“This line draws upon ancient stories about birds and fish delivering letters from distant loved ones.” Omg are there animals the ancient Chinese DON’T think are essentially a postal service? Between this and the fucking geese—

anyone in china circa 1000, seeing any animal: is this a valid way of transporting information for free??

"All spring, neither fish nor bird bring any news,1" you amaze me, Li Qingzhao. truly, nothing?

“a thousand miles of hills weary the dreaming soul.” And once again we’re doing some kind of imagined dream road trip

“trying to repair her broken insides,” so just trying to drink until she feels better

“the great statesman and poet Wang Anshi (a generation older than Li Qingzhao)” oh, useful to know