Contents -- Acknowledgments -- Prologue -- PART ONE: Mudan ting -- Introduction to Mudan ting -- 1 The Girl's Portrait -- 2 The Lover's Dream -- 3 The Emperor's Promise -- PART TWO: Taohua shan -- Introduction to Taohua shan -- 4 The Prostitute's Fan -- 5 The Actor's Stage -- 6 The Emperor's Throne -- Epilogue: The Spider and the Snake -- Notes -- Selected Bibliography -- Index