The Dragon Princess: Exotic and Forbidden Love Stories: Eastern Fantasy and Romance Series, #1

By Clara A. Chang

In his first detective fiction, "The Murders in the Rue Morgue" (1841), Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849) invented the genre of "locked-room mystery." Since then, locked-room mysteries have become an essential type of novel. Other prominent authors of the genre include Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930), Agatha Christie (1890-1976), and John Dickson Carr (1906-1977).    

But the fact is that Poe was not the first to write the genre in the world. Over 1,000 years ago, a Chinese fiction titled "Supplement to Jiang's Biography of The White Ape" (978) depicted such an enigma. The story was not about an orangutan, but a giant white ape, an element like the one in Poe's fiction. But the story development and other details were completely different, with more complicated twists and suspense.

The first story in this book, "The Valley Monster," is newly developed based on "Supplement to Jiang's Biography of The White Ape." The current story goes beyond the boundary of detective fiction, making it a breathtaking tale of romance, fantasy, thriller, and martial arts.

Dragons in Western cultures have wings with the capability of breathing fire. But dragons in Eastern cultures are wingless and kings of water. They oversee rain, rivers, oceans, and flood. They have complicated relationships with humans.

In the second story of this book, "The Dragon Princess," such complications puzzled a young man. What should he do? Did he have a choice?

The third story, "The Lady in White," is about a love forbidden in human society. The responses of the young man and woman would even surprise today's readers.

The fourth story, "The Southern Province Governor," is also based on a pioneering fiction in its genre. But its depth of thought may surpass those written hundreds of years later.

Many of today's young people may find echoes in the fifth story, "Million Coin Beauty." Tiger parents are not something new today. They have an exceptionally long history.

Inspired by the tales from the Tang Dynasty (618-907), this book's five new stories drew the picture of life and love in the far east from different angles. Mysterious fantasies, layered thrillers, triangular romances, and psychological developments are all woven into the thought-provoking events during ancient times.

Sunrise, sunset. Winter goes, and spring comes. Green lands may become deserts. The world can change entirely in decades, not to mention hundreds of years. The only things that have never changed are human nature and love.       

• Language: English
• Publisher: Clara A. Chang
• Release date: Jan 28, 2023
• ISBN: 9798215399361

Book preview

Preface

In his first detective fiction, The Murders in the Rue Morgue (1841), Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849) invented the genre of locked-room mystery. Since then, locked-room mysteries have become an essential type of novel. Other prominent authors of the genre include Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930), Agatha Christie (1890-1976), and John Dickson Carr (1906-1977).    

But the fact is that Poe was not the first to write the genre in the world. Over 1,000 years ago, a Chinese fiction titled Supplement to Jiang’s Biography of The White Ape (978) depicted such an enigma. The story was not about an orangutan, but a giant white ape, an element like the one in Poe’s fiction. But the story development and other details were completely different, with more complicated twists and suspense.

The first story in this book, The Valley Monster, is newly developed based on Supplement to Jiang’s Biography of The White Ape. The current story goes beyond the boundary of detective fiction, making it a breathtaking tale of romance, fantasy, thriller, and martial arts.

Dragons in Western cultures have wings with the capability of breathing fire. But dragons in Eastern cultures are wingless and kings of water. They oversee rain, rivers, oceans, and flood. They have complicated relationships with humans.

In the second story of this book, The Dragon Princess, such complications puzzled a young man. What should he do? Did he have a choice?

The third story, The Lady in White, is about a love forbidden in human society. The responses of the young man and woman would even surprise today’s readers.

The fourth story, The Southern Province Governor, is also based on a pioneering fiction in its genre. But its depth of thought may surpass those written hundreds of years later.

Many of today’s young people may find echoes in the fifth story, Million Coin Beauty. Tiger parents are not something new today. They have an exceptionally long history.

Inspired by the tales from the Tang Dynasty (618-907), this book’s five new stories drew the picture of life and love in the far east from different angles. Mysterious fantasies, layered thrillers, triangular romances, and psychological developments are all woven into the thought-provoking events during ancient times.

Sunrise, sunset. Winter goes, and spring comes. Green lands may become deserts. The world can change entirely in decades, not to mention hundreds of years. The only things that have never changed are human nature and love.     

Over a thousand years ago, in the far east...

The Valley Monster

1

General Dan Li realized the invaders’ army had ambushed and outnumbered them when they entered the valley. Five enemy soldiers from the Kingdom of Meng surrounded him. When one enemy waved his knife toward Li’s head, Li hit back with his sword, and the two blades met.

The enemy felt a sudden numbness in his hand. He could not hold his knife anymore, and it flew away.

At that second, Li’s sword reached the guy’s neck, and the dead body dropped off the horse. Next, Li chopped two other enemies off their horses using his sword. The remaining two looked scared. They tried to turn and run but did not get a chance as Li chopped them off.

Li looked around. Four enemies surrounded Lieutenant General Shan Wang. One of them was the leader of the invaders. There were over twenty yards between him and the Lieutenant General.

General Li and his horse ran toward them. In the meantime, he took out his bow and shot an arrow toward an enemy. Its force was so strong that the arrow penetrated one man’s throat and hit the chief enemy’s chest. The two men dropped off their horses.

The scene frightened the other two.

While they were hesitant, Lieutenant General Wang chopped one enemy off his horse. The last one started to run away. General Li drew another arrow and shot him down.

The invaders had never seen such forceful strikes, plus their chief was dead. They were all escaping. Li and Wang seized the opportunity and led their soldiers to counterattack. They chased the invaders across the border. The enemies ran back to their caves to hide.

It was a complete victory. Li and his men carried out the mission ordered by the emperor.

Look! Wang pointed to the sky using his horsewhip. The sunset was gorgeous. After a long day, it ended well.

The clouds look like hundreds of golden horses running in the blue sky, said Li.

I know you’re the Number One Warrior in the empire, but I didn’t know you’re a poet, too, joked Wang.

They both laughed.

2

They led their troops back toward their camp outside the valley. When they passed a village, some villagers greeted and invited them to their thanking dinner party prepared specially for the soldiers.

The villagers’ leader was an old man in his seventies. Before Li’s troops entered the valley to search for the enemies, he supplied valuable information about the invaders.

We’d like to express our thankfulness for your defeating the invaders, said the old man warmly. Because of your brave actions, we villagers can return to normal lives now.

General Li nodded to Wang and agreed to have dinner with the villagers. The villagers brought out their best foods. Some young men danced for their guests while others sang and played musical instruments.

I have seen no young women dancing. Why? Because of the invaders? asked Lieutenant General Wang.

The old man sighed. Not the invaders. It’s a monster from the valley. Some call it the Mountain God, but I think it’s a valley monster.

A monster? asked Li.

Yes. It lives in the valley and comes to take young women every year. It has already taken away dozens of women in about ten years, especially the pretty ones. So, when girls are growing up, their families send them away. Otherwise, the monster will come and take them.

Have you tried to stop it? asked Wang.

Yes. But no matter how many people are around, and even if the girls are in rooms with locked doors and windows, the monster can still grab them away. It’s swift, and no one can stop it. Nobody has ever seen it clearly. People saw a white shadow, then the girls disappeared.

The older man took a sip of the tea and said slowly: I guess you guys didn’t bring any women with you. But if you did, you’d better be very careful!

Hearing about this, Li and Wang exchanged glances.

After the dinner, they thanked the villagers and headed back to their camp.

Maybe you shouldn’t have brought your wife here, said Wang after a long silence.

I had to. We just got married three months ago. I couldn’t leave her behind, answered Li. I know. She’s young and beautiful, maybe a target of the monster. I’ll protect her.

3

They hurried back to their camp. Li went to see his wife immediately. She was fine. Li told her about the monster.

That night, Li put his sword next to his pillow. Nothing happened, and everybody slept well.

The next day, Li had to go to the nearby town to meet some government officials to discuss their leaving and other defense issues. Li asked Wang to stay at the camp to command. He asked his wife to stay in the room all day because he wouldn’t be back until late.

He put twelve guards around the house and hid his wife in a locked room, with five maids inside the room to protect his wife. After the meetings, the government officials invited Li to stay for the night. Thinking about his wife’s safety, he politely declined the invitation and hurried back.

When he reached the camp, it was already about one o’clock. The sky was dark with no moon. He jumped down from the horse and saw Wang running toward him.

Is everything OK? asked Li.

Wang replied nervously: Your wife is missing.

What?

They ran to his wife’s room. The guards and maids didn’t know what to do.

What happened? questioned Li.

A guard answered: After dinner, your wife was reading a book. We were all around, guarding. At about midnight, we were dozing. Suddenly, there was a strong wind around the house. We all woke up, and your wife was no longer by her reading desk. We checked the house carefully and went through every corner. The doors and windows were still locked as before. We don’t know how she got out of the room and disappeared.

Li and his men started searching outside. Finally, they reached the steep mountain. There was a heavy fog, and they couldn’t see clearly beyond one yard.

When it was approaching dawn, they still couldn’t find any trace. Then it rained hard, and they had to stop the search.

In the morning, the rain stopped, and the men resumed searching. General Li was furious and sad.

Ten days later, they still found no clue.

Li received an order from the emperor asking them to return to the capital as the invaders had fled. Li wrote to the emperor that he was sick and needed to stay to recover.

I’m not leaving without my wife, vowed Li. Wang agreed to stay and help him.

They sent the troops out every day in every direction, searching for Li’s wife.

They found an embroidered shoe on a bush thirty miles from their camp five days later. Although the rain had soaked it, Li recognized it was his wife’s shoe.

Li’s heart sank, but his determination to find his wife grew stronger.

Your wife may have dropped her shoe here intentionally, so we can find her, suggested Wang.

If so, then she’s still alive. We will find her! Li became hopeful. 

4

Li chose thirty men, the best among his soldiers, to form a search team. They brought food and supplies with them to go deeper into the valley. They searched during the day and camped in the valley at night.

Another five days had passed, and they reached a mountain about fifty miles from their camp. The mountain peak was green, covered with forests, and much higher than the surrounding hills. There was a deep creek at the foot of the mountain. They cut some trees to make boats to reach the other side.

After crossing a forest of emerald bamboo, they climbed up the cliffs using ropes and vines. They saw a verdant meadow with thick grass, soft like a carpet, on the top of the mountain. There were trees on the two sides of a pebble road heading toward the east, with beautiful flowers between the trees.

The scenery