In the deep mists of China's proto-history, during the era of the Five Emperors, the land was a place of both great virtue and terrifying natural upheaval. Emperor Yao, a ruler of peerless wisdom and benevolence, sat upon the throne, but as he aged, he grew concerned for the future of his people. He did not believe his own son, Danzhu, possessed the temperament or the character to lead the Middle Kingdom. Thus, Yao began a search for a successor based on merit rather than bloodline. This search led him to a humble man named Shun, who lived in the shadow of Mount Li. Shun was known for his extraordinary filial piety; despite having a father, a stepmother, and a half-brother who repeatedly conspired to kill him, Shun never wavered in his kindness and respect toward them. Yao was so impressed by Shun’s character that he decided to test him further. He gave his two beautiful daughters, Ehuang (the elder) and Nüying (the younger), to Shun in marriage, intending to see if Shun could maintain harmony within a household containing two princesses of the royal blood while still managing the affairs of a commoner.
Ehuang and Nüying were not merely passive observers of history. They were women of profound intellect and grace who understood the weight of their father's legacy. Upon arriving at Shun's humble dwelling, they did not demand the luxuries of the palace. Instead, they stripped away their silken robes and donned the simple clothes of the peasantry. They worked the fields alongside Shun, tended to the silkworms, and, most importantly, acted as his advisors and protectors. On several occasions, when Shun’s treacherous family attempted to trap him—once by setting fire to a granary roof he was repairing and another time by burying him alive in a well they had asked him to dig—it was the quick thinking and magical charms provided by Ehuang and Nüying that saved his life. They recognized in Shun the seeds of a Great Ruler, and their devotion to him was a testament to his burgeoning virtue. Eventually, Yao was satisfied. He abdicated the throne, passing the imperial seal to Shun, and Ehuang and Nüying became the Empresses of the realm.
The reign of Emperor Shun was a time of great expansion and civilizational growth, but it was also a period of immense struggle against the Great Flood that plagued the central plains. While Shun labored to organize the hydraulic projects that would later be completed by Yu the Great, Ehuang and Nüying remained his constant pillars of support. They managed the internal affairs of the court with such wisdom that the people spoke of them as the 'Two Queens.' However, the duties of an Emperor were never-ending. In his later years, despite his advanced age, Shun felt compelled to embark on a southern inspection tour to pacify the tribes of the Man and the Miao and to ensure the stability of the frontier regions. He traveled toward the lush, humid lands of the south, toward the region of the Nine-Glory Mountains (Cangwu). Because the journey was arduous and the southern marshes were rife with 'miasma' and wild beasts, Ehuang and Nüying stayed behind, or perhaps, according to some traditions, they followed at a distance, delayed by the treacherous terrain.
Tragedy struck in the wilderness of Cangwu. Exhausted by his labors and the harsh climate of the south, Emperor Shun passed away suddenly. He was buried in the desert-like hills of the Jiuyi Mountains. When the news finally reached Ehuang and Nüying, who had reached the banks of the Xiang River in modern-day Hunan, the world seemed to shatter around them. They were overcome by a grief so profound that it transcended the mortal realm. They stood upon the shores of Dongting Lake, looking toward the south where their husband lay in an eternal sleep. For days, they wandered the banks of the Xiang River, their cries echoing through the mountains and their wailing mixing with the sound of the wind. Their sorrow was not merely the loss of a husband, but the loss of a partner in the great work of civilization. They found themselves on Junshan Island, a small emerald jewel set within the vastness of Dongting Lake.