Originally posted on cfensi.dramaddicts.com
JULY 2, 2011 | POSTED IN MAINLAND CHINA,TELEVISION, TAGGED SECRET HISTORY OF XI SHI
With a beauty who’s said to make the fishes to forget to swim, Xishi left a deep impression in the imaginations of future generations, but will this drama do the same for its audience?
Well-known for his “secret history dramas”, You Xiaogang is filming yet another. Following the Secret History of Yang Guifei, You Xiaogang tackles another one of China’s Four Famous Beauties with the Secret History of Xishi 西施秘史. More on the story under the cut and the trailer below from lalalaiTzME@YouTube :
In 494 BC (Spring Autumn period), the state of Wu defeated the state of Yue. The king of Yue, Goujian, worked as a keeper of horses of the king of Wu in exchange for Yue’s safety. Three years later, he was able to return to Yue and plotted revenge against Wu. As part of his plan, he would sent a tribute of beautiful woman to the king of Wu, to distract him from official duties. Xi Shi (center; wearing red) and Zheng Dan (left, wearing pink) were selected. Fan Li, Goujian’s minister, escorted them to Wu in 487 BC. He and Xi Shi fell in love, but the couple chose their country over their love and went on to Wu. The plan worked- Goujian was entranced. Wu deteriorated, Yue recovered, and in 473 Yue successfully attacked Wu. Though her beauty brought down a state, what happened to Xi Shi herself is unknown. Some legends say that she lived happily ever after with Fan Li, others say that she drowned in a river after outliving her use. I wonder which ending this drama will take?
(source of story: Biographical Dictionary of Chinese Women)