Who Is Wang Kei, the Merchant of Tang (Ō Kei)?
The Chinese merchant who sent the fire-rat robe
Wang Kei
Wang Kei is a merchant of Tang China who, at the request of Abe no Miushi, searched for the robe made from the fur of the fire-rat.
Abe's retainer crossed to China with a large sum of money and asked Wang Kei to find the robe. Wang Kei sent the robe with a letter saying: "The robe could not be found in China, but I heard that long ago a holy man from India brought one, and that it was kept at a mountain temple in the west. I applied to the authorities and finally managed to buy it. The money was not enough, so please send more." Abe gladly paid the extra, but when Princess Kaguya tested the robe in fire, it burned.
The original text does not say whether Wang Kei knowingly cheated Abe with a fake or was deceived himself. Readers disagree on this point.
