I am not Ximen Qing.

Strolling under the night sky, I felt confident, for Leifeng Pagoda served as a beacon for West Lake at night; as long as I gazed upon it, I would never lose my way, no matter how I wandered along the lake's shore—a sentiment echoed in the poems about love at West Lake. Thinking of Qiantang, Wang Guowei, at his core, was an embodiment of the great spirit of Qiantang.

It's not surprising at all that Wang Guowei could write such a great book as *Renjian Cihua* (Human Words on Poetry). I wholeheartedly agree, because Zhang Sheng, who didn't understand poetry, was deeply moved by the Tang and Song poems he had recited for decades during his visit to the Su Causeway (and Bai Causeway) and Gushan Island in West Lake. Zhang Sheng couldn't understand why such a miracle had occurred. Was it Su Dongpo, Bai Juyi, or Lin Bu who gave Zhang Sheng such great confidence, believing that Tang Sanzang, Tang poetry, and Song lyrics were not something ordinary people couldn't have a little ambition for? This is the inner and outer manifestation of cultural confidence—fearless. The great poet Bai Juyi, when he was the Sima of Jiangzhou, encountered... A merchant's wife playing the pipa; a poet, when saddened, could easily compose "The Song of the Pipa." But Song Jiang from "Water Margin" was quite something, casually inscribing a rebellious poem on a riverside pavilion. Zhang Sheng could only marvel at the power of culture. Bai Juyi, drinking and merrymaking, could casually compose "The Song of Everlasting Regret," and immediately organize his courtesans and entertainers to perform "The Palace of Eternal Life." This was the truly dashing Bai Juyi! Therefore, the decadent lifestyles of the four great talents of the Ming Dynasty—Wen Zhengming, Tang Bohu, Zhu Zhishan, and Hou Chaozhong—compared to Bai Juyi's, they were mere mortals! Therefore, Ximen Qing in "Jin Ping Mei" can be considered a dashing and amorous young man. At least "Jin Ping Mei" brought the aesthetics of the Tang and Song dynasties into a real literary work. A touch of Lanling laughter, without escapism, is a great surrealist ability of writing. Respecting tradition, preserving tradition, carrying forward tradition, and ensuring the continued inheritance of the literary lineage and the continued inheritance of aesthetic value, it seems to have found a sense of it. Tang Dynasty poets had the means to indulge in nightly revelry with dozens or even hundreds of courtesans, a traditional relationship of romantic culture. It was quite common for people from different places to socialize. For example, Ximen Qing and Ying Bojue would invite the singing girl Han Jinchuan to a secluded pavilion in a garden for banquets and entertainment. This was a very important social activity in the Song Dynasty, and the banquet and drinking culture was extremely popular. The Northern Song Dynasty also had a highly developed nightlife culture; it seems the Northern Song was the most open and free dynasty. There were also several pageboys, painters, and musicians, plus a few actors; all kinds of instruments and singing were performed. The drinking culture of the Tang and Song Dynasties placed very high demands on the participants; composing poems, playing drinking games, and joking were all indispensable and part of the whole game. It's not enough to just have the Prince of Kuaiji. The elegant and refined culture of drinking wine, exemplified by Wang Xizhi's "Preface to the Poems Composed at the Orchid Pavilion," was extremely popular from the Tang, Song, and Ming dynasties. It was a vital and fashionable form of social interaction. In the Tang and Song eras, one could not drink without culture and the ability to compose poetry and prose. This demonstrates the high standards that people of the past held for their personal cultivation. Therefore, it was rare for the Tang, Song, and Ming dynasties to produce heavy drinkers. Don't just look at Bai Juyi's poems and Su Shi's lyrics, which seem so idyllic. In reality, it was like the swallows of the Wang and Xie families entering the homes of ordinary people—it was very common. Most Chinese people mingled with courtesans and entertainers. The poets of the Tang and Song dynasties led such a refined and elegant life. When creating poetry and lyrics, this was not an abstract concept. Just think back to when I read Wang Guowei's "Human Words on Poetry"—it was truly breathtaking. How could a celestial being write such an outstanding book? Consider Wang Guowei's despair at that time. Although Wang Guowei was a martyr of feudal ethics, his spirit stemmed from the untainted spirit of Qu Yuan and Qiantang culture, and the unwavering resolve of Yan Hui despite his humble circumstances. In essence, it was the noble spirit of Confucianism embodied by figures like Wen Tianqiang, Emperor Chongzhen, Yue Fei, and Yu Qian. Its root lay in the noble spirit of Confucius and Mencius, demanding pure integrity, which is undeniable. At that time, Wang Guowei was in despair. His attempt to emulate Qu Yuan by drowning himself in the Miluo River was impossible and unrealistic. Drowning himself in the Qiantang River was even more impossible, and West Lake was out of the question. He was determined to pursue only a pure and clean state of being, and yet he actually threw himself into the Kunlun Mountains. Ming Lake was a choice born of necessity. Wang Guowei, a man of admirable integrity and noble character from Jiangnan, unexpectedly died for the cause of Xuantong. We must now admire the spirit of Wen Tianxiang and Shi Kefa—this kind of backbone, this noble spirit, must be passed down from generation to generation. The spirit of West Lake is precisely this noble spirit. My anticipation for "The Leifeng Pagoda" is quite high, given my study of Lu Xun's "On the Collapse of the Leifeng Pagoda." Curiosity outweighs other factors. Modern culture is more open, and past research on literary history has become more objective. Increased cultural confidence and spontaneous research by the public have also promoted innovation and progress in literary history. Regarding the origins of "Dream of the Red Chamber" and "Jin Ping Mei," regardless of the circumstances, the entire structure of "Dream of the Red Chamber" is a complete copy of "Jin Ping Mei." Because ordinary people can now access the National Library to consult various ancient books and materials for in-depth research—something almost impossible in the past—this is progress. Culture needs to restore the truth of history. How much of what we see of Ming Dynasty culture is the truth? The preservation of cultural lineage is of great significance. The culture of the Ming Dynasty was emasculated and interrupted for over 300 years under the Qing Dynasty. Deliberately cutting off the line makes it almost impossible to find the truth about the Ming Dynasty, mainly because the Qing Dynasty was culturally unremarkable, producing no truly great works. Qing Dynasty culture also suffered a break, which led to the creation of *Dream of the Red Chamber* by the aristocratic circle. Because Emperors Kangxi and Qianlong were quite dramatic rulers, the story of the grandfather and grandson from Jiangnan still has some substance. However, both grandfather and grandson were not open or free towards culture; they were closed off. The great cultural works that emerged in the Tang and Song dynasties were born because the entire culture was open, which allowed poets to create wonderful works. The Qing dynasty was a garden empire, with the construction of the Chengde Mountain Resort, the Yuanmingyuan, the Yichun Garden, the Changchun Garden, and various other gardens. It became an empire of gardens. The descriptions in "Dream of the Red Chamber" are too monotonous, and the descriptions of the Grand View Garden are even a bit excessive. Both the characters and the scenery are unsuccessful. Moreover, the entire Qing dynasty had the magnificent Yuanmingyuan as a reference, which shows the cultural isolation and closed-off nature of the upper class. And how terrible is the blockade? Not only did Tang and Song poetry cease to circulate, but even the most basic necessities of life ceased to exist. Only Emperor Qianlong remained, confined to the Yuanmingyuan, Changchun Garden, the Forbidden City, the Chengde Mountain Resort, and the Three Hills and Five Gardens, spending his days composing poetry and becoming the foremost cultural figure of the Qing Dynasty. *Dream of the Red Chamber* failed to capture the grand scale, at least the grandeur of the empire. The details of life in the Yuanmingyuan during the Qing Dynasty are like lost memories. The Yuanmingyuan, including Changchun Garden, and Qinghua Garden are reduced to ruins. This is simply unacceptable; it's a regret in literary history. It's too much! The magnificent grandeur so close at hand is completely absent. It feels so empty. Why is this? What would happen if Su Dongpo traveled to the Forbidden City, or Bai Juyi traveled to the Yuanmingyuan? Overemphasizing *Dream of the Red Chamber* does nothing to benefit the development of Chinese literature; the excessive accumulation of traces is disappointing.

If literature is like the fallen Leifeng Pagoda, rising from the ashes to be reborn, then literature has hope. But how powerful is the Su Causeway? I was awestruck by the sheer scale of it all. The Leifeng Pagoda on the mountain stands opposite a mountain temple across a road. Because of the long night, the poem's title is somewhat unclear; calling it Nanshan Temple is perhaps a fabrication. The changes in the mountain landscape here are certainly no different from those on Gushan Mountain. Gushan Temple is now only a few broken walls, cliff carvings, and stone scriptures. The existence of the Leifeng Pagoda still bears witness to the massive screen wall in front of the temple, in front of which is a huge pool. Several large characters for "Namo Amitabha Buddha" are inscribed on the screen wall. The layout of this mountain temple and pagoda echoes each other. In the past, there must have been a much larger mountain temple here. I can almost imagine the era when Qian Chu built the Leifeng Pagoda! Does Gushan Temple still exist? Many mountain temples have now disappeared. The Leifeng Pagoda stubbornly awaits the final opening of its underground palace, and a new Leifeng Pagoda has been rebuilt on the ruins, almost on par with Lingguang Temple at Badachu. Building a pagoda not far from the original site is somewhat similar, achieving the same effect through different means. The Lingguang Temple Pagoda enshrines the Buddha's tooth relic. When visiting Badachu, if you're lucky, you can see the Buddha's light. The Buddha's light truly is a science of life; the science of life, artificial intelligence, and the intelligent age—all are possible, aren't they? The pagoda collapsed, and the underground palace was excavated. The salvage excavation of the underground palace revealed the Leifeng Pagoda. Qian Chu's obsession with his love for the princess was too deep. What's impossible? Even a king like Ashoka eventually became a loyal and devoted follower of the Buddha. Think of Lu Zhishen coming to the Qiantang River, hearing the sound of the tide, and remembering his master's final words on Mount Wutai. He stopped listening to the tide and passed away peacefully. In fact, Lu Zhishen was the most insightful in the entire "Water Margin." The Cloth Bag Monk and Ji Gong in Beijing were both famous monks who indulged in wine and meat. To suppress the spirit of Wei Zhongxian, Emperor Qianlong built the Biyun Temple on Wei's tomb in Xiangshan, and the inspiration for it came from Lingyin Temple. Time has witnessed that Leifeng Pagoda is a pagoda of love and romance. The glory and wealth of life are ultimately a dream, an empty existence, but the memory of immortal beauty has been transformed into a pagoda. Unprecedented and unparalleled, this groundbreaking existence suggests that Qian Chu and his immortal beauty are more realistic and progressive than the legend of the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl. What kind of immortal beauty could possibly influence the future? To resolutely build Leifeng Pagoda for beauty, to erect a magnificent symbol of love and eternity on a hill by West Lake—this is Qian Chu's doing. It makes Liu Bang, Xiang Yu, Emperor Wu of Han, Emperor Yang of Sui, Emperor Taizong of Tang, and Emperor Gaozong of Tang at least no less than Empress Wu Zetian. Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, Emperor Chen Houzhu, and Emperor Li Houzhu are all utterly vulnerable and easily defeated before this pagoda of love. Leifeng Pagoda at least puts Qin Shi Huang and Emperor Wu of Han to shame!