In Shangyu County, Kuaiji Commandery, the prosperous Eastern Jin Dynasty, along the banks of the Yushui River, there lived Yingtai in Zhujiazhuang, a talented and stunning young girl. From a young age, she was influenced by her elder brother and became obsessed with poetry and literature. She admired the talents of Ban Zhao and Cai Wenji, but felt regretful due to the lack of a teacher in her family. Therefore, she decided to disguise herself as a man and embark on a journey to study in Kuaiji County.
On the way, she met the gentle and refined scholar Liang Shanbo. The two fell in love at first sight and shared the same aspirations. They made a vow of earth between the Grass Bridge Pavilion and became brothers of different surnames. They went to Chongqi Academy to study together. During their time in the academy, they were classmates and inseparable, weaving a deep friendship over three years. However, Ying Tai’s feelings for Shan Bo flowed like a gentle stream, unspoken.
However, time flies. I wish my father a longing for his daughter and urgently call Yingtai back home. At the moment of parting, the two were inseparable. Along the way, Yingtai borrowed scenery to express emotions and used objects to convey feelings. However, Shanbo was pure and kind-hearted, and failed to comprehend the profound meaning behind it. Yingtai had no choice but to use the excuse of having a younger sister at home who looked similar in appearance to her to invite Shanbo to come and matchmaker in the future. However, due to the huge disparity in family background, Shanbo was unable to attend the appointment in time. When he learned the truth and went to the Zhu family to propose marriage, he found out that Yingtai had been betrothed to Ma Wencai, the son of the magistrate of Yinxian County, and a beautiful marriage had come to an end.
On the balcony, the two of them looked at each other with tears in their eyes and made an unwavering vow of life and death: they could not sleep together in life, but would rather share the same cave in death. Later, Shan Bo became ill due to worries and was appointed as the magistrate of Yin County by the court. Unfortunately, he passed away early and his last wish was to be buried in Jiulong Village. Upon hearing this terrible news, the hearts of the British and Taiwanese were twisted like knives, and they vowed to accompany them with their own lives.
On the day of her wedding, she detoured to the tomb of Shanbo, weeping and mourning deeply, touching the heavens and the earth. For a moment, the wind and rain mixed together, with lightning and thunder, and the tomb cracked open with a loud bang. Yingtai resolutely threw herself into the tomb, and then the tomb closed, the wind and rain stopped, and a rainbow crossed the sky. From then on, Liang Zhu transformed into two butterflies, gracefully dancing in the human world, continuing their unfinished love story.
The poem goes: When I wake up from my dream, my feelings have passed away, my heart is broken and difficult to return, my intentions are still unfulfilled; From then on, I stopped walking on the Qiantang Road, fearing to see mandarin ducks flying together and only adding to my sorrow.
