武则天wǔ zé tiān和hé不bù听话tīng huà的de牡丹mǔ dān ▸ 

▸ 在zài中国zhōng guó历史lì shǐ上shang，武则天wǔ zé tiān是shì唯一wéi yī的de女nǚ皇帝huáng dì。

Wu Zetian is the only empress in Chinese history.

▸ 当时dāng shí，她tā打败dǎ bài了le所有suǒ yǒu反对fǎn duì她tā的de人rén，自己zì jǐ当上dāng shàng了le皇帝huáng dì。

At that time, she defeated all those who opposed her and became the empress herself.

▸ 一yì年nián冬天dōng tiān，长安cháng ān城chéng下xià起qǐ了le大雪dà xuě。

One winter, heavy snow fell on Chang’an.

▸ 宫女gōng nǚ们men说shuō：“您nín看kàn，您nín当上dāng shàng皇帝huáng dì后hòu，天下tiān xià太平tài píng，下雪xià xuě是shì个ge好hǎo兆头zhào tou。”

The palace maids said, “Look, after you became the empress, the world has been at peace. The snowfall is a good omen.”

▸ 武则天wǔ zé tiān十分shí fēn满意mǎn yì，一边yì biān喝酒hē jiǔ一边yì biān看kàn雪xuě。

Wu Zetian was very satisfied, drinking wine while watching the snow.

▸ 她tā看到kàn dào院子yuàn zi里lǐ都dōu是shì白色bái sè，觉得jué de不bú太tài好看hǎo kàn。

She saw that the courtyard was all white and thought it didn’t look very nice.

▸ 于是yú shì，她tā写xiě了le一yì首shǒu诗shī，命令mìng lìng所有suǒ yǒu的de花huā在zài寒冬hán dōng中zhōng开放kāi fàng。

Therefore, she wrote a poem, commanding all the flowers to bloom in the cold winter.

▸ 第二dì èr天tiān早上zǎo shang，除了chú le牡丹mǔ dān，所有suǒ yǒu的de花huā都dōu开kāi了le。

The next morning, all the flowers bloomed except for the peonies.

▸ 牡丹mǔ dān说shuō：“武则天wǔ zé tiān虽然suī rán很hěn厉害lì hai，但dàn我wǒ不bú怕pà她tā！”

The peonies said, “Although Wu Zetian is very formidable, I am not afraid of her!”

▸ 这zhè让ràng武则天wǔ zé tiān非常fēi cháng生气shēng qì，于是yú shì她tā把bǎ牡丹mǔ dān贬biǎn到dào了le洛阳luò yáng。

This made Wu Zetian very angry, so she banished the peonies to Luoyang.

▸ 没méi想到xiǎng dào，洛阳luò yáng的de环境huán jìng特别tè bié适合shì hé牡丹mǔ dān生长shēng zhǎng，

She didn’t expect that the environment in Luoyang is particularly suitable for peonies to grow in, ..

▸ 而且ér qiě洛阳luò yáng的de人们rén men都dōu很hěn喜欢xǐ huan花huā，他们tā men把bǎ牡丹mǔ dān种zhòng在zài自己zì jǐ家里jiā lǐ。

.. and the people of Luoyang really loved flowers, so they all planted peonies in their own homes.

▸ 第二dì èr年nián春天chūn tiān，牡丹mǔ dān在zài洛阳luò yáng开kāi得de特别tè bié美měi。

In spring the next year, the peonies bloomed exceptionally beautifully in Luoyang.

▸ 武则天wǔ zé tiān来lái洛阳luò yáng玩wán的de时候shí hou，看到kàn dào牡丹mǔ dān不但bú dàn没méi有yǒu死sǐ，

When Wu Zetian came to Luoyang for a visit and saw that the peonies not only hadn’t died, ..

▸ 反而fǎn ér开kāi得de比bǐ以前yǐ qián更gèng漂亮piào liang，就jiù更gèng生气shēng qì了le。

.. but were blooming more beautifully than before, she became even angrier.

▸ 她tā让ràng人rén放火fàng huǒ烧shāo山shān，想要xiǎng yào把bǎ这zhè些xiē牡丹mǔ dān都dōu烧shāo掉diào。

She ordered people to set fire to the hills, intending to burn all the peonies.

▸ 但dàn第dì三sān年nián，牡丹mǔ dān非但fēi dàn没méi有yǒu消失xiāo shī，反而fǎn ér开kāi得de更加gèng jiā灿烂càn làn了le。

But in the third year, not only did the peonies not disappear, they bloomed even more brilliantly.

▸ 武则天wǔ zé tiān最后zuì hòu不得不bù dé bù承认chéng rèn：“我们wǒ men不bù能néng违背wéi bèi天tiān和hé人rén的de意愿yì yuàn。”

Wu Zetian finally had to admit, “We cannot go against the will of heaven and the people.”

▸ 后来hòu lái，洛阳luò yáng的de牡丹mǔ dān越来越yuè lái yuè出名chū míng，成为chéng wéi了le中国zhōng guó最zuì著名zhù míng的de牡丹mǔ dān产地chǎn dì。

Later, the peonies in Luoyang became increasingly famous, making it the most renowned peony-producing region in China.

▸ 那nèi些xiē被bèi火huǒ烧shāo过guò的de牡丹mǔ dān有yǒu了le一yí个ge特别tè bié的de名字míng zi，叫jiào“焦jiāo骨gǔ牡丹mǔ dān”。

Those peonies that had been burned by the fire have a special name: “burnt bone peony”.

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