In Journey to the West, the Queen of the Kingdom of Women (Women State or Women’s Kingdom) expresses overt affection for the Tang Monk, even offering her nation’s wealth and throne in exchange for marriage with Xuanzang.
Again bending low, the Grand Preceptor said, “This is the Women State in the Western Liang, and since time immemorial, there is not a single male in our country. We are lucky at this time to have the arrival of father royal brother. Your subject, by the decree of my ruler, has come especially to offer a proposal of marriage.” “My goodness! My goodness!” said Tripitaka.
— Journey to the West, Chapter 54
As a devout Buddhist, Tripitaka is bound by his sacred mission to retrieve the scriptures and thus cannot accept her proposal.
At first glance, the Queen appears genuinely smitten. However, a deeper analysis reveals a more calculated motive.
Surface Interpretation: Romantic Infatuation
The queen, enchanted by Tang Sanzang’s dignified appearance and sanctity as a Buddhist monk, professes deep affection. Her offer to share power seems driven by romantic longing.
Utterly ravished by what she saw, the queen was swept away by amorous passion. Opening her tiny, cherrylike mouth, she cried out: “Royal brother of the Great Tang, aren’t you coming to take and ride the phoenix?” When Tripitaka heard these words, his ears turned red and his face, scarlet; filled with embarrassment, he dared not lift his head at all.
— Journey to the West, Chapter 54
Hidden Motives: Divine Mandate and Political Legitimacy
The Queen interprets the arrival of foreign men (Tang Monk and disciples) as a “heaven-sent auspicious sign” for her matriarchal realm.
She claims marriage and offspring with Tripitaka would “perpetuate her empire.” Yet, in the Women Kingdom, residents traditionally conceive by drinking water from a mystical river, bearing only daughters. If the Queen merely sought male companionship, she could have used her power to acquire it without relying on chance encounters.
The Queen’s desire to marry Tang Sanzang stems not from love but from political theater rooted in the “Mandate of Heaven”. Since ancient times (Xia, Shang, Zhou dynasties), rulers legitimized their authority by claiming divine lineage or orchestrating “celestial omens” to convince subjects they were chosen by heaven.
By framing Tang Monk’s arrival as a divine endorsement, the Queen crafts favorable public opinion, consolidating her rule. Even without marrying him, the mere spectacle of a foreign monk’s “heavenly blessing” achieves her goal. In Journey to the West, this episode critiques how rulers manipulate faith and tradition to maintain power, masking pragmatism beneath romantic or spiritual pretenses.
The Women State arc reflects Ming-era gender dynamics and Confucian anxieties about female sovereignty. The Queen’s actions symbolize the tension between personal desire and political duty.
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