In the West, philosophers like Heraclitus spoke of rivers that can never be stepped into twice, symbols of change and impermanence. In China, Su Shi found similar truths along the cliffs of the Yangtze River, where moonlight, wind, and memory intertwined into eternal reflection.
Northern Song Dynasty, 1082 CE
The river shimmered under a cold autumn moon. The oars of Su Shi's small boat dipped quietly into the dark water as he and a few companions drifted beneath the towering cliffs of Chibi—Red Cliff. Wine gourd in hand, he gazed at the sky, where clouds moved like ghosts of ancient heroes.
"Master Su," a friend said, breaking the silence, "you seem lost in thought. Do you dream of the old battles fought here?"
Su Shi smiled faintly. "Yes, and no," he replied. "The river still flows, the cliffs still stand—but those who fought have turned to dust. What remains is the same wind they once felt. We are but travelers in its echo."
He lifted his cup toward the moon. "The ancients pursued immortality through glory. Yet the river teaches otherwise: all things flow, yet nothing is truly lost. Perhaps permanence lies not in conquest, but in the heart that perceives."
As the night deepened, the wind rose, and Su Shi began to chant his poem "Prelude to the Red Cliff." His voice carried across the water, mingling with the sound of waves and flute. The moon drifted higher, and for a moment, time seemed to dissolve—the present merging with history, thought with nature, self with eternity.
When the song ended, his companions sat in quiet awe. Su Shi only smiled, his eyes reflecting both sorrow and peace. "To live," he said, "is to ride the river. To understand life, one must learn to let the current carry him."
As dawn touched the cliffs, Su Shi's boat turned homeward, leaving behind ripples that caught the first light of morning. Yet across the centuries, not all hearts found comfort in acceptance. Some burned with unfulfilled longing—turning poetry into purpose, and solitude into strength. Among them was Lu You, whose words carried both love and unyielding ambition.