Nongyu and Xiao Shi: A Marriage of Immortals

Evan Mantyk, Contributing Editor

A mystical part of the 5,000-year-old civilization of China is the culture of seeking the Tao and cultivating into a divine being who has immortality and can travel to Heaven. Many customs, phrases, and stories that people in modern society take for granted have profound origins in this culture.

During the Spring and Autumn period, someone presented a piece of rock with jade in it to the King of Qin State, Duke Mu (who reigned 705-621 BC). When it was carved open, it revealed a flawless piece of jade with a green hue, greatly pleasing Duke Mu. Coincidentally, Duke Mu's young daughter was about to turn one year old, so according to tradition she was given a set of objects to choose from to determine her personality. Duke Mu placed the beautiful jade along with various other items into a tray. The girl paid no attention to the food and toys in the tray, but instead picked up the green jade and played with it with great interest.

Therefore, Duke Mu named his daughter Nongyu, which literally means "Playing with Jade.” As Nongyu grew up, she became extraordinarily beautiful with exceptional intelligence, and she was especially skilled in playing the sheng (a Chinese wind instrument). What's even more peculiar is that she mastered it without any instruction and could produce beautiful melodies on her own. Duke Mu then instructed skilled artisans to carve Nongyu's favorite jade into a jade sheng. When Nongyu played it, the beautiful music sounded like the cry of a phoenix. Duke Mu cherished her even more and built a pavilion named Phoenix Pavilion as her residence, with a Phoenix Platform in front of it.

When Nongyu turned fifteen, Duke Mu began to look for a suitable husband for her. However, Nongyu showed no interest in the noble young men her father proposed. She told her father that she wanted a husband who was skilled in playing the sheng and could accompany her in playing music. Duke Mu sent people to search everywhere but couldn't find such a man.

One evening, Nongyu sat idly by the window of the Phoenix Pavilion, looking up at the clear sky and bright moon. A strange feeling came over her. She lit incense by the window and started playing the green jade sheng. The clear sound of the sheng echoed through the sky. Suddenly, a sound seemed to echo back in response to her music. Nongyu stopped in surprise and listened carefully. The responding sound also stopped, leaving only lingering echoes in the silent night.

That night, Nongyu had a strange dream. In the dream, a handsome man rode a colorful phoenix from the sky and landed on the Phoenix Platform. He took out a red jade flute from his waist and played it, producing a unique and beautiful melody. The colorful phoenix spread its wings and danced to the music. The man identified himself as the Lord of Mount Hua and claimed to have a predestined relationship with Nongyu.

The next day, Nongyu told her father about what she saw in her dream. Though Duke Mu felt it was strange, he loved his daughter dearly and sent people to Mount Hua to find the man. The messenger searched and found a man resembling the description near the Mingxing Rock of Mount Hua. He was extraordinary in appearance, with jade-like features. The messenger greeted him, learned his name was Xiao Shi, and respectfully invited him back to meet Duke Mu.

Seeing Xiao Shi’s extraordinary appearance, Duke Mu was delighted and eagerly invited him to play the jade flute. Xiao Shi played a tune, and a gentle breeze blew. With the second tune, colorful clouds drifted from all directions and gathered in the sky above the palace. By the time he finished the third tune, pairs of white cranes and peacocks were flying in the sky, and birds around them were singing together. Duke Mu was overjoyed, and inside the curtain Nongyu was even happier, knowing that he was the husband she dreamt of.

After the music ended, Duke Mu asked Xiao Shi about the origin of the sheng and flute. Xiao Shi told him that the sheng was made by Nuwa (the goddess who had created human beings), symbolizing the emergence of all things, while the flute was made by Fuxi (the inventor of fire and music among other things), symbolizing purification. He also explained in detail the evolution of these two instruments since ancient times.

Duke Mu betrothed Nongyu to Xiao Shi, and the couple lived in the Phoenix Pavilion. After marriage, people found that Xiao Shi was indeed not an ordinary man. He did not eat any food and only occasionally drank a little wine. He also taught Nongyu the method of guiding qi and gradually Nongyu stopped eating grains. The couple often played the sheng and flute together, their music transcending the earthly realm.

About half a year later, while the couple was playing on the Phoenix Platform, a red dragon suddenly appeared on the right side of the platform and a purple phoenix landed on the left. Xiao Shi said to Nongyu, "I was originally an immortal from the worlds above, tasked by Heaven with organizing historical records for the human world. It has been over a hundred and ten years since then. Heaven has appointed me as the Lord of Mount Hua, and I have a predestined relationship with you, which is why I responded to your flute playing that night. However, we should not stay in the mortal world for too long. Today, the dragon and phoenix have come to take us back to Heaven."

Nongyu wanted to bid farewell to her father, but Xiao Shi said, "Now that we have become immortals, we should have no attachment to the mortal world. How can we long for our family?"

So Xiao Shi rode the dragon and Nongyu mounted the phoenix. They soared away from the Phoenix Platform, leaving behind clouds in the sky. That night, people on Mount Hua heard the cry of the phoenix.

Early the next morning, the palace attendants hurriedly reported to Duke Mu. He sighed deeply for a long time, saying, "The existence of immortals is indeed true. If a dragon and phoenix were to come for me now, I would abandon my throne like old shoes."

Duke Mu sent people to Mount Hua to search for them, but they were nowhere to be found. So he ordered a shrine to be built at the Mingxing Rock where Xiao Shi was first seen, called
Shrine of the Flute Maiden. People often hear the cry of the phoenix at the shrine.

People admired the story of Xiao Shi and Nongyu ascending to Heaven on a dragon and phoenix, and have used the dragon and phoenix as symbols of marriage. This custom has been preserved until now, reminding men and women in the mortal world that one’s true destiny is not about romance or sharing glory, but about reminding and encouraging each other not to forget the great vow of returning to one’s original self, eventually returning together to a heavenly kingdom.