Long time ago, China was divided into seven warring kingdoms. Among them, the strongest was the kingdom of Qin and it was ruled by an ambitious King named Qin Shi Huang. This King was determined to rule over all the seven kingdoms. During the same time, there also lived an officer and poet named Qu Yuan in the kingdom of Chu in the south of China. He was a peaceful and wise man. He loved his kingdom a lot and wanted it to remain independent.
Qu Yuan was a trusted advisor to the King of Chu and tried to convince the King of the importance of remaining independent. But there were others in the kingdom who persuaded the King that Qu Yuan was not a man to be trusted. They poisoned the King’s ears against Qu Yuan. The King of Chu believed these lies and banished Qu Yuan into exile.