Chapter 184

Song Dynasty.

Zhao Kuangyin sighed: "Using one woman to exchange for decades of peace, saving billions of military expenses, saving countless lives... this deal, worth it. Hmm, our Great Song in the future... cough cough."

He thought of the "Chanyuan Alliance" of later generations, although it was also a peace agreement, it was fought out, and the annual tribute was quite large, compared to Zhaojun's "one-book-ten-thousand-profit" marriage alliance, it seemed to be a bit worse.

He secretly made up his mind to strengthen the military, at least to have the confidence of the Han Dynasty for marriage alliance.

Qing Dynasty.

Qianlong lay on the couch, looking at Zhaojun's story, thinking of the many princesses and Gege who married into Mongolia in this dynasty, his mood was complex.

The Qing Dynasty's marriage alliance was a national policy, and there was a tradition of Manchu-Mongolian marriage, but like Zhaojun, who actively requested to go and had such a profound impact, it seemed there were not many.

"'Green Tomb'... 'Ninghu Yanshi'... hmm, I should order people to worship well." He ordered.

Wang Zhaojun's count raised the theme of the "Beauty List" from palace fighting and personal love to the grand height of the country and the world and ethnic integration, triggering deeper reflections on peace, sacrifice, diplomacy, and cultural integration.

The light of the Golden List flowed, and the atmosphere changed again.

This time, the scene switched from the vast grassland outside the fortress to the spiritual Jiangnan water town.

The mountains and rivers were beautiful, the misty rain was hazy, the Yeye Creek flowed, and the singing of young girls washing silk by the creek could be heard vaguely.

The atmosphere became fresh and slightly sad, and also hidden with a tension that was brewing a stormy sea in the calm.

【First place on the Beauty List: Xi Shi】

【Dynasty: Late Spring and Autumn Period (Yue State)】

【Title: Sinking Fish, Washing Silk Goddess, Xizi】

The moment the list appeared, the heavenly voice also became ethereal and misty, as if the creek was flowing, and also like the sigh of fate.

【Xi Shi, a name, tightly intertwined with the ultimate of "beauty", the peak of "strategy", and the fate of "tragedy".】

【She is the head of the "Four Great Beauties", enjoying the reputation of "Sinking Fish";

She is the earliest, most famous, and most successful "female spy" in Chinese history;

She is also a chaotic world beauty who could not help herself, using beauty as a weapon, but was finally bitten back by this weapon.】

【Her story is an epic tragedy intertwined with conspiracy and love, loyalty and betrayal, national restoration and destruction.】

On the left side of the Golden List, light and shadow condensed into that classic scene passed down through the ages:

By the clear Yeye Creek (Wansha Creek), a young girl dressed in simple kudzu clothes was washing silk threads on a stone by the creek.

She wore thorn hairpins and cloth skirts, without powder, but her eyebrows were like distant mountains, her eyes like autumn water, her skin better than snow, and her posture graceful.

When she bent down to scoop water, or looked up to wipe sweat, that peerless face was reflected in the mirror-like creek water.

The fish in the creek, originally leisurely, caught a glimpse of the reflection in the water, as if stunned by that shocking beauty, forgot to swim, and slowly sank to the bottom of the water.

This is the Heavenly Screen's interpretation of the "Sinking Fish" appearance, beautiful and pure, beautiful and unstained by dust, as if all the spiritual beauty of heaven and earth gathered in this woman.

However, this extremely pure beauty was about to be involved in the dirtiest and bloodiest political conspiracy.

【She was originally the daughter of an ordinary woodcutter under Zhuluo Mountain in Zhuji, Yue State, living with her mother, washing silk by Yeye Creek every day to subsidize the family.】

The scene showed the quiet life in Zhuluo Village, Xi Shi and her neighbor girl friends working and playing together, pure and beautiful.

【However, the clouds of war shrouded the Yue State. In 494 BC, in the Battle of Fujiao, King Goujian of Yue was defeated by King Fuchai of Wu, forced to be a slave in Wu, and suffered all kinds of humiliation.】

The scene switched, showing the tragedy of the Wu-Yue war, Goujian was defeated and surrounded, finally to protect the ancestral temple, endured humiliation and sought peace, took his wife, Fan Li and others to Wu as ministers and servants, drove horses for Fuchai, and even tasted his feces to show "loyalty".

This humiliating history buried the deepest seeds for the revenge that followed.

【Three years later, Goujian was released and returned to his country. He slept on brushwood and tasted gall, swearing revenge.

Grand Master Wen Zhong offered the "Nine Strategies to Crusade against Wu", the most important of which was "give him good beauty to confuse his ambition"—

Presenting peerless beauties to confuse the Wu King's mind and disrupt his government.】

The scene showed Goujian returning to his country, sleeping on firewood, tasting gall, and planning the revenge plan day and night with Wen Zhong, Fan Li and other important ministers.

【The heavy responsibility of executing the "Beauty Scheme" fell on Grand Master Fan Li. He was ordered to search for Yue State beauties.】

Fan Li's figure appeared in Zhuluo Village, by Yeye Creek, he saw Xi Shi who was washing silk, and another beauty Zheng Dan.

At that moment, Fan Li, who was well-informed, was also stunned, and then complex emotions surged in his heart—

There was both the surprise of discovering a "sharp weapon" and a bit of unbearable feeling of dragging such a pure woman into a conspiracy.

【Xi Shi and Zheng Dan were selected and brought to the capital of Yue State.】

The scene showed the moment of parting, Xi Shi and her mother hugged and cried, she was ignorant of where fate would point, only knowing that she had to "contribute" to the country.

The villagers saw them off, their expressions complex.

【Goujian built the "Beauty Palace" for the two, "decorated with Luo hubs, taught to walk, practiced in the earth city, and faced the city lanes", and conducted strict training for three years.】

【The scene flowed rapidly:

Learning palace etiquette, every frown and smile needed to meet aristocratic standards.

Bitterly practicing singing and dancing, especially training a kind of "Xiangji Dance", dancing on the "Xiangji Corridor" paved with pottery urns and covered with wooden boards, the sound of footsteps and the echo of pottery urns resonated, pleasant to the ear.

Learning charm and scheming, how to observe words and expressions, how to please the monarch, how to blow pillow talk.

Understanding the character relationships in the Wu palace, especially the personalities and contradictions of Fuchai, Wu Zixu, Bo Pi, etc.】

Three years of training carved two village girls into "national restoration weapons" with peerless beauty, superb skills, and deep scheming.

Xi Shi's eyes also gradually became deep and unpredictable from the initial pure ignorance, occasionally flashing a trace of vicissitudes and sorrow that did not match her age.

【After the training, Fan Li personally escorted Xi Shi and Zheng Dan to Wu State. Before leaving, perhaps in some unmanned corner, Fan Li and Xi Shi had a brief exchange, not recorded in history books, but left endless imagination for later generations.】

The Heavenly Screen presented a scene full of artistic blank space:

Farewell by the river, Fan Li and the gorgeously dressed Xi Shi looked at each other from afar, their eyes complex, wanting to speak but stopping.

Xi Shi looked at Fan Li deeply, turned and boarded the boat, never looking back.

Going there, it was a dragon's den and tiger's lair, life and death were unpredictable.

【Entering Wu Palace, seeing Fuchai.】

The scene came to the magnificent Wu King Palace.

When Xi Shi and Zheng Dan appeared before Fuchai, this Wu King, who was satisfied with his success and arrogant, was instantly conquered by Xi Shi's mix of peerless beauty, touching posture, and trained charm, and was amazed as a fairy!

Although Zheng Dan was beautiful, she was slightly inferior in Xi Shi's brilliance.

【Fuchai was overjoyed, doted on Xi Shi to the extreme, conferred her as a concubine (later generations called her Wu King Consort), and built large-scale construction for her.】

【The scene showed the extravagance of Wu State:

Built Guanwa Palace on Lingyan Mountain, copper structures and jade railings, decorated with pearls and jade, extremely luxurious.

Dug "Flower Playing Pond" and "Moon Washing Pond", exclusively for Xi Shi to play.

Built the famous "Xiangji Corridor", just to listen to the crisp sound of Xi Shi dancing in wooden clogs.

Also built "Spring Night Palace", singing and dancing with Xi Shi all night, ignoring state affairs.】