Story of ancient "beauty-spy" Xi Shi retold

By www.chinaview.cn

BEIJING, Dec. 4 -- The legend of Xi Shi, one of the four ancient beauties of China, has it all: love, war, espionage, revenge. Michael Tang's new English book "Siren of China" retells the 2,500-year-old story for Western readers.
Probably the most celebrated woman in Chinese history, Xi Shi is synonymous with "beauty" in Chinese. Her magnificent looks and valor as a spy dispatched to destroy her king's enemy has inspired poets and writers for 2,500 years.
Every Chinese grows up hearing varied versions of the Xi Shi tale, and New York-based Shanghai native Michael Tang's newly published 334-page English novel "Siren of China" carries the ancient story to foreigners.
Instead of simply relating the ancient legend, Tang used his research and imagination to logically fill the loopholes, resolve contradictory details and craft a coherent tale about the Spring and Autumn Period (770-467 BC).
In the story, the king of Wu defeats the king of Yue, and he seeks revenge. Accepting a wise man Fan Li's suggestion, the king of Yue sends Fan's lover Xi Shi to seduce the king of Wu.
She succeeds and becomes the concubine of the enemy king. For the next 12 years the king of Wu neglects his kingdom, addicted to a luxurious life with Xi Shi. During this time the king of Yue strengthens his forces, plots and finally conquers the Kingdom of Wu.

Tang fills in the details.

The author moved to the UK and then the United States in the late 1980s and today is a businessman. He considers "writing a story or reading a book a constructive use of leisure time." He is the author of well-received books about ancient Chinese wisdom for Western readers.

Speaking of research into Chinese philosophy, Tang says: "China's classic wisdom is about one people, one nation, one history. But it is more than that. Transcending time, space, and race, it speaks to all peoples, all nations." He calls it "the heritage of mankind" that can be applied to modern society.
While researching and writing about Chinese wisdom, Tang encountered once again the story of Xi Shi, the most famous of the four ancient Chinese beauties. "It captured my imagination ever since I heard it when I was a child."
He decided to research and write about Xi Shi because "it is a compelling story and it could capture readers of all kinds." Tang says it's difficult to categorize the complex story "containing elements of love, war, epic, revenge and more."
"But a good story needs to have a tight structure with no flaws in the plot, while most exciting ancient tales are loose. Carried on through centuries, the tale has many unsolved questions," explains Tang.
Moreover, besides the main story of Xi Shi helping to destroy the Kingdom of Wu, the various versions differ and some are contradictory. For example, in some versions the beautiful spy commits suicide after her lover Fan Li is killed; in others, she lives happily ever after with her lover, wise man, Fan.
Tang compared the different versions with historical documents to find "the most convincing way" to structure the story. He created other aspects, dimensions and textures, based on known facts, to fashion his novel.
For instance, Tang created a child for Xi Shi because "she lived with the king of Wu for 12 years as his favorite concubine - it doesn't make sense for her to be childless."
Tang also adds his own interpretation to each character, often very different from those in the old tales. While the king of Yue is always hailed as a hero and shining example of hard work, the author finds him "an ultimately unsavory character who knew nothing but revenge." Tang also considers Xi Shi's original lover, the wise man Fan Li, "a person with serious flaws."
And Xi Shi was the most difficult character because of her complexity. He found her persona and psychology increasingly more complicated during the process of research.
Still exhilarated after "Siren of China," Tang is now working on the story of Wang Zhaojun in the Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 AD), another of the four ancient Chinese beauties. The concubine was ordered by her emperor to marry the king of an enemy country.
Tang does not plan to write about the other two beauties, "because their stories are less dynamic."
"Siren of China" is available at foreign language bookstores in Shanghai, bookstores in the United States and online book-stores worldwide.