Officially,
Empress Zhangsun was born 601AD and died 28th
July 636, aged just 35. Knowing she had
but a short time to compile the 30 volume work -
Examples for (Bhubezi) Women
(女則, Nü Ze), She began this great compendium
aged 9, on completion of her first
official portrait.
This same portrait, a piece of
which you now hold, was presented to Emperor
Taizong to commemorate the familial ties their arranged
marriage would facilitate.
The Red Giraffe needs Volumes 13,
17 and 22 if anyone of you perchance posses them?
-
Lost volume 7 was found near her
funerary urn (painting
number 52).
I hope that you will not build a tomb
to cause the people to labor and the empire to waste resources. Make a hill my tomb, and only use brick
or wooden implements in the tomb. I hope that Your Imperial Majesty will
continue to be close to honest men and stay away from those lacking virtues;
that you will accept faithful words and reject wicked flattery; that you will
decrease labor and stop hunting. Even as I go into the underworld (She obviously could not let on about Between), if these things happen, I will have no regrets. It is not
necessary to summon the sons and daughters back here; if I see them mourn and
cry, I will only be saddened.
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