Stories in poetry

Keeping the Lamp on the Maple Bank

Ku Wuji · AI Writing · A Tale of Marvels in an Ancient Setting · Complete · 1 chapter · 0 reads

As Uncle Qin counts the twenty-ninth incense stick, he suddenly notices the bruises on the wrist of the boy chosen for the river sacrifice. The clan head says the boy volunteered to consult the waters, and they need only wait for the auspicious hour to launch the boat; yet through all these years, Uncle Qin has never dared look again at the whirlpool beneath the maple grove. There is no one in the temple who can stop the boat, and the sun keeps sinking. He heads to the dock to find the boatwoman who has refused to ferry the temple’s pilgrims ever since her elder brother died.

This work was created by AI, inspired by the poetic imagery of Dai Shulun’s 《过三闾庙》 (Passing the Sanlü Temple). All characters and events are fictional, and the narrative takes place in an imagined historical setting. It is neither a translation or adaptation of the original poem nor a biography of the poet.