We know that in ancient times, the status of a noble concubine was not simple, and women who could sit in this position must be full of many legendary experiences. But in their hearts, there are also many unspeakable grievances. There is a saying called "red face disaster water", although this makes many women feel unreasonable, but sometimes, people who look too beautiful, whether men or women, will more or less attract some right and wrong.
Of course, we can't say that being beautiful or good-looking is a sin, but the fate of these people will be more bumpy than others. For example, Yang Guifei was once charged with "bringing calamity to the country and the people". We will find in history that there are not many women who can really influence history.
Therefore, the saying "red face and bad water" is just an excuse for the loser, just let the woman carry the pot. The same is true of the woman we want to talk about today, she is the emperor's noble concubine, named Zhang Lihua, is the concubine of the famous Southern Dynasty lord Chen Shubao, she is not from a good birth, the family conditions are relatively poor, there is no field to cultivate, and her father raised her by weaving mats. In 568, Zhang Lihua, who was only 10 years old, was elected to the palace and became a maid of the Liangdi Gong clan.
At that time, Chen Shubao was still only the crown prince, and Gong Shi was his concubine. When Chen Shubao first saw Zhang Lihua, he looked at her at a glance, and Zhang Lihua, who was natural, also received the blessing of the prince. In the year she was 15 years old, in 575 AD, the two had a son. In 582, Chen Shubao ascended the throne as emperor, at this time Zhang Lihua was only 22 years old, and due to continuous favor, she was personally made a noble concubine by the emperor.
Zhang Lihua was able to be favored by the emperor, not only because of her beauty, but also because of her intelligence, eloquence, strong memory, and means. In the palace, Zhang Lihua was proficient in the art of prayer, so she tricked the emperor around, and she was also convinced of her and obeyed her words. Through the superstitious method of the ghost god, Zhang Lihua has successfully confused the emperor and built many different sacrifices in the palace, which shows that this woman is indeed not simple and has a lot of brains.
Although Chen Shubao became emperor, he did not pay much attention to the affairs of the government. All of the initiations of those civil and military officials were submitted through Cai Lin'er and Li Shandu, the eunuchs. Chen Shubao himself leaned on the pillow and let Zhang Lihua sit on his lap to discuss political affairs together. Emperors who would take concubines to the court were rare in ancient times.
Zhang Lihua has a strong memory, as long as she hears something or rumors from outside the palace, she will tell Chen Shubao first. Sometimes, Zhang Lihua's family committed crimes in the harem, and she would intercede for them. Ministers who disobeyed her, or who disobeyed, took the opportunity to frame her. She often used her power to collude inside and outside.
At this time, many flatterers appeared, and the court law and discipline of the Chen Dynasty were all messed up. In the third year of Zhenming (589), the Chen Dynasty was destroyed by the Sui Dynasty, and Zhang Lihua was ordered to be killed because she was too beautiful in appearance and was thought by Gao Hao to bring calamity to the country and the people again, and there is also a theory that she was ordered by Yang Guang, but in any case, her life ended like this. The demise of the Sui Dynasty was largely due to Chen Shubao's incompetence.