The Legend of Zhao Feiyan

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The Unofficial Biography of Zhao Feiyan

– Written by Ling Xuan, Commandant of Jiangdong during the Han Dynasty

. Zhao Feiyan, daughter of Feng Wanjin,
was the daughter of Feng Dali, a skilled musician who served as a court musician under the King of Jiangdu. Wanjin refused to inherit the family business, instead focusing on composing and playing music. He created elaborate and mournful pieces, calling his music "Vanity Music." Those who heard it were captivated. The princess of Gusu, granddaughter of the King of Jiangdu,
married Zhao Man, the Commandant of Jiangdu. Man favored Wanjin, but they ate separately and Wanjin was unable to satisfy her hunger. Wanjin then had an affair with the princess. The princess became pregnant, but Man was extremely jealous and had
a pre-existing illness, so he avoided women. The princess, fearing for her life, feigned illness and stayed in the palace. She gave birth to twins, who were given to Wanjin
. The elder was named Yizhu, and the younger Hede, both bearing the surname Zhao. Yizhu was intelligent from a young age, possessed a book on the principles of medicine from Peng Zu, and was skilled in qigong.
As , earning her the nickname "Flying Swallow." Hede was smooth and supple, never getting wet after bathing, and was skilled in music, her voice gentle and pleasing to the ear. Both were exceptionally beautiful.

After Wan Jin's death, the Feng family fell into ruin. Fei Yan and her younger siblings wandered to Chang'an, where they were known as Master Zhao, or some
said to be the other sons of Man. She lived in the same neighborhood as Zhao Lin, the head of the Yang'a household, and relied on him for patronage. She repeatedly embroidered and presented these works to Lin, who accepted them with shame. Living in Lin's household, she was called Lin's daughter. Lin
often had women serving in the palace, fell ill, and died. Fei Yan was sometimes referred to as the deceased. Fei Yan and her younger siblings served as servants in the Yang'a household, often secretly imitating
his singing and dancing , their thoughts becoming so intense that they would listen all day without eating. The servants were poor and extravagant, spending lavishly on cosmetics and bath products, their extravagance
causing others to consider them foolish.

Fei Yan met a bird hunter in her neighborhood. Being poor, Fei Yan shared a blanket with He De. One snowy night, they would meet the bird hunter near their hut. Fei Yan stood in the open,
holding her breath and calming her body, her fever subsiding. The bird hunter was amazed, believing her to be a deity. Feiyan was summoned to the palace by her master's influence. Her aunt,
Fan Yi, was a court official and knew of Feiyan's affair with the bird hunter, and was deeply troubled by it. When the emperor favored her, Feiyan closed her eyes tightly, tears
streaming down her face, trembling and refusing to greet him. The emperor embraced Feiyan, but could not take her in for three nights, showing no remorse. A concubine who was a favorite of the emperor casually asked her why, and the emperor
replied, "You are plump and graceful, seemingly boneless, hesitant and humble, neither too close nor too distant—you are a woman of propriety. How could you compare yourself to a maidservant
?" After their encounter, her body was covered in rouge. Fan Yi whispered to Feiyan, "Does the bird hunter not approach women?" Feiyan replied, "I have examined myself for
three days, and my flesh is full and firm. Your Majesty's body is strong and robust; you have hurt me greatly." From then on, Feiyan was a favorite in the harem and was given the title Empress Zhao.

The emperor resided in the side room of the Mandarin Duck Palace and reviewed the imperial records. Yi② submitted a memorial to the emperor, and then Yi② suggested, "Feiyan has a younger sister named Hede, who is beautiful, has a
pure and trustworthy character, and is not comparable to Feiyan." The emperor immediately ordered his attendant Lü Yanfu to fetch Hede in a carriage adorned with phoenix feathers and precious jewels. Hede thanked him, saying,
"I dare not go without my sister's summons; I am willing to behead myself to report to the palace." Yanfu returned and reported this to the emperor. Yi② obtained the document for the emperor. Later, he
used a five-colored brocade scroll as a talisman to summon Hede. Hede had just bathed and applied nine times the amount of agarwood incense. She styled her hair into curls, calling it a "new bun"; her eyebrows into thin brows, calling them "distant mountain eyebrows"
; and she applied a touch of rouge, calling it a "lazy makeup." She wore an old short embroidered skirt with small sleeves and socks with white patterns. The emperor went to the Yunguang Hall, and the attendant Fan Yi② presented Hede. Hede
thanked him, saying, "My sister is cruel and jealous, and it is not difficult for her to destroy my kindness. I do not want to die for this shame, but if not for my sister's teaching, I would gladly exchange my body for this shame, without expecting to return immediately.
" Her voice was pleasant and clear, and those around her praised her. The emperor then returned Hede to the palace.

During the reign of Emperor Xuan, a scholar named Nao Fangcheng, with white hair, taught in the palace and was known as Lady Nao. She spat at the Emperor and Empress, saying, "This is a source of trouble;
she will surely be
extinguished!" The Emperor, following Fan Yi's advice, built a separate pavilion for the Empress, bestowing upon her a purple cloud-patterned canopy, a jade table, and a nine-tiered gold brocade border. Yi then subtly advised the Empress, "Your Majesty has long been childless; do you not consider the long-term future of the palace? Why not frequently offer your prayers for a son?" The Empress
, heeding Yi's advice, offered He De that night. The Emperor was greatly pleased, finding her body exquisite and alluring, calling it a "land of gentle pleasures." She said to Yi, "I am
old in this land; I cannot emulate Emperor Wu's pursuit of a land of white clouds." Yi shouted "Long live the Emperor!" and congratulated her, saying, "Your Majesty has truly attained immortality." The Emperor immediately
bestowed upon Yi ten thousand gold pieces and twenty-four bolts of brocade. He De was especially favored and given the title of Consort Zhao. After the affair, Consort Zhao often bowed to her son. Later
, while sitting with Consort Jieyu, the Empress accidentally spat on Consort Jieyu's sleeve. Consort Jieyu said, "Sister, your spittle stains my dark blue sleeve, just like the 'flower on a stone.
' Even if the Imperial Workshop were to make it, it might not be as splendid as this garment, making it a 'stone flower wide sleeve.'" Later, while residing in the Yuantiao Pavilion, the Empress had many affairs with palace servants and men with many children. Consort Jieyu wholeheartedly
protected them, often saying to the Emperor, "Sister, you are strong-willed. If someone were to frame you, the Zhao family would be without
descendants." She would often weep bitterly, and thus, anyone who revealed the Empress's illicit affairs was executed by the Emperor. The palace servants, including Xianku Yunxiang, lived freely and unrestrainedly in the Yuantiao Pavilion, and no one dared to speak out. The Empress ultimately had no children.
The Empress bathed in a bath of five essences and seven fragrances, sat on a seat of fragrant agarwood, and burned a hundred essences of incense. Consort Jieyu bathed in a bath of cardamom and applied a hundred-flower powder. The Emperor
once privately told Fan Yi, "Although the Empress has a unique fragrance, it is not as naturally fragrant as Consort Jieyu's."

Li Yanghua, a former concubine of the Prince of Jiangdu, had a aunt who was the wife of Feng Dali. Yang Hua married into the Feng family, and later his siblings served Yang Hua as their mother. Yang Hua was skilled in adornment
and often taught the Empress to use nine times agarwood and musk in her navel to infuse her with internal energy. The Consort also infused her with internal energy, but after frequent testing, it was found that her
menstrual flow became increasingly thin, especially for women. One day, the Empress spoke of this to Shangguan Wu, the official in charge of medicine at the Chengguang Palace. Wu replied, "If this is the case, how can you have a child?" She instructed the Empress
to boil beautiful flowers and wash them with the infusion, but it was ineffective. The Zhenla barbarians presented a ten-thousand-year-old clam and a "night-shining pearl," whose radiance was like the moon, illuminating all who were beautiful or
ugly. The Emperor bestowed the clam upon the Empress and the pearl upon the Consort. The Empress adorned herself with a five-tiered golden curtain made of clam shells, and within the curtain, she always appeared as if under a full moon. After a long time, the Emperor said to
the Consort, "When I see the Empress during the day, she is not as beautiful as when I see her at night; every morning she makes me feel as if I have lost something." Upon hearing this, the Consort named the pearl
"The Night-Shining Pearl Before the Pillow" as a birthday gift for the Empress, and never became an empress. The Emperor then increased her rank. The Lady Consort presented a memorial, saying: "Heaven and earth
are in harmony, and the noble lady and I are overjoyed to ascend to the rightful position, bringing immense happiness to our ancestors. I respectfully present these twenty-six items as congratulations:
a gold-embroidered carpet, a bowl of agarwood lotus-heart incense, a plate of five-colored concentric knots, a bolt of brocade
adorned with mandarin ducks and gold, a glass screen, a pillow with a night-lasting pearl, a green-furred scented cat-shaped mat, a sandalwood elephant-shaped incense holder made of tiger skin, two dragon-shaped incense sticks holding fish,
a single lotus-shaped ornament, a seven-petaled mirror, four gold reed rings, a crimson silk robe, three pieces of scented silk handkerchiefs,
a jar of seven-colored rouge, three purple-gold bedding and incense burners, two pairs of rhinoceros horn chopsticks for warding off poison, and a jade ointment box." She then had her maid,
Guo Yuqiong, present the items. In return, she presented a five-colored brocade curtain and a jade incense burner. Consort Jieyu wept and complained to the Emperor, "If not for my sister's gift, I would never have known
of this vessel." The Emperor thanked her and ordered that Yizhou retain tribute for three years to make a seven-tiered brocade curtain for Consort Jieyu, decorated with agarwood.

Consort Jieyu received the Emperor at Taiye Pond, where a thousand-person boat was built, named the "Boat of the Whole Palace." In the middle of the pond, Yingzhou was built, with a pavilion forty feet high. The Emperor
wore a seamless robe with flowing waves and patterns, while the Empress wore a purple skirt of cloud-patterned silk, a tribute from Nanyue, and light blue silk. On the spacious pavilion, the Empress sang and danced the "Returning Wind Sending Away Distant Things
" song. The Emperor struck a jade bowl with a rhinoceros horn hairpin and ordered the Empress's favorite attendant, Feng Wufang, to play the sheng (a type of reed pipe), leaning against the Empress as she sang in the middle of the stream. As the song reached its climax, a strong wind arose, and the Empress followed
the , her voice rising. Wufang inhaled deeply, his delicate breath echoing hers. The Empress, clinging to her thigh, said, "Look at me, look at me!" The Empress raised her sleeve and said, "A fairy,
a fairy! Leaving the old for the new, how could I forget?" The Emperor said, "Wufang, hold the Empress's shoes for me!" Wufang put down his reed pipe and held the Empress's shoes. After a long while,
the wind cleared, and the Empress wept, saying, "The Emperor's favor has allowed me to ascend to immortality without waiting." She sighed sadly, tears streaming down her face. The Emperor, even more ashamed and loving towards the Empress, bestowed upon her
countless gifts and allowed her to enter his chambers. Later, the palace maids who were favored wore skirts made of pleated fabric, called "Fairy-Retaining Skirts."

The Consorts became increasingly favored, receiving the title of Zhaoyi, and sought access to the nearby and distant pavilions. The Emperor built the residences for the Lesser Consorts, consisting of the Dew-Blooming Hall, the Breeze-Containing Hall, the Bochang Hall, and the Seeking Peace
Hall, all as front halls; the rear halls included the Warm Chamber, the Condensing Jar Chamber, and the Orchid Bathing Chamber, with winding corridors and connecting railings, decorated with gold and white jade, and with jade discs
inside and out, displaying countless variations, connecting to the distant pavilions, called the Gate to Immortality.

Later, favored by the emperor, she became increasingly dissolute, sending people to seek out sorcerers and methods to prolong life and avoid aging. At that time, a barbarian from the southwest, known as the "Barbarian of the South," sent tribute. His envoy ate only
one meal a day and did not sleep day or night. The emperor, through his vassal state, reported this, noting that strange phenomena frequently occurred. The emperor, hearing of this, asked about his methods. The barbarian replied, "My
methods bring the heavens and earth into balance, life and death into equality, the ability to enter and exit existence and non-existence, and the ability to transform all phenomena without ever changing them." The emperor then ordered Fan Yi's disciple, Bu Zhou, to give him a thousand gold pieces.
The barbarian said, "Those who learn my methods must not be licentious or speak falsehoods." The emperor then did not reply. Another day, Fan Yi served the emperor during her bath, and they spoke very happily.
The emperor then told Fan Yi about the barbarian's words. Yi clapped her hands and laughed, saying, "I remember when we were in Jiangdu, Yanghua Li Gu kept fighting ducks by the pond, but otters were biting them
. At that time, a woman named Rui from Zhuli asked to catch an otter. The woman said to Li Gu, 'This otter doesn't eat anything else, so feed it ducks.' Li Gu got angry and strangled
the otter. Now, the barbarians' tricks are just like this." The Empress laughed loudly and said, "How can those stinking barbarians sully my strangulation!"

The palace maid Yan Qifeng, whom the Empress had been intimate with, was agile and could surpass the beauty of the pavilion, and was also intimate with the Zhaoyi. Chifeng first came from the Shaopin Pavilion, and the Empress happened to come to visit on the fifth day
of the tenth month custom, the emperor went to the Ling'an Temple. On that day, the xun (a type of ancient Chinese wind instrument) was played and the drums were beaten. People sang, arm in arm, stamping their feet, singing the song of Chifeng's arrival. The Empress then
asked Consort Zhao, "For whom has the red phoenix come?" Consort Zhao replied, "The red phoenix comes for my elder sister; how could it be for someone else?" The Empress, enraged, struck Consort Zhao's skirt with a cup,
saying, "Can a rat bite a person?" Consort Zhao replied, "Wearing her clothes, seeing her private parts is enough; how could it bite a person?" Consort Zhao, who had always been humble
before the Empress, was not expecting such a violent response and stared at her without speaking further. Fan Yi② removed his hairpin, kowtowed until his head bled, and helped Consort Zhao to pay her respects to the Empress. Consort Zhao bowed,
then wept, saying, "Sister, have you forgotten the long nights we shared, the bitter cold keeping you awake, causing He Deyong to turn her back on you? Today you have gained high rank, surpassing everyone else,
and have no external threats. How can my brother and I bear to fight each other internally?" The Empress also wept, took Consort Zhao's hand, and took out a purple jade nine-pronged hairpin to adorn Consort Zhao's hair
before stopping. The Emperor overheard this, but fearing the Empress, he dared not ask, instead inquiring of Consort Zhao. Consort Zhao said, "The Empress is jealous of me. Because of the fire element of the Han dynasty, she has made the Emperor
a red dragon and phoenix." The Emperor believed her and was greatly pleased.

The Emperor once went hunting early in the morning and fell ill from the snow. His genitals became weak and unable to function properly. Whenever he held Consort Zhao's feet, he could not resist his desire and would suddenly become aroused. Consort Zhao would often
turn away , so the Emperor could not hold her feet for long. Fan Yi said to Consort Zhao, "The Emperor takes the great elixir of immortality from the alchemists, but cannot obtain it
. Now he has the feet of a noble lady, and holding them makes him feel aroused. This is a great blessing bestowed upon you by Heaven. Why don't you turn away so that the Emperor can have his way?" Consort Zhao replied, "Fortunately, turning away prevents him from having his way, so that he can still retain
his desire . If you teach the Emperor to hold her feet as you would,

he will be tired of them and leave. How can he still have his way?" Later, she became arrogant and spoiled. When she was slightly ill, she would not eat or drink on her own, and the Emperor had to hold her spoon and chopsticks. If the medicine was bitter, she would not swallow it unless the Emperor held it in her mouth and spat it out.

One night, Consort Zhao entered the bathing chamber. Her skin and hair were so bright that they shone brightly and dazzled the lamplight. The Emperor secretly watched her from behind the curtain, and a maidservant told Consort Zhao. Consort Zhao looked at her towel and told the candlelight to
be turned off. Another day, the Emperor promised to give the maidservant gold, but told her not to tell anyone. The maidservant was unaware of the agreement and came out of the curtain to meet the Emperor. She immediately went in and told Consort Zhao.
Consort Zhaoyi abruptly withdrew from the palace. From then on, the Emperor secretly spied on Consort Zhaoyi from behind the curtains of the Orchid Chamber, often concealing gold in his sleeves. Whenever he encountered a maidservant or servant, he would seize her and bestow upon her. The maidservants, greedy for
the Emperor's gold, would take it from him without ceasing. The Emperor

then ordered that over a hundred more gold pieces be taken from the treasury at night. The Emperor's illness gradually weakened, and the imperial physicians, despite their best efforts, could not save him. Seeking a rare medicine, they obtained a rare medicine called "Shenxu" (a type of medicinal glue) and gave it to Consort Zhaoyi. Consort Zhaoyi would then give it to the Emperor, one pill for each time
. One night, Consort Zhaoyi, drunk, took seven pills. The Emperor, in a daze, embraced Consort Zhaoyi in the Nine-Tiered Tent, laughing and chuckling
incessantly . At dawn, the Emperor rose to put on his robe, and his seminal fluid gushed out uncontrollably. After a while, he collapsed. Looking at the Emperor, he saw the remaining semen gushing out, staining the bedding.
Shortly after, the Emperor died. The palace maids reported this to the Empress Dowager. The Empress Dowager ordered Consort Zhaoyi to be dealt with. Consort Zhaoyi said, "I have treated the Emperor like an infant, and my favor is unparalleled. How can I restrain myself from interfering in
matters of the inner palace?" She then pounded her chest and cried out, "Where is the Emperor going?" She then vomited blood and died.

---
Ling Xuan's Autobiography: Ling Xuan, courtesy name Ziyu, was a native of Lushui. He was learned in all fields, a connoisseur of music, and skilled in writing. He was simple and straightforward, valuing authenticity and lacking
arrogance. Only Yang Xiong truly understood him. However, Yang Xiong was greedy for fame and pretentious, so Ziyu declined to associate with him, which deeply angered Yang Xiong. Ziyu rose through the ranks from a minor official under the Minister of Works,
serving in three different offices, as governor of prefectures and counties, and finally as the Chancellor of Huainan, where he gained considerable charm. During the reign of Emperor Ai, Ziyu retired in his old age and bought a concubine, Fan Tongde. Tongde
was the daughter of Buzhou, a disciple of Yi②. She was talented and beautiful, knowledgeable in literature, and admired Sima Qian's *Records of the Grand Historian*. She was quite capable of recounting the story of Zhao Feiyan and her brother.
Ziyu, in his leisure time, would speak eloquently and tirelessly. Ziyu said to Tongde, “These people are all gone now. They exhausted their energy indulging in
the allure of desires and temptations. Who knew they would end up as barren fields and overgrown weeds?” Tongde pulled at his sleeve, looked at the lamplight, clutched his hair, and wept bitterly,
overwhelmed with grief. Ziyu did the same. Tongde then presented Ziyu with a memorial, saying, “Indulging in lust is something only a wise man can do. Wisdom leads to understanding, understanding
leads to excess, and excess, if unchecked, will transform everything into ravines and chasms, going everywhere. The principles of propriety and morality cannot stop its flow.
Only by being aware of the sudden changes of rise and fall can one prevent its destruction. Now, what I have told you about the Zhao sisters and their affairs is the height of their glory; Your Majesty’s
sorrow at the desolation of barren fields and overgrown weeds is the height of your grief. I, your servant, have realized that glory cannot be retained, and decline cannot be avoided. In an instant
, everything is fleeting. Even a concubine would not be able to bear hearing this. I hope Your Majesty will write a biography of them, and that I will take up my inkstone and write down what I have recorded.” Thus, the “
Separate Biography of Zhao Empress” was written. Ziyu was appointed Commandant of Hedong; Ban Zhu was appointed Advisor, and both gained favor with the Prefect, receiving many bribes. Ziyu summoned Zhu, enumerated
his crimes and humiliated him. Zhu's cousin, Zibiao, continued Sima Qian's *Records of the Grand Historian*,

but dismissed Ziyu, not including him in the work.
[Old Cat's Note]: The University of Minnesota East Asian Library holds two cases containing ten volumes of *Gu's Literary Works*, volume six of which includes
*The Unofficial Biography of Zhao Feiyan*. While searching for books in the snow, I hastily compiled this work and uploaded it online. This work, traditionally attributed to Han Lingxuan, is widely considered a forgery by later scholars
. For example, Chen Zhensun's *Zhizhai Shulu Jieti* (Explanations of the Zhizhai Book Catalogue) in the "Biography" category already questioned its authenticity, and the *
Siku Quanshu Zongmu Tiyao* (General Catalogue of the Complete Library of the Four Treasuries) echoed this view and provided a detailed critique. It briefly states that the Han dynasty's theory of the element of fire was a later addition, which Sima Guang failed to recognize, directly incorporating Nao Fangcheng's
phrase "the extinguishing of fire by the calamity" into the *Zizhi Tongjian* (Comprehensive Mirror for Aid in Government). Furthermore, the *Waizhuan* (External Biography) is described as "delicate and unrefined, unlike the language of the Western Han dynasty."
Lu Xun's A Brief History of Chinese Fiction* states that it was "probably written by someone from the Tang or Song dynasty," while Robert van Gulik's *A Study of Ancient Chinese Romantic Scenes*
identifies it as a Tang dynasty tale. Shioya Atsushi's *An Outline of Chinese Fiction* suggests it likely originated in the Six Dynasties period. The *Book of Han,
Biographies of Imperial Relatives* states: "(Feiyan) was originally a palace maid in Chang'an
. When she was born, her parents refused to raise her, but she did not die after three days, so they adopted her. When she grew up, she belonged to the household of Princess Yang'a, where she learned singing and dancing, and was known as Feiyan. Emperor Cheng once traveled incognito and passed by Princess Yang'a. He hosted a banquet for her, and upon seeing Feiyan, he was delighted
. She entered the palace and became a great favorite. A female disciple was also summoned to the palace, and both became concubines, their favor surpassing that of the harem..." During the Six Dynasties and Tang Dynasty, poets frequently incorporated the story
of Feiyan into their poems, such as Emperor Yuan of Liang's "How can one speak of Feiyan's favor, when jade shines on the Green Terrace?" Li Bai's "Riding the Jade Carriage in Heaven,
Feiyan is with you," and "May I ask who in the Han Palace could compare? Pitifully, Feiyan leans on her new makeup." Li Shangyin's "Lament" states: "
In the Liang family's residence, a Qin palace maid; in the Zhao Queen's tower, a red phoenix comes." Terms like "gentle land" and "careful consideration" have also become classical allusions. Furthermore,
the *Longwei Secret Manual* in the imperial library contains a work titled *The Story of Feiyan*, the author of which is unknown. The Song Dynasty tale *The Unofficial Biography of Zhao Feiyan* by Qin Chun,
published in *Qing Suo Gao Yi*, has been criticized by later generations for its "clumsy and inferior writing." The Taiwanese
series includes *Zhao Yang Qu Shi*, which is essentially an elaboration of *The Unofficial Biography of Zhao Feiyan*, and its writing style and intent are inferior.
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[Notes]

① **脉 (mài):** Originally written as [月瓜 (yuè guā)]. Ancient people believed that harmonious sexual relations could regulate circulation, hence the term "脉
" (mài). For further explanation, see Robert van Gulik's *The Sexual Practices of Ancient China*.
② **懿 (yì):** Originally written as [女＋上医下心 (nǚ yī xià xīn)]. This is a homophone substitution.
③ **亦 (yì):** Originally written as [上亦下巾 (shàng yì xià jīn)]. Meaning a small tent. Here
, it's a homophone borrowing. ④ **视 (shì):** Originally written as [目示 (mù shì)]. A variant of the character 视.
⑤ **筘 (kǒu):** Originally written as [弓区 (gōng qū)]. Pronounced k.

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