Preface
When the emperor died, what happened to the beauties of his harem? In Vanity Fair, the fate of women is closely related to that of men, and this is especially prominent in the royal family. When the emperor is in control, what fate will his concubines face? Have they ever thought that the success or failure of their lives is all in the hands of one person?
A talented and beautiful palace maid, one day she was fortunate by the emperor and gave birth to a prince, and she became a mother who was expected to be the queen mother. If she is unlucky and does not give birth to an heir for the first dynasty, her fate may fall to the bottom or even be buried alive. Behind all this helplessness is the shackles of women in the ancient hierarchical royal society. The moment the emperor takes control, the fate of the entire harem has been set. And who of them would dare to go against the will of heaven?
What should a soft-hearted concubine do when faced with her son's will to kill her half-brother after he succeeds to the throne? Keeping her son's throne or the lives of other sons is a choice that continues to play out in many concubines. Behind all this helplessness is the weakness of women in the ancient political struggle. However, who had the right to change this harsh reality in those days?
The emperor died, and the helplessness behind the miserable fate of the harem beauty
During the reign of an emperor, the harem was full of beauties, and the concubines tried their best to please the emperor, hoping to one day become the mother of the world. However, the moment the emperor died, the entire harem fell from the spotlight to the bottom of the dark valley in a moment. The former favorite concubines have nothing to rely on, the blessings they cultivated in their previous lives have been exhausted, and the trajectory of their fate in this life is about to be fully revealed. And how much of it is poignant and tragic is all due to the newly enthroned emperor alone.
The first to leave were the luckiest concubines, the sons of the previous dynasty, who became the new emperor. Concubine Xi gave birth to the emperor's fourth son, Hongli, and after her son ascended the throne, her status was immediately promoted. This young lady, who was only in her early twenties, suddenly had the honor of motherhood.
Wang was born in a poor family, and fortunately met the emperor and gave birth to her third son, Yongyan, and she became the first woman in the country. However, Wang's temperament is fierce, and his desire for power is far greater than that of a normal woman. With her political skills, she gradually controlled the power of the government. As a woman who can influence the rise and fall of an entire dynasty, Wang's ambition amazes all the beauties of the harem.
The birth mother is glorious, and the son is in place, which is the most perfect life destination in ancient times. However, the goddess of fate does not always favor everyone. The further down they went, the more bleak the fate of these concubines became.
After the emperor's death, the fate of the concubines was divided
The second group of those who left were women who did not give birth to sons for the emperor, but were made concubines because of other merits. The fate of these women lies in their relationship with the new emperor. If they have a good relationship with the new emperor, they may become the new emperor's favorites. As henchmen of the new emperor, they can still enjoy harem life. It's just that she lost her glory as a biological mother.
If they are estranged from the new emperor, or if the new emperor is jealous of their power, they will be placed under house arrest in the palace and become concubines with no real power. This kind of concubine often lives in seclusion and is controlled by others. The juniors in the palace despised them even more and hid far away. However, despite the loss of rights, these concubines at least had no worries about food and clothing, and also had their own bedrooms and palace maids.
If they offend the new emperor, they may be sent to the cold palace. Historical legends say that there are ghosts and shadows in the cold palace, which is eerie and terrifying. It was damp, cold and remote. The concubines imprisoned in it are no different from ordinary prisoners. They live in fear all day long. Many people got sick there and eventually died. After death, the body was not cared for, and it was discarded without explanation.
Among the remaining concubines, if they did not offend the new emperor during their lifetime, they would be placed under house arrest in a special Taoist temple or temple in the palace. These temples and temples are very close to the imperial palace and convenient for supervision, which is very different from ordinary temples. These concubines were forced to become nuns. Their hair was shaved, they wore thin monk's robes, and they lived a hard life.
They couldn't leave the Taoist temple for half a step, and they didn't know anything about their every move from the outside world. Many of these young women are only in their teens. They should have been in full bloom and enjoying the harem life. However, at this time, he spent a dull life in this small Taoist temple. That youthful face has gradually been eroded by the years. By the end of their lives, they have long been unrecognizable.
The emperor died, and his burial was the most miserable
In ancient times, many monarchs advocated burial. They believe that burying their favorite concubine alive is the highest loyalty to the deceased. There is also a certain element of superstition in this, believing that this can make the dead enjoy themselves in the underground world. It's just that the death of these concubines is too miserable......
The moment the emperor died violently, the palace was in chaos. The faces of the concubines who were still beautiful just now changed suddenly, and they pushed each other to flee for their lives. The guards stepped forward to restrain them with expressionless faces. They were forced to strip their ornate brocade robes and replace them with coarse cloth robes. Their hair was shaved alive. No one will listen to their pleas, and no one will give them a good time. In full view of everyone, these young women were dragged to the place where the underground palace was. At this moment, they finally realized that they were going to be buried alive......
However, the gears of fate have been set in motion, and no one can stop them. Pits had already been dug in the cold tombs. These young women are pushed into it, they are in a hurry, crying, fearful, desperate. The surrounding earthwork gradually sealed the mouth of the pit. Several concubines cried out in despair for help. But no one will come. The last ray of light at the mouth of the pit was also blocked, and the entire tomb was once again darkened. They were trapped alive in this small crypt, with no hope of seeing the light of day......
The moment the emperor took control, the fate of the entire harem had been set. The concubines often look at the righteousness of the text, thinking that they can control the magnificence of this fate. However, when the cruel reality finally came, they realized that everything was already predestined. They fell from the clouds and crashed in despair. Fate, for them, is like a gorgeous dream. The moment you wake up from the dream, all that remains is fragments.
epilogue
Many of them are just young and simple palace maids, or daughters of a family of gate valves. could have lived an ordinary and stable life, inherited his father's business, and married the man he loved. However, once they were favored by the emperor, their fate was destined to be extraordinary.
What a worry and helplessness behind that glory and wealth. They were afraid all day long, for fear that the emperor would kill them on a whim. and had to curry favor with the emperor and powerful ministers at all times. They were forced to become pawns in political struggles and fell victim to imperial power. However, in the end, all these costs will be borne by them.
The moment the emperor took control, their beautiful faces and glorious clothes became a joke of fate. They either have no worries about food and clothing but spend an empty life, or they die in the palace. He was even miserably buried alive. All this seems to be fate, but in fact it is all man-made. It is the result of the ancient hierarchical society that oppressed ordinary people and women.
We should not rejoice in the progress of the times, so that the people of today are free from the shackles of imperial power and gate valves. But looking back at history, we should mourn and remember those women who were unfortunately involved in the whirlpool of fate. It is precisely because of the suffering and struggle of the ancestors that the descendants can live the present life. Thanking them for their sacrifices and remembering their lessons so that we can become wiser and our society can move towards light.