In ancient China, there were beautiful women, but naturally there were also four ugly women, namely the second consort of the founder of human civilization, Huangdi, the queen of King Xuan of Qi, Zhong Lichun, the female protagonist Meng Guang who raised the eyebrows of Qi, and the wife of the famous scholar Xu Yun of Cao Wei, Ruan Shi. Although they may be extremely ugly, they are all virtuous wives who have left a lasting impression. They have won the respect of their husbands and the world through their own virtues. Below, the history encyclopedia editor will bring you a detailed introduction. Let’s continue reading.
1. The first ugliness of the four ugly women: the mother
Among these four ugly women, Leimu is the ugliest of all ugliness. In the Tang Dynasty’s “Congyu Collection: Ugly People”, her appearance is described as “hammered forehead, black in color”. What does this mean? That is to say, with a pointed forehead and a collapsed nose bridge, black skin and fat growth, it is truly a combination of all shortcomings on one face. It is said that the masks worn by those who danced to great gods in ancient times were painted according to the appearance of their mother, which could ward off evil spirits.
Although the mother was ugly, her character was virtuous and virtuous. It was precisely because of this that the Yellow Emperor married her as the second consort. According to legend, Huangdi had a total of four concubines. Leizu was his first wife, and he also had three second concubines. The position of Leimu was the lowest.
The relationship between Leimu and Leizu was very good. When Huangdi led the men from the tribe to fight outside, they led the women to work at home. Later, after the death of Leizu, Huangdi asked Leimu to guard her tomb and preside over the sacrifices. Leimu arranged everything in an orderly manner. It is precisely because of the virtuous wife’s assistance that Huangdi can focus on fighting against Emperor Yan and killing Chiyou.
According to legend, my mother was also an inventor. Once she went up the mountain to dig for a stone slab and found a shining piece of stone. She quietly brought it back to the palace and repeatedly polished it with a grinding stone, thus creating the first mirror in human history. Later, he was accidentally discovered by the Yellow Emperor, who highly praised his mother’s invention and even invited three other concubines to come and observe.
2. The second ugliest of the four ugly women: Zhong Lichun
Zhong Lichun, also known as Zhong Wuyan or Zhong Wuyan, is the second ugliest. So how ugly is Zhong Lichun? Liu Xiang has detailed records in “Biographies of Exemplary Women” that she has sunken forehead and eyes, a Adam’s apple with a nose opening facing upwards, a thick and fat neck with sparse hair, a broad skeleton, and black skin. In summary, she is extremely ugly.
When Zhong Lichun was 40 years old, no one came to propose marriage, but this old girl was not in a hurry because she was more concerned about the politics of Qi state than her personal marriage. At the beginning of King Qi Xuan’s reign, he was addicted to alcohol and sex and ignored politics. Zhong Lichun risked his life to meet with King Qi Xuan and mercilessly pointed out the four major problems that currently exist in the state of Qi. He also stated that if not corrected in a timely manner, there was a risk of the country’s downfall.
After listening to Zhong Lichun’s words, King Xuan of Qi had a feeling of enlightenment. From then on, King Xuan of Qi worked hard to govern, staying away from the hustle and bustle, and revitalizing the court. And Zhong Lichun, who spoke frankly and advised, was appointed as the queen by King Xuan of Qi.
3. The third ugliness of the Four Great Ugly Women: Meng Guang
Meng Guang is a wealthy young lady, but she is a bit ugly, with a fat body and dark skin. Her strength is not inferior to that of men, and she can easily lift a stone mortar. There were also many people who came to propose marriage in the early years, but Meng Guangjun refused outright, resulting in not getting married by the age of 30.
My parents saw it in their eyes and were anxious in their hearts, so they asked Meng Guang what he was thinking. At this point, Meng Guang confessed that she had already found a place in her heart and that she only wanted to marry a wise man like Liang Hong in her life. Although Liang Hong was just a poor scholar, he had a high reputation for his moral character. Upon hearing Meng Guang’s words, he invited someone to propose to him, and soon after, the two of them went to court and got married.
At the beginning of their marriage, Meng Guang dressed very delicately every day, but Liang Hong always ignored her. Seeing this situation, Meng Guang asked Liang Hong if he had offended him in some way. Liang Hong replied that I want to marry a wife who can endure hardship and work hard, not a woman who knows how to dress up every day. Upon hearing Liang Hong’s words, Meng Guang also revealed that she had prepared cloth clothes, hemp shoes, baskets, and other tools before getting married. Her previous actions were only to test his character.
After a heart to heart talk, Meng Guang and Liang Hong followed suit from then on. They once lived in seclusion in the mountains, where he worked the fields and she wove cloth, leading a simple and beautiful life. Later, the location where Liang Hong lived in seclusion was leaked. After traveling extensively, he and Meng Guang arrived in Wu. Liang Hong worked as a short-term laborer in a wealthy household, and Meng Guang was very respectful to him every time he went to deliver food. He even raised the plate of food to the height of his eyebrows, leaving behind the story of raising a case to the same level as his eyebrows.
4. The fourth ugliness of the Four Great Ugly Women: The Lady of Ruan
Ru ǎ n was born into a family of officials and was exceptionally ugly. On the day of their wedding, the groom Xu Yun only glanced at her before leaving the bridal chamber. Later, under the persuasion of a friend, he bravely went back, but as soon as he saw Ru ǎ n, he wanted to leave again. At this moment, Ruan Shi grabbed his clothes, and Xu Yun did not walk.
Seeing her newlywed husband treat her like this, Ruan Shi didn’t cry or make a fuss, but captured her husband’s heart with just one sentence. Ruan Shi said to Xu Yun, ‘Virtue is the foremost of all virtues. If you only value beauty and do not value virtue, how can you say that you have all the virtues?’? Upon hearing this, Xu Yun immediately gave Ruan Shi a disdainful look, and from then on, they respected and loved each other, spreading a beautiful story.
Whenever the Xu family faced a major crisis, Lady Ruan remained calm and composed, becoming the backbone of the family. Once, Xu Yun was falsely accused of promoting his fellow townspeople multiple times. Ruan Shi advised him on how to respond to the questioning of Emperor Wei Ming Cao Rui, and ultimately escaped unharmed. Later, Xu Yun was killed by Sima Shi, and his two sons were also worried about their lives. It was Ruan Shi who advised them on how to act, and ultimately saved their lives.
Although these four women are all ugly, they have never underestimated themselves. Instead, they have earned the respect of their husbands through their character. Such a happy and fulfilling marriage is something that many beautiful women aspire to. It seems that God is still fair. He did not give you beauty, but perhaps he will give you a happy marriage and a happy family.
