Eight years after Xianfeng, facing the seizure of the British and French forces, the decline of the country was intensifying, Xianfeng gradually became intoxicated with the sound and color of dogs and horses, it is said that he once fostered four beautiful women in the Yuanmingyuan, called "Four Spring Niangniang", named Haitang Spring, Peony Spring, Wuling Spring and Apricot Blossom Spring, they respectively pointed to the Xianfeng Harem Concubines, Qing Concubines, Concubines and Ji Concubines. Of course, the authenticity of the existence of these four beauties is debatable, but there is one who is real, and she is the first of the four springs: Haitang Chun, that is, The Xi Concubine ChaHa La.
1. The Sindhku Maiden
Princess Xi of the Chahar Lama clan, a member of the Yellow Banner of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, was born in the twenty-second year of Daoguang, 11 years younger than Xianfeng, and her father was Chang Shun, a cook under the leadership of rui pu of the ministry of internal affairs.
During the Qing Dynasty, there were not a few concubines like Xi Concubine from the Wrapped Pipe Collar (Xin Zhiku), such as the Liang Concubines of the Kangxi Dynasty, the Yu Concubines of the Yongzheng Dynasty, and the Ling Concubines of the Qianlong Dynasty, but the families of these people were quite passable, and their fathers held official positions in the relevant departments of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, generally such errands as the guan ling, although the official position was not large, but also belonged to the bureaucratic family.
But like Princess Xi, who is from Xinzhiku, there are very few fathers who have no official position, and Princess Xi's father Chang Shun is only a cook (cook) in the palace, and the low birth can be imagined, it is difficult to imagine how a woman of such a birth was selected into the harem, there can only be one reason, that is, Princess Xi's own conditions, she is likely to be a beautiful woman who has fallen into the country.
There is no historical record of the year in which Concubine Xi entered the palace, but judging from the situation in the twenty-second year of her birth in Daoguang, at least in the fourth year of Xianfeng, Princess Xi was already qualified to be selected as a palace girl. Therefore, the time when Concubine Xi entered the palace should be four years after Xianfeng.
2. The palace maid who is favored by Xianfeng
In the palace women's draft of a certain year four years after Xianfeng, Chang Shun's daughter Chahara was selected into the palace, and some of the selected palace women did not have a palace history, and were directly given the title of Chang Zai by the emperor, such as the concubines of the Xianfeng harem, which was generally a better family lineage. Unlike the Chahara clan, her family lineage was not good, and after entering the palace, she was assigned to Changchun Palace as a palace maid for a certain main throne, and as for which one was the main throne, the historical records did not record it.
In fact, in the middle and late period of Xianfeng, as Concubine Li and Concubine Yi guifei gave birth to the imperial princess successively, the harem struggle intensified, in this case, some palace women came in handy, and the main throne often introduced the beautiful palace women around them to the emperor to achieve the purpose of competing for favors and sharing favors, and the Chahara clan was introduced to Xianfeng in this way.
One day at the beginning of the ninth year of Xianfeng, the Chahara clan was favored by Xianfeng and was enthroned as a Jubilee nobleman on April 11. Generally speaking, a favored palace girl like the Chahara clan should be permanently sealed, but she was directly named a nobleman, which shows that Xianfeng is very fond of this woman who looks online.
However, a palace girl like the Chahara clan, who was favored by the emperor, was not too much of a threat, because she did not have any maternal background, and such a woman was not far away in the harem, even if she gave birth to a man and a half woman for the emperor, at most it was just to promote the position. In the long run, the ones who can really make a difference are concubines like Yi Guifei and Li Fei who are born in the Eight Banners, and they give birth to crown princesses and empresses, and the results are naturally very different.
Therefore, even if the Chahara clan was favored by the emperor, the lords such as Concubine Yi (Cixi) and Concubine Li still did not take her seriously, and the two of them had already focused on The Crown Prince Zaichun and the Grand Princess at this time, as long as the children grew up safely, they would have something to rely on.
3. The widow of Xianfeng, who has been honored twice
Sure enough, the Chahara clan did not take long, and after only two or three years of work, Xianfeng died in the Rehe Palace, and then Yi Guifei's son Zaichun succeeded to the throne as the Tongzhi Emperor.
After the Tongzhi Emperor succeeded to the throne, in accordance with the new emperor's custom of honoring the concubines of the former emperor, he honored the Chahara clan as the concubines of the Emperor Kaoxi:
"Imperial Concubine of the Emperor." Serve the palace. Respectfully and prudently. It is advisable to add a lofty name. Honorable. Concubine Li served the Imperial Examination for many years. Birth of the Grand Princess. He is honored as a noble concubine of the Emperor Li. Concubine Wan was promoted to concubine. Concubine Qi was promoted to concubine Qi. Concubine Mei was promoted to concubine. The nobles were promoted to concubines. Rong Guiren was promoted to rong concubine. Xuan Guiren was promoted to concubine. The jade nobles were promoted to the title of jade concubines. Ji Guiren was promoted to the title of Ji Concubine. The Xi nobles were promoted to the title of Xi Concubine. Qing Gui was promoted to concubine. All things that should be done. The yamen is played. ”
In fact, at this time, the widows of the former emperors like the Chahara clan mainly want to live a comfortable life as a princess, and when they have time, they play chess in the palace, snort melon seeds, listen to plays, find some fun, and don't have other ideas.
It is also true that if you live long enough, you may be able to survive a noble concubine or something. However, Tsakhara's health was not very good, and after she was honored as the Imperial Concubine in November of the thirteenth year of Tongzhi, she died of illness in the palace only three years later, at the age of 36.
On the eighth day of September in the third year of Guangxu, Concubine Xi was buried in the Dingling Concubine Garden.
Zichen said:
Princess Xi was originally an unknown palace maid in the Xianfeng harem, with a humble origin, but because of the court battles, she was favored by the Xianfeng Emperor. Although she was once very favored, she did not give birth to a man and a half woman for XianFeng, everything was just a mirror flower and water moon, not worth a damn, only the birth of a prince and an imperial daughter, this is the fundamental. But then again, Xian Feng only had three children in his lifetime, and he also died prematurely, such a low probability, the Chahara clan did not win the lottery, it is understandable. Of course, with such a birth as the Tsakhara clan, it is already a very good ending to be able to have such a life, and I believe that she should be satisfied.
References: Draft History of the Qing Dynasty, Records of Emperor Wenzong of the Qing Dynasty