In the golden age of the Tang Dynasty, the celestial and terrestrial realms were closely entwined, and none were more magnificent than the underwater kingdoms of the Dragon Kings. The Dragon King of Lake Dongting was a ruler of great benevolence and immense power, presiding over the vast, shimmering waters of Hunan. He had a daughter of peerless beauty and grace, known throughout the aquatic courts for her wisdom and kind heart. To strengthen the bonds between the great waterways, she was betrothed to the younger son of the Dragon King of the Jing River. It was intended to be a union of two great houses, a marriage that would harmonize the spirits of the rivers and the lakes.
However, the promise of a happy union soon withered. The Prince of the Jing River was a cruel and dissipated youth, far more interested in his own pleasures and the company of sycophants than in the responsibilities of a divine ruler or the well-being of his bride. Upon her arrival at the Jing River, the Princess found herself in a court filled with coldness and malice. Her husband, encouraged by his neglectful parents, began to treat her with disdain. When she spoke of duty or virtue, he responded with mockery. Eventually, the abuse turned into physical exile. Stripped of her silken robes and her jade ornaments, the Princess was banished from the palace. To further humiliate her, the Jing River King forced her to herd 'sheep'—which were actually spirits of rain and wind in the guise of animals—along the desolate, wind-swept banks of the river. To survive the prying eyes of her husband's guards and the cruelty of the local spirits, she often used her remaining magic to transform into a humble carp, hiding in the murky shallows to avoid detection, appearing only as a bedraggled, weeping woman when the guards forced her back to the fields.
During this time of great sorrow, a scholar named Liu Yi was traveling through the region. He was a man of integrity but heavy of heart, for he had just failed the imperial examinations in the capital and was returning home to the south. As he walked along the banks of the Jing River, he noticed a woman who seemed entirely out of place in such a wild landscape. She was dressed in rags, her hair was disheveled, and she was weeping so bitterly that the very grass seemed to wilt in sympathy. Despite his own troubles, Liu Yi was moved by her distress. He approached her and asked why a lady of her obvious refinement was reduced to herding sheep in such a lonely place. The Princess, sensing the sincerity in his voice, revealed her true identity and the harrowing details of her marriage. She spoke of the Prince's cruelty, the Jing River King's complicity, and her longing for her home in Lake Dongting.
She begged Liu Yi to carry a letter to her father. She knew that as a mortal, he could not simply swim to the bottom of the lake, so she gave him specific instructions. He was to travel to the southern shore of Lake Dongting and find a massive, ancient orange tree that the locals called the 'Spirit Tree.' He was to strike the tree three times with a belt she gave him, and a guardian would appear to lead him to the underwater palace. Liu Yi, touched by her plight and outraged by the injustice she suffered, forgot his own failures and swore that he would deliver the message even if it cost him his life. He took the letter, hidden carefully within his robes, and set off on the long journey to Hunan.
After many days of arduous travel, Liu Yi reached the shores of Lake Dongting. He found the orange tree exactly where the Princess had described. When he struck the trunk with the jade-studded belt, the waters of the lake parted, and a warrior-spirit emerged from the depths. Recognizing the token of the Princess, the guardian led Liu Yi down into a world of wonders. They passed through gates of pure pearl and corridors walled with transparent crystal, through which schools of colorful fish swam like living jewels. Finally, they reached the Great Hall of the Dragon King. The King of Dongting received Liu Yi with great ceremony, but when he read the letter from his daughter, he broke into loud lamentations. The entire court began to weep, moved by the suffering of their beloved princess.