Ning Xing Zhuan《漢書·佞幸傳》

"Ning Xing Zhuan (the Biographies of the Fawning Courtiers)" is a chapter in the Book of Han, composed by Ban, Gu

​Ning-xing (佞幸) is a male-identified courtier whom gained his high status in court by winning the favours of the emperor with flattery or affection. The term “ning-xing” is derogatory.

​In the text, while the author, Ban, Gu (班固) criticized the influences of the fawning courtiers on policy-making, he wasn’t intimidated by the homo-romantic intimacy between the men, as he wrote in the concluding paragraph: “the qualities of being gentle, affectionate, and flirtatious are not exclusive to women; men with such traits can also be viewed as beauties desired by other men (原文: 柔曼之傾意, 非獨女德, 蓋亦有男色焉)”.

• The romance between Dong, Xian and Emperor Ai of Han is not the only homo-romantic story mentioned in the Book of Han, but it is the most explicit and detailed description.
• “Ning-xing” is not a sexual orientation. It is not a synonym for a queer person.

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​Reference:

1. Ban, Gu. “Ning Xing Zhuan 佞幸傳 [The Biographies of Ning-Xing Courtiers].” In Han Shu 漢書 [Book of Han]. Zhonghua gushiwen gushuji wang 中華古詩文古書籍網. Accessed September 5, 2019. https://www.arteducation.com.tw/guwen/bookv_3846.html. (Note: this website is in traditional Chinese and contains ads. It provides a modern Chinese transcription alongside the original text composed by Ban, Gu)