Is “She was once the wife of Duke Wen of Zheng and led two daughters to reward the troops, and later had an illicit affair with Duke Jing of Cai.” true?

novel invention

The official history (Records of the Grand Historian, 'Annals of Qin') records that Queen Dowager Xuan was the mother of King Zhaoxiang of Qin. However, fictional accounts have conflated the life stories of Wen Mi, wife of Duke Wen of Zheng, and Mi Shi, wife of the Crown Prince of Cai, into her person, which is a major case of mistaken identity. The original text: 「昭襄母楚人,姓芈氏,号宣太后。」 (Records of the Grand Historian, 'Annals of Qin', data/raw/shiji/秦本纪.txt)

Queen Dowager Xuan

The romance confuses her with same-surname Mi women such as the wife of Duke Wen of Zheng and the wife of the heir of Cai.

Sources cited above. Compiled with AI assistance and checked against those sources; for cultural reference.Data & method →

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