(11-96) Nowadays if a Chinese woman married a man of another race, we sometimes joke that she has "he fan". "He" (pronounced as her) means peace, fan means barbarian. In the old days, marriage was arranged; and marring a barbarian was usually for the political purpose of making peace. One of the most famous woman who married a barbarian of the north in Chinese history was Wang Zhao Jun.

Wang was a beautiful girl chosen to be Han emperor's concubine. There were thousands of them in the palace. The emperor couldn't possibly conjugate with all of them, so he developed a system of choosing the girl he desired from a stack of portraits submitted by the painters. To be chosen by the emperor meant a great improvement on social status. Many girls bribed the painter, so that they could be chosen. Wang, however, refused to bribe. For years, she was never chosen. One day the chief of Shung-Nu, the barbarian tribe from north of China, asked the emperor for a wife. The emperor granted the wish, and ordered five girls to be chosen from the palace to be given away. It was considered to be a great misfortune to be married off to barbarians. Wang, however, volunteered.

Wang appeared on the day when the girls were presented to the chief. The whole place was silent. The emperor and the officials were all dazzled by the beauty of Wang Zhao Jun. The chief was overjoyed, whereas the emperor was extremely angered. The emperor ordered Wang's portrait again, realized the mistake he made, and how he was deceived. He ordered the execution of the painter and his whole family. Still angry, he killed all the painters in the palace. He wanted to keep Wang. However, being an emperor, he had to keep his promise.

Wang's wish came true. She finally saw the emperor; she had her revenge against the painter; and she got her family taken care of by the emperor. However, she had to pay a hefty price of going to a country far away, and living with people not of her own kind. This is a great tragedy and misfortune for most Chinese. All through the history she is being remembered as a beautiful woman suffered a great misfortune.

But wait a minute, let's examine her life a little closer. If she was chosen by the emperor, she may have a few nights of glory, and then being forgotten. The emperor actually died soon after she left China. The chief loved her very much, she bore two sons with him. The chief died three years after their marriage. However, according to their custom, the son can marry his father's wife after the father's death. The son of the chief's ex-wife was young and handsome, he also loved Wang's beauty and grace. He asked Wang to marry him. Wang hesitated because it was against Chinese custom. Wang wrote a letter to the new emperor and asked permission to return home. Han emperor turned her down, and ordered her to marry the new chief. She had to obey. She bore two beautiful daughters with her second husband. Her second husband respected her a great deal, and she played a significant role in the politics of the country. China enjoyed decades of peace on the north border; and she had her name recorded in Chinese history. I fail to see any misfortune here. I see a beautiful woman, against all odds, making a courageous choice. She triumphed, and lived happily ever after.