The mother abandoned the baby, who was later adopted by a couple who escaped to the State of Bao [zh] and raised her to adulthood.

Bao Si was of a melancholic disposition so King You offered a thousand ounces of gold to anyone who could make her laugh.

Someone at the court suggested lighting the warning beacons of Mount Li usually used to summon armies from the surrounding vassal states in times of danger.

[2] Even after King You had impressed Bao Si, he continued to abuse his use of warning beacons and so lost the trust of the nobles.

One of her many legacies remains in the epic historical novel Chronicles of the Eastern Zhou Kingdoms, written by Feng Menglong, a late Ming dynasty writer.

A poem pertaining to Bao Si is recorded as follows, translated from the original text by Olivia Milburn: "First in her brocade silk bower she was called the mother of the nation, Then in a stinking yurt she became a traitorous slut.

"[7] This legacy provides insight into how Bao Si may have been initially seen as a virtuous woman, but in the end, she was a factor that is attributed to the mythical fall and degradation of Western Zhou.