Her skill at mounted archery was commented upon by a number of contemporary writers, as were her masculine, martial tendencies; these were regarded as an attractive feature by the literati of the period.

[4] Due to her poor background, Xue Susu had performed in a circus troupe since she was a child, and developed the skills of riding a horse, shooting a slingshot, and walking on a rope.

She spent her professional life in the Qinhuai pleasure quarter of Nanjing in the 1580s,[6] where she became something of a celebrity among the literati and government officials who frequented the Jiaofang there.

[7][1][3] She was highly selective in her clientele, accepting only learned and scholarly men as her lovers and declining to proffer her affections for mere financial gain.

When Dong Qichang met Xue Susu, he was immediately attracted to her, and made a copy of the Heart Sutra for her, along with an inscription and postscript.

[11] Xue Susu referred to herself as "a female knight-errant",[3][12], and she chose the sobriquet Wulang (五郎), meaning "fifth young gentleman", as a nickname.

[9] The "female knight-errant" epithet was reiterated by both the bibliophile Hu Yinglin and Fan Yulin, Secretary to the Ministry of War.

[9] Apparently fond of martial causes, she was not above attempting to influence military affairs, on one occasion abandoning her lover Yuan Weizhi when he refused to fund an expedition against the Japanese in Korea.

[9][14] Finally, after leaving the Shen household, she married Yuan Weizhi (袁微之), a wealthy businessman in Suzhou, as a concubine.

[1][3] Even in her eighties, however, she was active in the literary world, entertaining female artists such as Huang Yuanjie at her home on the West Lake during the final days of the Ming Dynasty.

The bottom of the box is engraved with the words "Wanli Guiyou Gusu Wu Wanyou", and the four characters "红颜素心" (hongyansuxin, 'beautiful face, pure heart') are inscribed on the upper right.

[22] One of her paintings was considered "the most accomplished work of its kind in the whole of the Ming period",[4] and contemporary art critics regarded her as "a master of technique".

Xu Yuan, another female poet of the period, describes Xue's allure: Lotus blossoms as she moves her pair of arches Her tiny waist, just a hand's breadth, is light enough to dance on a palm Leaning coyly against the East Wind Her pure colour and misty daintiness fill the moon.

Hers is a smile worth a thousand pieces of gold She lives near the mooring like Taoye [Peach Leaf], under the wind She resembles rushes, standing in the water, embracing the moon, and humming The red phoenix is half-raised because of her mate Her eyebrows are slightly frowning, expecting a heart to share This is the moment to read Eternal Regret, the poem of Bo Juyi Beside the bed, she is awaiting the lute of jade.

[1] Xue's own works deal with a variety of themes, from the mildy erotic: Inside the city walls of stone in the pleasure quarter I feel deeply mortified that my talents outshine all the others The river glitters, the waters clear, and the seagulls swim in pairs The sky looks hollow, the clouds serene, and the wild geese fly in rows My embroidered dress partly borrows the hue of hibiscus The emerald wine shares the scent of lotus If I did not reciprocate your feelings Would I dare to feast with you, Master He?

[9] to the whimsically philosophical: Full of aroma is the taste of wine beneath the bloom Tinged in azure the gate surrounded by bamboo In solitude I watch the seagulls fly across the sky Carefree and content, I feel fully satisfied.