SYNOPSIS ON “XIANG FEI”
During the reign of Emperor Jian Long (AD 1735 – 1795) in the Qing
Dynasty (AD 1644 – 1911) there lived a beauty whose body emanated a special
fragrance. She was married to Huo Ji
Zang, chief of a tribe, a minority race in
Ge Da, a divisional head of the
tribe, who was not successful in wooing Xiang Fei’s hand in marriage, harboured
hatred towards her. He imprinted Xiang Fei’s image on a vase and presented the vase to Emperor Jian Long in order to ingratiate into his favour. The Emperor ordered Li Zhao Hui,
one of his trusted generals to bring Xian Fei to him.
Li Zhao Hui
conveyed the Emperor’s intention to Huo Ji Zang, and at the same time offered land concessions in exchange
for Xiang Fei. Huo was exasperated and flatly turned down Li’s offer. Li
decided to accomplish his mission by force.
Li led his army and invaded Huo’s territory. Seeing that Huo Ji Zang fought so bravely, Ge Da tried to assassinate Huo by shooting him with an arrow from behind. Huo killed Ge Da
while he himself sustained critical injuries. To save his tribe from
annihilation by the Qing army, Huo
Ji Zang advised Xiang Fei to surrender to Li Zhao
Hui. Xiang Fei thus reluctantly followed Li Zhao Hui
back to the Palace.
To please Xiang
Fei, the Emperor constructed a village resembling her
hometown in the Palace. Xiang Fei
was not the least moved as she only had her husband in her heart. Emperor Jian Long was at his wits’ end. He had no choice but to
reveal to Xiang Fei that Huo Ji Zang
had died from his wounds. In a rage, Xiang Fei took out her dagger and tried to stab the Emperor; but
without success. The Empress Dowager, seeing that Xiang
Fei was armed and dangerous sent the Emperor out of
the Chamber. In the absence of the Emperor, Xiang Fei asked to be executed so that she could join her
husband. The Empress Dowager granted her request; and Xiang
Fei killed herself. The Emperor returned too late to
save her. He ordered Xiang Fei’s
body to be returned to her tribe for burial together with her husband, and
established a tomb containing Xiang Fei’s clothes in the vicinity of the Palace. Today in the
wilderness of
