As the saying goes, "the emperor loves the eldest son, and the people love the eldest son", especially the eldest son, who had absolute inheritance rights in ancient times, so the emperor paid special attention to it. For the common people, there is no imperial throne to inherit, so often the younger son is more loved, and the eldest son shoulders the responsibility of taking care of the younger brother.
However, in ancient times, there were some mothers, who, as royalty, only liked their youngest son, and wanted to let their younger son succeed to the throne, resulting in a disagreement with the eldest son. Today, we will take a look at the mothers in history who favored their youngest sons and did not hesitate to break down their relationship with their eldest son.
1. During the Spring and Autumn Period, Duke Wu of Zheng's wife Wu Jiang
Wu Jiang was the daughter of Shen Guojun and married Zheng Guojun as his wife. Zheng Wugong and Wu Jiang had two sons, the eldest son, Yu Sheng, and the second son, Gong Shu Duan. Wu Jiang had always loved his younger son and was very cold to his eldest son, but Zheng Wugong liked to be born and made him crown prince.
Wu Jiang had been trying to persuade Zheng Wugong to make duan a prince instead, but Zheng Wugong did not agree. Since they were all his own sons, why didn't Wu Jiang like Yu Sheng? Her reason for favoring her younger son is very strange, because Gong Uncle Duan is a normal childbirth, and The birth is difficult to give birth, which she believes is a difficult birth, which causes her to suffer during childbirth, so she does not want to see him.
In 744 BC, Duke Wu of Zheng died, and the crown prince Huansheng succeeded to the throne as Duke Zhuang of Zhengzhuang. After Duke Zhengzhuang succeeded to the throne, Wu Jiang asked him to give The precarious situation to Gongshu Duan as a fief. The chancellor thought that the land control was very important and could not be easily sealed to Gong Shu Duan, but Zheng Zhuanggong said: "Wu Jiang wants it, I dare to take it." ”
In fact, this is exactly the plan of Wu Jiang and Gong Shu Duan, after getting the fiefdom, Gong Shu Duan continued to expand his own power, and Wu Jiang also secretly helped him. In 722 BC, Wu Jiang's mother and son thought that the time was ripe, so they planned to cooperate with the outside world and seize Zheng Zhuanggong's Jiangshan.
Fortunately, Zheng Zhuanggong received the wind in advance, made preparations in time, and finally beat Gong Shu Duan back. After Gongshu Duan escaped, leaving his mother Wu Jiang alone, Zheng Zhuanggong placed his mother in Chengying and swore: "Don't go to Huangquan, don't see each other." ”
It is because of Wu Jiang's preference for the younger son that he is incompatible with the eldest son, one helps the younger son to seize the eldest son's Jiangshan, and the other puts his mother under house arrest and vows never to see Huangquan.
Fortunately, Zheng Zhuanggong was a filial and benevolent man, and he regretted his mother after a year of placing him in Chengying. However, because of his oath, he had no way to do anything for a while. Finally, at the suggestion of the chancellor Yingkao, Zheng Zhuanggong dug a tunnel through which he met his mother, and the mother-son relationship was repaired.
2. During the Western Han Dynasty, Empress Xiaowen Dou of the Han Dynasty
Empress Dou also had two sons, the eldest son Liu Qi and the second son Liu Wu. After Emperor Wen of Han ascended the throne, Dou was made empress and His eldest son Liu Qi was made crown prince. However, Empress Dou had always loved her younger son more, and when she saw that Emperor Wen of Han's heart had been decided, she did not think of asking her husband to become a prince. However, she has always hoped that in the future, Liu Qi will be able to pass the throne to her brother.
As for why Empress Dou loved Liu Wu more, the author believes that in addition to her mother's love for her son, there is another important reason, that is, Empress Dou wants to continue to hold power. During Liu Qi's reign, out of respect for his mother, he gave her a lot of power. At that time, the Dou clan almost occupied important positions in the DPRK.
Empress Dou wanted Liu Wu to succeed to the throne, no doubt because her son was closer than her grandson. Besides, Liu Wu single-handedly supported the ascension to the throne, and if he succeeds to the throne in the future, he will certainly be obedient to himself. And the grandson Liu Che is not close to himself, and it may not be conducive to her promoting foreign relatives in the future.
After the death of Emperor Wen of Han, Liu Qi smoothly succeeded to the throne as Emperor Jing of Han, and Empress Dou was honored as empress dowager. Once, at a banquet, Emperor Jingdi of Han took advantage of the wine and said to Liu Wu: "Long live the thousand autumns and pass it on to the king." Liu Wu knew that it was unlikely, but he was still very happy, and Empress Dou was even more excited.
After that, Empress Dowager Dou repeatedly hinted that she hoped that Emperor Jingdi of Han would pass the throne to her younger brother in the future, and Emperor Jingdi of Han finally mentioned the matter to his ministers. Unexpectedly, the courtiers objected one after another, and even Empress Dou's nephew Dou Bao, opposed the establishment of Liu Wu as crown prince. Empress Dowager Dou therefore held a grudge against these ministers and was somewhat dissatisfied with Liu Qi.
When Liu Wu saw that Yuan Ang and other ministers were opposed to him, he became murderous and sent people to assassinate Yuan Ang, but the matter was defeated. Under the intercession of Empress Dou and the eldest princess Liu Yan, Emperor Jing of Han forgave his brother. However, the feelings of the two brothers were therefore not as good as before, and Emperor Jingdi of Han even forbade Liu Wu to continue to stay in the capital.
After Liu Wu was forced to return to the fiefdom, he died of illness not long after, and Empress Dou said heartbrokenly: "Emperor Guo killed my son!" She was bent on believing that Emperor Jing of Han had killed Liu Wu, and the relationship between mother and son deteriorated ever since. Until the death of the Han Jing Emperor, there was no real reconciliation between mother and son.
3. During the Qing Dynasty, Kangxi De concubine Wu Yashi
The Wuya clan had three sons in total, the eldest son Yin Chan, the second son Yin Zuo, and the old Yin Yu. Among them, Yin Zuo died prematurely, and Yin Chan and Yin Yu were both one of the parties to the nine sons and wives. Wu Ya's preference for his younger son, Yin Yu, is much easier to accept.
When Yin Chan was born, her mother Wu Ya clan was of a low status, so Yin Chan was brought up by Empress Xiao Yiren from an early age. The Qing Dynasty was very strict about the cultivation of the crown prince, with different lessons every day, and there were no days off a year, so the Wuya clan and the eldest son were less and more, although they were mother and son, they had no feelings.
When the youngest son Yin Yu was born, Wu Ya was already a concubine, and she was able to take care of her son personally, thus having a deep relationship with Yin Yu. Coupled with yin yu's obedience from an early age, this made Princess De like it even more. Kangxi also attached great importance to this son, so Princess De also hoped that Yin Yu would succeed to the throne.
However, the last person to succeed to the throne was Yin Chan, and at that time, the outside world had been spreading that Yong yong had tampered with the will and testament before he could succeed to the throne. Princess De then decided that Yong had robbed her brother of the throne, so she complained about him. After Yongzheng ascended the throne, he summoned Yin Yu back and then put him under house arrest to study at Jingling, which made Wu Yashi even more dissatisfied.
Yongzheng planned to honor his mother as Empress Renshou and asked her to move to the Empress Dowager's palace, Ningshou Palace, but Wu Yashi refused to respond to anything. Finally, before she could put on her badge, Uya died, and she left with a grudge.
These three mothers, for various reasons, favored their youngest son, resulting in a breakdown in their relationship with their eldest son. In fact, it is all the flesh that fell from their own bodies, so why should they be treated differently? In my opinion, if any of them could let go of their inner attachment, the outcome might be different.
(References "History", "Book of Han", "Draft History of the Qing Dynasty")