Preface
Su Malagu is an unpredictable woman. Coming from a family of tenant farmers in the Mongolian steppes, she eventually became a favored advisor to the emperors of both dynasties. She witnessed and promoted several important nodes in the history of the Qing Dynasty, protecting and assisting these young sons of heaven in the whirlpool. At the same time, she stubbornly adheres to a custom that seems incomprehensible to people today - not bathing for the rest of her life.
The reason for this stems from her unique national customs and beliefs. However, we should not underestimate the history and cultural accumulation behind this custom, nor should we let this superficial phenomenon obscure the understanding of the essence of a person. Su Malagu's life not only reflects her dedication to traditional customs, but also shows the inner qualities of wisdom and tolerance. This is perhaps the inevitable dilemma of every era—how to find a balance between form and essence.
1. The court legend of the Prairie Maiden
One day in 1636, there was fine snow on the Horqin steppe. Surd, a tenant of Korqin Baylor House, brought his daughter Sumol to Baylor House and recommended her as a maid. This is a chance to turn around, and he hopes to bring a little change to his humble life.
Ten-year-old Su Mo'er followed the eunuchs to the inner court and nervously stood in front of her future mistress, Belle's second daughter, Bumu Butai. Bu Mu Butai has clear eyebrows and beautiful eyes, gentle and elegant, Su Mo'er couldn't help but be a little stunned when she saw such a beautiful and noble girl for the first time.
Bumu Butai smiled and looked at the thin girl in front of him, his eyes full of appreciation. She asked Su Mo'er to stay by her side and serve, Su Mo'er was relieved and finally had a foothold.
Two years later, a piece of news shook the grassland - Huang Taiji chose Bumu Butai as his concubine. It turned out that Bumu Butai's return home this time was an opportunity to select virtuous internal helpers for Huang Taiji. Now that Bumu Butai has the identity of the imperial concubine, Su Mo'er, the maid, can also follow the imperial concubine into the palace.
In 1648, Huang Taiji died suddenly, and the six-year-old Fulin succeeded to the throne as Emperor Shunzhi. Real power fell into the hands of Dorgon, the auxiliary minister. In order to consolidate his position, Dolgon brutally murdered several of Huang Taiji's sons and placed Empress Xiaozhuang under house arrest.
Second, the mouthpiece of the female officer
At that time, Su Mo'er was already the personal maid of Empress Xiaozhuang, and Dolgon forbade her to visit the Empress Dowager. But Su Mo'er risked her life and sent messages several times, begging Dolgon to let the Empress Dowager reunite with Emperor Shunzhi's mother and son.
Dolgon was cruel by nature and was bent on killing the king and usurping the throne. But he was also moved by the courage and sincerity of this female officer. In 1652, he finally agreed to meet his mother with Shunzhi.
At this time, Su Mo'er had changed her name to Su Malagu. She was very intelligent, and after entering the palace, she studied Manchu and Chinese, and also participated in the design of the new Manchurian crown dress. A grassland woman actually has a stage to display her ambitions in the court.
In the early years of Shunzhi, there was a brutal struggle inside and outside the court. The emperor was young, and the empress dowager was placed under house arrest. In the whirlpool of these fates, there is always a female official shuttling through them, trying to protect this crumbling imperial power.
In 1661, Emperor Kangxi ascended the throne. The remnants of the Ming Dynasty are also struggling for the great cause of reconstruction. Among them, Su Malagu is still a precarious female official, but she has grown into a confidant and confidant of the two dynasties.
3. The patron saint in front of the smallpox bed
Winter 1666, Shenyang. A sudden smallpox epidemic swept across the city. The five-year-old Emperor Kangxi soon fell ill, and his illness recurred, and the doctor was helpless.
Kangxi, who was covered with herpes, was lying on the bed, with a high fever and delirium. Eunuchs and concubines avoided it. Only a middle-aged woman stayed by his side all day. She patiently cooled him down with cold water, whispered softly to lull him to sleep, and applied him the most bitter Chinese medicine every day.
This woman is Aunt Su Mala. Kangxi in her eyes is like her own child, even if the condition is dangerous, she will never give up. Finally, under her careful care, Kangxi gradually recovered.
This smallpox claimed thousands of lives in Shenyang, but the Son of Heaven was spared. Among those people, only Su Malagu dared to take the risk to guard in front of the sickbed. While reciting the Great Compassion Mantra, she used her actions to protect the imperial power. Perhaps because of Kangxi's unforgettable childhood, he had special respect and affection for this female official when he grew up.
4. The trekker between the Dharma and the imperial power
Years later, Hyozhuang died. Su Malagu lost her partner for many years and almost despaired. Emperor Kangxi understood the mood of this old palace maid, and specially ordered her to raise his son Yinyi, who was only four years old. It also brought new goals and motivation to her later years.
Su Malagu poured her mother's love and loyalty into Yinyi. Now the entire court relied on her wisdom and connections to deal with any crisis that might arise.
In the thirty years of Kangxi, the ninety-year-old Su Malagu is no longer so active and competitive. She spends more of her time in the ashram in the palace and in the temples outside the city.
She chanted all day long, listening to Sanskrit sounds echoing in her head. The fragile and short life will eventually dissipate like dust. But the Dharma realm dwells, and the eternal truth and compassion will guide sentient beings beyond the sea of suffering. Perhaps this is the place she has found after the storms of the world.
In her prostrations and prayers, the figure of the young emperor can still be vaguely seen. He needs the blessings of the Dharma and the support of the world. That's it, that's it. A generation of female officials has wandered between Buddhism and the royal law all their lives. Perhaps it is this encounter and sense of mission that has enriched her ups and downs in life.
5. A lifetime of absurdity and persistence
However, for the present and posterity, a custom that Su Malagu maintained throughout her life was absurd and incomprehensible - she almost never bathed. In Mongolia, ordinary people can only bathe three times in their lifetime. Bathing was seen as a luxury and an act of defiling a holy water source. Therefore, Su Malagu, who grew up in a poor environment, did not develop the habit of frequent cleaning.
Even after entering the palace, she still maintained a simple lifestyle. She didn't dare to use the jade liquid, gold, silver and porcelain that the emperor and the queen mother gave her, for fear of dirtying the precious things.
What's more, bathing also means disrespect to national traditions for her. So even at the age of 100, Aunt Su Mala rarely bathes. She adheres to this creed as a sign of reverence for the water of her homeland. Contemporaries are puzzled by how absurd this is. But in her heart, it was a sacred tradition, a faith, and there was no doubt about it.
Sixth, can we understand Su Malagu
Coincidentally, a contracted translator recently caused an uproar in China because of the remarks of "taking 3 baths". But in addition to making accusations, have we stopped to think about what kind of long history and cultural heritage a nation's customs often carry? Are we also making the mistake of "treating others with ourselves"?
Su Malagu's way of life, which is incomprehensible to outsiders, highlights her adherence to national traditions and her devotion to her homeland. While she successfully integrated into the Manchu culture, she retained the imprint of Mongolian tradition. This contains a rich historical accumulation, which is worthy of our understanding and appreciation with a broad vision.
We should not demand that a 17th-century woman abandon the customs of her homeland altogether by contemporary standards. On the contrary, the uniqueness of Su Malagu as a historical figure is precisely that she vividly embodies the interaction and collision between the two cultures.
Under the seemingly absurd customs on the surface, there is also a woman's insistence on inner beliefs. And this insistence also created her wise and introverted personality charm, and finally won the trust and favor of the emperors of the two dynasties.
epilogue
This special way of life highlights her personality of adhering to national traditions. In fact, many customs have deep cultural connotations that we should not take lightly.
At the same time, flexibility is necessary. A wise man can distinguish between form and essence, take the essence of it, and remove the dross. Su Malagu's life not only reflects her adherence to tradition, but also shows her wisdom and tolerance.
It's a delicate balance between preserving tradition and being open-minded. We are facing the same challenge of finding common ground between very different visions of the world. It's an eternal topic, but it's a shortcut to finding the answer.