The Dragon and Fish of the Red Mansion

"Rivers flow east through the ages, uncounting the dragons and fish within. Ever since the Qin and Han lost the sacred vessels, city walls have seen countless banners change hands. Are true men truly born of noble seed? Why must heroes wear robes of gold and jade? Know that yesterday's beggar boy today looms over the crimson and purple robes of the court!" As Jiang Lin finishes writing this rebellious verse before the assembled court, the officials stand pale and silent, too terrified to utter a word. Who could have imagined that a mere menial of the Rong Mansion, a guard of the Ning Mansion, a retainer of Jia Jing, and a lowly servant who climbed up by clinging to the noble Lin family of Suzhou, could reach such heights—stepping all the way to the imperial dais? Reaching out to gently touch the young emperor's winged crown, Jiang Lin merely smiles indifferently: "A humble birth is no disgrace; only by knowing how to bow and to rise can one truly be called a man."