She Who Became the Sun

The girl, now known as Zhu Chongba, settles into monastery life. Early on, she realizes she is different from other novices, not just in terms of gender and education, but also because she is determined to live. Food is her greatest motivator; unlike other novices, she will choose punishment for her errors instead of foregoing meals. Zhu encounters Prefect Fang, who is in charge of educating the novices. He is strict and traditional, and he dislikes her because she was accepted into the monastery by the Abbot, with whom he disagrees politically. As she is illiterate, has had no formal education, and is two years younger than the other new novices, she must work hard to catch up.

She also meets Xu Da, an older novice who takes her under his wing and explains the rules and customs of monastery life. He becomes her friend, as well as a brother figure to her. Zhu realizes that to achieve her fate, she not only must look like a boy but act like one as well. This is a turning point in her identity, as she must adapt to new gender roles.

A few years pass. Zhu is now 12 years old (the monks believe she is 14), and Xu Da is 16. Xu Da has begun to be interested in women, but Zhu remains indifferent to sexual desire. During their discussion, they observe the Mongol Prince of Henan’s visit to the monastery. This is Zhu’s first encounter with Ouyang, a eunuch who serves the Prince’s eldest son, Esen. She notices two things—a sense of attraction and that he is haunted by ghosts, though he cannot see them. Because mutilation and disfigurement, including castration, are considered impure, the Abbot forbids Ouyang entry into the monastery temple. This sparks a grudge that will have disastrous effects later.

The narrative skips ahead, and the monks prepare for Ghost Month rituals. Xu Da, now 21, is a newly ordained monk, and Zhu is a seasoned novice. She has also developed learned to disregard the rules, and secretly brews plum wine, which she shares with the other novices. However, they must be careful with their rule-bending because nuns are visiting the monastery to assist with the Ghost Month rituals. Rather than participating, Zhu stays at the monastery during the ceremony, partly to avoid the ghosts and partly to bathe without being seen. However, Prefect Fang sees her naked. He misinterprets the situation, accuses Zhu of having inappropriate relations with one of the visiting nuns, and declares that he will bring her to the Abbot for expulsion. Zhu, concerned for her survival, realizes Fang’s repressed sexual desire and comes up with a plan to use this desire against him.

On the way to the Abbot’s quarters, Zhu convinces Fang to let her stop by the latrine to wash away sexual impurities. Her true motivation is to retrieve the plum wine hidden there, which she uses to frame Fang for consuming alcohol. He is expelled from the monastery in disgrace. Xu Da immediately guesses Zhu’s motivations, as he had figured out her secret long ago. However, he still views Zhu as a brother and assures her that he will keep her secret.

Zhu is called to meet with the Abbot, who says that he believes Zhu has the traits to assist him: “the intellect and the desire to understand how the world works, and the disposition to manipulate it to our advantage” (70). He then invites her to become his apprentice, an opportunity that she accepts gratefully.

Zhu, now 19, is preparing for her ordination ceremony. She and the Abbot discuss current events: Esen commands his father’s military forces and has been waging war against the peasant rebellion. The rebels, called the Red Turbans, have recently found the Prince of Radiance, a child who holds a Mandate of Heaven and symbolizes a shift in power and an end to the Yuan dynasty. (A Mandate of Heaven is a colored flame or light that represents its possessor’s power or leadership qualities.) The Abbot hopes to remain neutral. Thinking of the oncoming chaos, Zhu feels pulled toward her brother’s fate of greatness but is wary of catching Heaven’s attention as an imposter. The Abbot also offers her the position of his successor, which she considers a safe solution to her concerns.

However, disaster strikes during her ordination ceremony. Right after she receives her ordination markings, Ouyang interrupts the ceremony. He declares that the monastery must choose a side. Zhu tries to warn the Abbot of Ouyang’s grudge but is ignored. The Abbot angrily refuses Ouyang’s demand, to which he responds by burning down the monastery. Zhu realizes that to escape her “nothing” fate, she must utterly become Zhu Chongba, to the point that Heaven won’t detect her deception. She re-enters the secular world.