Han Shou Steals Fragrance
A wisp of exotic fragrance betrayed a secret love, and "stealing fragrance" thus became a byword for secret love trysts.
From A New Account of the Tales of the World and The Book of Jin. In the Western Jin dynasty, Jia Chong had a daughter who admired his aide Han Shou for his handsome appearance; she sent a maid to convey her feelings and stole her father's treasured "Western Regions exotic fragrance" (a foreign tribute incense bestowed upon Jia Chong by Emperor Wu) to give to him. Han Shou carried the distinctive fragrance on his body, which Jia Chong noticed, and so he gave his daughter to him in marriage.
Use of the Allusion
"Han Shou Steals Fragrance," together with "Sima Xiangru Steals Jade" and "Zhang Chang Paints Eyebrows," are ancient allusions to love; "stealing fragrance" refers to clandestine exchanges of affection. The fragrance given was an exotic incense from foreign lands, which precisely reflectsthe Spice Silk Road's treasures.