When they bloomed, the poppies were indeed odorless. After studying the picture, Deokman predicted that the flowers would have no scent. When she was a young woman, the Emperor Taizong of Tang China sent a sample of poppy seeds and a painting of the flowers to the Silla court. Princess Deokman was well-known for her intelligence and accomplishments, according to the surviving historical records. Although some of Jinpyeong’s royal concubines had sons, neither of his official queens produced a surviving boy. We know that she was born Princess Deokman in 606 CE to King Jinpyeong, who was the 26th king of Silla, and his first queen Maya. Not much is known about Queen Seondeok’s early life. Her success paved the way for future ruling queens of Silla. She was the second female sovereign in East Asian history and encouraged a renaissance in thought, literature, and the arts in Silla. Although Queen Seondeok led her kingdom in a war-torn and violent era, she was able to hold the country together and advance Silla culture. Queen Seondeok of Silla was Silla’s twenty-seventh ruler, and its first reigning queen.
