Historical prototype here: there is no corresponding historical prototype. Because this play is a completely original independent script, the characters are fictional and there is no historical prototype. Among them, Shen and Zeng Baoqin do not exist in reality.
In the play, Shen is the great-grandmother of Ren Jia, the largest silk spinning family in Jiangnan, and is very famous in the local area. She used to be Ren's child bride, but later she made a fortune by her own efforts, making Ren a big business family.
Shen's ending was forced to be complete.
In the finale, Zeng Baoqin went to Beijing to participate in the competition in order to revive Qingyue Square, and Shen also went to Beijing to participate in the competition in order to save Yao Niang in the hospital. Both women had reasons to win, and finally they won together.
During the competition, Zeng Baoqin's silk reeling machine broke down, and it happened that Shen and Zeng Baoqin were both silk reeling figures, so Shen asked the examiner to let Zeng Baoqin reel silk with him, and the examiner agreed. But it is unfair to other candidates. It is unfair that two people can't be together as soon as possible, but they can exchange ideas when they encounter problems. Other weavers can only reel silk by themselves.
After the competition, the Queen Mother selected the champion, and in the exquisite silk reeling painting, the longevity pictures of Zeng Baoqin and Shen were selected. Empress Dowager Cixi made a wish to Zeng Baoqin and Shen Xu. Zeng Baoqin wanted the Empress Dowager to write "Qing Yue Fang", while Shen hoped that the Empress Dowager could let Yao Niang go, and said, "It is not easy for us women, so we should not repay the gratitude and resentment of our fathers to our descendants." Since then, Shen founded a school for women's silk reeling, which left a good reputation.