In Destiny of a Jade Bracelet we learn only of the deeds of Xie Yuhui, how in the Song dynasty court he took possession of all glory and wealth. It is just like:
A young man won high office at a tender age
Beautiful women became his wives and formed his harem
Wielding a halberd, he struck fear into the northern barbarians’ hearts
Embroidered banners spread his awesome name to distant lands
He gathered all the glory and wealth of the human world
He had beautiful and talented children assembling at his feet
His perfect destiny left its mark
After a hundred years he met a good end ascending to the Void of Clarity
And yet—though he enjoyed an outstanding life without regrets
He had unsettled bonds of karma which that story did not tell
Zheng Ruzhao was a merchant’s daughter
Xie Yuhui took her as a concubine
Virtuous in character, she was gentle and never envious
Merciful of heart, she was generous and drew little suspicion
She respected his parents—never failing to greet them, day and night
She lived in peace with his other wives[1]—never fighting over rank[2] in the inner chambers[3]
A truly admirable character
It would only be right, then—for their fates to be intertwined in the next life too
Alas, having become pregnant, she was late to give birth[4]
And secretly, Xie Yuhui—believed the slanderous talk and suspected her of adultery
Causing his virtuous wife to harbor a gnawing grudge
The injustice was corrected, but the grievance remained
Had the son not so resembled the father[5]
All at once her chastity would have been tainted
Abstaining from meat her entire life to cultivate herself
She became a Hossu-Holding Lady in the immortal palace
Yet though she too met a good end, ascending to heaven
Scenes from her previous mortal life still lingered
Meanwhile, the beautiful Chen Fangsu
Also cultivated herself and at last ascended to the Great Void
The Jade Emperor conferred upon her the title of Incense-Burning Lady
Yet her madly infatuated heart still refused to leave her[6]
At this time—the great Yuan dynasty was founded
Its brilliant first emperor pacified both the Han and the barbarians
All the land now belonged to him
The flying dragon, who completed the sacred rites[7]
He governed well, foreign lands paid him tribute
All accorded him respect, no attacks came at the borders
As the emperor was virtuous, so the heavens were satisfied
And wished to select talented people to assist the emperor
[1] Wives and concubines of the same harem refer to each other as sisters. [2] Here rank means the hierarchy between wives and concubines in the same harem, especially between the principal wife and the concubines. [3] Inner chamber is where the housewives are in charge, usually locates in the inner part of a house. [4] Zheng Ruzhao is pregnant for over a year, so Xie Yuhui believes Yanniang’s slander and suspects that Zheng Ruzhao had an affair with Young Master Lian 廉 from her foster family. (Destiny of a Jade Bracelet, Vol. 28). [5] Because Xie Yuhui's son born by Zheng Ruzhao looked exactly like Xie, Xie finally knew that his wife was not disloyal to him. [6] This means she still has romantic feelings for Xie Yuhui. [7] When a complete set of rituals is performed, the emperor is officially recognized by the heavens and his people as the new ruler of the empire.
