巧夺天工 — “To describe workmanship or artistry that is exquisitely skillful”

Zhen Shi was from Wuji County, Zhongshan Commandery. Her grandfather, Zhen Han, once served as Han Taibao, and her family had been hereditary recipients of a two-thousand-dan stipend. Her father, Zhen Yi, was once the prefect of Shangcai County (present-day Shangcai County, Henan). When Zhen Shi was three years old, her father passed away. Zhen Shi was naturally intelligent; at the age of nine, she often secretly listened to her elder brothers reading outside the study. She frequently used her brothers' pens and inkstones to practice writing. The tutor, moved by Zhen Shi's eagerness to learn, made an exception and accepted her as a student.

As she grew older, Zhen Shi's talent and insight became renowned at the time, especially her poetry; her beauty was also said to be capable of captivating a nation. There was a famous fortune teller in the area, known for predicting people's future fortunes and misfortunes. Madame Zhen invited the fortune teller to read her daughter's face and fortune. Upon seeing Miss Zhen, the fortune teller was greatly surprised and exclaimed, "This girl will be incredibly noble in the future!"

At that time, Yuan Shao, who came from a powerful bureaucratic family that had served as "Three Ducal Ministers" for four generations, was the Governor of Jizhou (present-day Yecheng, southwest of Linzhang County, Hebei). His second son, Yuan Xi, was not yet married. Yuan Xi heard that Zhen Shi was exceptionally talented, as beautiful as a celestial maiden, and came from an official family, making them a suitable match. He requested his father to send someone to propose marriage, and thus, Zhen Shi married into the Yuan family.

Later, Yuan Shao won victories in the various warlord conflicts, and his three sons each governed a province. However, the good times did not last. In 200 AD, Yuan Shao was defeated by Cao Cao in the Battle of Guandu and soon after died spitting blood. His second son, Yuan Xi, was later killed by Gongsun Kang. At this time, Yuan Shao's wife, Lady Liu, and Zhen Shi lived together in Ye City (Emperor Xian of Han was moved to Xuchang by Cao Cao, who appointed Yuan Shao as Grand Commandant and enfeoffed him as Marquis of Ye, hence his family resided in Ye). After Cao Pi, Cao Cao's eldest son, broke through Ye City and entered the Yuan residence, he was stunned by Zhen Shi's beauty. He immediately asked her to tidy her disheveled hair and, seeing tears on her face, offered her a handkerchief. Before leaving, he left a detachment of guards to protect the Yuan residence, preventing outsiders from entering. Soon after, Cao Pi reported to Cao Cao and sent someone to bring Zhen Shi to his own residence, where they were happily married. From then on, Cao Pi doted on Zhen Shi immensely, indulging her every wish.

After Cao Cao's death, Cao Pi deposed the Han emperor and established the Wei Dynasty, and Zhen Shi was made Empress. By then, Zhen Shi was over forty, and her beauty had begun to fade. To maintain Cao Pi's long-lasting affection, she spent a great deal of time on her grooming every morning. It is said that in the courtyard in front of her palace, there was a very beautiful green snake that often held a red pearl in its mouth. Every time Empress Zhen rose in the morning to comb and adorn herself, the snake would coil into wonderfully ingenious shapes before her. Empress Zhen later noticed that the snake's shapes were unique each day and never repeated. So, she began to imitate its shapes when styling her hair. Over time, although Empress Zhen's hair was styled by human hands, its exquisite ingenuity could be described as "qiao duo tian gong" (skillfully crafted to surpass nature). Of course, her hairstyle also changed daily; the people in the imperial harem called it the "Ling She Ji" (Spirit Snake Chignon). When Cao Pi saw it, he felt she still looked very young and beautiful, and continued to dote on her.

However, as the years passed, even the most exquisite and ingenious styling could not prevent Empress Zhen's eventual loss of favor. The young and beautiful Empress Guo eventually replaced her position. Her dissatisfaction with this situation angered Cao Pi, who finally decreed her death. After Cao Pi's death, Empress Zhen's eldest son, Emperor Ming, ascended the throne. He posthumously honored his mother as Empress Wenzhao and built a separate ancestral temple called "Wenzhao Temple," where she would be revered for generations, just like the ancestral temple.

This idiom originates from the story of Empress Zhen meticulously styling her "Ling She Ji" to maintain her youthful beauty and please the emperor.