When it comes to Daji, people often recall the image of a breathtaking beauty, but also a symbol of enchantment, cruelty, and calamity during the Shang dynasty.

The Habit of Enchanting Others: Sleeping Unclothed, a Fondness for Scented Baths, and Self-Admiration

According to ancient records and folk legends, Daji was infamous for her bewitching beauty and peculiar habits that captivated King Zhou. One of her distinctive traits was her nightly ritual of bathing in scented water and sleeping without any clothing.

Daji believed that only when the body was unconfined and free could it retain its fullness, youthfulness, and allure for men.

Additionally, each night before retiring, she would request her attendants to bring bronze mirrors so she could admire herself by the flickering candlelight. According to Daji, gazing at her reflection in the dancing flames was a way to maintain her allure and remind King Zhou that this “beauty was one of a kind, and he possessed her.” This habit not only entranced King Zhou but also made him neglect his ruling duties, leading him down a path of delusion and eventual downfall.

Why No One Dared to Emulate Her: The Price of Enchantment

Despite Daji’s reputation as an iconic beauty and a symbol of female power within the harem, the consequences of her enchanting ways served as a bitter lesson for posterity. Her excessive allure, coupled with a libertine, extravagant lifestyle, resulted in King Zhou losing his kingdom, the collapse of the Shang dynasty, and Daji herself being cursed by the common people for centuries.

While her habits of scented baths, sleeping unclothed, and self-admiration might seem innocuous when viewed through the lens of personal freedom, they became instruments of enchantment, control, and court manipulation, ultimately leading to disaster.

Hence, although many admired Daji’s beauty, no one dared to emulate her habits, as they were associated with decline, scandal, and wrongdoing.

Daji: A Calamitous Beauty or a Victim of Her Times?

Daji is arguably one of the most controversial figures in Chinese history. Some view her as a politicized beauty symbol, while others blame her as the primary cause of the dynasty’s demise. However, from a different perspective, she may have been a victim of King Zhou’s delusion, used as a scapegoat by feudal historians to attribute all the faults of a fallen dynasty.

Regardless, the story of Daji’s peculiar pre-sleep habits serves as a profound warning: While allure can captivate others, without restraint, it can become a double-edged sword, dragging both oneself and those around into an abyss.

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