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Shàonǚ was once a Commoner Duke, Third Class within the Qing Dynasty. Her status was equal to that of male officials due to her services and mystic prowess.
Original artwork by:
Bra1nEater
Original story by:
CS_Bernard
My Dear Friend,
I find myself comfortably settled into the residence provided by the Qianlong Emperor’s court. It has been difficult adjusting from Saint Petersburg to Peking, but I have managed well enough and so, it would seem, have found some tolerance, if not acceptance, among the bureaucrats that crowd around the emperor. My first impressions have been given new insights and I have much to say in future letters.
As I mentioned in my previous messages from autumn, there is much about the ways of the “Dragon Throne” that mystify and elude me. While this is purposefully done to shield the emperor from the rest of the world, the eunuchs and his Imperial Household Department are more scrutable. The emperor is treated as God on Earth. Therefore as “barbarians,” Europeans are kept away from him save for very special occasions. While these superstitions are expected of heathens, I have noted that in the minds of the courtiers and officials he is also regarded as a Father to his peoples. When one understands the filial reverence for the Emperor many other things fall into place.
While I have found it personally repugnant, conceding to the officials of the court and behaving as a subordinate to them placates their conceit and allows one to play to their expectations. When one behaves as a social inferior, then it may be possible to surprise and delight their superiors. As long as the wayward traveler has some talent or skill with which to impress their hosts, they may gain their confidence. Despite being closely watched by the emperor’s representatives, I have been deemed a harmless source of amusement. This means that while the ambassador has been hard at work ingratiating himself to the emperor’s inner circle, I have been given a warm welcome to the outer one.
My talent for painting has proven indispensable. I was tasked with preparing landscapes and portraits for our Empress, so that she may see China for herself, I have found additional work among the Peking courtiers. Like the people of Petersburg that follow fashions very closely, the Peking officials prize more than just martial prowess. But they also cherish literature and the arts. When I have found the time for it among my regular work, I have included commissions from generals, bureaucrats, and the lords and ladies that crowd around the emperor. I stay at my canvas so long that I find my hands aching and have even been forced to dictate this letter to one of my assistants. Yet, I am surrounded by so many strange and curious things and people that the impulse to sketch and paint is so great that I hardly wish to rest. Which brings me to a painting which I am sending to you for safe keeping.
In my next shipment home I am including the portrait of a young woman. She is something of an oddity even among the extraordinary and alien fixtures of the Peking Court. Of course, the most striking thing is the fact that she is a woman. I was startled when the courtiers revealed that she was a woman at all, since she arrays herself in the customary dress of a male courtier and holds her own official titles. Once I was intimated with her true nature beneath her manly guise, my imagination was immediately captivated. While the fairer sex is not uncommon among the higher circles of the Imperial Court, this Lady is exceptional in that she is neither handmaiden nor concubine. She is not tied to the court by any blood or marital relationship.
The young woman’s Chinese name is difficult for me to write down, but I learned that it has a symbolic meaning that is approximately read as: “Dragon Mouse Maiden” and might in fact be an official title. As one might infer, “the Maiden,” is unmarried and chaste. While this conveys her probity, there are those that fear and envy her at court. As I have come to understand it, she is an important and influential spiritual leader. The Maiden caught the Emperor’s attention for being something like the nun turned Cossack Alena Arzamasskaia. Whereas the rogue Sister Alyona was condemned to death for the accusation of sorcery, it has only elevated the Maiden to the highest circles in Peking.
The Maiden, a young mouse woman, is very reserved and reticent. It is difficult to tell whether this is to project an air of authority or is simply her nature. I marked that she had a particular disdain for me, despite my most amicable greetings. She initially brushed off all efforts by my interlocutor to ask questions. She often passed us by with a look as though she were unaware of our existence even though we were only arm’s length from each other. Through assiduous queries and pressures brought to bear by some of her peers, I was finally able to secure a short audience.
Though I have learned very little Chinese, I knew that her tone and visage were terse. When my companion relayed her responses in Russian, she revealed that she felt ill-disposed to us as Russians due to our offense of being Russian. She readily explained that it had been Russians from the “Kingdom of Jaxa” that had caused the death of one of her sisters in a series of skirmishes along the Amur River. I remembered the history of Nikifor Chernigovsky, an exiled Polish nobleman, who had established that very domain here in the Far East. I had to restrain my incredulity.
Chernigovsky’s adventures had been over one hundred years ago. The Maiden could hardly have been alive at such a time to have lost a sibling during that conflict. Since the Chinese worship their forebears, I simply overlooked a possible misinterpretation by my colleague and offered condolences on behalf of Empress Catherine and our countrymen. This did little to ingratiate us to her, though it went some ways toward relieving tensions.
Rather than dishonestly flatter this exotic woman and endanger my objectives, I continued to offer apologies on behalf of my forebears and explained that I had come to her lands not with the sword, but bearing a brush. I explained that I was merely an artisan tasked with making paintings at the behest of the Russian ambassador. She rebuffed me as a spy. Her honest acrimony only fanned my interests to the point I was quite taken with her. The mouse challenged all my skills I had learned to navigate the Imperial court, but it somehow soothed me to speak with someone so frank in their hostility. After a great deal of talk and overtures I finally made my purpose known. I wished to paint her portrait.
The Maiden was hardly open to such an idea. As she reiterated her accusations of spying, I cautiously worked to quell her unfounded belief. I listed the various other members of the court who were willing to sit for portraits. Further, I provided her with examples of my work featuring scenes from St. Petersburg, including noblemen of our Court, soldiers and farmers, sailors and merchants, and various other innocent images that I had brought as gifts for the Qianlong Emperor. Though it was disheartening to see her more annoyed than relieved at the evidence of my modest intentions, her resistance at last waned and she relented to my request.
My beliefs had been confirmed when I found her to be a fascinating subject. She was the smallest personage in the whole of the Emperor’s court, staffed with tall and agile stags, hale and hardy tigers, cunning wolves, and all manner of creatures. Yet, her bearing was of one who seemed unconcerned about her slight stature or frailties. Rather, her carriage was such that the far larger members of the court were the ones who whispered around her and among whose company several intrigues were afoot.
Perhaps that is why I detected a kind of weariness in her eyes, it might even be melancholy. Yet when it is aroused, there is coldness in her demeanor that distances her from others and makes her seem unassailable. While I am not as intimidating as a tiger, a mink such as myself certainly stands a great deal taller than she does. In spite of this I have often found myself glancing away from her stern gaze and timidly expressing apologies, even when I am without my companion to express my humility in Chinese. I certainly see how anyone might feel intimidated by her, with or without her pride of place in the palace. I would dare say that she would make for an interesting and respectable envoy to Empress Catherine’s palace in St. Petersburg.
I must confess that there seemed to be a very quiet, unassuming air of eternity about her. Even when we were alone in my borrowed studio, her visage conveyed a sense of wisdom and experience beyond her years. There were times that I believed that she had been transported from the distant past to the present through some sort of sorcery or other mystical rite. If I did not have better control of my overwrought imagination, I would have fancied her to be the old crone Baba Yaga having somehow disguised her hideousness. Regardless of the superstitions that prey upon one’s mind, I grew to respect the small Lady of the Court, this Dragon Maiden.
When alone with her, I always comported myself with as much respect and decorum as the other members of the Court expected. I believe this was appreciated, but she somehow knew that my deference was artifice. I never entertained any ulterior plan or motive, but I understand why she might suspect me. I admire this judicious distrust. It only strengthened my desire to capture her likeness.
When the portrait arrives, I would like for you to have it placed in my home studio. When I return next fall, I will endeavor to make a replica of it. I should like to remember this alien woman who, in her own quiet way, reminded me that I was once a stranger in a strange land. That is why the original will be kept at my home and the duplicate will be used for any public viewings. I am sure that I will have many fascinating stories to tell of my adventures and experiences relating to each of my paintings, though this portrait may be better for philosophical discourse.
I shall make every effort to write again tomorrow. Do take care, dear friend. Bid my fondest regards to all our friends and family and remember that you are all in my heart. Until next we meet, I remain
Your Humble & Obedient Servant,
Vadim Vereshchagin
Original artwork by:
Bra1nEaterOriginal story by:
CS_Bernard16 December, 1788My Dear Friend,
I find myself comfortably settled into the residence provided by the Qianlong Emperor’s court. It has been difficult adjusting from Saint Petersburg to Peking, but I have managed well enough and so, it would seem, have found some tolerance, if not acceptance, among the bureaucrats that crowd around the emperor. My first impressions have been given new insights and I have much to say in future letters.
As I mentioned in my previous messages from autumn, there is much about the ways of the “Dragon Throne” that mystify and elude me. While this is purposefully done to shield the emperor from the rest of the world, the eunuchs and his Imperial Household Department are more scrutable. The emperor is treated as God on Earth. Therefore as “barbarians,” Europeans are kept away from him save for very special occasions. While these superstitions are expected of heathens, I have noted that in the minds of the courtiers and officials he is also regarded as a Father to his peoples. When one understands the filial reverence for the Emperor many other things fall into place.
While I have found it personally repugnant, conceding to the officials of the court and behaving as a subordinate to them placates their conceit and allows one to play to their expectations. When one behaves as a social inferior, then it may be possible to surprise and delight their superiors. As long as the wayward traveler has some talent or skill with which to impress their hosts, they may gain their confidence. Despite being closely watched by the emperor’s representatives, I have been deemed a harmless source of amusement. This means that while the ambassador has been hard at work ingratiating himself to the emperor’s inner circle, I have been given a warm welcome to the outer one.
My talent for painting has proven indispensable. I was tasked with preparing landscapes and portraits for our Empress, so that she may see China for herself, I have found additional work among the Peking courtiers. Like the people of Petersburg that follow fashions very closely, the Peking officials prize more than just martial prowess. But they also cherish literature and the arts. When I have found the time for it among my regular work, I have included commissions from generals, bureaucrats, and the lords and ladies that crowd around the emperor. I stay at my canvas so long that I find my hands aching and have even been forced to dictate this letter to one of my assistants. Yet, I am surrounded by so many strange and curious things and people that the impulse to sketch and paint is so great that I hardly wish to rest. Which brings me to a painting which I am sending to you for safe keeping.
In my next shipment home I am including the portrait of a young woman. She is something of an oddity even among the extraordinary and alien fixtures of the Peking Court. Of course, the most striking thing is the fact that she is a woman. I was startled when the courtiers revealed that she was a woman at all, since she arrays herself in the customary dress of a male courtier and holds her own official titles. Once I was intimated with her true nature beneath her manly guise, my imagination was immediately captivated. While the fairer sex is not uncommon among the higher circles of the Imperial Court, this Lady is exceptional in that she is neither handmaiden nor concubine. She is not tied to the court by any blood or marital relationship.
The young woman’s Chinese name is difficult for me to write down, but I learned that it has a symbolic meaning that is approximately read as: “Dragon Mouse Maiden” and might in fact be an official title. As one might infer, “the Maiden,” is unmarried and chaste. While this conveys her probity, there are those that fear and envy her at court. As I have come to understand it, she is an important and influential spiritual leader. The Maiden caught the Emperor’s attention for being something like the nun turned Cossack Alena Arzamasskaia. Whereas the rogue Sister Alyona was condemned to death for the accusation of sorcery, it has only elevated the Maiden to the highest circles in Peking.
The Maiden, a young mouse woman, is very reserved and reticent. It is difficult to tell whether this is to project an air of authority or is simply her nature. I marked that she had a particular disdain for me, despite my most amicable greetings. She initially brushed off all efforts by my interlocutor to ask questions. She often passed us by with a look as though she were unaware of our existence even though we were only arm’s length from each other. Through assiduous queries and pressures brought to bear by some of her peers, I was finally able to secure a short audience.
Though I have learned very little Chinese, I knew that her tone and visage were terse. When my companion relayed her responses in Russian, she revealed that she felt ill-disposed to us as Russians due to our offense of being Russian. She readily explained that it had been Russians from the “Kingdom of Jaxa” that had caused the death of one of her sisters in a series of skirmishes along the Amur River. I remembered the history of Nikifor Chernigovsky, an exiled Polish nobleman, who had established that very domain here in the Far East. I had to restrain my incredulity.
Chernigovsky’s adventures had been over one hundred years ago. The Maiden could hardly have been alive at such a time to have lost a sibling during that conflict. Since the Chinese worship their forebears, I simply overlooked a possible misinterpretation by my colleague and offered condolences on behalf of Empress Catherine and our countrymen. This did little to ingratiate us to her, though it went some ways toward relieving tensions.
Rather than dishonestly flatter this exotic woman and endanger my objectives, I continued to offer apologies on behalf of my forebears and explained that I had come to her lands not with the sword, but bearing a brush. I explained that I was merely an artisan tasked with making paintings at the behest of the Russian ambassador. She rebuffed me as a spy. Her honest acrimony only fanned my interests to the point I was quite taken with her. The mouse challenged all my skills I had learned to navigate the Imperial court, but it somehow soothed me to speak with someone so frank in their hostility. After a great deal of talk and overtures I finally made my purpose known. I wished to paint her portrait.
The Maiden was hardly open to such an idea. As she reiterated her accusations of spying, I cautiously worked to quell her unfounded belief. I listed the various other members of the court who were willing to sit for portraits. Further, I provided her with examples of my work featuring scenes from St. Petersburg, including noblemen of our Court, soldiers and farmers, sailors and merchants, and various other innocent images that I had brought as gifts for the Qianlong Emperor. Though it was disheartening to see her more annoyed than relieved at the evidence of my modest intentions, her resistance at last waned and she relented to my request.
My beliefs had been confirmed when I found her to be a fascinating subject. She was the smallest personage in the whole of the Emperor’s court, staffed with tall and agile stags, hale and hardy tigers, cunning wolves, and all manner of creatures. Yet, her bearing was of one who seemed unconcerned about her slight stature or frailties. Rather, her carriage was such that the far larger members of the court were the ones who whispered around her and among whose company several intrigues were afoot.
Perhaps that is why I detected a kind of weariness in her eyes, it might even be melancholy. Yet when it is aroused, there is coldness in her demeanor that distances her from others and makes her seem unassailable. While I am not as intimidating as a tiger, a mink such as myself certainly stands a great deal taller than she does. In spite of this I have often found myself glancing away from her stern gaze and timidly expressing apologies, even when I am without my companion to express my humility in Chinese. I certainly see how anyone might feel intimidated by her, with or without her pride of place in the palace. I would dare say that she would make for an interesting and respectable envoy to Empress Catherine’s palace in St. Petersburg.
I must confess that there seemed to be a very quiet, unassuming air of eternity about her. Even when we were alone in my borrowed studio, her visage conveyed a sense of wisdom and experience beyond her years. There were times that I believed that she had been transported from the distant past to the present through some sort of sorcery or other mystical rite. If I did not have better control of my overwrought imagination, I would have fancied her to be the old crone Baba Yaga having somehow disguised her hideousness. Regardless of the superstitions that prey upon one’s mind, I grew to respect the small Lady of the Court, this Dragon Maiden.
When alone with her, I always comported myself with as much respect and decorum as the other members of the Court expected. I believe this was appreciated, but she somehow knew that my deference was artifice. I never entertained any ulterior plan or motive, but I understand why she might suspect me. I admire this judicious distrust. It only strengthened my desire to capture her likeness.
When the portrait arrives, I would like for you to have it placed in my home studio. When I return next fall, I will endeavor to make a replica of it. I should like to remember this alien woman who, in her own quiet way, reminded me that I was once a stranger in a strange land. That is why the original will be kept at my home and the duplicate will be used for any public viewings. I am sure that I will have many fascinating stories to tell of my adventures and experiences relating to each of my paintings, though this portrait may be better for philosophical discourse.
I shall make every effort to write again tomorrow. Do take care, dear friend. Bid my fondest regards to all our friends and family and remember that you are all in my heart. Until next we meet, I remain
Your Humble & Obedient Servant,
Vadim Vereshchagin
Category Artwork (Digital) / Portraits
Species Mouse
Size 1600 x 2000px
File Size 638.8 kB
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