There are countless beautiful women in history who have charmed the monarch, but after many dynastic changes, there are always women who have let the supreme monarch of the Ninth Five-Year Plan fall under the pomegranate skirt, which is probably one of the few in Chinese history. Empress Xiao was such a strange woman.
Empress Xiao's status as a princess before becoming empress was that her father was Xiao Yue, the Xiaoming Emperor of Western Liang at the end of the Southern and Northern Dynasties, and her grandfather was Xiao Tong, a famous literary scholar of the Liang Dynasty and the prince of Zhaoming, who died young. When Xiao Yue became emperor, the Liang Dynasty had already fallen, but it was still called "King", and Jingzhou and Xiangyang were regarded as land, and the history was called Western Liang. When Princess Xiao was born, the famous divinator Yuan Tiangang was amazed by her appearance, carefully calculated her birthday eight characters, and finally came to the conclusion of eight words: "Mother Yi is the world, destiny with peach blossoms." However, because Princess Xiao was born in February, and local customs considered a child born in February to be unlucky, Xiao Yue gave her to her cousin Xiao Qian for adoption. Soon, her adoptive father Xiao Wei died, and her uncle Zhang Ke had to adopt her niece.
At that time, Emperor Wen of Sui ascended the throne, and he made his eldest son Yang Yong crown prince and his second son Yang Guang the Prince of Jin. The founding emperor of the Sui Dynasty wanted to select a princess from the always-well-connected Western Liang state as a concubine of the Jin dynasty. Yang Jian's lonely queen is very powerful, and she is the master of major events and small things in the harem. Choosing a wife for the younger son, the lone queen's vision is naturally more critical. The Book of Sui reads: "Shang (Yang Guang) Mei Ziyi, Shao Minhui, Gao Zu and later beloved by the sons", "In the first year of the kai emperor, he was established as the king of Jin, and the governor of the state of Baizhu and hezhou, at the age of thirteen". It can be seen that Yang Guang was very handsome and intelligent when he was young, he was deeply loved by Yang Jian and the Lonely Empress, in order to choose an ideal princess, it was inevitable to find a divinator to see if the birthday of the future couple matched and whether it was auspicious. After Xiao Yue learned of this, he sent the birthday eight characters of the three daughters he had raised with him to the palace for divination, but the result of divination was that the three daughters were incompatible with Yang Guang's eight characters. Just when Xiao Yue was upset about this, someone reminded him: Can you please ask the fourth princess to try? Xiao Yue then thought that she also had a little daughter who was fostered abroad. As a result, the result of his little daughter's birthday eight-character divination was a great fortune.
As a result, Princess Xiao, who was only 9 years old, married Yang Guang, who was already 21 years old, and was crowned princess of Jin. Because Princess Xiao was still young, she did not get married immediately after entering the palace. Yang Jian's lonely empress was very fond of this young and lovely little daughter-in-law, raised her as her own daughter, and invited many masters for her to teach her to read, compose, paint, play the kite, and so on. Princess Xiao, who is very clever, learns what it looks like, and often understands it at one point. In the past four or five years, Princess Xiao has not only become a beautiful person with bright flowers and beautiful flowers, but also a knowledgeable and versatile person.
Fast forward to the thirteenth year of the Kai Emperor (581), Yang Guang, the King of Jin who was ordered to guard Yangzhou, rushed back to the capital Chang'an and married Princess Xiao, who was crown princess.
Yang Guang and Princess Xiao, a young couple, began to enjoy the tenderness of love. Although Princess Xiao did not grow up in the deep palace, she learned from the people to be cautious in her words and deeds and to abide by the way of women. She was meek and virtuous, adoring and obedient to her husband, and the Jin dynasty became the object of praise and envy from both the court and the public.
At this time, Yang Guang began to conspire with the powerful minister Yang Su and others to seize the reserve. Yang Guangtao raised obscurity, imitated his father, pleased his mother; pretended to be very benevolent, and lived his life in a miserable and abnormal way; he was pure-hearted and widowed, rarely married concubines, and won a lot of praise. Neither Yang Jian nor the Dugu Empress could have dreamed that Yang Guang could groom and disguise himself for more than ten years, just to spy on the throne. After the marriage, Princess Xiao also found that her husband was so clever.
At this time, the crown prince Yang Yong was troubled by his wife and concubines competing for favors. It turned out that Yang Yong did not like the Crown Princess Yuanshi and spent all his thoughts on the partial Fang Yun Zhaoyi, and as a result, the Yuan clan could not bear the pain of snub, and hanged himself when he did not want to open it for a while. Yang Jian and the Dugu Empress hated this ruthless and unjust act the most, and in a fit of rage, they deposed Yang Yong as crown prince. Yang Guang took advantage of the void and sat on the throne of the crown prince with the strong support of his mother, the LoneLy Empress. In this way, Princess Xiao, who had been the princess of Jin for seven years, became a princess. Soon, after some intensive planning and conspiracy, Yang Guang ascended to the emperor's throne in advance. In the first year of Daye (605), Yang Guang issued an edict generously praising his yuan mate: "Concubine Xiao Shi, Sui Yu Chengxun, Female Dao Kexiu, Yi Zheng Xuan, Shi Hong Rou Sect, can be made empress." In this way, the 35-year-old Concubine Xiao was promoted to Empress Xiao. Although the world's beautiful women are in the palm of their hands, Yang Guang still loves Yuanbei on the surface. So Xiao Shi followed her husband more stubbornly and without regret. Time has not left the slightest trace on Empress Xiao's face, and she is still as beautiful and moving as before.
The emperor was very honest and took Empress Xiao with him wherever he went. Who he really pampers, no one else knows. The brilliant Empress Xiao also knew the measure, after all, she was getting old, and she was still clear about the reason for the decline and love of relaxation. Although Empress Xiao still bowed down to Yang Guang's side, her state of mind was not as good as before. What surprised her even more was that at this time, Yang Guang had already been attracted by the favored concubine of the former emperor and the magnificent Lady Xuanhua, and after the daily descent from the dynasty, she lingered in Lady Xuanhua's place, and had already left her, the wife who had spent more than ten years in the same boat, aside. Empress Xiao could not bear it, and out of the woman's jealousy, she exerted the prestige of the empress and forced Lady Xuanhua to move to the remote Xiandu Palace and cut off her contact with the emperor. Unexpectedly, Yang Guang was depressed all day, had no intention of government affairs, and did not step into Empress Xiao's palace for half a step.
Empress Xiao's heart was very painful, and since she could not control the emperor like her mother-in-law, the lone empress, it was better to completely want to open up, be an empathetic empress, and think about the emperor wholeheartedly, so that he would no longer be bothered by the trivial affairs of the harem. She compromised with Yang Guang and sent someone to take back Lady Xuanhua and place her in the Jinfeng Courtyard. Yang Guang was naturally happy, and his attitude towards her also eased a lot, and the harem returned to its previous peaceful life. Unfortunately, the red face was short-lived, and half a year later, Mrs. Xuanhua could not afford to be ill, and she actually died of incense. Yang Guang was heartbroken, sighing long and short all day, immersed in the sadness of losing his beloved concubine, and even chao zheng did not bother to pay attention.
The emperor was sad, and the empress was naturally depressed and full of sorrow. Even if he has a heavenly beauty, how can he still make Jun Difficult smile. Empress Xiao made a big decision, and she suggested that Yang Guang choose the world's beautiful women to enrich the harem.
A word awakens the dreamer. Yang Guang immediately ordered Guang to recruit the beauties of the world, and then sent the general Yuwen Kai to preside over the planning, design and construction of the eastern capital Luoyang. First build the Xianren Palace, then repair the West Garden, extensively collect strange materials and stones at home and abroad, Jiamu rare grass to enrich it, and prepare to place beautiful women, he can enjoy the fun of the world there. After the sixteen courtyards of the West Garden were built, he selected 16 of the beautiful women from the world who had been conscripted, and named them Mrs. Sipin, and lived in each courtyard separately. Another 320 beauties were selected to learn to play and dance. Yang Guang lingered in the Xiyuan day by day, immersed in light songs and dances night and night, changing the patterns and selected beauties of all parties to listen to songs and enjoy music, ride horses and play chess, indulge in wine day and night, and leave the government behind him early.
At this time, Empress Xiao really understood this affectionate emperor husband. But she could only adjust her mentality, turn a blind eye and settle down with the encounter. Yang Guang indulged in sexual pleasures, enjoyed great achievements, and squandered the foundation created by Emperor Wen of Sui. The government levied tyrannically, the civil thieves swarmed, and the army of Goryeo and the migrant workers who dug the canal were crying and dying every day. However, Yang Guang still did not listen to advice, ignored state affairs, did not ask about misfortunes and blessings, and only cared about pleasure. He actually told Empress Xiao: "Noble and unworthy, change it." Empress Xiao watched with trepidation as the government and the opposition changed, worried, but unable to do anything. Some people said that there was a rebellion outside the palace soon, so what should the empress do? Empress Xiao waved her hand and sighed, "Once the world has come to this point, the situation has already gone, and there is no way to save it." What words were used in vain to make the emperor worried. "The mentality is very desolate.
In the spring of 618, Yu Wenhua, who had coveted the throne and Empress Xiao for a long time, led a rebellion and led his troops into the palace, and Yang Guang, who had just turned 50, was strangled to death in Yangzhou in March. Empress Xiao personally collected Yang Guang's body, but there was nothing at hand, only a few bed boards could be dismantled, and a thin coffin was hastily put together. In this way, although she was half-old Xu Niang, Empress Xiao, who still had charm, became a widow and a female prisoner of the troubled world.
Yu Wenhua had a crush on Empress Xiao in his early years, and now he threatened the life of Empress Xiao's son Yang Hao and forced her to be his own side room. Empress Xiao's heart was fiercely struggling, as the empress of the motherly world, she should die with Her Majesty to show her loyalty. But the ear seems to ring in the ear again, the teaching of the lonely queen, she has not yet fulfilled the final responsibility of being an empress, Yang Guang's son Yang Hao is still there, death is easy, and it takes more courage to survive. The most important thing at hand is to save your life. If there is chaos today, and the heroes are everywhere, perhaps the opportunity for revenge is at hand. The disgraced Empress Xiao could only abandon her dignity and nobility, endure the pain of the destruction of the country and the death of the family and the resentment of the enemy, and commit herself to Yu Culture and Culture.
Yu culture and fascinated by the beauty of Xiao's, although Xiao has entered middle age, but still dignified and beautiful, he found the feeling of being an emperor in Xiao's body, intoxicated with her entanglement, temporarily forgetting his political expansion. At this time, Dou Jiande, the leader of the peasant rebel army who had raised an army in the Central Plains, was already approaching Jiangdu. Yu Wenhua was unable to resist and was defeated again and again, and in the end, he took Empress Xiao to retreat to Wei County, and established himself as Emperor Xu, renaming Empress Xiao as Concubine Shu. Soon, however, Wei County was breached again, and Yu Wenhua and Emperor Canghuang retreated to Liaocheng, and Dou Jiande, who called himself the "King of Great Xia", led his army in pursuit under the banner of avenging the death of Yang Guang. In the Battle of Liaocheng, Dou Jiande used a stone-throwing "crash" to attack the city on all sides, and Liaocheng immediately fell, and Yu Wenhua was killed by Dou Jiande. This was less than a year after the death of the Sui Emperor Yang Guang.
Empress Xiao should have been happy that the mastermind who killed her husband was finally punished. But to her embarrassment, the empress of the Tangtang Sui Dynasty once again faced the bad luck of being a prisoner. This time, she wanted to die. Whose world should be in this world is not something that she, a weak woman, can influence. She can only defend her dignity with death, and perhaps only death is the real liberation. Helplessly, Dou Jiande's men kept strict care of her, and she did not even have the chance to die. She was alone in the house, neither shivering nor crying, no longer smearing powder, no longer lightly grooming her sideburns, and waiting for death with no expression. Fortunately, Dou Jiande treated her very courteously, and bi respectfully gave her a great gift to the monarch, and did not imprison her, but only restricted her freedom. Fortunately, Dou Jiande's wife Cao Shi was very strict with her husband and looked at him almost inseparably. Therefore, although Dou Jiande had the intention to dominate the Xiao clan, he did not have a chance. Gradually, Dou Jiande also began to reveal his nature, and he indulged in the entertainment of sound and color, almost forgetting his original intention of chasing deer in the Central Plains. At this time, the power of the Turks in the north developed rapidly. Yang Guang's sister, who had previously been married to a Turkic khan and a relative, Princess Yicheng, Empress Xiao's younger sister-in-law, heard that Li Yuan had proclaimed herself emperor in Chang'an and found out about Empress Xiao's whereabouts, so she sent emissaries to Leshou to welcome Empress Xiao to the Turks. Dou Jiande did not dare to confront the Turks head-on, so he obediently handed over Empress Xiao and the people of the imperial family to the emissaries.
Empress Xiao embarked on a journey to the steppe. Her heart was in turmoil and tears were gushing. Are you really going to leave the Central Plains? No matter how chaotic it is here, it is also where the root system is, I wonder what will be waiting for it in that exotic fan state? But I have no choice. Maybe it is better to leave this war-torn place, to leave all the sadness and humiliation behind, and to go far away, maybe there will be a different situation.
The endless grassland made her heart suddenly open, and the blue sky and white clouds and emerald green grass were in harmony. The turquoise sea showed a magnificent picture, and she was deeply immersed in this beautiful scenery. As she got closer, she saw a large tent made of solid red willow wood and a whole sheet of cowhide. The tent roof and the tent, the embroidery and painting, and even the arrangement and furnishings are all so beautiful, it is almost the same as the golden palace. It was a tent specially made by the Turkic king Chuluo Khan to welcome her. When Chuluo Khan first saw Empress Xiao, he suddenly felt that the beauty of the world was gathered in this woman. From the Khan's eyes, she had already seen her attraction to the Khan of The Dragon. Under the fence, what is there to speak of? Coupled with the sister-in-law's repeated agreements, that night, in the yurt, Xiao Changed from the Empress of the Great Sui to the Concubine of the King of Saiwai.
Soon after, Chuluo Khan died and was succeeded by his younger brother Jieli Khan. According to Turkic customs, the concubines of Lao Fan Wang, Princess Yicheng and Empress Xiao's sister-in-law, were accepted by the new Fan King Jieli Khan. Although Empress Xiao was older than Princess Yicheng, because of her charming young woman charm and the fresh charm of a Central Plains woman who had just arrived outside Sai, Jieli Khan was more fond of her. Xiao Shi had long since given up on the idea of returning to Chang'an. Since the country has been destroyed and the family has perished, what is the meaning of the spring rain in Jiangnan and the apricot blossoms in the Central Plains? Why not take this life out of this barbaric cyprus. Fortunately, there is also a little grandson Yang Zhengdao as a companion, Yang Zhengdao, yang Zhengdao' bone blood, is her last bit of comfort.
In the fourth year of Emperor Taizong's reign (630), the Tang general Li Jing broke the Turks and welcomed back Xiao Shi, who had been the empress of the former dynasty. At this time, Empress Xiao was 48 years old. Sitting on top of the car, she picked up the curtain and looked far away. Tang Jun's flag was unfurled, vast, her heart fluctuated, her thoughts were thousands, she felt like a leaf of duckweed, and she didn't know where to end. To her delight, Li Shimin, the wise monarch whom the people of the world praised, held a grand banquet for her and welcomed her back. She knew that she had long passed the most youthful period of a woman, and there was no innocence to show off, no femininity to show off. When she entered the palace with a long skirt and a graceful manner, Li Shimin couldn't help but sway with emotion, and he even doubted whether she was really Empress Xiao, because her appearance was far from her actual age. It is unbelievable that a woman who has passed the age of confusion can be so radiant. In particular, the graceful and elegant temperament is not possessed by ordinary red and pink women. This wise emperor, not caring about the disparity in age, and even less concerned about the evaluation of outsiders, named Empress Xiao zhaorong. This troubled Empress of the Sui Dynasty officially became the Aiji of the Tang Dynasty.
Empress Xiao spent 18 years of peace in the Tang Palace and spent the rest of her life happily. Twenty-one years after Zhenguan, the 67-year-old Empress Xiao was lying on her sickbed breathing heavily, she dreamed of many things, and also recalled her unusual life, and finally closed her eyes safely. Li Shimin buried Empress Xiao in Yang Guangzhi's mausoleum with empress etiquette, and was honored as "Empress Huan".