The Azure Cloud Steed

梅尧臣Jun 2024

3.5

Word count: 2.5K words
Chapters: 3

Summary

The Biyunxia was a stable horse. When Empress Dowager Zhuangxian held court, she gave it to the Prince of Jing. The prince disliked its whorled hair, and when the empress dowager learned of this she said: "Can whorled hair harm a person? I do not believe it. Keep it to supply the imperial stable." It thus became the first of the imperial horses, and because the flesh of its muzzle was blue-green like patches of sunset cloud, it was so named. The world regards whorled hair as ugly; this horse was valued because of its whorled hair. Yet even if valued, can the defect be removed? Alas!

Editor's review

Biyunxia uses the fate of a whorled-haired imperial horse to write an intriguing allegorical note. Empress Dowager Zhuangxian did not reject the horse for its ugly whorled hair but kept it for the imperial stable, where it became the first of the imperial horses, named Biyunxia only because the flesh of its muzzle was blue-green like patches of sunset cloud. The author, Mei Yaochen, narrates this in spare, clean prose; the final line, "even if valued, can the defect be removed?" turns abruptly to expose the worldly phenomenon of valuing the ugly and using value to mask defect, leaving a lingering aftertaste. The piece is short yet combines the immediacy of a historical note with the edge of literati commentary, suited to savoring its satirical meaning in a moment of leisure. Readers may attend to the taboo attached to whorled hair in traditional horse physiognomy and to how the author uses a horse to allegorize people and moves from thing to principle, appreciating the Song note tradition's art of seeing the large in the small.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who enjoy ancient notes and allegorical short pieces
Readers interested in Song literati essays and object-based commentary
Those who need short classical Chinese material for teaching or writing
General readers who like to taste principles in small stories

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting a complete history of horse administration or Song institutional research
Readers with weak classical Chinese who rely on vernacular translation
Readers who prefer strong plot and long-form narrative

Reading tips

Read the original text first, clarifying terms such as whorled hair, imperial stable, and muzzle, then grasp the story's sequence.
Slow down at the final line and consider the author's turn from narrative to commentary.
Read it as an allegory of things; afterward, think about similar phenomena in life where the ugly is valued.

版权信息
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FAQ

How did the name "Biyunxia" come about?

The horse was originally a stable horse. Empress Dowager Zhuangxian gave it to the Prince of Jing, who disliked its whorled hair. The empress dowager did not believe whorled hair could harm anyone and kept it as an imperial horse. Because the flesh of its muzzle was blue-green like patches of sunset cloud, it was named Biyunxia and became the first of the imperial horses.

What is the author saying in the last line, "can the defect be removed?"

The author sighs that the world regards whorled hair as ugly, yet this horse became distinguished because its whorled hair caused it to be kept. But even if distinguished, can the "defect" represented by the whorled hair be removed? This uses a horse to allegorize people and satirizes the phenomenon of using value to mask defect and valuing the ugly.

What kind of reading approach suits this short piece?

It is very short and suits close, careful reading. First clarify the words, then attend to the narrative turn and the closing commentary; read it as an allegory rather than seeking extended plot, and focus on grasping the meaning beyond the words.

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About the author

梅尧臣 Author

Mei Yaochen was a poet of the Northern Song dynasty. Publicly available information about the details of his life is limited, and basic facts such as his birth and death years and native place still require further verification. The library currently holds three of his works, namely Songshi Chao: Wanling Shichao, Shimeng, and Biyunxia, commonly classified under classical poetry and Eastern philosophy. These titles suggest that his writing combines lyrical expression with philosophical reflection, favoring plain and natural language and conveying feeling through everyday life and natural scenery rather than elaborate diction. Wanling Shichao, named after a place, indicates a connection between his poems and Wanling; Shimeng, judging by its title, leans toward dispelling melancholy; and Biyunxia has the character of miscellaneous notes. Overall, Mei Yaochen's verse is plain and restrained, and it exerted a certain influence on the later Song preference for meaning and understatement. Given the limited sources, however, judgments about his life and literary standing should be made with caution, and readers may appreciate him through the surviving works.