The Green Dragon Protecting the Peonies

　　而“青龙卧墨池”的得名更为离奇：昆仑山小青龙至曹州赏牡丹，见土地干裂，牡丹枯黄，心生怜悯，于是冒险盗瑶池仙水救活牡丹。其中，“百年红”牡丹变红衣仙女，为救小青龙，自浸泰山墨池染成黑紫牡丹，小青龙藏身其花蕊，躲过王母娘娘捉拿。因花蕊青绿似龙，得名“青龙卧墨池”。

　　The name “Qinglong Wo Mochi“ (Green Dragon Lying in the Ink Pond) has an even more bizarre origin: A young dragon from Kunlun Mountain came to Caozhou to admire the peonies. Seeing the parched land and withered peonies, he felt compassion and he risked his life to steal the immortal water from the Yaochi to revive them. Among them, a “Bai Nian Hong“ peony transformed into a red-clad fairy. To save the young dragon, she immersed herself in the black ink pond of Mount Tai and became a dark purple peony. The young dragon hid in the peony’s stamen, escaping the capture by the Queen Mother of the West. Because the stamen was greenish-blue like a dragon, the peony was named “Qinglong Wo Mochi“.

　　怒拒皇命

　　The Defiance Against the Imperial Command

　　“黑牡丹”则与女皇武则天有关：据传，为了庆祝自己的寿辰，女皇下令百花齐放。然而，牡丹花却未曾应命绽放。武则天因此震怒，将牡丹逐出长安城。那些深爱故土的牡丹，宁愿被烈火焚身，也不愿离开。次年，这些牡丹竟绽放出黑中带红的花朵，宛如烈火中重生的凤凰，因此得名。