Goujian and Wen Zhong looked at each other and burst out laughing, “That’s right, beautiful women are the most effective.”
Euphemistically, this is called the beauty strategy.
What man doesn’t like beautiful women? Unless he’s impotent or homosexual. And in fact, Fuchai was neither impotent nor homosexual, but a virile man. It was said Fuchai was notorious for his male relationships. Though aging, his desires were undiminished, always dreaming of a second spring, wanting to die in the arms of beauty.
And so, the search for beautiful women began.
This honorable task fell to Fan Li, whose appreciation of female beauty was top-notch.
Women with even slight beauty were brought for interview, but none could pass Fan Li’s discerning eye. They were merely presentable, far from truly beautiful.
After all, Fuchai had experienced countless beauties, with enough women in his harem to form a female battalion. If they were to find a woman, she must be of extraordinary beauty, one that would keep Fuchai endlessly entertained.
It was at this time that Fan Li heard of Xi Shi and Zheng Dan. With the mindset of “better to kill by mistake than let someone go,” Fan Li decided to personally go and verify. If Xi Shi and Zheng Dan did not qualify as beautiful women, he would continue searching. If they were truly stunning beauties, then the mission would be perfectly accomplished.
Meeting Xi Shi and Zheng Dan was not easy, as they lived in a poor, underdeveloped mountainous area with poor transportation. After climbing mountains and crossing ridges, he finally reached the village entrance, only to be stopped by an elderly woman in her seventies or eighties. This old woman had white hair, wrinkled skin, and dim yellow eyes. However, the old woman’s voice was surprisingly loud. She shouted at Fan Li: “Who are you looking for?”
Fan Li respectfully replied: “I’m looking for Xi Shi and Zheng Dan.” The old woman suddenly became energetic, her eyes lighting up as if she had become ten years younger.
She stretched out her hand, holding a plate with a few copper coins, and held it right under Fan Li’s nose, saying: “Pay up!”
Fan Li was puzzled: “Pay for what?”
The old woman looked proud: “Money! Want to see Xi Shi and Zheng Dan? You must pay! One coin to see one, two coins to see both.”
Fan Li found it both amusing and absurd: “I have to pay to see them?”
The old woman said confidently: “Of course! They’re beautiful women. Beautiful women aren’t just seen by anyone.”
Fan Li became interested: “Are they really that beautiful?”
The old woman said: “Of course they’re beautiful! Every man wants to marry them.” She glared at Fan Li: “Hey, are you going to look or not? Pay up! Enough talking!”
Fan Li quickly reached into his pocket, pulled out two coins, and placed them on the old woman’s plate, asking: “Is this enough?”
The old woman was satisfied: “Enough.” Then she pointed far away: “Look, Xi Shi and Zheng Dan are washing clothes by the river. Go ahead and look.”
Fan Li thanked the old woman and walked towards the river.
Those slightly plump beauties with more experience said to the girl who wasn’t a beauty: “Dongshi, don’t talk nonsense. A doctor is an official position, a high-ranking official, not a husband’s meaning.”
The girl named Dongshi said: “Oh.” Then she turned to look at Fan Li with a confused gaze, blurting out: “Doctor, why did you come to our village? Did you hear that Xi Shi is beautiful, so you came to find Xi Shi and want to marry her?”
The girl who had been silent, so beautiful that she made Fan Li’s heart race, blushed and spat at Dongshi: “What are you talking about?”
Ah, so her name was Xi Shi.
The other beautiful woman was called Zheng Dan.
Fan Li couldn’t help but get excited. He had finally found the people he was looking for. At the same time, he couldn’t help feeling a bit melancholy. These two once-in-a-century super beauties were wasted on that fat pig Fuchai. It was like two beautiful flowers stuck in a pile of cow dung.
Zheng Dan felt a bit unhappy and asked Fan Li: “Why do we look like monkeys?”
Xi Shi also felt uncomfortable: “Yes, I also feel like we look like monkeys, being looked at over and over again.”
Fan Li smiled slightly: “This is called killing two birds with one stone, understand? You can earn money and do publicity.”
People who have seen your beauty will naturally spread the word, letting the whole world know, so you can become famous.”
Xi Shi was completely convinced by Fan Li and felt that no one was smarter than him. She fell in love with Fan Li.
The appearance of Xi Shi and Zheng Dan raised Fan Li’s aesthetic appreciation of beautiful women. And Fan Li’s appearance, in turn, gave Xi Shi and Zheng Dan an understanding of handsome men.
At that time, people’s thoughts were not as dirty as later. The standards for looking at men required “Pan’s looks, Donkey’s goods, Deng’s wealth, cotton-like patience, and leisure time.”
But “Pan’s looks” and “Deng’s wealth” have been the imagination of all women about their men since ancient times. Coincidentally, Fan Li not only had “Pan’s looks” but also “Deng’s wealth” – officials certainly wouldn’t be poor, especially a talented official like Fan Li.
Of course, any normal woman would like Fan Li. He was the cream of the crop among men, meeting all the hard conditions – handsome, suave, knowledgeable, with taste and a petty bourgeois lifestyle. Xi Shi especially liked Fan Li’s peach blossom eyes, which always seemed to be affectionate, with a slight upward curve at the corners of his mouth when smiling.
Xi Shi felt that Fan Li’s eyes and smile had a dangerous quality that irresistibly drew her closer.
Goujian indeed had high awareness and immediately recognized his mistakes, not daring to become corrupt.
With his dream of two rare, beautiful women shattered, Goujian felt indescribable disappointment. But Goujian was still Goujian, with a royal demeanor. Therefore, Goujian swallowed his pain, maintaining a tough exterior and pretending not to care.
He transformed his sorrow into strength, saying formally to Xi Shi and Zheng Dan: “Two ladies are truly national beauties, it’s rare to meet you today, pleased to meet you.”
Xi Shi and Zheng Dan, though not worldly, understood etiquette. After performing a subject-ruler courtesy to Goujian, they humbly said: “Your Majesty is too kind.”
Goujian couldn’t help but sigh: “It’s truly unfair to send you two ladies to accompany Fu Chai.”
Zheng Dan said: “Your Majesty, please do not worry about us. For our country and people, we are willing to sacrifice ourselves.”
Xi Shi glanced at Fan Li, gritted her teeth, and also said: “Your Majesty, we are willing to sacrifice ourselves for our country.”
Goujian nodded, telling Fan Li: “Master Fan, please arrange the journey for these two ladies to Wu Kingdom.”
At this moment, Goujian’s previously silent wife suddenly spoke: “Your Majesty, these ladies are indeed beautiful, but they are not true beauties. A real beauty must meet three conditions: first, beauty; second, skill in singing and dancing; third, bearing. These ladies have beauty, but lack the other two conditions.”
Goujian asked: “Wife, please explain why?”
Zheng Dan lamented: “So, I’ve told you, if you like Doctor Fan, why don’t you tell him? If Doctor Fan also likes you, he might wait for you, and maybe you two could be together.”
“But, would he still want me then?” Xi Shi’s voice was very low.
“How would you know if you don’t ask?” Zheng Dan said.
Xi Shi sighed again. She dared not ask, how could she dare to ask? In the end, it was Zheng Dan who went to ask Fan Li.
Zheng Dan did this without hesitation, not just for Xi Shi, but for herself. Because she had a question in her heart for a long time, and she wanted to know the answer clearly.
“Doctor Fan,” Zheng Dan called to him.
