A Song to Drown Rivers

The legendary Xi Shi is associated with water. Her early job is said to have been washing silk or gauze in the river, and it is said that when the fish see her reflection on the water’s surface, they are so stunned by her beauty that they forget how to swim. Ann Liang builds on these references to water when talking about Xishi’s beauty, and the changeable nature of water—peaceful and violent, beautiful and dangerous—operates as a motif symbolizing the multifaceted character of Xishi herself. 

Water signals the beginning and end of the story. Xishi’s narrative comes full circle as Fanli save Xishi’s life by a river at the beginning, then fails to save her when she is drowned in the same spot at the end. Between these bookends, water impacts the plot in many ways. Xishi facilitates Goujian’s attack on the Wu kingdom by convincing Fuchai to build a waterway. She accomplishes this manipulation while on a romantic boat ride with the Wu king. The beauty of the lake amplifies Xishi’s own beauty, and just as the fish forget how to swim, Fuchai forgets how to keep his kingdom safe.