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— Liu Zongyuan Over the islets disperse clouds of last night, The rising sun makes poolside village bright. A tall tree overlooks the water clear; Raindrops fall, startled by the wind severe. Unoccupied, my mind is just carefree; By chance the tree plays host to welcome me.
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In the still of the night, when a man sits alone in meditation, the first thing that happens is that his inordinate desires disappear, and his true self holds sway.
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Those who preserve their moral integrity suffer only fleeting loneliness. But eternal wretchedness awaits those who toady to the powerful.
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Strange Tales from Liaozhai Studio features numerous tales of scholars and imperial examinations. Though plots vary, they consistently orbit the core theme of “scholars’ fraught destinies under the examination system,” refracting the psychological and existential crises of ancient literati beneath its crushing weight.