The Southern Winds Run Wild

During the reign of Emperor Hui of Jin, the government was in turmoil, and a rhyme circulated in Luoyang:

"The southern wind blows fiercely, stirring yellow sand. Far away, the lofty peaks of Lu rise into view. Before the third month, your house will be destroyed."

"Southern Wind" referred to Empress Jia Nanfeng, whose personal name was Nanfeng. She was from Pingyang, and her childhood name was Shi. Emperor Wu of Jin said, "The daughter of the Wei family has five virtues, while the daughter of the Jia family has five flaws. The Wei family is virtuous and has many children, and they are beautiful, tall, and fair. The Jia family is jealous and has few children, and they are ugly, short, and dark."

In the history books, Jia Nanfeng has always been branded ugly and jealous.

Was she really as the histories say: short, with a dark complexion? Was her reputation for jealousy truly deserved, and was she as ruthless and murderous as the rumors claim? Was Emperor Hui of Jin, three years younger than her, truly as foolish and dull-witted as the imperial records describe, helpless as he watched his ancestral realm crumble amid the bloodshed and turmoil of the age?

Was there love or hatred between him and Jia Nanfeng, who was three years his senior, and did they ultimately part in life and death?

The spirit of the Wei and Jin era: on that stage, which people called extravagant and ruinous, how many aristocratic clans and noble sons spent their lives seeking either detachment from the world or power over an entire age?

Good readers, listen as I tell you the tale of a century of Wei and Jin, and its brief moment of splendor.