Before reading the article, please click "Follow" to facilitate discussion and sharing, in order to repay your support, I will update high-quality content every day
The fate of the concubines is closely related to the emperor, because the emperor is their dependence and support.
Only when the emperor is alive can they enjoy certain material benefits, but once the emperor dies, their fate will also change......
So what will happen to the three thousand beauties in the harem after the emperor's death?
【▶> Funeral <◀】
Everyone knows that the emperor's harem is a major feature of the ancient Chinese imperial palace, and as a symbol of the supremacy of the emperor, the monarchs are often regarded as the parents of all people.
They hold the power of all things in the world, and they also include the three thousand beauties of the harem, which are indispensable for maintaining the imperial power, but the establishment of the emperor's harem was not achieved overnight, but originated from the ideas and systems of the feudal dynasty.
According to historical records, since the establishment of the imperial system by Liu Bang in the Western Han Dynasty, the harem began to gradually take shape, just like the marriage in an ordinary family, the concubine selected by the emperor is also derived from a comprehensive investigation of family background, appearance, talent and other aspects.
These concubines needed to have noble origins, beautiful looks, gentle personalities, and profound cultural cultivation, and their presence not only demonstrated the authority of the emperor, but also represented the prosperity and glory of the country.
So this is enviable in the eyes of the outside world, as the wife and concubine of the supreme ruler, the harem beauties are considered to be at the top of the ancient women's ranks, living a life of glory and wealth.
In reality, however, these concubines were under tremendous pressure and distress, and once they entered the palace gates, they were confined to the court, deprived of their freedom and independence, and became beautiful but bound people.
They were not only wives, but also mothers, sisters, and friends, and there was also a rich and complex relationship between them, in which they had to face the distribution of power, strife, and jealousy, and strive for the emperor's attention and favor.
In addition to losing their freedom, they were often involved in the political struggles of the former harem, which was full of intrigue and intrigue in ancient times, and had to be buried after death......
In the ancient concept, death does not mean that life is gone, and the human soul will continue to exist after death and assume some form of responsibility, so when dealing with the affairs of the dead, people will show respect and care for the deceased in the same way as the living.
In the burial system, the burial of living people was more common in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, for example, the tomb of Marquis Yi of Zeng found in Yinxu also has the bones of 21 martyrs, and there are 164 bones of martyrs in the tomb of King Shang, all of whom are young women.
However, these scales are only a drop in the bucket compared to the time of Qin Shi Huang......
When Qin Shi Huang died in 210 BC, Qin II ordered that all concubines who had not given birth to children in the palace of Qin Shi Huang should be buried, and according to later archaeological discoveries, there were more than 100 tombs of Qin Shi Huang's concubines.
The bones of these martyred concubines are all scarred, and it can be speculated that they were subjected to inhumane treatment during their lifetimes, and the buried concubines are usually given white silk or poisoned wine or other tools to commit suicide.
If anyone tried to resist, they were strangled to death, and even more cruelly, they were even forcibly poured mercury to ensure that the bodies of the buried concubines did not decompose. Even the highest-ranking concubine at that time did not escape the fate of martyrdom.
Since the Han Dynasty, the funeral system has been gradually abolished, and the fate of harem concubines varies according to their status, and when the emperor dies and the new emperor ascends the throne, the empress of the first emperor is often named the empress dowager.
The situation is different for concubines, if a new prince is born, she may be honored as the empress dowager or imperial concubine, and the prince born to her will be crowned king, so that she can become the concubine of the kingdom and enjoy a certain status and honor.
Another situation is that if the first emperor dies, the concubines who have children can be released from the palace and go to their sons, for example, after Liu Bang's death, his concubine Bo Ji went to the fief of her son Liu Heng, the acting king.
Bo Ji was lucky, because soon after Liu Heng became the emperor of the Han Dynasty, and she also became the empress dowager, but Liu Bang's other favorite concubine, Madame Qi, was even more miserable.
The child born to Mrs. Qi aroused the jealousy of Empress Lü, who was afraid that Mrs. Qi's son would threaten the status of the crown prince, so after Liu Bang's death, Empress Lü sent someone to poison Mrs. Qi's son, Liu Ruyi, the king of Zhao.
Mrs. Qi herself was cut off by Empress Lu, her eyes gouged out, she was forced to drink dumb medicine, her ears were deaf, she was brutally tortured beyond recognition, and finally died tragically in the toilet...
From the Han Dynasty to the Song Dynasty, there were few large-scale concubine burials, until after the establishment of the Yuan Dynasty, under the impetus of the Mongol rulers, the funeral system re-emerged, and Zhu Yuanzhang, the Taizu of the Ming Dynasty, also continued this system.
After the death of Zhu Yuanzhang's second son, Zhu Zhang, he ordered Zhu Zhang's two concubines to be martyred for him, and after his own death, all the harem concubines who did not have children were also ordered to be martyred.
Later Ming emperors, such as Ming Chengzu Zhu Di, Renzong Zhu Gaochi, Jingtai Emperor Zhu Qiyu, and other imperial princes, followed this system.
The burial of the living became a fashion in the harem in the early Ming Dynasty, and it was not until Zhu Qizhen of Yingzong of the Ming Dynasty issued an edict prohibiting burial that the funeral system of harem concubines was abolished.
【▶> <◀】
The burial of the concubine is the destruction of the body, and if she becomes a concubine guarding the tomb, it is a double torture of the spirit and the body.
Their fate is often closely related to the political environment and decision-makers at the time, whether it is burial or mausoleum, they are not in control of their own lives.
The life of the concubines was extremely depressed, they were forced to leave the palace after the death of the first emperor, and lived in the cemetery all the year round, losing their freedom, silently enduring the passage of time and loneliness.
In addition to carefully cleaning the mausoleum, it is also necessary to regularly serve fresh meals and snacks for the emperor, to arrange the quilt for the emperor in the morning, noon and evening, and to wash and replace the emperor's supplies frequently.
In addition, because there are a lot of sacrificial activities in the imperial tomb, they also need to cooperate with the high monks to sacrifice, the sacrificial activities are strict, and no mistakes are allowed.
Providing entertainment services to the former emperor and performing a dance is also one of their daily tasks, but in order not to disturb the former emperor, the concubine who guards the tomb must dance silently in front of the spiritual seat.
During the day, it is reasonable to dance, but at night, everything in the huge cemetery looks eerie, and in order to prevent the concubines from escaping, troops are stationed around the imperial tomb.
Once a guard discovers that the concubine has escaped without permission, her family will be implicated and convicted, and many concubines will eventually commit suicide to end their lives because they can't bear the loneliness and monotony of life.
Their death is like a speck of dust falling into history, and there is no ripple in the vast river of history.
For example, the Tang Dynasty poet Luo Yin: "It is only suitable for the death of the monarch in the year, and the haggard and haggard look at Xiling", and Bai Juyi: "The concubine in the cemetery is like a flower and a leaf." Life is like a thin general, and he has been in the palace for many years. There are many years and months, time changes, and I know the limit of spring and autumn".
Ban Jiehao is one of the concubines who guarded the tomb, she was favored by Emperor Cheng of the Han Dynasty, but was framed by the Zhao sisters, and was almost belittled by Emperor Cheng of the Han Dynasty.
In 7 BC, Emperor Cheng of Han died suddenly in Weiyang Palace, Ban Jiehao asked the Queen Mother for permission to go to guard the tomb of Emperor Cheng of Han, and since then she has been accompanied by stone men and stone horses in the mausoleum, and she died of illness in the tomb of Emperor Cheng of Han only a year later.
Although Ban Jie's good guarding of the mausoleum was voluntary, more concubines were forced to do so, once they became concubines guarding the mausoleum, they would not be able to leave the mausoleum for the rest of their lives.
"Book of the Later Han Dynasty" recorded: "On the day of the temple, the Taiguan sent offerings, the garden order, the food supervision of the province, and the palace people of the mausoleum were pillowed with the drum, with the water of the alliance, and Chen Yangu." The Zizhi Tongjian also mentions the system of the Tang Dynasty, describing the daily duties of the concubines guarding the tomb.
The life of the concubines was so heavy that they needed to serve the late emperor wholeheartedly, taking care of them as carefully as they did during their lifetime, but they often felt terrified in the lonely and terrifying cemetery.
Some of the timid concubines were soon frightened into illness and even lost their lives, so it is said that the concubines were a group of women who were historically bound in the imperial tombs, and they lost their freedom and dignity and became victims of the political environment.
Whether it is martyrdom or guarding the mausoleum, they cannot control their own lives, and the heaven and earth in the deep palace have become their insurmountable boundary, and the fate of these mausoleum guards is lamentable.
After all, the life of the concubines was not convenient and comfortable, and they were often isolated near the emperor's coffin, losing contact with the outside world, which meant that they could not communicate with their families and friends, and could not enjoy a free life.
They endure loneliness and loneliness and endless waiting, and in this special role, the wives must hold on to their responsibilities and dedication......
【▶> out of the palace system< ◀
According to historical records, we can infer that some low-ranking concubines could be released from the palace to reunite with their families under certain circumstances, such as in the edict of Emperor Wu of Wei after his death;
"Autumn, August, Wushen, Wei with the edict of Gaozu, the third lady and below, all sent home."
This means that after the death of the emperor, the middle and low-level concubines in the harem can choose to leave the palace and return to the family, which can be said to be more humane than the system of burial or mausoleum. As a result, many concubines were given a new life and even found their own home.
An example of this is the Shengmu Empress Chai, who was originally the concubine of Li Cunmiao, the Later Tang Zhuangzong, who was repatriated home after Li Cunmiao's death, and during her journey she met Guo Wei, a burly but impoverished envoy of the Mabu Army.
Despite the opposition of Chai's parents, she insisted on choosing to marry Guo Wei, and Chai's support changed Guo Wei's life and made him eventually the emperor of the Great Zhou.
Although Chai died before he ascended the throne, Guo Wei missed her very much and posthumously named her Empress Shengmu, and in order to express his gratitude to her, he also made Chai's nephew his heir.
However, the fate of the Chai clan was very rare at the time, and many of the concubines of the first emperor were either sent to other temples to pray for the first emperor, or they were sent to a nunnery to live a lonely life.
If we look back at history, we will see countless celebrities falling into it, as written in Li Yu's "Seeing Huan": Lin Hua thanked Chunhong, too hurried. Helplessly, the cold rain came in the morning and the wind came in the evening. Rouge tears, stay drunk, when is it heavy?
Although Chai was a lucky concubine who managed to find her own happiness and home, her fate was still a very small minority in the ancient harem, and many concubines often faced various restrictions and oppression after the emperor's death.
Therefore, the existence of the funeral system, on the one hand, reflects the feudal ruler's pursuit of authority and dignity, and the emperor believes that it is better to bring relatives and slaves to the funeral with him than to be buried alone and not respected and happy in the underworld.
Fortunately, in the end, people began to question and question the funeral system, began to think about their fate after death, and gradually faded the traditional concept of life after death, and were no longer willing to imprison their lives in the funeral......
In some dynasties, concubines were forced to choose to be buried or to be buried in the underworld, a system that kept them completely tied to the emperor's death, and they had no chance to start their lives again.
For some low-ranking concubines, although they may be allowed to leave the palace and return home, their status and power in the court are still low, and they may lose their original dignity and status, and suffer from social scorn and ridicule.
Some concubines are chosen because of family ties or for political interests, and their fate may be more restricted and manipulated......