Duke Huan of Lu, named Gui, was the fifteenth ruler of the State of Lu. His father was Duke Hui of Lu, and his mother was originally a favored concubine of Duke Hui. After Duke Hui's principal wife passed away, Gui's mother was established as the official wife, and Gui was thus designated as the heir apparent. When Duke Hui died, Gui was still young and unable to handle state affairs. After deliberation, the ministers decided to first let the elder son by a concubine, Xigu, serve as ruler, who became Duke Yin of Lu. The state of Lu also had another nobleman named Hui, styled Yufu, who was treacherous and cunning, seeking to sow discord between Duke Yin and Crown Prince Gui. He told Duke Yin that he was willing to eliminate Crown Prince Gui to remove future troubles. Unexpectedly, Duke Yin rebuked him harshly upon hearing this, stating that the throne rightfully belonged to Gui, and since Gui was now grown, he would soon abdicate. Yufu, feeling both ashamed and angry, feared that Gui would retaliate upon learning of this, so he devised another scheme. That night, he went to see Crown Prince Gui and slandered Duke Yin, saying, "The ruler fears you will contend for the throne and plans to harm you." Gui, unaware of the plot, believed him and asked Yufu for help. Yufu then suggested that to avoid being harmed, they must strike first, and proposed a plan: every year, the ruler would go outside the city to perform sacrifices, staying at the home of Grand Master Wei. At that time, they could first send men disguised as servants to ambush nearby, and while the ruler was asleep, stab him to death, then blame the murder on Grand Master Wei. Gui promised that if successful, he would make Yufu Grand Steward. Yufu then carried out the plan, Duke Yin was indeed assassinated, and Gui ascended the throne, becoming Duke Huan of Lu.
The State of Lu was a small state, while its neighbor, the State of Qi, had been a large state ever since King Wu of Zhou enfeoffed it to Jiang Shang. After several generations of governance, Qi had become even more influential among the feudal lords. When Duke Huan of Lu ascended the throne, he was already of mature age but still unmarried. Lu's ministers then suggested that Princess Wen Jiang of Qi had originally been intended to marry Crown Prince Hu of Zheng, but he had rejected her. They advised that Lu should now seek a marriage alliance with Qi to gain its protection. Thus, Duke Huan of Lu sent envoys to Qi to propose marriage.
The ruler of the State of Qi, Duke Xi, had two daughters, both stunning beauties. The elder, named Xuan Jiang, was married to the State of Wei, while the younger, named Wen Jiang, was not only a breathtakingly beautiful woman of unparalleled charm but also highly learned and eloquent, earning her the name Wen Jiang (meaning "literary grace"). Duke Xi took great pride in having such a daughter. Later, Duke Xi of Qi formed an alliance with Duke Zhuang of Zheng at Shimen, and with the intention of strengthening ties through marriage, he proposed betrothing Wen Jiang to Prince Hu of Zheng, thus sealing a marital pact between the two states.
After Duke Zhuang returned to the State of Zheng, he told his son Hu about this matter. Hu said that Zheng was small and Qi was large, and as a man, he aspired to stand on his own and did not wish to marry above his station, so he declined the marriage proposal. Duke Zhuang was pleased to see his son so ambitious and did not force him. Later, when an envoy from Qi arrived in Zheng and heard that the crown prince of Zheng did not want to marry above his station, he reported this back to Duke Xigong of Qi. Duke Xigong only said that this matter could be discussed later.
Later, the State of Qi was invaded by the Western Rong tribes. Since Zheng and Qi were allied states, Duke Zhuang of Zheng immediately ordered his heir apparent, Hu, to lead an army to aid Qi, successfully repelling the Western Rong invasion. Duke Xi of Qi was deeply impressed by Hu's heroic spirit and revived the marriage proposal. Unexpectedly, the heir apparent Hu did not wish to strengthen his state through marriage and firmly refused. Wen Jiang had already heard of Hu's renowned valor, and when she learned that both sides were considering a marriage alliance, she was naturally overjoyed. However, she later heard that Hu had rejected the marriage proposal with great determination. Wen Jiang, proud of her beauty and talent, had never dreamed of being refused in marriage. This dealt her a heavy blow, and she felt deeply humiliated, unable to come to terms with it. Day after day, she grew melancholy, wallowing in self-pity. Over time, her pent-up sorrow became unbearable, and she fell ill, suffering from alternating chills and fever, mental confusion, loss of appetite, and her face gradually grew haggard.
Wen Jiang had a half-brother named Jiang Zhu'er, the crown prince of the State of Qi, who was only two years older than her. As Wen Jiang grew increasingly troubled and haggard, her brother noticed her distress. Jiang Zhu'er had rosy lips and fair skin, a man who could be described as handsome. However, he was frivolous in manner and a dissolute pleasure-seeker. By now both had come of age—the brother with his fair face and red lips, the sister as lovely as a flower or jade—they seemed a perfect match, a golden boy and jade girl, except that they were blood siblings. Yet the two showed no restraint, often walking side by side hand in hand, teasing each other without any regard for the propriety between men and women. The Marquis of Qi doted on his children and saw nothing wrong with their closeness, so he paid it no mind.
Jiang Zhu'er learned that his sister was ill, so under the pretext of visiting her, he went directly into her private chambers. One day, Duke Xi came to see Wen Jiang and found Zhu'er in her room, the two of them behaving very intimately. The duke was furious, harshly rebuking Zhu'er for disregarding the proper conduct between brother and sister, and ordered him not to visit her in person again. Soon after, Duke Xi arranged a marriage for Zhu'er. Once married, Zhu'er naturally had less time for his sister, and their interactions dwindled. Wen Jiang, lonely in her boudoir, missed her brother but could not speak of it, and her condition only worsened.
Just then, the matchmaker sent by Duke Huan of Lu arrived. Duke Xi of Qi used the excuse that his daughter was still ill, saying the matter could be discussed later. However, the people in the palace told Wen Jiang about the Lu ruler's marriage proposal. Wen Jiang's illness had originally been caused by her distress over being rejected in marriage, so this news was undoubtedly a joyful surprise for her. Soon, her heart eased, and her illness gradually improved. Later, the states of Qi and Lu held a meeting at Ji, where Duke Huan of Lu once again brought up the marriage alliance with Duke Xi of Qi. Duke Xi of Qi replied that it would be discussed the following year. Thus, another year passed, and Duke Huan of Lu personally went to propose marriage to the Duke of Qi again. Seeing his earnestness, Duke Xi of Qi finally agreed to the marriage.
Jiang Zhu'er, upon hearing that Wen Jiang was to be married off to another state, suddenly felt reluctant to let her go, and his old feelings for her resurfaced. He had a palace attendant deliver flowers to Wen Jiang, along with a specially composed poem that read: "The peach tree blossoms, radiant as rosy clouds; by the door they bloom, yet I do not pluck them; they drift away and fall—alas, alas, how I sigh!"
After reading her brother's poem, Wen Jiang understood its meaning and composed a poem in reply: "The peach tree has blossoms, radiant and bright. If not plucked now, will there be another spring? A reminder, again and again!"
Soon after, the Marquis of Lu sent envoys to the State of Qi to seek a bride. To avoid suspicion, Duke Xigong of Qi rejected Jiang Zhu'er's request to escort Wen Jiang to the wedding, ordering Zhu'er to guard the state while he personally escorted his daughter to Lu for the marriage. From then on, the states of Qi and Lu frequently interacted and developed close relations. Since Qi was a major state and Wen Jiang was exceptionally beautiful, Duke Huan of Lu valued his wife greatly and doted on her. Wen Jiang bore Duke Huan two sons: the eldest, Ji Tong, and the younger, Ji Jiyou. However, Duke Xigong of Qi, fearing that the siblings might rekindle their old affair and bring shame to the family, repeatedly refused Wen Jiang's requests to return to Qi for family visits.
In the fourteenth year of Duke Huan of Lu, Duke Xi of Qi passed away, and Jiang Zhu'er succeeded him, becoming known in history as Duke Xiang of Qi. Duke Huan of Lu went to Qi to offer condolences and congratulations. Wen Jiang initially wanted to accompany him, but considering that Qi was a major state with a new ruler just enthroned, many small vassal states would surely go to curry favor, and Jiang Zhu'er would likely have no time for her, so she ultimately did not go. A few years later, Duke Huan was to meet Duke Xiang at the Luo River (present-day northwest of Licheng, Shandong). Wen Jiang could no longer hold back, saying she missed her family and asking Duke Huan to take her back to Qi. Duke Huan, thinking his wife had been married to Lu for over a decade without returning to her maiden home, agreed to take her along.
Duke Xiang of Qi, upon hearing that Duke Huan of Lu was visiting with his wife, was secretly delighted and personally went to the Luo River to greet them, escorting the Duke and Duchess of Lu into the Qi capital, where he hosted a grand banquet in their honor. The two, still harboring old feelings, met again—by now, Jiang Zhu'er had become a ruler, his handsomeness enhanced by an air of martial vigor, while Wen Jiang's beauty was complemented by a mature charm. With no more Duke Xi of Qi to stand in their way, and the concubines of Duke Xiang naturally daring not to utter a word, nothing hindered their reunion.
After Wen Jiang returned from the palace to the guesthouse, Duke Huan of Lu had a fierce argument with her, exposing the scandalous affair between her and her brother. However, knowing they were in the state of Qi, he restrained himself and declared they would depart immediately for Lu.
Duke Xiang of Qi had already received news that his sister and brother-in-law had a huge quarrel, and the Marquis of Lu was about to return to his state immediately. He did not want Wen Jiang to leave, and he also knew that if he allowed Duke Huan to return to Lu, the two states would inevitably engage in a major war. Thinking he might as well go all the way, he pretended to know nothing and sent someone to invite Duke Huan of Lu, saying he would host a farewell banquet for him at Mount Niu. Although Duke Huan of Lu was furious, he was still aware that as the ruler of Lu, currently in Qi, he could not openly break ties with Qi. So he suppressed his anger, first sent people to escort his wife out of the city, and went alone to the banquet.
During the banquet, Duke Xiang of Qi was very attentive, frequently urging his guest to drink, while the Marquis of Lu remained gloomy, drowning his sorrows in wine and soon became dead drunk, losing consciousness. Duke Xiang ordered Prince Pengsheng to help the Marquis of Lu into a carriage and accompany him out of the city in the same vehicle. Pengsheng, immensely strong, saw that the Marquis of Lu was fast asleep outside the city and killed him. When Wen Jiang suddenly heard of her husband's death, she was at a loss, not knowing what had happened or what to do, so she ordered the procession to halt, set up camp to guard the body, and sent a messenger to inform Duke Xiang of Qi. Duke Xiang arrived quickly, feigned grief, ordered a lavish burial for Duke Huan of Lu, and reported the death to the state of Lu as "death from liver injury due to alcohol poisoning."
When the ministers of the State of Lu heard of Duke Huan of Lu's death, they were greatly shocked and all suspected that there must have been some conspiracy behind it, but their most urgent task was to stabilize the domestic situation, so they first had the heir apparent Ji Tong ascend the throne, who became Duke Zhuang of Lu, and then sent people to Qi to retrieve Duke Huan's body for burial.
Duke Xiang of Qi, to dispel the suspicions of the Lu people, made Peng Sheng a scapegoat, shifting all blame onto him and executing Peng Sheng.
Wen Jiang, too ashamed to return to the State of Lu, settled on the border between Lu and Qi, where she continued her relationship with Duke Xiang of Qi. Later, internal turmoil erupted in Qi, leading to Duke Xiang's assassination. His younger brother, Prince Xiaobai, eventually ascended the throne after a series of twists and turns, becoming Duke Huan of Qi. As the situation between Qi and Lu underwent dramatic changes, Wen Jiang finally returned to Lu to assist her son, Duke Zhuang of Lu, in governing the state.