About the third Moon of that year, Wu was appointed Governor of
Yang-chow, and the equipages and boats of his new post came up to meet
him. He packed his belongings, said good-bye to his friends and went
on board, following the course of the river. On the second day he had
to stop, because of a storm of wind which raised up the waters of the
river in great waves.
At the point on the river bank where the boat lay moored, there was
already another official junk, before the cabin of which stood a
middle-aged matron and a charming girl, surrounded by several women
slaves. Ya-nei perceived the youthful beauty, and thought her so
seductive that he immediately composed the following poem:
Her soul has the tenderness of Autumn rivers
And her pure bones are made of jade.
The rose of the hibiscus lightens her,
Her eyebrows have the curve of willow leaves.
Is she not an Immortal from the Jasper Lake
Or from the Moon Palace?
He looked at her so ardently that his troubled soul took flight
and alighted upon the maiden's breast. But his intelligence at once
conceived a plan, and he said to his father:
"Tieh-tieh, why would you not tell the sailors to anchor our junk by
the side of that one? Would it not be safer?"
Wu was also of this opinion and accordingly gave orders to his men.
When the vessel was alongside, he sent to inquire the name of the
voyagers, and was informed that they were a certain Ho Chang, the new
Governor of Kien-K'ang, going to his post with his wife Ho tsin, and
his daughter Elegant, who was just fifteen.
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