The Passing of Zi Zhen 子真之逝

#HistoricalFiction #ShangDynasty #China c. 1040 BCE
Reign of Di Xin of Shang
#Wss366 Railing #WritersCoffeeClub April 2: Visual presentation

Daji watched from the #railing of the Peacock Terrace. Below, the fire cast a ruddy tint on her fair features. Incense hid the scent of heated bronze.

Below her, Zi Zhen passed
     hands bound
         casting an imploring look up at her.

She smiled, reciting:

          Dongting
          Reflection glories
          Humble carp
          In evening dimming
          Gasps not singing [Note 1]

Note 1: The humble man, mistaking passing glory for reality, dies as he was born

Commentary: Daji was the favorite consort of Di Xin of Shang the last Emperor of the Shang dynasty (Reign 1075–1046 BCE). Legend has it that Daji delighted in executions carried out with a pào lào (roasting pillar). The condemned person was forced to embrace a bronze tube filled with coals. Zi Zhen is a fictional character.

#TootFic #MicroFiction #NMFic #和歌 #WakaPoetry #NMPoetry #桜 #poetry #History #ChineseHistory