Why are there tear-like spots on the fragrant princess beads?

There is a kind of bamboo growing in Jiuyi Mountain, Hunan Province, which is called "Torreya grandis". This kind of bamboo has a little dark brown, purple or even blood red spots on its body, which looks like tears fall on it, so it is also called "tears bamboo" or "spotted bamboo".

There is a long-standing myth and legend behind Xiang: this story is recorded in books such as Biography of Women and Biography of Xiang. Legend has it that in his later years, Emperor Yao gradually felt unable to govern the country, so he searched for an heir all day. At that time, Shun was famous for having both ability and political integrity. In order to examine Shun's moral character and talent, Emperor Yao married his two daughters, and respectively.

Shun treated each other with courtesy, behaved correctly, and the husband and wife lived in harmony. Although E Huang and Nv Ying are the daughters of Emperor Yao, they do not covet a comfortable life, but advocate virtue, frugality and simplicity, and care about people's sufferings.

Shun's father, half-brother Gu Sou and Shun's stepmother tried to kill Shun many times. Thanks to the secret help of E Huang and Nv Ying, Shun was able to escape and avoid being killed. After many tests, Emperor Yao thought that he could entrust the world to him, so he abdicated to Shun. After Shun Di succeeded to the throne, he worked hard and ruled the world with the help of his two good wives, E Huang and Nv Ying.

Shun Di once made a southern tour, died from overwork in the wilderness of Cangwu and was buried in Jiuyi Mountain. E Huang and Li Qian, a woman, are in mourning. They broke their hearts and wept. Tears fell on the bamboo forest, leaving a stain on the bamboo pole. Finally, E Huang and Nv Ying also drowned.

There is a saying that they became the water gods of Hunan after drowning, which is also known as Mrs. Xiang. Later generations built Shunling for Shun Di in Jiuyi Mountain, buried E Huang and Nv Ying in Yueyang Junshan Mountain, and built the "Second Princess Temple" by the Xiangjiang River. They also called this tearful bamboo "Xiangfei Bamboo".

Abstract: Historically, many literati wrote poems to commemorate Xiang Jun and Mrs. Xiang, or quoted the allusions of Mrs. Xiang in their poems.

ChristianRandPhillips Temple in Junshan, Hunan Province still hangs couplets of poems by Li Bai, a poet in the Tang Dynasty, and Zhang Zhidong, governor of the two rivers in the Qing Dynasty. E Huang and Nv Ying in Jiuyi Mountain are named after them. These two peaks are close to Shun Di's cemetery.

Another legend holds that these two peaks appeared after E Huang and Nv Ying discovered Shun Di's grave, symbolizing their long-term relationship with their husbands.