In the Tang Dynasty, more than 1200 years ago, there was an emperor named Xuanzong, also known as Tang Minghuang. One day, after dealing with national affairs, Emperor Tang Minghuang felt very tired and fell asleep drowsily. Suddenly, he felt himself in a peaceful and unfamiliar place, surrounded by clouds and mist. In the distant clouds and mist, a palace could be faintly seen. He wanted to appreciate this wonderful sight carefully, so he walked forward and carefully observed the plaque above the palace door. He was surprised to find that it read “Guanghan Palace”.
Guanghan Palace? Huh! Isn’t this the Moon Palace? I actually came to the Moon Palace! Emperor Tang Minghuang was very surprised and immediately rushed into the palace. Not long after, the crisp and pleasant flute sound drifted out of the palace, with tones ranging from low to high, sometimes clear and loud, and sometimes twisting and turning. Then, various instruments played in unison, complementing the sound of the flute, which was very pleasant to listen to. Tang Minghuang usually likes to play the flute the most, and he couldn’t help but quicken his pace in his heart, wanting to see who was playing it. At this moment, a sudden call came, pulling him back from his dream to reality. Your Majesty, please go back to the palace and rest! “He snapped out of his daze and realized that he was sitting in the Golden Luang Hall, interrupted by a palace maid. Who asked you to disturb me at this time? “Tang Minghuang shouted angrily. The palace maid was so scared that she was at a loss and quickly knelt down, begging for mercy. Never mind! You can go out now! “Tang Minghuang waved his hand, looking very impatient. Tang Minghuang wanted to continue his wonderful dream just now, but he couldn’t fall asleep no matter what, so he had to go back to his bedroom to rest.
The next day, Emperor Tang Minghuang’s face showed signs of distress and he said to Gao Lishi, “Go investigate who can let me enter the Moon Palace again. I must find out who is playing the flute! By the way, please immediately invite the musician to come over. I want to record that piece of music.” So, based on his memory, Emperor Tang Minghuang instructed the musician to create the very famous “Ni Shang Yu Yi Qu”.
In the blink of an eye, it was autumn again, and Emperor Ming of Tang was unable to visit the Moon Palace as he had hoped. On the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival of that year, August 15, he was talking with a Taoist priest Luo who was introduced by the prefect. Tang Minghuang couldn’t help but regretfully say, “Alas! It seems that I can no longer visit the Moon Palace.” “This matter is very simple!” said the Taoist. Upon hearing this, Emperor Tang Minghuang immediately stood up and urgently asked, “Can you help me go to the Moon Palace? Of course, Your Majesty. Please wait a moment, I will go prepare immediately. The Taoist stood up and walked towards a cinnamon tree, picked a few branches, and connected them with colored threads. With a ‘whoosh!’, smoke filled the air, revealing a sedan chair. So Tang Minghuang sat in a sedan chair, and the Ruyi in his hand turned into a big white deer, dragging the sedan chair and flying into the sky with Tang Minghuang. At this moment, Emperor Tang Minghuang lifted the curtain of the sedan chair and saw that the bright moon was shining even brighter; Looking down at the palace, it seemed even smaller, gradually disappearing into the clouds and mist. Your Majesty, we have arrived at the Moon Palace, “Tang Minghuang stepped out of the sedan chair and saw a series of pavilions and towers stretching deep into the clouds. I saw that the palace walls outside the Moon Palace were as smooth as white jade, with dragon and phoenix patterns carved on them. The steps were also paved with white jade, and around them were blooming strange flowers and grasses, which was truly awe inspiring. Continuing inside, the ground was covered in moss and vines intertwined to form fences, leaving only a narrow path. How could there be any knocking sound there? “Tang Minghuang asked curiously. The Taoist accompanied him towards the Moon Cave Gate, where he saw a man chopping down a tree. Strangely enough, when the tree is about to be cut down, it always makes a “pu!” sound and then returns to its original state. The man was sweating profusely and chopping desperately, looking very helpless.
Who exactly is he? Your Majesty, he is Wu Gang! He once studied Taoism with immortals, but due to his mistakes, he was demoted to the Moon Palace to cut down cassia trees. So… why keep chopping? To exercise his patience, he has to constantly cut down trees every day! They continued walking forward and arrived at a forest. In the forest, there is a stone bridge spanning a clear stream. In the pavilion on the bridge, a snow-white rabbit is grinding medicinal herbs. Look! A rabbit is grinding medicinal herbs! Your Majesty, this is not an ordinary rabbit, but a jade rabbit that follows the instructions of the immortal and refines elixirs here. Tang Minghuang wanted to go forward and ask Jade Rabbit if he had the elixir of immortality, but in panic, Jade Rabbit picked up the pestle and mortar, turned around, and disappeared. Tang Minghuang looked in the direction where the Jade Rabbit had disappeared, felt regretful, sighed, and then continued to follow the Taoist forward. They then entered a courtyard filled with bananas, where there was a stone house. Upon closer inspection, this stone house has no doors, only curtains made of wisteria hanging down from the roof.
Tang Minghuang approached and exclaimed, quickly retreating. Your Majesty, what’s wrong with you? “” Look… look… there’s something inside… “Tang Minghuang was so scared that he stuttered and couldn’t speak. The Taoist looked inside and found a huge toad with unsightly bumps all over its body. And this toad only has three legs, with a big mouth open, as if it wants to swallow people. This is a toad, it often likes to bite the moon, which is why the moon appears to have alternating circles. Today is August 15th, and the moon is particularly full, precisely because it is trapped here. They curiously observed the toad in the stone house for a while, and then continued walking forward. The further I walked, the higher I felt, and finally I arrived at the front of the palace. This palace seems to be built of glass, with the highest hall in the center and a plaque hanging on the lintel that reads’ Guanghan Palace ‘. There seems to be a festive event in the palace, with many people busy entering and leaving, creating a lively atmosphere. At this moment, a beautiful flute sound broke the tranquility. Tang Minghuang listened quietly and thought to himself, “Isn’t this the ‘Ni Chang Yu Yi Qu’
Then, a group of girls walked into the hall singing and dancing lightly. Tang Minghuang unconsciously immersed himself in it, humming softly to the flute. As he was immersed in the music, he suddenly remembered something and turned to the Taoist, saying: The legendary Chang’e lives in the “Guanghan Palace”. I wonder if she is beautiful or not? Besides, I also want to go and see who is playing the flute… Before he could finish speaking, all the lights in the palace suddenly went out. Ah! What happened? “Tang Minghuang urgently asked. Your Majesty, what you said has made Chang’e unhappy. Let’s leave here quickly! “The Taoist quickly recalled the Great White Deer and dragged the sedan chair back to the palace.
It’s dawn, but what I saw and heard in the Moon Palace just now left a deep impression on Emperor Tang Minghuang, which is unforgettable. Therefore, he often asked musicians to play the “Ni Chang Yu Yi Qu” for him from then on, in order to recall the scene in the Moon Palace.
