A river of spring water flows eastward

Author: Xu Fei Xu Fei
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-08-01
Features: Chinese love story. In the late Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, the Southern Tang Emperor Li Yu first made Zhou Ehuang his empress. After Ehuang's death, he summoned her younger sister Zhou Yiyi to the palace. Yiyi was at the prime of her youth, not only possessing natural beauty but also being intelligent and refined, which won Li Yu's favor, and she was made empress. Liu Zhu, who had entered the palace earlier, schemed to seize the position of empress and was banished to the cold palace by Li Yu. During this time, Li Yu and Zhou Yiyi were inseparable and deeply in love. Unfortunately, the Song Emperor Zhao Kuangyin vowed to reclaim the Southern Tang. After the fall of Southern Tang, Li Yu and Zhou Yiyi, along with other palace attendants and officials, were sent to Bianjing.
Because Li Yu did not surrender promptly, Zhao Kuangyin enfeoffed him as the Rebel Commandery Marquis and forced him to live alone in reflection, while placing Yiyi and others in the Exiang Garden. Yiyi's beauty deeply moved Zhao Kuangyin, but his younger brother Zhao Guangyi strongly advised against taking her into the imperial harem. After Zhao Kuangyin's death, Zhao Guangyi ascended the throne. He had long been coveting Yiyi's beauty and used every means to coerce her. However, Yiyi remained loyal to Li Yu and refused to yield.
Zhao Guangyi first forced her to perform songs and dances all day, then, upon learning that Li Yu had composed lyrics expressing his longing for his former kingdom, he decided to eliminate both of them. On Li Yu's 42nd birthday, Zhao Guangyi invited Yiyi and the others to meet Li Yu under the guise of a birthday celebration. He then ordered someone to bring poisoned "wine-clearing soup," and the two were forced to drink it, resulting in their deaths.