The Consort Ming (Wang Zhaojun) on Her Way to Mongolia

The central figure in this painting is "Ming" (Chinese: Wang Zhaojun; Japanese: O Shokun), the unfortunate consort of a Han dynasty emperor, on her way to Mongolia. On horseback with a few guards, she is shown seeking comfort on the lonely journey by playing her favorite musical instrument, the stringed pipa.

The emperor had commissioned portraits of all his consorts in order to select the least beautiful woman as a gift for a nomad chieftain in a northern province. All the consort ladies except Ming bribed the artist to depict them as more beautiful than they were. He depicted Ming—who was pure of heart and considered to be the most beautiful—as the least, and thus she was the one chosen to be sent away.