Xiqu

Cao Zhi and Zhen Mi are in love. However, King Cao Cao wants to make Zhi his successor, so he chooses Chen Dezhu to be Zhi’s wife instead of Mi for her being a captive. He further marries Mi to Cao Pi, brother of Zhi, to quench Zhi’s affection for Mi. On the wedding night, Pi, under the pretense of drunkenness, unleashes his hatred and jealousy towards Zhi. Overwhelmed with worries about Zhi’s safety, Mi falls into Pi’s trap by asking Zhi to meet her in private. As a result, Zhi is exiled to Linzi.

After Cao Cao dies, Pi becomes the king. He begins to purge his brothers to secure his rule. After the failure to summon Zhi back to the capital, Pi forces Mi to write to urge Zhi to return with the excuse that the Queen Dowager misses him.

On the Copper Bird Terrace, Pi orders Zhi to compose a poem within seven steps. If he fails, Zhi will be sentenced to death for his undeserved fame. To Pi’s surprise, Zhi accomplishes this challenging task with Mi’s encouragement. After hacking a foot off a clay tripod cauldron to illustrate how helpless Pi will be without his brothers, Mi drowns herself into the Luo River. Mourning her by the River, Zhi dreams of Mi ascending to the heaven and becomes the Goddess of the Luo River.