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Cao Zhi and the Ode to the River Goddess—An Unparalleled Love Between Mortal and Immortal

Release date:

2023-06-18

Cao Zhi was a renowned literary figure of the Three Kingdoms period. As one of the leading representatives and a consummate synthesizer of Jian’an literature, he was revered during the Two Jin and Northern–Southern Dynasties as a paragon of literary excellence. His celebrated works include “Ode to the Goddess of the Luo River,” “The Ballad of the White Horse,” and “Seven Laments.” The Southern Song scholar Xie Lingyun remarked, “Of all the talent under heaven, Cao Zhi alone commands eight dou.” Meanwhile, Wang Shizhen once observed that, over the two millennia since the Han and Wei dynasties, only three poets could be hailed as possessing “immortal genius”: Cao Zhi, Li Bai, and Su Shi.
Cao Zhi was born into an imperial family; even in his youth, his literary talent shone brightly. Cao Cao doted on him, and he lived a life of luxury and opulence, surrounded by fine attire and sumptuous meals whenever he went on excursions. Consequently, the poems Cao Zhi composed in his early years were meant to express his grand ambitions. In his writings, his own persona is always that of an optimistic, spirited young man, devoted to serving his country with unwavering loyalty.
It was only after his elder brother Cao Pi ascended the throne that Cao Zhi’s fortunes took a sudden turn.
At the time, Cao Pi harbored constant suspicion and apprehension toward Cao Zhi. Though styled as a feudal prince, Cao Zhi was in fact little more than a prisoner. Cao Pi repeatedly stripped him of his titles and confined him, repeatedly dismissing his earnest appeals to prove himself through achievement. Under such dual pressures—both spiritual and circumstantial—the once spirited young man gradually became a melancholy middle-aged man, burdened by hardship and frustration in his daily life, and consumed by inner loneliness and conflict. From then on, Cao Zhi turned to the image of the “lingzhi mushroom” as a beautiful vehicle for expressing his emotions, composing immortal masterpieces such as “The Flying Dragon Ode,” “Ode to the Lingzhi,” and “Eastward Journey from Pingling.” Among these, “Ode to the Goddess of the Luo River” is especially celebrated as the pinnacle of Chinese fu poetry.
In this essay, Cao Zhi recounts how, while journeying along the Luo River, he encountered the legendary goddess of the Luo, the daughter of Fuxi. He lavishes his prose with vivid descriptions of her exquisite beauty and graceful demeanor, every line suffused with an ardent admiration. Like a young poet consumed by feverish love, he bestows upon her every epithet of loveliness he can conjure, sparing no word of praise. At the same time, he once again links the Luo Goddess to the lingzhi mushroom. With the lines “I brush my alabaster wrist upon the sacred shore, plucking the dark‑hued lingzhi from the rushing stream; my heart is thrilled by her gentle grace, yet my spirit remains unsettled,” Cao Zhi portrays the goddess’s serene composure as she gathers lingzhi by the banks of the Luo, while also expressing the poet’s deep affection for her.
In fact, the immortal maiden in the fu is Cao Zhi’s beloved goddess—none other than his sister-in-law, Zhen Mi. Zhen Mi was a celebrated beauty of the Three Kingdoms period; as the saying goes, “the Qiaos of Jiangdong, and to the north, the lovely Zhen Mi”—her beauty could rival that of the Qiaos. Cao Zhi long harbored deep admiration for Zhen Mi, the wife of his elder brother Cao Pi, yet he could never win her heart. Later, Zhen Mi fell out of favor and died a tragic death, leaving Cao Zhi heartbroken. As scholars often used words to express their emotions, he composed this timeless masterpiece.
Illustration: "The Goddess of the Luo River"
Accompanied by Zhao Mengfu’s calligraphy of “Ode to the River Goddess”