Romance of the Broken Mirror
A romantic tale from the late Shogunate, originating in the daimyo’s court at Chiaroscuro, though not known to have spread widely.
It is the tale of a young Dragonblooded couple in Chiaroscuro, the lady Lechang and the lord Xu, who are deeply in love. On their wedding day, they break a silver mirror into two pieces, and swear that should they ever be separated they would come and send their mirror to the market at Chiaroscuro and try to sell it, so as to reveal their presence to the other.
Unfortunately, their love is cut short by political upheaval: their home city falls to a rival daimyo, and Xu is forced to retreat into the countryside. The lady Lechang is taken as a concubine by a high official of the occupying government, lord Paternal Righteousness, but she continues to pine for her lost husband, sending a servant each day to try and sell her half of the broken mirror.
After many years, the servant at last returns to declare that she has met a boy whose master seeks to buy a mirror to match one he already possesses. Placed together, the two halves fit together perfectly. But lady Lechang is unable to leave the palace compound, so she holds the now-whole mirror and weeps.
Lord Paternal Righteousness comes upon her weeping, and asks her what makes her sad. She reveals the story of her husband and the mirror, and begs that she might be allowed to see lord Xu one final time. Paternal Righteousness assents, and invites lord Xu to dine at the palace.
Arriving, Xu is seen to be worn and dirty from a hard life in the countryside. Lady Lechang is rendered speechless by the sight, as Xu regales Paternal Righteousness with a long list of his struggles since the fall of his family. At last, Lechang speaks, begging Xu to forget her and marry another. Xu refuses, saying that if he cannot be with her then he cannot be with anyone, and he will take the vows of an Immaculate monk and retreat from the world to a life of meditation. This brings Lechang to tears.
Seeing this, and truly loving his concubine as well as having greatest respect for the young man, Paternal Righteousness declares that he shall release Lechang, and the two can be together. Hearing this, Xu straightens, and the wear and dirt seem to fall away, requited love restoring his vitality. He becomes an official in the government of Paternal Righteousness, and is eventually appointed heir.
