Biographies of the Four Great Beauties of China Literature Color Shadow -- Diaochan

Author: Jinshan
Publisher:
Publication Date: 2001-05-01
Features: Diaochan is a mysterious and enchanting shadow, flickering amidst the of the Three Kingdoms. She is a celestial maiden from the Moon Palace, fair, alluring, and untainted by the world. Diaochan loves heroes, and she also draws the admiration of heroes: Dong Zhuo, Lü Bu, Cao Cao, Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Yuan Shu—these worldly figures and their schemes repeatedly disappoint her. In the end, she chooses the true hero—the sword. This is an eternal love myth that has been celebrated through the ages.
Even at her birth, a wandering nun predicted that she would encounter five saviors in her life but that her fate would be one of misfortune. She grew up in Muru Village, where she possessed the beauty that "shamed the moon" and "drove fish to the shore." However, a fire in Muru Village forced her onto the dusty road of a tumultuous life. Anfu Castle in Anding was her first refuge. The seemingly tranquil Anfu Castle seemed to foreshadow a life of peace, but unexpectedly, the alluring Ma Fuji, whom she served, attracted the attention of the ferocious Dong Zhuo. Ma Fuji rejected Dong Zhuo's advances, but this brought calamity upon her entire family. When the heads of the entire Anfu family fell to the ground, she once again embarked on a long and arduous journey in the midst of bloodshed.
The cold moon of the Eastern Capital, Luoyang, accompanied her as she entered the imperial palace. She was appointed to oversee the Diaochan Crown, hence the immortal name—Diaochan. Shortly after her arrival in the palace, a bloody incident broke out in the Changle Palace, triggered by a power struggle between the imperial relatives and eunuchs. Forced to flee to the Imperial Garden, she survived by drinking the dew of the Orchid tree, where she was discovered by Wang Yun, the Minister of State, who adopted her as his foster daughter.
After Dong Zhuo burned Luoyang to the ground and moved the capital to Chang'an, he became even more tyrannical, seducing the wives of others, devouring human flesh, and enforcing the rule of "those who obey prosper, while rebels perish." From high officials to common people, everyone lived in fear. Wang Yun cleverly employed the "Chain Scheme," first betrothing Diaochan to Lü Bu, then marrying her to Dong Zhuo. The gallant Lü Bu entered her life, and she began to believe that he was her true love. In the midst of extreme conflict and suffering, she unwillingly witnessed the scene of father and son, Dong Zhuo and Lü Bu, clashing in the Fengyi Pavilion, turning on each other in enmity. Lü Bu plotted to lure Dong Zhuo out of Meiwu and killed him to avenge his rival, seizing Diaochan. From then on, he wielded the Hefang Tianhuaji, rode the Red Dragon Horse, and roamed the world, becoming the epitome of elegance and charm throughout the Three Kingdoms era.
To win the breathtakingly beautiful Diaochan, the three great heroes of the Three Kingdoms—Cao Cao and Yuan Shu— . Lü Bu died under the chaotic swords of the heroes at White Gate Tower. Cao Cao, to sever the bond between the three sworn brothers, severed his own feelings for Diaochan and gave her to Liu Bei. To prevent the Chain Scheme from repeating, Guan Yu sent Diaochan to the Jingsi Nunnery, where she shaved her head and became a nun. Diaochan had exhausted herself and grown too weary from her constant maneuvering in the world of men. In the end, she took her own life with a sword, her shadow drifting into the moonlit sky, leaving behind a world that had given her both glory and humiliation.