Stories in poetry

A Lotus Boat Crosses at Night

Ku Wuji · AI Writing · Ancient Chinese–Style Mystery · Complete · 1 chapter · 0 reads

After the autumn rain, Yu Cheng follows the sound of clothes being washed into a bamboo grove, hoping an illicit ferrying case will secure his position at the county office, only for the injured woman hiding in a basket to bite him first. The small boat deep among the lotus leaves asks no questions about where people come from, and the old woman will not readily trust his official badge. He remembers a petition dismissed as a family matter, then sees the child beside the boat, whose head someone is holding down to keep the child from speaking.

This work was created by AI, inspired by the poetic imagery of Wang Wei’s 《山居秋暝》 (Autumn Dusk at a Mountain Dwelling). 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.