Dong Fang Shuo

 

Dongfang Shuo was a court official during the reign of Emperior Han Wu Di.   He was a very witty person who was favoured and trusted by the emperor who valued his counsels.  

He was an enigmatic person and stories on his wittiness were numerous.  On one occasion he stole the  emperor's elixir of immortality and drank it. The enraged ruler ordered him to be put to death, but Dongfang Shuo smiled and said, "If the elixir was genuine, your Majesty can do me no harm; if it was not, what harm have I done?" .  The emperor was amused and  pardoned him.

According to legend, once the Goddess Xi Wang Mu descended from Heaven and visited Emperor Han Wu Di.  They drank wine and ate peaches.  The court officials were barred from attending the meeting.  Out of curiosity, Dong Fang Shuo secretly peeped from a window opening.    Xi Wang Mu noticed and laughingly remarked to Emperor Wu Di that the mischievous peeper has stolen peaches from her garden on 3 occasions. The Emperor was shocked and realised that Dong Fang Shuo was the reincarnation of a celestial being.  The scene of Dong Fang Shou stealing peach was a subject that was depicted on Chinese ceramics during the Ming and Qing Dynasty.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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