Classical Romance of Diao Chan's Love Affairs

Chapter One: Concerned about the nation
, she poured out her heart by the Peony Pavilion, her delicate hands burning
incense to pray to Heaven and Earth. She only prayed for a temporary extension of the Han dynasty's rule; the honor and disgrace of her own family were of no concern.
These words suddenly startled the Minister of Works; what maidservant could possess such lofty aspirations?
Heroes and chivalrous men forgot their pride; what harm was there in discussing the affairs of the nation?
Indeed, her beauty surpassed a thousand armies; a fine carriage and jeweled horses welcomed the young lord.
From then on, a clever scheme was devised, and she strategized to achieve extraordinary feats. Having achieved
extraordinary feats, the one who usurped the throne was granted a name that would be immortalized for eternity.
She still remembered the time when powerful and treacherous officials were domineering, and loyal ministers and righteous men were all helpless.
She devised a plan to save the nation
, relying on her beauty; she asked the men if they felt ashamed. The story of the Han dynasty begins with Emperor Gaozu's uprising that unified China. The dynasty lasted for over two hundred years until it was usurped by the powerful eunuch Wang Mang. Fortunately, Emperor Guangwu rose up in Nanyang, revived the Han dynasty, and established his capital in Luoyang, thus beginning the Eastern Han dynasty. Emperor
Guangwu learned from the mistakes of the Western Han dynasty and strictly prohibited powerful relatives from holding power, but eunuchs seized the opportunity to manipulate the government. During the reign of Emperor Ling, the power of the eunuchs grew daily, leaving the emperor isolated and controlled by his household servants.
He Jin, the emperor's uncle, sought to eliminate the eunuchs, rashly summoning troops from outside the capital to assassinate Dong Zhuo. Dong Zhuo seized power, deposed Emperor Ling, and installed the Prince of Chenliu as Emperor Xian.
After the deposition, Dong Zhuo, seeing the officials trembling in fear and daring not to challenge him, secretly harbored rebellious intentions and forced Emperor Xian to move
the capital to Chang'an. Dong Zhuo then became Chancellor, calling himself "Shangfu" (a title of high rank). He usurped the emperor's ceremonial regalia. All members of the Dong clan, regardless of age, were enfeoffed as marquises. He conscripted 250,000 laborers to build the Mei Fortress, its size and height matching that of Chang'an. Palaces and warehouses were built inside, grain was stored, and 800 beautiful women from the common people were chosen to fill it. Gold, jade, and precious jewels were piled up like mountains, incalculable.
His entire family resided within. When Dong Zhuo moved about, all officials had to prostrate themselves to greet him, and Emperor Xian was completely subservient, daring not to object.
Dong Zhuo, wanting to intimidate his officials, once set up a tent by the roadside and held a banquet with them. Several hundred surrendered soldiers from the north, brought in as tribute, were immediately brought before him. Some had their hands and feet severed, others their eyes gouged out, and still others were boiled in large cauldrons. Their cries of agony were deafening, and the officials trembled with fear, while Dong Zhuo remained calm and composed.
After several rounds of drinks, his adopted son, Lü Bu, entered the tent and whispered a few words in Dong Zhuo's ear. Dong Zhuo then immediately ordered Lü Bu to seize and behead Zhang Wen, the Minister of Works, at the banquet. The officials turned pale,
utterly terrified. Dong Zhuo laughed, "Just now, my son Lü Fengxian said that Zhang Wen was colluding with Yuan Shu and plotting a rebellion, so I eliminated him. This has nothing to do with you gentlemen, so there's no need to be alarmed." The officials nodded in agreement and dispersed.
Dong Zhuo had troops from Xiliang who had accompanied him, protecting him as he went in and out. He wanted to reward them but feared he had no legitimate reason to do so. At dawn, he led his troops out of the city to a place dozens of miles away, where he beheaded all the honest villagers, young and old, and plundered their wealth and children. He then loaded them onto carts and carried them back, displaying their heads on the cart shafts. He then returned to the city with fanfare, claiming it was a triumphant return from killing the bandits, and used this as an opportunity to reward his troops. He did this repeatedly.
The villages near Chang'an were almost completely wiped out; blood filled the ditches, and corpses piled up like mountains—a truly horrific sight. The court officials were too busy protecting themselves to dare utter a word.
Only Minister Wang Yun, seeing this situation, secretly vehemently condemned it. He returned to his private chamber, sat alone, and wept bitterly, sighing, "I see that Dong Zhuo's actions are no different from those of a bandit. His killing of ministers is merely to intimidate the court officials and to annihilate the people, all in an attempt to incite chaos and fulfill his desire for usurpation. It is a pity that the four hundred years of the Han dynasty have been completely destroyed by this treacherous villain. What have those common people done to deserve such torment? I, Wang Yun, am filled with loyalty and righteousness, yet I am powerless to eliminate this traitor. I can only watch as he wields his power and commits tyranny, causing suffering to the people and the collapse of the dynasty. I have no way to remedy the situation. I am unworthy to be a minister, shamelessly serving in the court. How can I not feel ashamed?"
Wang Yun muttered to himself for a while. As night fell, his servants lit lamps and served dinner. Wang Yun ate a bite hastily, his mind heavy with thoughts, and then wandered out of his study alone. With his hands behind his back and head bowed, he racked his brains, searching for a brilliant plan to eliminate Dong Zhuo and save the country and its people. He pondered and pondered, but found no solution, and his heart grew increasingly troubled. He strolled aimlessly, unknowingly wandering into the back garden.
It was now deep and quiet, and the flowers and trees in the garden, reflecting the starlight and moonlight, their intertwined branches casting shadows on the ground, swaying wildly in the wind.
Seeing this scene, and witnessing the somber, gloomy night, Wang Yun's sorrow was further agitated; he didn't know what to do. After a long while, due to excessive thinking, he suddenly felt dizzy and almost lost his footing. Fortunately, there was a rose trellis nearby, which he used to prop himself up. He took two steps forward and leaned against the trellis to avoid falling.
After a long while, his spirits returned, and he slowly opened his eyes, looking around. He thought he saw a spark of light on the Peony Pavilion to the side, and faintly heard a long sigh.
Wang Yun was greatly suspicious. "It's late at night, and everyone in the house is asleep. What's with this sighing sound? Could it be a theft? I must investigate."
He tiptoed closer to the Peony Pavilion and looked closely. He saw a maidservant burning incense and praying to Heaven and Earth.
Who was burning incense and praying to Heaven and Earth? We'll find out later.
Chapter Two: Burning Incense to Heaven.
Wang Yun was a strict ruler. During the day, he forbade his family members and maidservants from entering the back garden without permission. Suddenly, he heard a long sigh, which sounded like whispering. Startled, he suspected a theft and tiptoed to investigate.
When he reached the Peony Pavilion, he saw only moonlight and no one around. In the center of the pavilion was an incense table with a golden censer on it. The incense smoke rose softly, but there was no sound or sign of anyone.
Wang Yun was filled with doubt, thinking, "I clearly saw the firelight and heard voices just now, but now they've vanished without a trace. This incense table and censer were used by my wife when she was alive. Since her death, who has come to burn incense here? Could it be that I am about to suffer a great calamity, and
my wife, in the unseen realm, already knows this and is therefore very anxious, coming to show herself?"
Filled with suspicion, he looked carefully into the pavilion and saw a person prostrating themselves under the incense table, bowing and praying softly.
Wang Yun was greatly puzzled, asking, "Who is this person? Why is she burning incense and praying here in the dead of night?
" Because he was outside the pavilion and in his haste, he couldn't see clearly, so he quietly approached the railing and looked down. He then realized it was his maid, Diao Chan.
Diao Chan was originally from the south. She lost her father at a young age and came to Wang Yun's household to serve with her widowed mother. When she was twelve, her mother died of an epidemic.
Wang Yun's wife, pitying his lonely and destitute state, took Diao Chan into her care and raised her to adulthood. Lady Wang, already saddened by the absence of children, now treated Diao Chan like her own daughter, teaching her needlework. Diao Chan was not only beautiful but also exceptionally intelligent, learning everything quickly and mastering it in no time.
Lady Wang was overjoyed and also taught her to read and write. Diao Chan loved reading, especially her natural inclination, reciting texts day and night, never venturing out to play. Not only did Lady Wang cherish her, but Wang Yun was also immensely pleased.
When Diao Chan reached the age of sixteen, she had blossomed into a slender and graceful woman, with bright eyes, white teeth, a fair face, and red lips—truly a beauty of unparalleled grace and charm, a celestial being, a natural beauty beyond compare.
Lady Wang, having not borne any children since her marriage, repeatedly urged Wang Yun to take a concubine, but he refused.
Seeing Diao Chan's beauty, having raised her herself, and possessing exceptional talent and gentle nature,
the Lady Wang considered taking her as a concubine. With this in mind, she doted on Diao Chan even more.
Diao Chan, intelligent by nature, had already anticipated the Lady's intentions and served her with even greater devotion. However, the Lady fell seriously ill last year, and Diao Chan, overwhelmed with grief, fainted several times from crying.
Wang Yun deeply admired her and cherished her even more. But witnessing the decline of the court and dedicating himself to serving the country, he did not wish to remarry, nor would he take another concubine, Teng, to avoid implicating others. He ordered Diao Chan to observe mourning and attend to the Lady's spirit, intending to adopt her as a goddaughter, but due to pressing matters, he had not yet had the opportunity to speak openly. Now, seeing Diao Chan burning incense and praying to Heaven and Earth late at night at the Peony Pavilion, he was greatly surprised, wondering if Diao Chan was moved by the sight of plum blossoms and thus prayed to Heaven and Earth, hoping to find a good husband. He listened intently to her words.
After Diao Chan finished her prayer, she addressed the heavens and said: "Your humble servant Diao Chan respectfully beseeches the gods and spirits of Heaven and Earth: My master is deeply troubled by Dong Zhuo's chaos and the impending collapse of the Han dynasty. He is old and powerless, unable to restore order, and is anxious day and night, his hair turning white with worry. I humbly beseech Heaven to consider my master's loyalty to the country and to hasten the death of Dong Zhuo, thus securing peace for the Han dynasty.
Though I am but a lowly servant, I know how to serve my master faithfully. If my master commands me, I will gladly face fire and water, even to the point of being shattered to pieces. I only pray that Heaven will witness this sincerity and swiftly destroy Dong Zhuo, freeing my master from his anxieties. I would be eternally grateful."
Having finished her prayer, she repeatedly kowtowed and prostrated herself on the ground.
Wang Yun, deeply moved by Diao Chan's blessing, said, "I never expected such a lowly maid to care so deeply for the emperor and the country, displaying such loyalty. It is truly rare. Could it be that Heaven has not abandoned the Han dynasty, and that this woman should be the one to eliminate Dong Zhuo and ensure the continuation of the dynasty? But Dong Zhuo is a high-ranking official, heavily guarded whenever he goes out, and his adopted son Lü Bu follows him closely, capable of fighting ten thousand men, protecting him day and night. Diao Chan, a frail woman, though possessing the ambition of Zhuan Zhu and the loyalty of Yu Rang, what can she possibly do?"
He pondered for a moment, then said, "Regardless of the circumstances, this woman..." With such loyalty, and a willingness to serve her master, even unto death or destruction, she would likely be trusted to discuss state affairs with him without revealing them. Perhaps Heaven, unable to bear the extinction of the Liu clan and the suffering of the people, has allowed this woman to succeed; who knows?
He was about to summon Diao Chan to discuss the matter when he suddenly changed his mind, saying, "I have no plan at the moment, so I shouldn't disturb her. I'll devise a plan first, and then discuss it with her." Wang
Yun made up his mind not to disturb Diao Chan; he returned to his chambers to devise a plan.
What ingenious plan Wang Yun had remains to be seen; we shall find out in the following chapters. (Note:
Works divided into chapters should be marked in blue. — Tail-Walking Martian Commentary)

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