There was a very young king who wanted to choose the most beautiful queen. But he couldn't leave the palace, so he summoned all the skilled craftsmen in the world to make him a golden mirror day and night. This mirror should not only allow the most beautiful woman in the world to shine in, but also be deeply imprinted on it, and it cannot be removed by any means; if she is not the most beautiful woman in the world, she will not be able to shine in no matter how she shines. Because it was carefully made by the most skilled craftsmen in the world, and everyone's hard work and wisdom were poured into it, and finally such a precious mirror was made.

The mirror is made, who will be sent to choose the queen? This again made the young king very troublesome. When he wanted to send military generals, he was too rude; when he wanted to send civil servants, he was too treacherous. Finally, when he thought about the old Taoist, he thought: It is said that Taoist priests who have become monks are useless in all four aspects. He also travels all over the world and is familiar with the earth's spirit. Why not give him the title of Imperial Envoy and Imperial Envoy? What about this big thing? In the morning of the next day, the king called in an old Taoist. He was very happy when he saw that he had white hair and a childish face, and spoke mysteriously. He gave him a horse, a guard, a golden mirror, a box of gold and silver jewelry, and ordered him to go to the four corners of the country to choose a queen.

Shan Shuo has a large lake hundreds of miles long with mountains on both sides. The lake is as bright as a mirror, so it is named Jingbo. On this Jingbo Lake, there lived a fisherman's daughter. When her father was still alive, she accidentally got a thick and long reed and made a small reed Xiao for her beloved daughter. The fisherman's daughter loved the reed flute very much. Every evening, at dusk and sunset, she would sit on a stone on the edge of the lake and enjoy the flute. Waves of melodious flute sounds floated on the lake, sometimes low and sometimes high, attracting all the fish in the water. The birds in the forest also chirped in harmony. It lasted until late at night, when the moon was white and the wind was clear, and the night was over. Xiaoyin, return to the cabin to rest.

She played the flute every night, and fish and birds came to listen every night. The swans come to listen and leave their snow-white feathers to the girl; the wild geese come to listen and leave the velvet under their wings to the girl. The girls accumulated them one by one. After a long time and gathering more, the girl used the swan feathers and wild goose velvet to weave light and soft gauze shirts and skirts. She went to the mountains to collect ginseng, and used the ginseng juice to dye her gauze whiter than frost and snow, and used ginseng flowers to dye her skirt crimson than the morning glow. Maybe it was because it was left to dry on the thorn roses, which attracted a group of colorful butterflies, flying around the skirt.

It is a lie to say that there are too few beauties in the world, but the imperial Taoist priest who came out to choose the queen traveled to countless cities and counties and saw countless beautiful women, but none of them could shine. In the mirror.

This day is the late spring and early summer in the North, when the vegetation is green and the wildflowers are in bloom. As the old man was walking, his way was blocked by a river. He dismounted and walked to the riverside, where he was greatly surprised. I have crossed countless rivers in the past, but I have never seen such clean water, as if not even a speck of sand or dust had touched it. You can see the bottom of the river directly through the water surface, and you can see clearly how the fish shake. The Taoist priest thought: If you eat such clean river water, you will definitely give birth to a peerless beauty! He called the local security guard and asked, only to find out that this was the Mudanjiang River that originated from Mudan Peak. Looking again, herons, emeralds, mandarin ducks, fish turtles, and countless unnamed water birds were all flying upstream in groups. The Taoist priest speculated: There must be a more bizarre situation upstream than this. He immediately saddled his horse and led the accompanying guards upstream.

We walked around trees and branches along the coast, climbed uphill and over ridges, and walked for several days without encountering any strange situations or seeing any human beings. I could only hear rolling thunder in the distance, but when I looked up at the sky, there was no cloud at all. It was really puzzling. One step further, the rumbling sound was one step closer. After turning a hilltop at the bend of the river, a large waterfall suddenly appeared in front of me, as if the Tianhe River had fallen to the ground, rushing into a huge pool with a steep cliff and a ring like an urn. It turns out that the rumbling sound is the sound of the waterfall. From a distance, it sounds like spring thunder. The green and clear water is filled with the Milky Way on the top and rushing and pouring below. I guess this must be what people call Diaoshuilou Waterfall.

Lao Tao climbed up a small tree to the top of the mountain, looked up again, and immediately felt that he was in a painting. He saw a group of peaks and valleys overlapping each other, with a wide lake in the middle. At this time, the sunset was shining slantingly, and the peaks and valleys were reflected in the lake. One day, the sunset was set on the bottom of the lake, and the Taoist priest's eyes couldn't get enough of it. The sky gradually darkened, and after a while, the bright moon rose in the east, and suddenly a flute sound came from the lake, low and gentle, melodious and pleasant. The sound of the flute attracted the old Taoist, and he wanted to follow the sound of the flute, but the rocks on the lakeside blocked the way and there were many thorn trees, making it difficult to walk. They asked the guards to cut down the trees overnight, form rafts, and put them into the lake.

In the early morning of the next day, the white mist on the water slowly dissipated. The old man boarded the raft, and the guards paddled forward. First, I saw a large solitary mountain on the lake, with a small fishing net hanging out in the air, but no fishermen were seen. Going further, the raft went around a mountain that was diagonally inserted into the center of the lake. Suddenly, there were two tall stone pillars facing each other on the water. A birch bark water boat was tied to the pillars, and a young girl sitting on the bow was dressing up. , At the foot of the green mountains, the red dress is dazzling, and on the blue waves, the white shirt is dazzling. The old man hurriedly ordered the guard to move forward quickly, and the guard moved the raft towards the girl. After a while, the raft came closer to the stern. The guard threw away the rope and tied the raft to another stone pillar. At this time, everything could be seen clearly: the girl had beautiful features, a face like a peach blossom, and a thin waist. Liu has a radiant complexion and a lock of long black hair hanging straight down to her knees. It’s really too much to increase by one point, and not enough by subtracting one point. Several guards were dumbfounded, and they couldn't even feel the wooden paddle falling from their hands and hitting their feet.

The old Taoist mind took out the golden mirror and looked at the girl. Strangely enough, not only the girl's appearance, skin color, body, and expression were all reflected in the mirror, but also the birch bark boat and the shadows in the water were all reflected in the mirror.

The old Taoist clasped his hands together, took a step forward, bowed and said: Congratulations to the Hongluo woman, congratulations to the Hongluo woman!

The girl raised her head, smiled sweetly, and asked: Where does the joy come from?

The old Taoist said: You have been chosen as the queen

The girl smiled slightly and said: You are a monk, how can you talk so freely?

The old Taoist was afraid that his words would be imprudent, so he first put the box of jewelry he had brought on the girl's boat, then explained the origin, and held the gold mirror in his hand as a certificate. The girl took a closer look and saw that her own figure was indeed printed on the gold mirror as big as a gong.

The girl did not panic and said calmly: I have already made an oath. No matter who comes to propose marriage, he must first answer "What is the most precious thing in the world" before he can mention anything further.

As he spoke, he threw the gold and silver jewelry that the old Taoist had brought him one by one into the lake, floating them in the water, making the fish and clams come to fight for them. This time it made the old Taoist recite the Confusing Curse. Holding the golden mirror in both hands, I didn't know what to say. After a while, he asked the girl:

May I ask what your surname is? Where is your hometown?

The girl raised her red skirt and said: I am who I am! A small boat floats on the lake, with a radius of hundreds of miles, and is home everywhere.

When the old man heard this, he didn’t seem to understand, and thought: Anyway, the girl has already made an oath, why don’t I go back to the court earlier to deliver the order, so he said goodbye to the girl. Unexpectedly, just as the raft reached the middle of the lake, a strong wind suddenly struck. There was a big storm, and the waves flew up, and the waves tossed the raft this way and that. The old Taoist fell forward and backward on it, and when he missed it, he dropped the golden mirror into the lake. As soon as the golden mirror fell, the wind and waves immediately stopped and the water surface remained calm as before. The old man is determined to salvage, but the depth of the lake is unfathomable. He had to look for the old road in a hurry and returned to the court in a hurry.

Since Lao Dao left, the beauty of Hong Luo Nu has been spread in all directions. At noon, when the sun was scorching, the girl rowed the boat to a quiet reed pond, built a pergola with reed leaves, and wanted to take a sweet nap. Unexpectedly, a flock of birds suddenly appeared from behind the mountain, followed by the cry of a horse, and then a warrior wearing a tiger skin, carrying a bow on his back and a sword on his belt came to the front, patting his horse. As soon as the warrior saw Hong Luo Nu, he immediately got off his horse and held his fists in front of his chest to show his respect. Said:

Hongluo woman, I have come all the way to propose to you! After that, he drew out his sword, saw a flash of cold light, and with a click, cut a large stone next to him in half, and said proudly: Now in this world, only I am worthy of being your husband!

The girl answered slowly while building a pergola: Warrior, do you know what is the most precious thing in the world?

The warrior replied without hesitation: I can break stones with my sword, shoot fierce arrows with my bow, and can conquer the world with one horse, and I am invincible. It seems that only 'force' is the most precious thing in the world.

The girl smiled slightly and said: You can split mountains and hunt tigers, but you can't eliminate all the injustice in the world. The rich are still rich and the poor are still poor. How can you say that 'force' is the most precious thing in the world?

When the warrior heard this, he was so red that he immediately broke the sword in his hand, threw it into the lake, said to take care, and flew on his horse. I saw the horse spread its hooves and jumped over the mountain after a few jumps. The girl looked at the back of the warrior, nodded and said to herself: He is a bloody man!

At this time, the reed shed was set up. The girl retreated into the reed shed, lay on her side in the cabin, closed her eyes, and gradually fell asleep. A pond was hung with reeds to make a tent, and the wild birds all over the mountain stopped chirping for fear of disturbing the girl's sweet sleep. In the haze of Hongluo, I could vaguely hear someone reciting a poem:

Looking up at the sky is distressing my mind. Could it be that I am taking advantage of my destiny today? !

The girl opened her eyes and saw a scholar reflected in the water. The man was well-dressed and elegant, so he sat up and sang a song:

Drowning from sleep, his head tilted back due to the influence of the reed,

I don’t know what the complaining man on the shore is. Who are you here for?

When the scholar heard this, he couldn't help shouting: I am a Hongluo girl, and I have come to answer her questions? After that, he looked around, but he couldn't see where the poet was.

So, please tell me what is the most precious thing in the world!

Did I come all the way here and not even get a chance to meet you?

The scholar was so anxious that his head was shaking like a drum. At this time, there was a splash of water in the reed pond in front of me, and a small boat came out.

When the scholar saw Hongluo Nu, his soul flew into the sky. He hurriedly bowed and saluted and said: I have guessed what is the most precious thing in the world!

The girl said: Please speak!

The scholar seems to have been confident for a long time. He shakes his head like he endorses a book and says: As the proverb goes: There is a house of gold in the book, and there is a thousand millimeters in the book. Students think about it again and again, and think about it again and again, only 'poems and books' are the most precious in the world!

As soon as the scholar's voice fell, the girl immediately continued: You keep talking, you want to be a high official, you keep talking, you want to be rich and rich; you become a high official just to have a nice mouth and get rich. If your salary is nothing but a stinky butt, what good will it do to the world? What good does this do to all peoples? It seems that just reading poems and books is not valuable! After hearing what the girl said, the scholar felt very ashamed, so he had to cover his face with his sleeves and leave quietly.

Although the girl did not watch him off, she thought in her heart: She can be regarded as a shameless scholar.

At this moment, another businessman with a fat head and a big belly came, shouting from a distance: I guessed it, I guessed it! 'Money makes the world go round', only money is the most precious in the world!

Before the girl could snatch him away, he suddenly heard the sound of gongs and drums, and a dragon boat turned over the hill. The civil and military ministers were lined up on the bow of the ship, with an umbrella held high in the middle. Under the umbrella sat a young king, and beside him stood the old man with a white beard. The sailors rocked the oars and came straight to Hongluo Nu's birch bark boat. The businessman who shouted that money is the most precious thing in the world had long since fallen to his knees, pressing his forehead to the ground, not even daring to breathe. When the dragon boat came close, the old man spoke first: Hongluo woman, today the king is here in person. , the mountains and rivers are truly blessed, and the vegetation is radiant! Hong Luo Nu stood on the boat, her expression as calm as ever. He said: No matter who comes, he must first answer me, "What is the most precious thing in the world?" before they can discuss marriage.

As soon as the king saw it, the Hongluo girl was indeed so beautiful that it is hard to find in the sky or underground. He stood up quickly and said: The beauty has already made a proposition, and the lonely king is here to answer it today!

The girl said: People say, 'No one is smarter than the emperor, and the wise belongs to the emperor.' I just want to hear the king's advice!

The king said: The sage said, 'In the whole world, everything is the land of the king, and on the shore of the land, is it the ministers of the king'. The highest person in the world is no more than the emperor, and the most noble person is no more than the king. Therefore, the most precious thing is the word 'power'!

After hearing this, the girl's face sank and she said: Farmers don't plow crops and craftsmen don't build houses. No matter how 'powerful' they are, they will starve to death! freeze to death!

Wang said: So, let Gu think again!

The girl said: Who has time to accompany you? I still haven't finished weaving half of the feather brocade! After that, he took up the oar and headed a little towards the lake. The boat was just a stone's throw away from the dragon boat, and then rowed towards the north end of the lake.

A warrior has a bloody heart and corrects his mistakes immediately when he realizes them; a scholar has a cheek and leaves quickly when he sees a shame; a businessman may speak vulgarly, but after kneeling on the ground for a long time, he will eventually have time to think about it. But this king was both bloodless and shameless, and he couldn't get enough of it. He hurriedly ordered the dragon boat to chase him. As the saying goes, if a small boat can catch up with a big boat, it only takes a few poles; if a big boat can catch up with a small boat, the waist and legs will be bent. As we hurried, the girl’s boat disappeared.

The dragon boat drove to the head of the North Lake and arrived in front of Diaoshuilou Waterfall. The king stood on the bow and saw that the girl's birch bark boat was anchored in the deep pool, and he hurriedly ordered the dragon boat to dock. After the boat docked, the sailors put up the handrails, and the king stepped off the dragon boat. The ministers escorted him down from the mountain and walked around to the pool. They saw Hongluo girl sitting on the stone couch halfway up the waterfall curtain, bowing her head. Woven with feather brocade. Despite the king's endless calls, the girl didn't even raise her head. There was no other way, so the king asked his courtiers to erect a stone tablet in front of the waterfall, with the inscription on it allowed only one person to see it, not two people. Then, the ministers who asked Baojiao to find a hilltop and set up camp. He himself squatted on the small stone bag in front of the pool and thought hard. I don’t know how long he thought about it until his hair turned gray, but he still couldn’t figure out what was the most precious thing in the world! Days passed day by day, and the old Taoist priest had already become immortal on a mountain. Most of the courtiers who came with him also died. Only the mountains on both sides of Jingbo remained green and lush.

This year, it is the season of Wuhua Mountain, and it is also the time when the scenery of Jingbo Lake is at its best. The maple leaves on the blue stone lid are so red that they are stacked in layers, and the apricots on the white stone lid are so yellow that they are hung with golden bells; the little squirrels eat the big green dates all over the ground; the silly roe deer squints in the grass and sleeps. But for some unknown reason, the birds and crows all over the mountain screamed at the top of their lungs and flew towards the Diaoshuilou Waterfall. The courtiers in the camp took a bad look, thinking that something might have happened to the king, so they all followed the crow towards Beihutou. After all, running is not as fast as flying. When the officials arrived, it was too late to see anything. The corpse of the king who had just died had been picked up by crows one by one. Afraid that he would stain the place where Hong Luo Nu was weaving brocade, the old bird flew far away to the head of Nanhu Lake and pooped on a hill.

The story happened a long time ago. But when people talk about Hongluo Nu, they always call the hilltop where she basked the big net, Dakui Mountain; the hilltop where she basked the small net, called Xiaotou; the rocky reef where the boat was tied, called the Pearly Gate; The open rock is called Yitong Monument; the place where the old Taoism emerged is called Taoist Mountain; the courtiers' camp is called City Wall Lazi; the hillside where the crows left their droppings is called Laoyu Lazi; together with the Diaoshuilou Waterfall where the girl weaves cotton, they are collectively called the Eight Great Scenes.