The most likely answer is that she was taken away by Wu Chang...

After the smoke of the Wu-Yue war cleared, there were various legends about the ending of the beautiful Xi Shi in later generations. In summary, there are mainly the following 6 types:

1. The theory of hanging due to guilt

The plot performed in some storybooks and dramas is that after Xi Shi helped the Yue Kingdom to destroy the Wu Kingdom, On the one hand, I feel relieved that I have completed my mission. On the other hand, he also felt guilty and felt sorry for King Wu Fu Chai. In an extremely contradictory mentality, he could not escape, and finally hanged himself in Guanwa Palace.

2. The theory of being taken away by Fan Li

This theory is relatively popular and is recorded in classics. It is recorded in "Yue Jueshu" written by the Eastern Han Dynasty: "Xi Shi returned to Fan Li after the fall of Wu, and traveled to the five lakes together." Most literary and dramatic works describe it this way. On the day when the Kingdom of Wu fell, Fan Li did two things. One was to persuade his good friend Wen Zhong, who had endured the adversity together, to leave Goujian as soon as possible. Another thing is that I found my withered old lover Xi Shi deep in the shade of flowers under the stage of Gusu, and fled to Taihu Lake in a hurry. They both drove a small boat and disappeared into the vast mist. Su Dongpo once wrote: "The five lakes asked questions, and the boat returned, still carrying Xi Zi." In Taoshan, Feicheng, Shandong, it is said that there are the tombs of Fan Li and Xi Shi.

3. Said that Fan Li sank into the lake

There is another theory about Xishi’s fate after Yue destroyed Wu. It is said that after the fall of Wu, the King of Yue wanted to keep Xishi because of her beauty. However, Fan Li firmly opposed it. He wanted the King of Yue to learn from the King of Wu and not to be tempted by beauty. He devised a plan and sent someone to use the King of Yue's car to lure Xi Shi to Taihu Lake, and then deceived her into a boat. When they got to the middle of the lake, while Xi Shi was not paying attention, he cruelly pushed Xi Shi off the boat, and Xi Shi drowned in Taihu Lake. Hit.

4. Said by Shen Jiang, a Wu man

There is a folk legend that after the fall of Wu, the Wu people vented their anger on Xi Shi and covered her with brocade. Wrapped up, it sank in the heart of the Yangtze River. "Dongpo Foreign Object Chronicles" records: "There are mermaids in the Yangtze River, also known as Xishi fish. They change color several times a day. Their meat is fine and delicious. Women eat it to increase their charm. According to the clouds, they were transformed into Xishi after sinking into the river."< /p>

Luo Yin in the Tang Dynasty wrote a poem: "The rise and fall of the country will come naturally, so why should the people of Wu blame Xi Shi? If Xi Shi conquered the country of Wu, who would the country of Yue fall for?" From this poem written by people in the Tang Dynasty, It can be seen that Xi Shi was "said by Shen Jiang of Wu people" and there is a certain market.

5. The theory of Gou Jian and Shen Jiang

King Gou Jian of Yue once said: "Xi Shi deserves the credit for the destruction of Wu." Legend has it that Gou Jian believed that the demise of Wu was due to Fu Chai's indulging in Xi Shi. Beauty, in order to prevent Xi Shi's beauty from affecting the country of Yue, he repaid his kindness with hatred and ordered Xi Shi to sink into the river and die. This view is similar to "the theory of being sunk by Wu people" and "the theory of being sunk by Fan Li", both of which regard Xi Shi as a "beauty is a disaster".

6. Said by Shen Jiang after Vietnam

It is said that after the Yue Kingdom destroyed Wu, Gou Jian wanted to take Xi Shi into the harem. Echigo believed that Xishi was a "daughter of trouble for the country" and was worried that Xishi would harm the country of Yue, so he ordered his men to wrap her in a cowhide bag and sink her to the bottom of the river.

This statement is more popular because it is more in line with the king's lust and the queen's jealousy. This is what is said in "Records of the Nations of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty".

The author agrees with the "Shen Jiang Theory". No matter it is from Wu people, Gou Jian or Queen Shen.

Because of the "Shen Jiang Theory", the classics recorded it earlier. Less than a hundred years before the fall of the Wu Kingdom (around 475 BC), Mozi said in "Mozi: Relatives": "The death of Bigan was due to his resistance; the killing of Meng Ben was due to his bravery; the sinking of Xi Shi was due to his courage. It's beautiful; Wu Qi's split is what happened." This means that these people "died to their own strengths" - causing the same disaster because of their respective strengths. Xi Shi was drowned in the river because of her beauty. He clearly said that "the beauty of Xi Shi is due to her sinking", and clearly pointed out that Xi Shi died after being sunk into the river. Another classic, "Wuyue Chunqiu" also clearly records: "After the death of King Wu, he floated across the river to the west, and ordered him to follow the barbarians to the end." Some people interpret the " barbarians " here to refer to Fan Li, based on the fact that Fan Li once "changed The name and surname were changed, and the name was changed to Gui Yizipi" ("Historical Records·Biography of Huozhi"). The author thinks that the interpretation of "鸱伊" here as "cowhide" is more reasonable. It means wrapping Xi Shi in cowhide and "floating in the river". Fan Li changed his name to "鱱伊子pi" in memory of his friend and rival Wu Zixu. After Wu Zixu was given death by Fu Chai, his body was also wrapped in Yiyi cowhide. The "Historical Records Index" written by Sima Zhen of the Tang Dynasty records: "Gui Zipi, Fan Li calls himself that. It is because the king of Wu killed Zixu and made Gui Yi prosperous. Now Li thinks he is guilty, so he calls himself that."

There is also counter-evidence: "Xi Shi tongue" (a kind of clam meat), a famous dish along the coast of Zhejiang, is said to commemorate the sinking of Xi Shi. It is the so-called beauty and delicious food.

The author adopted the "Shen Jiang Theory" in "Ode to Xi Shi", and designed that after Fan Li abandoned his official position and ran away, he saw Xi Shi's corpse wrapped in cowhide on the river, and sent someone to take her back to her hometown. Burial plot.

In other words, Xi Shi’s soul has returned to its hometown. As for where it was buried, whether it was a buried body or clothes, further research is needed.