The Princess Realized in Jade

T'ang Studies 3 (1985) THEPRINCESS REALIZED IN JADE Edward H. Schafer A wave of royal enthusiasm for the Taoist religion during T' ang times--a wave that crested during the eighth and early ninth centuries--lifted a number of royal princesses into holy orders and the rank of priestess (nti tao shih -1t. ~ -±" ) in the great "belvederes" (kuan ~ ) in or near the capital city.l Most famous of these great ladies was the formidable T'ai-p'ing ;t, ~ Princess. On 11 October 670, her loving mother, the Daughter of Heaven WuChao ~ ~ ' also known as Tse-t' ien fill fz. "Conformable to Heaven," had her ordained as a "Capeline, "2 and established her as prioress of a lA number of these are mentioned in the T'ang shu [hereafter TS; citations are from the Szu pu pei yao ed.]. They are the "princesses" (kung chu 1...' .:l , for which I have found no more precise translation) titled Chin-hsien 1t. --1J-, and yti-chen ..L Ji , daughters of Li Tan ~ '§L [Jui Tsung .~ ' ~ ~ ~~ , 710-712] (to be discussed below); Wan-an ~ ':Ji! ' daughter of Li Lung-chi :t 1li ! [HsUan Tsung -:t ;ij( , 712-756] (TS, 83, 8b); Hua-yang if rJ ' daughter of Li Y'u ~ -1~ [Tai Tsung 1~ *- , 762-779] (TS, 83, 12a); Wen-an :Z £ daughter of 11 Kua ~ ~ [Te Tsung 1~ ~ , 779-805] (TS, 83, 13a); Hstin-yang ;~ ~ ' P'ing-en ..3f ~~ , and Shao-yan~ ~p rj ,daughters of 11 Sung ~ l.tfJ [Shun Tsung )'l~ ~ , 805] (TS, 83 13b); YunECchia.7K Jta ' daughter of Li Ch'un ~ k~. [H~en Tsung ~ ~ ' 805-820] (TS, 83, 14a); An-k'ang ~)~ and I-ch'ang ~ JJ" daughters of Li Heng ~ It.l. [Mu Tsung .# ~, 820824 ] (TS, 83, 15a). Another source gives the Hsin-ch' ang ~ ~ Princess, ordained in 747 (T'ang hui yao .A ~ ~ [hereafter THY], Kuo-hstieh chi-pen ts'ung-shu ed., 50, 877); she petitioned for the departure from secular life upon the death of her husband, evidently to pray for his soul. 2Approximating nli kuan ~ ~ , equivalent to nli tao shih, a rendering explained in E. H. Schafer, "The Capeline Cantos : Verses on the Divine Loves of Taoist Priestesses," Asiatische Studien, 32 (1978), 9-12. T1anq Studies 3 (1985) THE PRINCESS REALIZED IN JADE Edward H. Schafer A wave of royal enthusiasm for the Taoist religion during T'ang times--a wave that crested during the eighth and early ninth centuries--lifted a number of royal princesses into holy orders and the rank of priestess (nil tao shih 女道士) in ~ the great "belvederes" (紐'成」) in or near the capital city .1 Most famous of these great ladies was the formidable T'ai-p'ing 太平 Princess , On 11 October 670, her loving mother, the Daughter of Heaven Wu Chao 式曌, also known as Tse-t I ien 則天 "Conformable to Heaven," had her ordained as a "Capeline, "2 and established her as prioress of a lA number of these are mentioned in the T'an~shu [hereafter TS; citations are from the Szu pu pei yao ed.] • They are the "princesses" (kunR chu 公主, for which I have found no more precise translation) titled Chin-hsien~ 华 and Yii-chen 玉具, daughters of Li Tan 令 '§1.. [Jui Tsung '合宗, 710-712] (to be discussed b low·Wan-an 安, daughter of Li Lung-chi 令痘 £[H:~an Tsung 差 .今7 712-756] (TS, 83, 8b); Hua-yang , daughter of 訌钅戇 [Tai Tsung 代宗, 76!灊 (TS, 83, 12a); Wen-an x..._ 女 daughter of Li Kua 令迺,... [Te Tsung 憶、 宗, 779-805] (TS, 83, 13a); Hsi.in-yang 璹碭, P'ing-en 乎恩, and Shao-yang 弈陽, daughters of Li Sung 李 卟 [Shun Tsung 」吸宗, 805] (TS, 83 13b); Yun -chia 永 嘉, daughter of Li Ch'un~ 紐呣en Tsung 圭宗, 805-820] (TS, 83, 14a); An-k'ang 安)系 and I-ch'ang 11 義 .,a , daughters of Li Heng 李歧 [Mu Tsung 綉宗, 820824 ] (TS, 83, 15a). Another source gives the Hsin-ch'ang 新易 Princess, ordained in 747 (T1an~hui yao 鬼令涅 [hereafter THY], Kuo-hsiieh chi-pen ts'un~-shu ed., 50,877); she petitioned for the departure from secular life upon the death of her husband, evidently to pray for his soul. 2Approximating nil kuan 女痼, equivalent to nil tao shih, a rendering explained in E, H. Schafer, "The...