[W Forum] The Woman Who Comes to Mind When Spring Arrives

It was a plausible idea for the busy emperor. To save time evaluating the thousands of palace maids selected as concubines, he had a skilled court painter create their portraits. Whenever he had time, he would rush to a special library with hanging paintings of beauties, arrange them in order, and select his concubines. This is the story of Emperor Yuan (元帝), the 11th emperor of the Han (漢) dynasty, who could not control his overflowing desires.

The emperor’s court painter, Mo Yeonsu, began receiving bribes from the palace maids who competed to be painted beautifully. However, the protagonist of today’s story, Wangjang, was poor and had no intention of disguising her appearance, so she did not bribe the painter. The result was predictable. Wangjang’s portrait was drawn unattractively and ugly, so the emperor never sought her out.

To the Chinese, the northern barbarians were always a threatening presence, but at that time, they had a peaceful relationship with Huhanya, the Xiongnu chanyu (king). When the emperor noticed during a gift exchange that the Xiongnu king desired a Han woman, he rushed to the library to find a beauty painting. He found Wangjang’s unattractive portrait, which he was willing to give away without regret... When the Xiongnu king saw Wangjang’s beautiful real appearance, he was overjoyed and took her back with him. The emperor could not contain his anger and had Mo Yeonsu beheaded for accepting bribes and deceiving the emperor.

The story of Wang Zhaojun (Wang So-gun), who is counted among China’s four great beauties along with Yang Guifei, Diao Chan, and Xi Shi, is short but dramatically told. The reason she is remembered before the others is because of her heart as beautiful as her appearance. She spared no effort to maintain friendly relations with neighboring countries, and for 80 years, there were no wars between the Xiongnu and China. She is the author of the poem “There are no flowers in the barbarian land, so even if spring comes, it does not feel like spring,” expressing her sorrow and homesickness in the cold and barren Mongolian region?the protagonist of Chunlae Bul Sacheun (Spring Comes but Does Not Feel Like Spring).

The event took place in 33 BC. Several decades later, the Han dynasty fell. Peasants turned into bandits like the Red Eyebrows and the Green Forest, and the people fell into an abyss of chaos too terrible to describe in writing. After the death of Qin Shi Huang, Han Gaozu (Liu Bang) barely established order in the Han dynasty through a desperate battle with Xiang Yu. His descendant, Emperor Wen, practiced a frugal lifestyle, even forbidding the empress from extending her skirt’s hem. During the reign of the 7th emperor, Han Wudi, surrounding countries were consolidated and the foundation of the Silk Road international trade was established. However, while their descendants briefly looked away, the efforts of their ancestors were wasted, and the people fell into misery again.

Most founders handle their work with bare hands, prepared to face death. Whether building a country or a company, the story is similar. Conversely, signs of decline start from small matters, like a dam breaking from a tiny crack. Founders therefore emphasize thrift to their descendants and constantly train them to stay alert. Han Feizi stressed that leaders should not even show likes or dislikes outwardly. Leadership is not only required of emperors or presidents. Whether large or small, those who manage companies, public officials, branch managers, team leaders, and even the head of a household are leaders. The driver of a bus carrying dozens of people is also a leader during the journey. We all become leaders.

Spring has come. Shouldn’t we also do some spring cleaning, tidying up our slackened minds, and deleting unnecessary files or photos from our PCs or phones?

Seo Jaeyeon, Executive Director, Mirae Asset Daewoo Galleria WM