• Source: Yao Ji

Yao Ji (姚洎), formally the Marquess of Wuxing (吳興侯), was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang dynasty and its successor state Later Liang of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, serving as a chancellor during the reign of Later Liang's last emperor Zhu Zhen.




During Tang dynasty


Yao Ji's background is not clear, as there was no biography of his in the four relevant official histories — the Old Book of Tang, the New Book of Tang, the History of the Five Dynasties, and the New History of the Five Dynasties. However, it appeared that at some point he served as a staff member to the military governor of Jingnan Circuit (荊南, headquartered in modern Jingzhou, Hubei), as there is an extant poem by the Buddhist monk-poet Guanxiu to Yao congratulating him on being recalled from serving on staff at Jiangling Municipality (江陵), the capital of Jingnan Circuit, back to the capital Chang'an, apparently to serve as a low-level consultant in the imperial government, Shiyi (拾遺), but it is not clear when Guangxiu wrote it.
The first substantially datable historical reference to Yao was in 902, when then-reigning Emperor Zhaozong of Tang had been forcibly taken by powerful eunuchs, led by Han Quanhui and Zhang Yanhong (張彥弘), to Fengxiang Circuit (鳳翔, headquartered in modern Baoji, Shaanxi), then governed by the eunuchs' ally Li Maozhen, the military governor (Jiedushi) of Fengxiang. At that time, both Yao and his friend Han Wo were serving as imperial scholars (翰林學士, Hanlin Xueshi) and had accompanied Emperor Zhaozong to Fengxiang; subsequently, Li Maozhen's rival Zhu Quanzhong the military governor of Xuanwu Circuit (宣武, headquartered in modern Kaifeng, Henan) put Fengxiang Circuit's capital Fengxiang Municipality under siege. When the chancellor Wei Yifan was forced to leave the imperial government for some time because his mother had died, the eunuchs initially recommended that Yao become chancellor to replace Wei. Han Wo recommended that Yao decline the commission:

If you want long-term benefit, it is better not to take that position, although if this is indeed the will of the Emperor, it is fine to do so. You should think about this: the army from Bian Prefecture [(汴州, i.e., Xuanwu's capital)] is about to complete the encirclement, and this lone city cannot stand for long. Our families are all in the east, and how can you not be worried about them?
Yao thus claimed to be ill and declined the commission, and Emperor Zhaozong himself was also not inclined to issue it. Instead, the position went to Su Jian. Later in the year, under the pressure from Li Maozhen and the eunuchs, Emperor Zhaozong was set to recall Wei back to the imperial government to again serve as chancellor, but when the draft edict was assigned to Han Wo to be written, Han refused to draft it — pointing out that having Wei return to the government after such a short mourning period was unseemly, so Emperor Zhaozong delayed the commission for some time. However, he eventually gave in to pressure, and had Yao instead draft it, and Wei was able to return as a chancellor. (Wei died shortly after, however.)
At that time, Emperor Zhaozong was under virtual house arrest. On an occasion late in 902, when the eunuchs guarding him were not around, he had his concubine, the Lady of Zhao, quickly summon Yao and Han Wo to his residence, for a brief meeting. He was, however, only able to hold their hands briefly and weep, before Yao reminded him that they might be discovered, and so they separated quickly.
In 903, Li Maozhen was forced to capitulate, slaughter the eunuchs, and surrender the emperor and the imperial household to Zhu. After that, while it is known that Han Wo was exiled for offending Zhu and Zhu's ally, the chancellor Cui Yin, historical references to Yao disappeared for some time.




During Later Liang


Zhu Quanzhong subsequently usurped the Tang throne, establishing a new Later Liang as its Emperor Taizu. In 913, by which time his son Zhu Zhen was emperor, Yao Ji, who was then serving as the chief imperial censor (御史大夫, Yushi Daifu), was given the chancellor designation Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi (同中書門下平章事), and was also made Zhongshu Shilang (中書侍郎), the deputy head of the legislative bureau of government (中書省, Zhongshu Sheng). He was also referred to at that time as the Marquess of Wuxing, presumably a title that was previously created him by a Later Liang emperor. That was the last historical reference to Yao, and it is not known when he left office or when he died.




Notes and references

• Source: Yaoji

Yaoji (Chinese: 瑶姬; lit. 'Princess Beautiful Jade'), is a Chinese goddess of Wu Mountain. A shaman and master herbalist, Yaoji is responsible for the presence of many medicinal herbs on Earth. She is a protective weather goddess who raises and soothes storms. Some sources say that she was a daughter of the Yan Emperor, while later ones incorporate her into the Daoist religion by making her a daughter of the Queen Mother of the West. Yaoji is most well known from two poems, The Ode of Gaotang and The Ode of the Divine Maiden, both of which are attributed to the late Warring States poet Song Yu.




Legends


There are several different myths regarding her original purpose and intent, yet it is generally accepted that she represents the Goddess Peak (Shennu Feng) of Wu Mountain, which serves as the eastern gateway to the Three Gorges on the Yangtze River. Yaoji resided in the Heavenly Palace but grew bored with her existence. One day, she descended to Earth accompanied by her entourage of Fairies. Together, they tamed and shaped the gorge, giving rise to the formation of mountains. As their work neared completion, Yaoji discovered her profound affection for the Wushan Peaks. She made the decision to establish a permanent residence there, alongside her Fairy entourage. Eventually, she herself transformed into one of the peaks, known as Goddess Mountain. It is believed that the remaining peaks may also be transformed by Fairies.




= Daughter of Yan Emperor

=
Yaoji first appeared in the Classic of Mountains and Seas, which states: "To the east, two hundred miles away, there is a mountain called Guyao. The emperor's daughter died there, and her name was Nüshi. She transformed into Yao Grass, with leaves that gradually grow, yellow flowers, and fruits like the autumn willow. When consumed, it captivates and charms people".
In this account, Yaoji is the third daughter of Yan Emperor (Chidi) and the sister of Jingwei. Unfortunately, she dies before reaching the age of marriage. Her body is buried on Wushan Mountain, while her soul ascends to Guyao Mountain where it transforms into Yao Grass. Later, the King of Heaven takes pity on her and prevents her from becoming a lonely ghost by arranging her presence on Wushan Mountain. In this manner, she ultimately attains the status of a goddess. Her maids, one by one, also undergo transformation, becoming the renowned twelve peaks of Wushan.




= Daughter of the Queen Mother of the West

=
The legend of Yaoji aiding Yu the Great in controlling flooding has long been passed down as a folktale. In the later periods of the Tang dynasty and the Five Dynasties, Taoist Du Guangting utilized this legend to craft the character of Yunhua, the daughter of the Queen Mother of the West. In his work Yongcheng Jixianlu, the identity of Yaoji underwent a complete transformation: she was depicted as the youngest daughter among the Queen Mother's 23 daughters, and her name was Yunhua.
After learning divine magic from the Goddess of Three Primes, Yaoji was granted the title of Fairy Yunhua, with the responsibility of guiding the fairy boys and girls. However, she couldn't bear the tranquility of life in the heavenly palace. One day, she embarked on a journey to the East Sea accompanied by her retinue. As she arrived at the mist-covered Wushan Mountains, she witnessed dragons tormenting the people. Filled with anger, she resolved to rid the people of this evil. She fought and defeated the dragons, but their lifeless bodies transformed into enormous mountains, obstructing the flow of the Yangtze River. The fields and towns were submerged, and the region that is now Sichuan became an expansive sea.
To address the floodwaters, Yu traveled from the Yellow River to the Yangtze River. He attempted to carve open the mountains to divert the water, but the task was immense, surpassing the capabilities of any human. It was then that Yaoji summoned her six loyal followers, who utilized their divine magic to create a passage through the Three Gorges, allowing the floodwater to flow towards the East Sea.
Upon discovering that it was Yaoji who aided him, Yu ascended to the summit of Wushan Mountains to convey his gratitude. To his surprise, Yaoji materialized before him and presented him with a book bound in yellow brocade that contained knowledge on water control.




In literature and poetry


Du Fu, the great poet of the Tang dynasty, lamented in his poems that "the Wushan goddess is wonderful and beautiful".
During the Warring States period, the poet Song Yu's "Gaotang fu" (高唐赋) and "Shennu fu" (神女赋) describe the Wushan goddess as "the beautiful fairy who did as the drifting clouds at dawn and showers of rain at evening". Therefore, the name "Wushan goddess" was often used as a metaphor for beautiful women.
Tang dynasty poet Li Bai wrote in his poem "Eight Poems of Ganxing" that "Tiandi's daughter Yaoji, wonderfully transformed into a cloud; turned into a night dream, unintentionally to King Chu". The story is set during the Warring States period and recounts a journey of King Huai to Gaotang, where he sees the beautiful goddess Yaoji in a dream. He is shocked by her beauty and becomes obsessed with her, ignoring political affairs.




Worship


At the foot of Flying Phoenix Peak of Wushan Mountains, there is a major temple dedicated to her memory, the Fairy Temple (神女廟).
In Daoist belief, Yaoji was granted the title of "Miaoyong Zhenren" (妙用真人, Perfect Person of the Miraculous Practice). The temple dedicated to her is named Ningzhen Temple. The surrounding landscape of the temple is renowned for its breathtaking beauty, with mountains adorned by enchanting clouds that create an air of mystery.




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