I am not Ximen Qing.

Waking up from a dream, waking up from a love dream of the Tang Dynasty; waking up from a love dream of the Wu-Yue Kingdom; waking up from a love dream of the Song Dynasty; there is heaven above and Suzhou and Hangzhou below. I used to think that Miss Tang of Fenglin Oasis was too exaggerated, what a pity. I forgot whether Miss Tang was from Suzhou or Hangzhou. Anyway, she was a great beauty.

Xiling, by the Xiling Bridge, Qiantang Su Xiaoxiao, now I understand why Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty was so obsessed with the dream of Jiangnan. At least for him, love and romance within the Forbidden City were not free. The least memorable emperor of the Qing Dynasty was actually Emperor Yongzheng. It's quite interesting that Emperor Jiaqing, upon ascending the throne, first ousted Heshen. Emperor Yongzheng, a devout Buddhist, was indeed buried peacefully in the Western Qing Tombs. However, according to unofficial historical accounts, Yongzheng died without a complete body, so a golden head was placed on his head. Emperor Qianlong was most adept at extending his affections to others, so he simply upgraded his former residence to the Yonghe Temple, turning it into a true Tibetan Buddhist temple! Emperors Kangxi, Yongzheng, and Qianlong are shrouded in mystery! In terms of presence, the stone drum inscriptions of Qianlong's Palace of Tranquil Longevity and Garden immediately become ubiquitous upon entering the Forbidden City. The numerous imperial stone tablets of Emperor Qianlong, both inside and outside Beijing, the Thirteen Classics inscriptions in the Imperial College, and the simple yet practical existence of the Ming Dynasty—the Thirteen Tombs of Tianshou Mountain in Changping, which served as the gatekeepers for the first emperor of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Di's far-sighted and wise feng shui layout, the presence of the Wuyue Kingdom, and Qian Chu's Leifeng Pagoda—all these contributed to the fact that even Emperor Gaozong of Song, Zhao Gou, who established his capital in Hangzhou, held the Leifeng Pagoda in high esteem, reverence, and faith. The Leifeng Pagoda was rebuilt again, demonstrating how high and important Qian Chu, the King of Wuyue, was in Zhao Gou's heart. His ancestors had committed countless evil deeds, yet Zhao Gou treated Qian Chu like a god. The Zhao family felt guilty. Emperor Gaozong of Song was also a well-read emperor; he knew about the sordid things his ancestors had done. Therefore, after Zhao Gou arrived in Hangzhou and established his capital there, he lacked ambition and only wanted to be a peaceful emperor. But Li Yu, the last emperor of the Southern Tang dynasty, was a reincarnation of the Jin dynasty. He was driven by revenge; he refused to give up his desire for Hangzhou, declaring that the Jin dynasty would also destroy Zhao Gou's dream of a Jiangnan (southern China), even leading to the Qing dynasty. Emperor Gaozong of Song was so frightened that he even lost his ability to procreate. Therefore, the creation of *Jin Ping Mei* during the Ming Dynasty was incredibly powerful. It seems the characters in the book are carbon copies of those in the Song Dynasty, and the Ming Dynasty and the Song Dynasty seem to have too many similarities in some aspects, almost like a time travel. Therefore, *Jin Ping Mei* has a certain historical reference value, confirming that what was sometimes dared not be written, but what was written in unofficial histories is often true. *Jin Ping Mei* can be considered an unofficial history. This is not to deny the artistic value of *Dream of the Red Chamber*, but it is indeed art built on the framework of *Jin Ping Mei*. Therefore, the aesthetic value of *Dream of the Red Chamber* is almost negligible. *Jin Ping Mei* possesses true literary aesthetic value, which is very important. Historically, the Song Dynasty had one of the lowest profiles, suffering the strongest karmic retribution. The tombs of the Northern and Southern Song Dynasties were almost entirely looted by the Yuan and Jin Dynasties, as if Li Yu, the last emperor of the Southern Song Dynasty, was reincarnated as the emperor of the Jin Dynasty, generation after generation chasing after the Song Dynasty. While Zhao Kuangyi desperately pursued everything from the Song Dynasty in the south, constantly presenting the Song with the most humiliating "sheep-leading gifts," he didn't seem to enjoy it. Did he sleep with Xiao Zhouhou? Then the entire Jin Dynasty would have slept with the entire Song Dynasty's harem—princess, empress. However, Emperor Huizong of the Northern Song Dynasty is arguably the emperor with the strongest presence in literary history. In *Water Margin*, Emperor Huizong is portrayed as a football-loving emperor, which ironically led Gao Qiu to the pinnacle of his life. The Emperor Huizong in *Jin Ping Mei*, and even the Taihu stones from his capital city of Bianjing (Kaifeng), were almost entirely moved to Zhongdu (Beijing) by the Jin people. So much so that the Taihu stones in the Forbidden City and parks today might be the same ones described in *Dongjing Menghualu*. The Forbidden City also houses many of Emperor Huizong's artistic creations. One wonders if Emperor Huizong still enjoyed art in Wuguo City (the capital of the Jin Dynasty). It's truly an irony of history!

Qian Chu's Leifeng Pagoda still stands tall in West Lake, becoming the most beautiful lighthouse. Every dynasty becomes part of history, but Qin Shi Huang's Terracotta Army and the Great Wall make him great, not historical nihilism. Similarly, the Leifeng Pagoda makes Qian Chu of the Wuyue Kingdom and Lin Bu of Gushan seem alive before our eyes; their souls remain in the beautiful West Lake for thousands of years. The lighthouse can only offer a fleeting glimpse of the lake's beauty. Zhang Sheng has admired many landscape paintings with West Lake as their backdrop in the art museum. Thinking back to his first visit to Wanghai Temple on the East Peak of Mount Wutai, he felt a sense of awe, a fear born of reverence. Wanghai Temple was a place to view the sea of ​​clouds over Mount Wutai, which is part of the Taihang Mountains. He thought about how fortunate modern people are; even Xu Xiake could only rush through Mount Wutai because the natural conditions were too harsh. He truly admired Xu Xiake's enterprising spirit. The motherland's magnificent landscape is evident in his travelogue, where he still prefers the five peaks. The feeling of traveling through time is beautiful and enchanting, but the most memorable is the glazed pagoda built during the Wanli era. The Lion's Den Pagoda! People climbing the peaks enthusiastically circumambulate the pagoda to pray for blessings; the pagoda seems like a ritual implement of the Kalachakra Mandala. The most beautiful experience of climbing Wutai Mountain is the journey from one peak to another, from far to near. The experience transforms Wutai Mountain into a journey to Leifeng Pagoda, Pusa Peak, the Grand Pagoda, and the Small Pagoda. However, it still can't surpass the grand pilgrimages of Emperor Kangxi and Emperor Qianlong, including Kangxi's "Dragon Eye" and the Five Lords Temple, and Qianlong's simple construction of the Five Directions Manjushri Small Pagoda, Dailuo Peak. Zhang Sheng climbed Leifeng Pagoda—indeed. Bai Juyi and Su Dongpo led me to the most enchanting and romantic dreams of love in Tang and Song poetry. Even now, I still feel the tender romance of immortal beauty. I didn't have many desires when I visited Hangzhou's West Lake; dreams of Gushan, Bai Causeway, and Su Causeway were all part of a carefree journey. The biggest gain was that Tang and Song poetry are all picturesque. Dreams are beautiful, because dreams only exist in Jiangnan. That's why I climbed the pagoda to find the dream of West Lake. My first visit to West Lake was like being blinded by a leaf; my second visit was like a dragonfly skimming the water—wasn't that a dream? My third visit was when I was standing atop the towering Leifeng Pagoda. Even if the first time I stayed in the most luxurious hotel with Song Yu, what did it matter? Song Yu only said Zhang Sheng's snoring was like Lu Zhishen's, thunderous and resounding. It was quite boring taking the high-speed train back and forth. My third visit was when Zhang Sheng was already standing inside Leifeng Pagoda. Looking out over the West Lake at night, it's surprising how much clearer the city is from within. Standing atop Leifeng Pagoda, however, offers a more immersive view of the beautiful nightscape, allowing for a much clearer view of the city itself. This world is truly wondrous. It reminds me of Fan Zhongyan's "Yueyang Tower Inscription."