Flowers in the Mirror: A Classic Qing Dynasty Chinese Novel

Written by Li Ju-chen during the Qing dynasty Flowers in the Mirror is a classic novel of Chinese literature. It is full of fanciful tales. The term “Flowers in the Mirror” is an idiomatic phrase meaning “illusion.” An example is a moon as seen upon a body of water which appears to be close and near, but it is a mere reflection. The stories are set during the reign of Empress Wu Tse-tien, a female ruler. Wu was actually an Empress of China who ruled from 690 to 705. Her reign was a part of the short-lived Zhou dynasty, which interrupted the Tang dynasty. Some traditional historians portray Wu as a power hungry woman who cared little for those who she hurt nor what she did. A popular theory is that Wu killed her own child in order to become the empress. She was recognized, however, as both capable and attentive even by traditional historians who disliked her behavior. She had an ability to select capable people to serve as officials. She was admired for this trait throughout the Tang and subsequent dynasties. Wu was the only female emperor of China in more than four millennia.