The Living Waters of Beauty

Xiao Shui Mei (Xiao Meiniang), the stunningly beautiful and talented woman of Jiangnan, was pursued by six emperors over the course of her life...

From childhood, she was blessed with a prophecy of “living water.” With her gentle strength and wisdom, she became the Princess of Jin and helped Yang Guang seize the throne and govern the realm, but their ideals gradually drifted apart. After the fall of the Sui Dynasty, she was courted in turn by Yuwen Huaji, Dou Jiande, and the Turkic Khagan amid the chaos of war. Yet clad in Daoist robes, she became the strategist behind the scenes for each of them, relying on the mature wisdom of water that runs deep to make her way in the world. In the end, she joined the Tang Dynasty, using her clear-sighted wisdom to enlighten Emperor Taizong, who honored her as an “unofficial imperial tutor.” In her later years, she let go of all love and resentment, bringing blessings to future generations like the waters of the Grand Canal. At last, she was laid to rest at Leitang, fulfilling her vow that “living water will flow on forever” and completing her life's journey from luminous grace to clarity.