The Oath of Bai Qi
The Fragrance by the River
Four years had passed since Emperor Yao reclaimed his son, Bai Qi, from the goddess Luo. The prince, now heir apparent, was beloved by all—his wisdom rivaling Confucius, his martial skill surpassing even Sun Tzu.
One evening, as the emperor wandered the banks of the Wei River, a divine fragrance filled the air—sweet as plum blossoms after rain. Tracing its source, he found a maiden of unearthly beauty: Lady Yu, daughter of a humble fisherman-chief. A Daoist sage had blessed her with this scent, a perfume that could intoxicate even the gods.
Though Emperor Yao had lived ascetically since Luo's departure, his heart stirred like a storm-lashed bamboo. "Be my empress," he pleaded.
Lady Yu lowered her eyes. "My father's consent you must first obtain."
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The fisherman-chief, shrewd as a fox, bowed low. "Great Emperor, my daughter is yours—but on one condition: her son must inherit your throne."
Yao recoiled. To disinherit Bai Qi, his noble son, was unthinkable! Yet neither could he forget Lady Yu's perfume, now haunting his dreams. He returned to Haojing in torment, his health withering like autumn leaves.
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Bai Qi, noticing his father's decline, pressed him: "The empire is secure, yet you fade. What grief weighs upon you?"
Yao evaded: "A ruler must secure his lineage. You are my only son, and war is fickle…"
But Bai Qi, piercing the veil, sought the truth from the emperor's charioteer. Riding swiftly to the fisherman's hut, he declared: "Give Lady Yu to my father. I renounce my claim to the throne. Her son shall rule after him."
The fisherman hesitated. "Your vow is mighty, Prince, but what of your sons? Will they not challenge mine?"
Without blinking, Bai Qi raised his hand to heaven and swore an oath that shook the earth:
"Then I shall never wed. No sons will I sire, no wife shall I take. My life I dedicate to the empire alone."
As the words left his lips, celestial petals rained from the sky, and the wind itself seemed to cry: "Bai Qi! Bai Qi!"—for he had taken a vow so terrible, so unbreakable, that the gods renamed him "The Iron Vow" (比誓, Bǐshì).
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Bai Qi led Lady Yu to the palace, where she bore Yao two sons: Prince Jing and Prince Liang. In time, Liang's two queens would birth the rival lines:
The Jia Clan, descendants of the blind Jia Long.
The Ying Clan, sons of Ying Zheng .
And through it all stood Bai Qi—the grandsire, the unyielding pillar of duty, his vow echoing through history until the blood-drenched fields of Red Cliffs.