King Zhao of Yan was a famous king during the Warring States period. At the beginning of his reign, the country was in a state of war and the people were suffering. To this end, he built a high platform filled with Gold to recruit wise men from all directions. The poet Chen Zi’ang of the Tang Dynasty wrote a poem called “Song of Ascending to Youzhou Terrace”, which was an ode to King Zhaoge of Yan.
Under the management of King Zhaoge, the poor and weak state of Yan became prosperous and strong within a few years, and became one of the Seven Heroes of the Warring States. The story of King Zhaoge is particularly popular because of the strange story that he dived into monasticism and was moved by heaven to send fairies down to dance for him.
King Zhaoge had a minister named Gan, who was a monk and often told King Zhaoge stories about the immortals who climbed Mount Kunlun. He told King Zhaoge that he could become a god if he removed his hobbies and desires, refrained from committing lustful acts, and practiced the practice.
After King Zhaoge had practiced for a period of Time in accordance with Gan’s requirements, the immortal Gu Shouzi came to King Zhaoge’s palace on a white cloud and said to him, “The Queen Mother of the West will be coming, and she will see how you are doing and give you instructions on how to practice.”
A year later, the Queen Mother of the West did come to his palace, and she taught King Zhaoge the technique of drilling wood for fire and traveled with him in the Sui Forest. Since then, the Queen Mother of the West came to King Yan’s palace three more times to encourage him to improve his training.
The Strange Fate of Music and Dance
One day, the kingdom of Guangyan presented two very good dancers to King Zhao, one named Xuanjuan and the other named Timu, both of whom had white skin like white jade and danced with a light body and a strong fragrance. They were soft and quiet, walking without seeing their bodies, and not hungry for years, so they were really the only beauties since ancient times.
King Zhaoge of Yan respected them so much that he let them live in a tent of imperial standard and gave them Food for sacrifice to the gods.
One day, King Zhaoge of Yan went up to the “Chongxia Terrace” and invited the two women to perform a dance. When they came, a fragrant breeze hit them and they danced three dances.
The first dance is called “Haunting Dust”, which shows that their bodies are as light as the flying dust. The second section is called “set feather”, the dance is as gentle as a feather fluttering in the wind. The last section is called “Huai”, which shows that their limbs are slender and soft, as if they can easily be taken into the arms or put into the sleeves.
He waved the ribbon in his hand, and the two of them started to dance in the breeze attracted by the ribbon, while singing a beautiful song.
When King Zhaoge got excited, he ordered the female musicians in the palace to sing along with him. Although the musicians could also sing a clear and loud tune, it was a little less than what Xuanjuan and Timo sang themselves.
King Zhaoge decorated the mat with jade pieces and other treasures in the shape of clouds, lins and phoenixes, and burned “Huawu incense”. This “Hua Wu incense” came from Bo Yi country, and it was a very magical spice. “If it was applied to the necrotic bones, the muscles would grow back.
King Zhaoge arranged “Hua Wu Xiang” on the ground up to four or five inches thick, and then let the two women dance on the powder of “Hua Wu Xiang” for a whole day, the layer of powder did not leave any footprints at all, which shows how light their bodies are.
After some time, King Zhaoge waved his sleeve, signaling Xuanjuan and Timo to stop dancing and take a seat. King Zhaoge understood from then on that the two beauties were no ordinary people, so he gave them the “Chongxia Terrace” as their residence, prepared pillows and mats so that they could rest and sleep, and also sent guards to protect them.
Soon afterwards, King Zhaoge’s minister, Gan, who had completed his training and ascended to heaven, told King Zhaoge before he left that if he continued to have strong faith and a pure heart, he would be able to achieve his goal one day. Thirty-three years later, King Zhaoge died without any illness. However, his body was so soft after his death that the fragrance emanated from it filled the palace.
Afterwards, the people of Yan said that this was because King Zhaoge had the intention to cultivate and seek the way to become a god, so the heaven let the fairy take the form of a mortal and come down to meet with King Zhaoge to encourage him to improve his cultivation.
After King Yan Zhaoge had completed his training, Xuanjuan and Timo left, and no one knew where they were. A few years later, it was rumored that some people had seen the two fairies traveling around the Han River in the south, or at the riverside of Yishui and Luoshui.
-According to Wang Jia’s “Gleanings” of the Eastern Jin Dynasty
Recent Comments