A Story about Xishi

By Dale,Mona,Zack and John

Historical background

About 2500 years ago, during China's Spring and Autumn Period, the King of Yue was imprisoned¹ after being defeated by the State of Wu, making Yue a dependent state.

Secretly planing revenge, Yue officials began to train beautiful women in order to seduce² the King of Wu. Xishi, a legendary³ beauty of ancient China, was one of them.

Act 1, Role: Fanli (Shaobo), Xishi. Place: Palace of the state of Yue.

Xishi: What a quiet night! I never have enjoyed such a quiet night. like there are only you and me in the night. The rain just now feels so comfortable, the air smells faintly like something hard to tell. Shaobo, look, the light in the water, it looks like …Fanli: Like the vision in the dream!

Xishi: Like everything stills!

Fanli: Yes, everything stills. The night stills, the moon stills, the lantern, the swing, you and me, all still.

Xishi: The weather has really become cold. (Fanli put a coat on Xishi). Shaobo, will you miss me after I leave for Gusu(Now Suzhou City)?

Fanli: Yes, I have been missing you before you leave!

Xishi: Really?

Fanli: Yes!

Xishi: Sometimes I wonder, if you didn’t go to the South three years ago, and meet me beside the West Lake, could we have known each other? If we don’t, could we meet in the future at somewhere else?

Fanli: I believe we could! It is our destiny to meet each other this life.

Xishi: Are you sure?

Fanli: Of course! I can’t imagine, how empty our life would become if we didn’t meet at the West Lake? Well, even if we didn’t meet each other beside the West Lake, I belive we would meet each other in Zhuji ten years later; and if we don’t meet in Zhuji, we would meet in Gusu twenty years or thirty years later. Anyway, it’s our destiny to meet each other, this life!

Xishi: But, in that case, we will be old then when we encounter! What fun would be left?

Fanli: Being old is also a beautiful thing!

Xishi: Shaobo, look, the meteor!

Fanli: What a beautiful fabric⁴! Where you get it?

Xishi: I made last night! It’s beautiful on you! It’s becoming cold. You must take care of yourself after I leave.

Act 2, Roles: Goujian , Xishi, Fanli. Place: Palace of the state of YueGoujian: What are you doing here?

Fanli \Xishi: Majesty⁵!

Fanli: We want to have a look at our country for the last time!

Goujian: Please don’t call me Majesty any more, tomorrow, I will be a slave of Fuchai and serve him for the rest of my life.

Fanli: You are the king of Yue Country forever, you are our Majesty forever and the people of Yue will always be loyal to you.

Goujian: Thank you, Fanli, you are my best chancellor⁶. I appreciate your loyalty⁷ and wisdom. Xishi, I have something to tell you! Tomorrow you will be dedicated⁸ to the king of Wu country as a token of respect. You should be prepared for your mission.

Xishi: Yes, I know, majesty.

Goujian: You’ve got a heavy burden, make sure that you convince Fuchai of our submission⁹ and humbleness¹⁰. Ask him to withdraw the army and release the suffering of our people. It’s a difficult mission, and our country relies on you.

Xishi: Trust me, majesty. It’s an opportunity for me to do something for my country and I will try my best to accomplish it.

Goujian: I appreciate your selflessness and courage. Use your beauty and wisdom to contribute to our country. Are you fully prepared for that? You should always be careful.

Xishi: Yes, I understand the whole plan and I will play my role as well as I can.

Goujian: That’s fine. Thank you for your sacrifice! You are the daughter of Wu Country. Take care of yourself!

Xishi: Yes.

Act 3, Role: Fuchai, Xishi. Place: Residency of state of WuFuchai: What a beautiful lady. Gorgeous [?ɡ?rd??s]! I never thought there was such a beautiful lady in Goujian’s country.

Xishi: Thank you, majesty. [?m?d?isti]

Fuchai: Are you willing to serve me as one of my concubines?

Xishi: Yes, majesty. It is my honor to serve you! I’d like to do anything that you require! I will be absolutely loyal to you. But I beg you to forgive the people of my country, they are innocent. They submissive to you! Please forgive them!

Fuchai: I can forgive the people, but I can’t forgive your king, Goujian. He killed my King father three years ago. I hate him. I want to revenge!

Xishi: You have revenged your father, majesty! You have defeated him now. You are keeping his families as hostages. And he will be a slave of you. You have punished him!

Fuchai: I don’t need you to talk this with me. I’ve made a decision myself. Let me know something else about you! What is you name?

Xishi: My name is Xishi.

Fuchai: How old are you?

Xishi: I am 16 years old.

Fuchai: What talent do you have?

Xishi: I like playing piano, painting, and literature. [?lit?rit??] Fuchai: Really? That’s fine! Not only are you amazingly beautiful, you are versatile¹¹ [?v?:s?tail] and have courtesy[?k??t?si].

Xishi: Thank you, majesty.

Fuchai: Do you want to know what decision I have made to deal with Goujian?

Xishi: No, this is the important matter, national affairs. I don’t need to know. I don’t want to influence your decision.

Fuchai: I was planning to kill him, because he had done something wrong three year ago. But the moment I saw you, I noticed his respect for me! It’s useless to kill him; people in the future may call me a tyrant¹². I will give him a chance to regret. But he has to serve me as a slave for at least three years.

Xishi: Thanks, you are the kindest majesty in the world.

End

Storyteller: Three years later, Goujian was set free and return to his country. He worked hard to revenge. On the other side, bewitched by the beauty of XiShi, Fuchai forgot all about his State affairs and killed his best counsellors, the great general Wu Zixu. His country became weaker and weaker. 20 years later, In 473B.C., Goujian launched his strike and defeated the enemy. Xishi was rescued from the suffering. But then she has been become kind of old. She abandoned all the reward and honor given by her country, she asked for a seclusion¹³ with her lover Fanli, who’s also become old.

Since then, there was no information about where they had gone. But someone said they were once seen boating on the West Lake.