The Tale of Hongxian

"The Tale of Hongxian"
Painting by He Dazi (赫達資) at the National Palace Museum located in Taipei, Taiwan.
Original title	紅線 (Hongxian)
Country	China
Language	Chinese
Genre(s)	Chuanqi Short story
Publication
Published in	Ganze yao (甘澤謠)
Media type	Print (Book)
Publication date	c. 868

"Hongxian" (Chinese: 紅線; pinyin: Hóngxiàn; lit. 'Red Threads') or "The Tale of Hongxian" (紅線傳) is a Chinese short story dating back to the Tang dynasty, believed to have been written by either Yuan Jiao (袁郊) or Yang Juyuan (杨巨源). "Hongxian" revolves around a general's maid who strikes fear into the heart of a rival general by infiltrating his bedroom and stealing a golden box.