Creations of Daji
Encyclopedia
Listed below is an elaborate summary of the varied projects insisted by Daji
throughout the novel Fengshen Yanyi
.
Toaster
would seemingly be the first creation suggested by Daji -- which was suggested in chapter 6. This toaster would be a bronze cylindrical device that would stand over twenty feet tall and eight feet around. Hot charcoal and vast burning flames would be the primary torture mechanism within this large toaster. Once this toaster was finally created, three layers of burning charcoal over three layers of burning fire could be seen inside. This large toaster could also be easily moved around like that of a chariot as well, due to two wheels on each side. Once this toaster was activated for the use of Grand Counselor Mei Bo
, great fans were also applied to quicken the frying of his body. When a victim was to be placed into this large toaster, they would be stripped naked and have their ligaments bound. Once Mei Bo felt the fury of this toaster within the throne room during chapter 6, it would never be mentioned again.
Pit would be the first introduced mechanism during chapter 17 of Fengshen Yanyi. The snake pit would be dug beneath the Star-Picking Belvadere and would be twenty-five feet around. Poisonous spiders and exceedingly venomous snakes would be used as the primary method of torture within this "device". Once King Zhou
would unleash the edict for this pit's production, four spiders and snakes would be levyed from each household as to ensure success. However, such an action only put the people into greater poverty and misery. Once this pit was finally constructed and everything was ready, the seventy-two unfortunately chosen maidens would be shaved of their hair, bound together, stripped of their clothing, and thrown into the snake pit to be devoured. Soon enough, each and every maiden was thrown into this pit and killed in time. This snake pit would remain as a torturing device noted a few times following its first use.
, who had been entrusted to create the impossible -- the gallery itself. This large tower like structure would be forty-nine feet in height (double the size of the Star-Picking Belvadere), fully equipped with columns of jade, floors of marble, roofs and ceilings of legendary jewels, and railings of great pearls and sea corals.
Daji
Daji was a favorite concubine of King Zhou of Shang, the last king of the Shang Dynasty in ancient China. She is a classic example of how a beauty causes the downfall of an empire/dynasty in Chinese culture...
throughout the novel Fengshen Yanyi
Fengshen Yanyi
Fengshen Bang, also known as Fengshen Yanyi in Chinese, and translated as The Investiture of the Gods or The Creation of the Gods, is one of the major vernacular Chinese epic novels written during the Ming Dynasty...
.
The Bronze Toaster
The BronzeBronze
Bronze is a metal alloy consisting primarily of copper, usually with tin as the main additive. It is hard and brittle, and it was particularly significant in antiquity, so much so that the Bronze Age was named after the metal...
Toaster
Toaster
The toaster is typically a small electric kitchen appliance designed to toast multiple types of bread products. A typical modern two-slice toaster draws anywhere between 600 and 1200 W and makes toast in 1 to 3 minutes...
would seemingly be the first creation suggested by Daji -- which was suggested in chapter 6. This toaster would be a bronze cylindrical device that would stand over twenty feet tall and eight feet around. Hot charcoal and vast burning flames would be the primary torture mechanism within this large toaster. Once this toaster was finally created, three layers of burning charcoal over three layers of burning fire could be seen inside. This large toaster could also be easily moved around like that of a chariot as well, due to two wheels on each side. Once this toaster was activated for the use of Grand Counselor Mei Bo
Mei Bo
Mei Bo was an official of Shang Dynasty and was killed by Di Xin, King Zhou of Shang. He is also a character featured within the famed Chinese novel Fengshen Yanyi.-Plot in fiction:...
, great fans were also applied to quicken the frying of his body. When a victim was to be placed into this large toaster, they would be stripped naked and have their ligaments bound. Once Mei Bo felt the fury of this toaster within the throne room during chapter 6, it would never be mentioned again.
The Snake Pit
The SnakeSnake
Snakes are elongate, legless, carnivorous reptiles of the suborder Serpentes that can be distinguished from legless lizards by their lack of eyelids and external ears. Like all squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping scales...
Pit would be the first introduced mechanism during chapter 17 of Fengshen Yanyi. The snake pit would be dug beneath the Star-Picking Belvadere and would be twenty-five feet around. Poisonous spiders and exceedingly venomous snakes would be used as the primary method of torture within this "device". Once King Zhou
King Zhou of Shang
Emperor Xin of Shang was the last king of the Shang Dynasty. He was later given the pejorative posthumous name Zhòu . He is also called Zhou Xin or King Zhou . He may also be referred to by adding "Shang" in front of any of his names...
would unleash the edict for this pit's production, four spiders and snakes would be levyed from each household as to ensure success. However, such an action only put the people into greater poverty and misery. Once this pit was finally constructed and everything was ready, the seventy-two unfortunately chosen maidens would be shaved of their hair, bound together, stripped of their clothing, and thrown into the snake pit to be devoured. Soon enough, each and every maiden was thrown into this pit and killed in time. This snake pit would remain as a torturing device noted a few times following its first use.
The Wine Pool and Meat Forest
The Wine Pool combined with the Meat Forest would be the second introduced mechanism within chapter 17 of Fengshen Yanyi. The Wine Pool would be placed on the left side of the Snake Pit, while the later Meat Forest would be placed on the right -- thus forming a small park before the Star-Picking Belvadere. To start things off within the Wine Pool, fifty maidens and fifty eunuchs would be chosen as a set. One maiden would be tied to one eunech forming an overall pair of fifty. After being thrown into the pool, each individual pair would have to drink the pool's wine and perform swimming tricks within the water. Once each pair is readily drunk, they would be set within the Meat Forest and enjoy an abundance of cooked duck, roasted pig, and so forth. Once the sunsets into the west, a few of the chosen fifty pairs would be beaten to a bloody pulp and secretly fed to Daji as to ease her need for human flesh to survive. Thus, this method of creative torture would be instilled by Daji for quite some time following chapter 17.The Deer Gallery
The Deer Gallery would be the final project at least thought of during chapter 17. Daji had chosen this Deer Gallery as an ensured way to put an end to Jiang ZiyaJiang Ziya
Jiang Ziya was a Chinese historical and legendary figure who resided next to the Weishui River about 3,000 years ago. A sage and military strategist, Jiang Ziya was called upon by King Wen of Zhou to serve as prime minister...
, who had been entrusted to create the impossible -- the gallery itself. This large tower like structure would be forty-nine feet in height (double the size of the Star-Picking Belvadere), fully equipped with columns of jade, floors of marble, roofs and ceilings of legendary jewels, and railings of great pearls and sea corals.