Yang Yuehuan died at the Liri Tree in front of the Buddha Hall at Ma’wei Station, ending her thirty-eight-year life with a white silk scarf. At the moment the white silk wrapped around her neck, Yang Yuehuan recalled the first time she met Li Longji at Huaqing Palace, when he leaped over and subdued a startled horse. Li Longji in the sunset, with fierce eyebrows and penetrating eyes, was imposing without anger. At that time, Yang Yuehuan thought no man was more charming than Li Longji.
Did she hate him?
If not for him, she would have been a simple, happy girl without worldly troubles. She would have had many children with Prince Shou, becoming an ordinary couple dealing with life’s daily chores. In their old age, they could have supported each other watching sunrises and sunsets, with grandchildren calling, “Grandma, grandma!” But such a life would be bland, with each day repeating the last, living a day like a lifetime.
Being with Li Longji was different.
Living a lifetime like a day. Happiness makes one lose track of time.
If not for Yang Yuehuan, perhaps Li Longji would not have neglected state affairs and nearly destroyed the Tang Dynasty. If Li Longji had not forcefully taken her from his son, perhaps Yang Yuehuan would not have become a byword for a disastrous beauty.
As Yang Yuehuan closed her eyes, ascending to heaven, her face of unparalleled beauty revealed a faint smile.
A handful of yellow earth finally buried a legendary beauty. Yang Yuehuan was born in glory but died helplessly. Though she lived only thirty-eight years, she enjoyed wealth and honor.
Yang Yuehuan lived her life more contentedly than anyone. More brilliantly than anyone.
Zheng Dan reached out and pulled Xi Shi close, pointing to their reflections in the well, and said seriously: “Look, our two pairs of eyes in the water look like four fish. Fish aren’t beautiful just because they’re long, just like eyes aren’t beautiful just because they’re big.”
Xi Shi immediately broke into a smile.
If not for Zheng Dan, Xi Shi would have thought she was an ugly duckling, unrelated to the beautiful swan.
Actually, the ugly duckling was another washing girl named Dong Shi.
Xi Shi was called Xi Shi not because her name was Xi Shi, but because her full name was Shi Yiguang. Since her family name was Shi and she lived on the west side of Zhuji County’s Juoluo Mountain village, people gave her the nickname Xi Shi. Similarly, Dong Shi was not named Dong Shi, but was called that because she lived on the east side of the same village.
Everyone said Xi Shi was beautiful, like a fresh flower. Hearing this, Dong Shi was unconvinced. She reached out to touch her own face – she had eyebrows, eyes, nose, and mouth. Nothing missing, nothing extra. They were both young girls in their prime. The only difference was that Dong Shi’s body was twice the size of Xi Shi’s. She wasn’t fat, just strong and healthy. Why did people say Xi Shi was beautiful as a flower, while describing her as a disfigured version?
Dong Shi thought those people were even blinder than the blind, unable to distinguish beauty from ugliness.
What was so great about Xi Shi? Thin and weak, sickly as if she might blow away, suffering from heart pain at a young age.
Whenever her heart hurt, Xi Shi would furrow her brow, hold her chest, bent like an old woman, unable to take a step. Those blind fools said that the ailing Xi Shi was touching, praising her fragile feminine beauty. They called this awkward posture “Xi Shi holding her heart.”
Hmph, who can’t act like that?
Dong Shi, breaking her usual coarse manner, imitated Xi Shi – furrowing her brow, holding her chest, bent like an old woman, walking with exaggerated weakness. She wanted everyone to see.
Unexpectedly, instead of admiration, villagers avoided her, saying they might vomit just from looking at her. In those war-torn times, when the country had lost to a neighboring nation, food was precious.
As a result, Dong Shi’s imitation became known as “Dong Shi imitates a frown.”
This imitation made Dong Shi famous, her name lasting longer than Xi Shi or even Zheng Dan. When people mentioned Xi Shi, they remembered the talented and cute Dong Shi. But few knew about Zheng Dan.
This was the effect of knowing how to promote oneself.
Because he was defeated in battle, he was conquered by the Wu state, utterly routed, and spring had gone.
Goujian had no choice but to raise the white flag and surrender.
He even brought his principal wife and Fan Li, whom he had ennobled as a “grand master,” and obediently went to the Wu state. He became a servant to Wu’s ruler Fuchai, living in a stone house next to King Helü’s tomb, and feeding Fuchai’s horses. When Fuchai rode out in his chariot, Goujian had to lead the horses.
From a monarch to a servant, one can imagine the pain and loss.
But Goujian was a man who could endure humiliation and bear heavy burdens. He would teach the world how to write the word “willpower”; and again teach how to endure to the extreme, to the point of being capable of anything. Goujian believed in himself, believing that by enduring the bitterest of hardships, he would one day become a person of status again.
The endurance of the present is for the unendurable future.
Goujian was writing his own legend.
Goujian’s most disgusting act came when Fuchai was ill, vomiting and defecating, nearly on the verge of death. After seeing many doctors and trying various herbal medicines, he was still sickly, to the point where Fuchai had lost hope and believed he was near death. In the end, Goujian, as a faithful servant, bravely lifted Fuchai’s chamber pot, dipped his hand in Fuchai’s fresh feces, and tasted it in his mouth.
Those around him could barely hold back their nausea.
But Goujian was elated, kneeling before Fuchai and saying, “Congratulations, Your Majesty, your illness will soon be cured.”
Fuchai, weak from illness, asked, “How do you know?”
Goujian solemnly replied, “I previously studied medicine in the East Sea. By examining feces, I can diagnose one’s condition. I just tasted Your Majesty’s feces, and it has a slightly sour taste, indicating that the blockage in the body is about to be cleared. In seven days, Your Majesty’s condition will improve.”
Indeed, seven days later, Fuchai recovered.
Fuchai was deeply moved by Goujian’s act of tasting his feces. Excited, Fuchai disregarded his ministers’ strong opposition and insisted on releasing Goujian. After all, as an emperor, who would Fuchai fear? His word was law, and the ministers’ objections were ineffective. Wu Zixu, who thought himself the smartest person in the world and capable of predicting the future, said, “Today Goujian tastes the king’s feces, one day he will taste the king’s heart.”
Fuchai paid no attention.
Thus, Goujian returned to his territory with his principal wife and the loyal Fan Li, who was willing to become a citizen of Yue.
To ensure he never forgot the humiliation suffered in Wu and to seek revenge, Goujian invented the “lying on firewood and tasting gall” game. After all, having tasted human feces, tasting bitter gall was child’s play.
While playing this game, Goujian did not forget to train his troops and develop agriculture.
At this time, Fan Li, full of clever ideas, offered advice: “Your Majesty, to lull the Wu king into a false sense of security, shouldn’t we send some gifts to the Wu king?”
Goujian asked, “What gifts should we send?”
Another grand master named Wen Zhong joined the discussion: “Rare delicacies? Gold and jewels? That’s not a bad idea.”
Fan Li smiled, “Rare delicacies and gold and jewels are inevitable. But there’s something that will be even more effective.”
Goujian and Wen Zhong asked in unison, “What?”
Fan Li said, “Beautiful women.”
