The Ebony Children’s Lament: A Melody of Change
After Huan Xuan usurped the throne and entered the Vermilion Bird Gate (朱雀門) (Note: The Vermilion Bird Gate is an entrance to the imperial palace), he suddenly encountered two small children. Their entire bodies were as black as ink, harmoniously singing a song called “Caged Song.” On the roadside, numerous other children joined in the chorus. The lyrics lamented, “Bound in a thorny cage, ropes tightly wrapped around the belly. The chariot has no axle, leaning against a solitary tree.”