Sodomy is one of those ambiguous words. In American law, for instance, it can mean anything - from oral sex to anal intercourse. Generally sodomy is a synonym for homosexuality, implying the commonplace homosexual act of anal intercourse. The first recorded instance of sodomy in Chinese history, figuratively 2 described by the literati as "sharing the peach" occurred in the State of Wei. Thus Duke Ling committed sodomy with a young court official, Mi Tzu-hsia, who had a face "as pretty as that of a blooming maiden."