Duke Ling of Wei
Encyclopedia
Duke Ling of Wei was a ruler of the ancient Chinese state of Wei
. He was the subject of Chapter 15 of the Analects of Confucius
. Duke Ling was also one of the most famous representatives of the homosexual tradition in China, as portrayed in the philosophic work Han Fei Zi by Han Fei
. In that tale, Duke Ling favors a courtier named Mizi Xia
, whom he allows to use the ducal carriage without permission, and whom he admires for handing over the remainder of an especially delicious peach
. Han Fei records that once Mizi Xia's looks faded, however, the Duke turned against his former lover, accusing him of stealing the carriage and of degrading the Duke by giving him a half-eaten peach. This story was so widespread amongst the literati
of China that the phrase "the bitten peach" became a byword for homosexuality.
Wei (Spring and Autumn Period)
This article is about the State of Wei founded during the Spring and Autumn Period. For the Warring States Period state whose name is pronounced identically, see Wei ....
. He was the subject of Chapter 15 of the Analects of Confucius
Confucius
Confucius , literally "Master Kong", was a Chinese thinker and social philosopher of the Spring and Autumn Period....
. Duke Ling was also one of the most famous representatives of the homosexual tradition in China, as portrayed in the philosophic work Han Fei Zi by Han Fei
Han Fei
Han Fei was a Chinese philosopher who, along with Li Si, Gongsun Yang, Shen Dao and Shen Buhai, developed the doctrine of the School of Law or Legalism...
. In that tale, Duke Ling favors a courtier named Mizi Xia
Mizi Xia
Mizi Xia is a semi-legendary figure from the Zhou Dynasty Period of China. He was first recorded in the work Han Fei Zi, by Legalist philosopher Han Fei, as the companion of the historical figure Duke Ling of Wei. While Mizi Xia may have actually existed, nothing is known about him beyond this...
, whom he allows to use the ducal carriage without permission, and whom he admires for handing over the remainder of an especially delicious peach
Peach
The peach tree is a deciduous tree growing to tall and 6 in. in diameter, belonging to the subfamily Prunoideae of the family Rosaceae. It bears an edible juicy fruit called a peach...
. Han Fei records that once Mizi Xia's looks faded, however, the Duke turned against his former lover, accusing him of stealing the carriage and of degrading the Duke by giving him a half-eaten peach. This story was so widespread amongst the literati
Scholar-bureaucrats
Scholar-officials or Scholar-bureaucrats were civil servants appointed by the emperor of China to perform day-to-day governance from the Sui Dynasty to the end of the Qing Dynasty in 1912, China's last imperial dynasty. These officials mostly came from the well-educated men known as the...
of China that the phrase "the bitten peach" became a byword for homosexuality.