humiliated and, the following year, rebelled against the court. After being defeated, he fled to the North and sought refuge with the Jie people, earning their favor.

In this Jie invasion, Rong Kang led the vanguard, leading Jie soldiers to the South, showing off his might and committing atrocities.

"I won't leave. You should go," Gao Luoshen said again, slowly opening her eyes.

Her expression remained calm.

"Madam, take care..."

The Daoist nuns knelt and kowtowed to her, then helped each other up and left hastily, crying and trembling.

In the vast Purple Cloud Temple, Gao Luoshen was soon the only one left.

She exited through the back door of the temple and walked alone to the riverside. She stood on a towering rock, gazing at the vast expanse of the river that divided the North and South.

The silver moon hung in the sky, the river breeze rustled her clothes, and they billowed like they were carried by the wind.

On this late spring night, above the river's surface, in the distance where the spring tide met the moon, the scene was as familiar to her as ever.

Countless nights when she had woken from nightmares and couldn't fall back asleep, the only thing that had accompanied her was the sound of the river tide, night after night, year after year.

But tonight, that sound of the river seemed to her like the pounding war drums of the Jie cavalry charging southward.

Gao Luoshen seemed to hear the terrified cries of the nuns who hadn't escaped in time and the maniacal laughter and shouts of the Jie soldiers.

Everything was coming to an end.

The splendor of the Southern dynasty, the glory of her family, and everything related to her were about to come to an end on this night.

The Jie soldiers behind her were getting closer, their voices carried by the wind, now distinctly audible.

Gao Luoshen didn't turn back.

As the river surged and her dress billowed, she, as frail as bamboo, was pushed forward by the currents, swaying in the river breeze.

She raised her gaze, fixed on the approaching river tide, step by step, walking towards the heart of the river.




From as far back as Gao Luoshen could remember, her father often took her to the stone city by the river.

Amidst towering green mountains, there stood imposing city walls. The Stone City was located to the west of the imperial capital, along the Yangtze River, always heavily guarded to protect the capital.

Her father would always hold her small hand and gaze into the distance across the river to the north, his gaze lingering.

The lifelong dream of her father was to reclaim the lost territories through Northern expeditions and restore the glory of the Han dynasty.

It was said that on the eve of her birth, her father had a dream of returning to the Eastern capital, Luoyang. In his dream, he wandered along the banks of the Luo River, singing freely and joyously. Upon awakening, he was left feeling deeply melancholic.

Gao Luoshen had often wondered if her name, "Luoshen" (Goddess of the Luo River), was chosen for her with the intention of remembering the past and yearning for distant lands.

However, her father probably never imagined that her life would end like this, drifting away with the river.

It seemed like destiny, beyond anyone's control.

In the middle of the night, the river tide, like a giant dragon, roared under the moonlight, emitting a haunting cry.

It roared, closing in on her, closer and closer, as if it would swallow her whole.

Yet she felt no fear.

In her lifetime, too many people she loved had departed before her.

In the 15th year of Xingping, when she was sixteen, she first tasted the pain of parting. That year, her cousin Gao Huan, who was like a brother to her and fifteen years old, tragically perished in the battle to suppress the rebellion of the royal family's Prince Linchuan.

Following that, in the 2nd year of Taikang, when she was eighteen, she lost her newlywed husband, Lu Jianzhi.

In the 3rd year of Taikang, while she was still mourning her recent loss, Heaven heartlessly took her father and mother from her. That year, chaos erupted in the region of Sanwu, and rebel forces besieged the city. Her mother was trapped, and her father perished while trying to save her.

And now, today, more than a decade later, just recently, her uncle and cousin who had been supporting the Great Yu's rule and the Gao family's prestige fell in the face of the Jie army's advance south, in the city of Xiangyang.

In Gao Luoshen's mind, countless images flashed by like fleeting shadows.

Finally, another face emerged in her mind.

It was the face of a man, his features marred by bloodstains.

Fresh blood continued to drip from his eye sockets.

Drop by drop, it fell onto her forehead, splattering her delicate, flower-like face.

In that moment, he had thrown himself on top of her. Their faces were so close that they could feel each other's breath.

His eyes, filled with intense anger and profound hatred, resembled those of a wounded and dying beast about to tear her apart and devour her in the next moment.

However, in the end, she had survived, living to this day.

And he had died like this, on top of her.

Throughout the years, Gao Luoshen had wanted to erase that image of the man with bleeding eyes from her memory.

To forget it all, completely.

But for the past decade, on countless sleepless nights when nightmares jolted her awake, as the distant sound of river tides echoed in her ears, she couldn't help but recall that scene again and again.

That fateful wedding night filled with conspiracy and blood.

For many years, even until today, she couldn't understand.

In his final moments before dying, why did he not break her neck? Was it because he couldn't bring himself to do it, or did he spare her?

She had asked herself, over and over, if she could turn back time, would she accept such an arrangement?

She had also pondered what would have happened if the man named Li Mu hadn't died ten years ago and was still alive today. Would the situation in Jiangzuo be the same as it was now?

Could these Northern Jie invaders have broken through Jiankang, capturing the Empress Dowager and Emperor of Great Yu as they did today?

"Bring her back, and there will be a handsome reward—"

The harsh voice, accompanied by the noise of rushing footsteps, came from behind.

The Jie soldiers had already reached the riverbank, shouting loudly, with some of them wading into the water to pursue her.

A wave of river tide surged towards her, and she closed her eyes, leaping towards it.

In an instant, she was engulfed by the river tide, disappearing from sight.

The river tide, no longer angry as a moment ago, produced layers of white foam, completely enveloping her.

She floated within it, gently, as if receiving the gentlest care from her mother's womb.

In her final moments, the last thing she smelled was the faint, distinct scent of the spring river tide.

This scent reminded her of the last breath of the man who had died on her, the scent of blood.

For the last time, her memories transported her back to that late spring in Jiangnan ten years ago.

In that year, she was twenty-five years old, at the age of blossoms, but she had been a widow for seven years.

The Gao family was a top-ranking noble family in Jiangzuo, known for their distinguished lineage.

Gao Luoshen's father, Gao Jie, was renowned for his integrity, scholarship, and military service throughout his life. He held various positions, including General of the Imperial Guard, General-in-Chief, Prime Minister, and eventually Grand Minister of Works. He was granted the title of Duke of the County, and his reputation extended throughout the realm.

Her mother, Xiao Yongjia, was the eldest sister of Emperor Xingping, with the honorific title of Princess Changhe.

Aside from their noble lineage, Gao Luoshen, true to her name, was renowned for her beauty and talent, captivating the city of Jiankang. For seven years, suitors came one after another, almost all of them being outstanding young men from noble families who were deemed suitable matches for the Gao family.

However, Gao Luoshen's heart remained calm as water, living a secluded life.

Until one day, when she was summoned to the imperial palace.

Her peaceful life was about to be disrupted.

Translations by: Lily of the Valley