When it comes to the name "Zhaojun", everyone will think of Wang Zhaojun first. Wang Zhaojun is one of the four great beauties of ancient China, her story can be described as a household name, even if you find a passerby, you can tell her story one or two.
In fact, in addition to Wang Zhaojun in history, there was also a woman named "Zhaojun", which may be because Wang Zhaojun was too famous, which caused this woman to be covered up. However, these two women are called Zhaojun, but the world only knows Wang Zhaojun, so everyone knows that Wang Zhaojun is far away from marrying Saiwai, but he does not know that another Zhaojun finally gave birth to four emperors.
Wang Zhaojun was born into a commoner's family, and was later elected into the palace and became a palace maid in the court. Wang Zhaojun has a stunning beauty, and is proficient in piano, chess, calligraphy and painting, is a rare woman, she can be selected as a civilian into the palace, you know that she is not an ordinary woman.
Later, Emperor Yuan of Han chose xiunu, but Wang Zhaojun was not selected, so she never got the emperor's favor. According to folk legends, at that time, the emperor was drafted first to look at the portrait, and then selected satisfactory and then "interviewed". At that time, the court painter was Mao Yanshou, and many showgirls bribed Mao Yanshou in order to be selected.
Only Wang Zhaojun's disdain for doing so offended Mao Yanshou, who deliberately scandalized her, causing Emperor Yuan of Han to fail to look at her. Later, the Xiongnu requested peace with the Han Dynasty, and Wang Zhaojun took the initiative to ask for help, expressing his willingness to go out and make peace. On the day of his marriage, Emperor Yuan of Han saw Wang Zhaojun for the first time, and immediately felt very regretful, and then executed Mao Yanshou.
It is precisely because of such a legend that Wang Zhaojun has been passed on to future generations, becoming a well-known figure, and ranking among the four beauties of ancient China.
In fact, Wang Zhaojun is a tragic figure, because she and her relatives are unavoidable, she married far away from Saiwai, and then her husband died, and she wanted to return to the motherland, but she was rejected by Emperor Yuan of Han, and finally died in a foreign land.
According to historical records, when the Xiongnu Shan Yu came to ask for relatives, the Han Yuan Emperor gave Wang Zhaojun to him, and Shan Yu vowed from then on that he was willing to protect the peace on the border of the Han Dynasty forever. Wang Zhaojun, who was far away from Saiwai, lived with Hu Han for three years, and the two had a son.
After Lao Shan Yu's death, Wang Zhaojun wrote to Emperor Yuan of Han, hoping to return to the Han Dynasty, but Emperor Cheng of Han refused on the grounds of "following Hu customs". What is "nonsense"? According to the rules of the Xiongnu at that time, when the father died, the son had to marry his stepmother, so when Lao Shan died, his eldest son married Wang Zhaojun.
Wang Zhaojun wanted to return to China but could not, so he had to marry his stepson again, and the two lived together for eleven years and had two daughters. Finally, her new husband died again, and at this time Wang Zhaojun was no longer young, and no one forced her to marry anymore. Within two years, she had died.
Wang Zhaojun's fate is tragic and lamentable, but her contribution to the Han Dynasty is indelible, and it is precisely because of this that she will be admired by future generations, and Qingshi will remain famous.
Unexpectedly, hundreds of years after Wang Zhaojun's death, another Zhaojun appeared, and her fate was much better than That of Wang Zhaojun. So who is she?
This Zhaojun surname is Lou, which is the famous Empress Lou in history. Lou Zhaojun came from a humble aristocratic family, was a Miss Qianjin, and was born beautiful, so at that time, many famous and prestigious families came to the Lou family to propose to them.
But Lou Zhaojun didn't like anyone, but she looked at a small soldier guarding the city, and when she saw Gao Huan's first glance, she said, "This Zhen Wufu is also." So he asked the maid next to him to inform Gao Huan, and also gave him a lot of money so that he could come to the door to propose to his parents.
Looking at Gao Huan like this is indeed nothing, Lou Zhaojun, as everyone's bridesmaid, why do you look at the poor boy? All this is like today's idol drama, Gao Huan's life has been greatly improved since he married Lou Zhaojun, and he has gradually had the opportunity to become a high-ranking official.
Usually, when Gao Huan did something, there was always Lou Zhaojun who advised him in the back, and later Gao Huan became the king of Bohai, and Lou Zhaojun took care of the affairs of the inner chamber in an orderly manner as a princess. In this regard, Gao Huan will never interfere, and completely leave it to his wife to decide.
"And Princess Bai Bohai, the matter of The Lords of The Land is decided." ——Quoted from the History of the North
Lou Zhaojun is easy-going, diligent and thrifty, and has no more than ten followers around him. Once Lou Zhaojun gave birth, but Gao Huan was out on the expedition, and everyone agreed that Gao Huan should be notified to come back quickly, but Lou Zhaojun insisted on not agreeing. In the end, Lou Zhaojun gave birth to a son and a daughter, and when Gao Huan learned of this, he respected his wife even more.
She has a very generous personality, never competing with Gao Huan's concubines for jealousy, but is very friendly to them. Treat the children of the concubines as if they were their own biological children, and even make clothes for each child with their own hands.
Gao Huan and Lou Zhaojun had a total of six sons, four of whom died at the age of sixteen. After Gao Huan's death, his second son Gao Yang inherited the title, and later forced Emperor Xiaojing to abdicate the throne and establish northern Qi as Emperor Wenxuan. After Gao Yang ascended the throne, Lou Zhaojun became the empress dowager.
In his later years, Gao Yang was addicted to alcohol, which led to a deterioration in his health, and finally died at the age of thirty-four. After Emperor Wenxuan's death, his son Gao Yin succeeded to the throne, and later Lou Zhaojun deposed Gao Yin and made his third son Gao Yan emperor.
Unfortunately, Gao Yan only served as emperor for two years, and once when he was hunting outside, he accidentally fell off his horse, resulting in a broken rib. After Gao Yan was injured, his condition became more and more serious, and he was frightened again, and he died not long after, at the age of twenty-seven.
Gao Yan thought that he had robbed his nephew of the throne, and was afraid that if he passed the throne to his son, his brother would treat him like this. So Gao Yan finally passed the throne to his younger brother Gao Zhan, and asked him to treat his children kindly.
Gao Zhan did not learn from his brother and left the throne to his younger brother Gao Ji, but passed the throne to his son Gao Wei, who became the Emperor Taishang himself. When Gao Zhan's illness was critical, Gao Ji thought that his brother was dead, and it was his turn to become emperor, but as a result, this matter was known to Gao Wei, who was afraid that his uncle would seize his throne, so he sent someone to kill Gao Ji.
In this way, among Lou Zhaojun's sons, Gao Yang, Gao Yan, and Gao Zhan became emperors successively, so didn't it say that there were four emperors before that? Lou Zhaojun's eldest son, Gao Cheng, was originally planning to seize power in Eastern Wei, but unfortunately, after everything was prepared, Gao Cheng was assassinated.
Later, when his younger brother Gao Yang established Northern Qi, he posthumously honored his brother as Emperor Wenxiang, so Gao Cheng was counted as Emperor Gao Cheng, and Lou Zhaojun had four sons who became emperors.
I have to say that Lou Zhaojun's fate is indeed much better than Wang Zhaojun's, not only many sons have become emperors, but they have also been able to die well. In 562, Lou Zhaojun died in Yecheng at the age of sixty-two. Later, he was buried with Gao Huan in Yiping Tomb, and was given the title of Empress Wuming of the Gods.
(References "History of the North", "Book of Han")