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Timeless Extraordinary Woman
墨書 Inktalez
She is the First Female Diviner in Chinese History.
From the moment she was born, she attracted the attention of Qin Shi Huang. Not only could she discern fortune and misfortune while still in swaddling clothes, but with her extraordinary skills in divination, she became the first woman in history to be conferred a title at the age of 19. Even Emperor Wen of Han honored her as Foster Mother.
Xu Fu is one of the legendary women who achieved this feat three times. Her name once contended with Yuan Tiangang for the title of the greatest diviner in history.
Why did such an extraordinary woman choose to retreat into the mountains and ignore worldly affairs at the height of fame and fortune?
We all know that remarkable historical figures are often born under almost mystical circumstances.
In 211 BC, after Qin Shi Huang unified the Six Harmonies and brought peace to the land, he fantasized about an emperor's legacy lasting for generations. Immersed in joy, Qin Shi Huang ordered nationwide celebrations while also requesting a broad collection of mysterious auspicious events to embellish his prosperous reign.
Upon hearing this, local officials immediately rolled up their sleeves and got to work, gathering tales of extraordinary people and events from their regions to report to the court in hopes of earning a smile from Qin Shi Huang. Among all the strange reports submitted, the one from County Magistrate Xu Wang of Hanoi Wen County was particularly remarkable.
The report stated that Magistrate Xu Wang's wife had given birth to a daughter who held a piece of jade in her hand at birth, with the Wen Wang Bagua Diagram faintly visible on it. Even more astonishing was that this baby girl spoke her first words by the age of one hundred days.
After reading this memorial, Qin Shi Huang was greatly pleased and deemed this event the most significant among all reports submitted.
He immediately announced this news to the world, showcasing his reign as an emperor blessed with prosperity and talented individuals. He rewarded the Xu family with a thousand taels of gold and issued an edict for Xu Wang to nurture his daughter well so that she could serve the country in the future.
Xu Wang could hardly believe that he had gained such attention from Qin Shi Huang, even if it was due to his daughter's brilliance. To honor this imperial favor, he named his daughter Xu Mo Fu.
With Qin Shi Huang's attention, little Xu Fu had already become a sensation in the Qin State while still in swaddling clothes.
The Xu family suddenly became a hub of activity, with dignitaries and neighbors visiting frequently, eager to witness little Xu Fu's miraculous abilities. However, this lively scene did not last long as little Xu Fu's cries and laughter gradually faded away.
When the infant Xu Fu sees a visitor, if she smiles, that person will either be promoted or become wealthy upon returning; if she cries uncontrollably, it will be disastrous, leading to loss of wealth, illness, or even loss of position or life.
Thus, people discovered Xu Fu's unique talent—she could determine fortune and misfortune through her laughter and tears.
As a result, people became hesitant to visit; encountering Xu Fu could spell disaster for them.
To properly nurture Xu Fu, Xu Wang invited a Teacher to educate her. Xu Fu was exceptionally intelligent, able to remember everything she learned and apply it in different contexts.
By the time she turned ten, the Teacher felt there was nothing more to teach her and suggested that Xu Wang send Xu Fu to study under the Sage of Strategy, Zhang Liang's master, the Yellow Stone Master.
Xu Wang took Xu Fu to Gu Cheng Mountain in Yingchuan to seek out the Yellow Stone Master. However, such a high-level figure was elusive and not easily encountered. They returned empty-handed.
One day, Xu Fu encountered an old man with white hair asking for water at her doorstep. With a kind expression, she turned and went inside to fetch some water.
When she came back out, the old man had already vanished. Looking around, she suddenly noticed a scroll placed on the stone lion at her door, with the words "Secret Teachings of the Heart" written in large characters.
Upon opening it, she found it filled with techniques for reading faces.
She immediately realized that she had encountered a reclusive master who had chosen to teach her and knelt down to pay her respects from afar. It turned out that the mysterious old man was the Yellow Stone Master whom she and her father had been desperately searching for.
Since obtaining this extraordinary manual, Xu Fu studied diligently at home every day.
She developed a particular interest in physiognomy. Coupled with her natural intelligence, she combined facial reading and palmistry with Yin-Yang and the Eight Trigrams, forming her own unique system of divination.
She did not just stay at the theoretical level; wanting to achieve something, she immediately went out to test her fortune-telling skills.
That day, she noticed that her brother's friend had a darkened forehead, so she immediately said, "Your mother is gravely ill at home; if not treated soon, she may be in danger of losing her life."
At first, her brother's friend wanted to curse her for this statement, but thinking that Xu Fu had always been different from others since childhood, he returned home half-believing her words. As it turned out, just as Xu Fu had said, he was fortunate to return home in time to save his mother.
As someone who had been under the attention of Qin Shi Huang since childhood, any small disturbance quickly spread. Many people came seeking Xu Fu for fortune-telling.
The more accurate her predictions became, the faster the news spread, eventually attracting the attention of Qin Shi Huang himself. He sent someone to invite Xu Fu to Xianyang for a reading, but Xu Fu feigned illness and declined.
Xu Wang was very angry upon seeing Xu Fu's behavior and scolded her for being ungrateful and letting down the emperor's grace.
Xu Fu explained to Xu Wang that she was well aware that those who read fortunes have a particularly keen sense of the nation's fate. The fall of the Qin State was inevitable, and she could not take on such a task.
She also advised Xu Wang to recruit soldiers and prepare for the impending chaos. Feeling that she had let down Qin Shi Huang, she changed her name from Xu Mo Fu back to Xu Fu.
In 210 BC, Qin Shi Huang died during an inspection tour. Qin Ershi ascended to the throne, and soon after, Chen Sheng and Wu Guang led a rebellion. Various warlords followed suit, plunging the world into chaos.
As an official of the Qin Dynasty, Xu Wang hesitated between supporting the uprising and suppressing it.
He recalled that his daughter had predicted this day long ago and immediately went to ask her what they should do next. Xu Fu confidently told her father that the fall of the Qin State was a foregone conclusion; they should sever ties with Qin and wait patiently for an opportunity.
Not long after, Liu Bang passed through Peixian with his army. Having heard of Xu Fu's exceptional fortune-telling skills, he wanted to meet her for a reading. Moreover, he learned that County Magistrate Xu Wang was recruiting soldiers in preparation for rebellion against Qin and aimed to win over Xu Wang's support first.
Liu Bang arrived at the city gate with a group of people, while Xu Fu was patrolling the city wall. She gazed at Liu Bang and his entourage for several seconds before immediately exiting the city to personally welcome him, expressing her intention to join his ranks.
Upon hearing this, Liu Bang was taken aback, thinking that it was surprisingly easy to gain a new force. However, he felt secretly pleased and quickly agreed.
The Xu family had long understood Xu Fu's abilities and naturally had no objections.
From then on, the Xu family followed Liu Bang all the way until he ascended to the supreme position. After Liu Bang's coronation, he conferred a title upon Xu Fu, making her the first woman in Chinese history to be granted the title of Marquis.
After joining Liu Bang, according to the Records of the Grand Historian, Wei Bao's mother-in-law had heard of Xu Fu's reputation and invited her to read fortunes for Lady Bo, the wife of King Wei.
After examining her, Xu Fu remarked, "The lady possesses a noble appearance; her future children are destined to become emperors."
This statement directly led King Wei to betray Liu Bang and establish his own power, later allying with Xiang Yu against Liu Bang. Ultimately, King Wei was defeated in battle and killed by Liu Bang, with his family captured by the Han army; those who were attractive were sent to the palace in Chang'an.
Although King Wei was dead, life continued. One day, Liu Bang found himself free and noticed Lady Bo in the palace, captivated by her beauty.
The subsequent events are well-known among adults; soon after, Lady Bo became pregnant with a child who would later be known as Emperor Wen of Han, Liu Heng, further proving Xu Fu's prophetic abilities.
It is said that this was one of Xu Fu's three major prophecies.
During Emperor Wen of Han's reign, due to Xu Fu's acquaintance with Lady Bo, they became very good friends. Emperor Wen also appointed Xu Fu as his Foster Mother, allowing her frequent access to the palace.
According to the Records of the Grand Historian, there was an occasion when Emperor Wen personally invited Xu Fu to read fortunes for his two favored ministers, Deng Tong and Zhou Yafu, during which she revealed the other two major prophecies.
At this time, both of them were favored by Emperor Wen of Han and were in high spirits.
Deng Tong almost slept in the same bed with Emperor Wen of Han every day, while Zhou Yafu was also valued by Emperor Wen of Han for his effective military management.
However, Xu Fu remarked after observing them, "You two are both wealthy and powerful individuals, but you will ultimately starve to death."
Upon hearing this, Emperor Wen of Han laughed heartily to cover his embarrassment, thinking it was nonsense. He did not take it seriously and regarded Xu Fu as merely a figure of reputation.
Yet eventually, the outcomes of these two men were exactly as Xu Fu had predicted; they indeed starved to death.
During the reign of Han Jingdi, Zhou Yafu died of starvation in prison, while Deng Tong starved on the streets.
As a renowned sage, Xu Fu was naturally exceptionally wise. She understood that her ties to the imperial family were too deep and recognized that historically, emperors have often been ruthless; serving a ruler is like serving a tiger.
At the age of 50, she requested to resign from her position with Emperor Wen of Han, claiming she wanted to devote herself to spiritual cultivation and write books to benefit future generations.
Emperor Wen of Han agreed, and Xu Fu later retired to Shangluo Mountain, living to the age of 84.
Xu Fu's life experiences were legendary, leaving countless tales for future generations.
However, as modern individuals, we should interpret these ancient mysterious stories rationally and objectively.
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