Shan Hai Jing: The Drowned Queen's Lament

In the ancient kingdom of the Eastern Sea, there reigned a queen whose beauty was as radiant as the sun and whose wisdom was as vast as the ocean. Her name was A-mei, and she was the beloved ruler of the coastal tribes. The people of the sea adored her, for she was their protector and their savior. However, A-mei had a secret—a secret that would lead to her tragic end.

The kingdom was prosperous, but the sea was not always kind. One day, a great storm arose, and it threatened to destroy everything. A-mei, with her courage and determination, led her people in a desperate effort to survive. She ordered the construction of a grand temple to the Sea God, hoping to placate the angry waters. But the storm raged on, and the sea rose higher than ever before.

In the midst of the chaos, A-mei made a vow to the Sea God. "I will give my life if you spare my people," she cried out. The sea calmed, but at a great cost. A-mei, the queen whose spirit was as boundless as the sea itself, was swallowed whole by the mighty waves. Her body was never found, and her spirit was trapped in the depths, forever wailing her lament.

The people of the kingdom were heartbroken. They built a grand monument to A-mei, but it could not bring her back. The sea continued to be capricious, and the people suffered. It was then that a young hero named Lin emerged. He was a fisherman's son, known for his bravery and his love for the sea. He heard of A-mei's story and decided to embark on a perilous journey to free her spirit.

Lin set sail in a small boat, braving the treacherous waters. He ventured deeper into the ocean than any man had before, guided by a mysterious light that seemed to beckon him. After days of navigating the treacherous currents, Lin finally reached the bottom of the sea. There, in the darkness, he saw A-mei's spirit, trapped in a shimmering prison of her own making.

"Queen A-mei, I have come to set you free," Lin called out. The spirit looked up at him, her eyes filled with sorrow. "You must break the chains that bind me," she replied. "But how?" Lin asked, his heart pounding with fear and determination.

A-mei explained that the chains were forged from the tears of the sea creatures she had once protected. To break them, Lin would need to find the tears of the most powerful creatures in the sea. This meant facing the great dragon, the fearsome kraken, and the cunning merfolk.

Lin embarked on his quest, facing each creature with courage and respect. He learned their stories, their fears, and their desires. He won their trust, and in doing so, he earned their tears. The great dragon's tears were fiery, the kraken's were deep and dark, and the merfolk's were clear and pure.

As Lin collected the tears, the chains around A-mei's spirit began to weaken. He returned to her, and with a final, powerful effort, he shattered the last chain. A-mei's spirit burst free, and she soared up to the surface, her joyous laughter echoing through the sky.

The sea calmed, and the kingdom was saved. A-mei returned to her people, and she was welcomed with open arms. She had been gone for so long, but her spirit had never truly left them. Now, she was back, and she was stronger than ever.

Lin, the brave hero, was hailed as a savior. He had freed the queen of the sea, and in doing so, he had brought peace and prosperity to his people. The story of A-mei and Lin became a legend, told and retold through the generations.

And so, the kingdom of the Eastern Sea thrived once more, with the queen of the sea watching over them. The sea was no longer a place of fear, but a place of wonder and beauty. And A-mei's lament, once a haunting sound, now became a song of freedom and hope.