Preface
In ancient times, love and intrigue were intertwined, often a game, full of joys and sorrows, and the story between Chang Yu and Zhao Ji is such a legend.
What is his stunt? How amazing is the stunt he performs? Can Zhao Ji fall in love with him deeply, and even be willing to have a child for him?
These questions are not only curious, but also thought-provoking, what kind of life story will be deduced from the entanglement between love and power, between the individual and the state?
1. Exchange of power
Lü Buwei was originally just a small businessman with a negligible status. But he met the prince Yingyi at that time by chance, and took a fancy to the potential of this promising young man. Lü Buwei's situation at that time was not optimistic, as a businessman, his social status at that time was very low.
But he is good at observation and judgment, and finds that Yingyiren has the potential to become the king of Qin. So, Lü Buwei decided to invest in this "strange goods" prince. Lü Buwei gave his concubine Zhao Ji to Ying Yiren as a proof of the alliance between the two. This was not uncommon in the aristocratic society of the time, and it was a common way to form alliances by giving one's own women to the powerful.
Lü Buwei values Yingyiren's future status, not Zhao Ji herself. For Lü Buwei, Zhao Ji is just a "commodity" that can be exchanged. Although Zhao Ji lost Lü Buwei, she gained a higher status. Under Lü Buwei's operation, Yingyiren soon inherited the throne of Qin and became the king of Qin Zhuangxiang.
As the concubine of King Qin, Zhao Ji lived a carefree life and lived a pampered life. She jumped from an ordinary concubine to the queen mother of Qin, which was undoubtedly a huge turning point in her life.
However, the good times did not last long, King Xiang of Qin Zhuang died too early, and Yingzheng, who was only 13 years old, was forced to succeed to the throne. Power changed hands again, and Lü Buwei began to assist the young Qin Shi Huang in ruling the country, while Zhao Ji became the empress dowager and wielded considerable power.
At this time, Zhao Ji's status reached its peak, she was not only the mother of King Qin, but also the empress dowager who actually held great power. However, her heart was filled with uneasiness and anxiety, because she knew that this power could be taken away at any time.
Second, the loneliness is unbearable
Although her status is transcendent, Zhao Ji's heart is full of loneliness. She is still young and in her prime, but she has to live in seclusion and live a life of bondage. As a woman, Zhao Ji cannot move as freely as a man, and she must abide by strict palace rules and be careful about her words and actions at all times. This kind of confined life made Zhao Ji feel extremely depressed and lonely.
Zhao Ji couldn't bear this depression, so she found Lu Buwei again, and the two regained their old relationship. Lü Buwei couldn't resist Zhao Ji's beauty, but he was even more worried that this relationship would ruin his future. As a businessman-turned-prime minister, Lü Buwei is well aware of the preciousness and fragility of power. He fears that his affair with Zhao Ji will be discovered, thus ruining the position he has worked so hard to build.
So, Lü Buwei introduced one of his doormen, Chang Yu, to Zhao Ji, who is said to have a unique charm for women and is deeply loved by them. Lü Buwei skillfully used Chang Yu's characteristics to make him Zhao Ji's new lover, so that he could get out. For Lu Buwei, Zhao Ji was just a tool that could be used, and he didn't really care about her feelings.
Zhao Ji fell in love with Chang Yu at first sight and soon sank into it. She finally found someone to confide in and got rid of the loneliness of the deep palace. For Zhao Ji, Chang Yu is like a harbor that she can rely on, making her temporarily forget the constraints of identity and status. Two people, you and me, are looking for solace in loneliness.
3. The rebellion of the harem
In order to allow Chang Yu to enter the harem, Lü Buwei and Zhao Ji teamed up to bribe the person in charge of the palace punishment and let them pretend to carry out the palace punishment on Chang Yu, but in fact they only shaved off his beard and made him a little white face. This method was not uncommon in the court of the time, and the magnates often used various means to achieve their own ends.
In this way, Chang Yu entered the harem as a fake eunuch and became Zhao Ji's lover. The two live a carefree life in the harem, and Zhao Ji finally finds someone to confide in. For Zhao Ji, Chang Yu is like a husband she can rely on, making her forget the shackles of identity and status for a while.
However, the good times did not last long, and Zhao Ji soon became pregnant. As the queen mother, once her secret is discovered, it will cause indelible shame on the royal family. In the society of that time, it was undoubtedly an extremely humiliating thing for a widow to become pregnant again. This will not only damage Zhao Ji's own reputation, but also have a huge negative impact on the entire royal family.
So, Zhao Ji used the excuse that life in the palace was not going well and wanted to move out to live. Qin Shi Huang was fooled by his mother's rhetoric, and coupled with Lü Buwei's maneuvering, Zhao Ji finally left the palace with Chang Yu and went to live in the old capital Yongcheng. This is undoubtedly an ingenious escape plan, allowing Zhao Ji to get rid of the shackles of the palace and live a free life with Chang Yu.
Fourth, fornication and childbirth
In Yongcheng, Zhao Ji completely put aside her reserve, and she and Chang Yu lived together like a real husband and wife. The two of you and I are nong, and even gave birth to two children for Chang Yu. This is a great risk, because once discovered, Zhao Ji will face serious consequences. However, in Yongcheng, far away from the court, Zhao Ji seems to have finally found freedom and happiness.
Chang Yu got carried away and boasted that he was already a "false father" and would help his son inherit the throne in the future. Such arrogant remarks are undoubtedly self-defeating. As a fake eunuch, Chang Yu's position is already in jeopardy, and if he is found to be having an affair with the Queen Mother, he will be severely punished. However, Chang Yu was completely confused by power and status, and completely forgot his identity and situation.
However, Chang Yu's arrogant remarks angered many people, and soon someone told Qin Shi Huang the secret. For Qin Shi Huang, this was a huge blow. As a monarch, he must maintain the dignity and reputation of the royal family, and this behavior of his mother is a great insult to him.
Upon hearing the news of his mother's fornication, Qin Shi Huang was furious and ordered a thorough investigation into the matter. He must find out the truth of the matter and punish him accordingly. As a monarch, Qin Shi Huang must maintain the prestige of the royal family and must not tolerate such scandals circulating among the government and the opposition.
Fifth, the East Window incident
The results of the investigation made Qin Shi Huang even more angry, it turned out that Zhao Ji not only fornicated with Chang Yu, but even Lü Buwei was her lover. This was undoubtedly a huge blow, and Qin Shi Huang had to face not only the betrayal of his mother, but also the treachery of the once most trusted prime minister. This betrayal and deception is undoubtedly a great insult to him.
Knowing that the matter had been exposed, Chang Yu made a desperate bet, stole Zhao Ji's seal, and launched a coup d'état. This is a crazy act, and Chang Yu is obviously completely confused by power and status, thinking that he can use his relationship with the Queen Mother to seize a higher position. However, he completely ignored the strength and determination of Qin Shi Huang.
However, Qin Shi Huang had been prepared and quickly suppressed the coup. Chang Yu was sentenced to death, and Lü Buwei was also deprived of his official position for fornicating with the Empress Dowager. It was also a severe punishment for the two, and Qin Shi Huang wanted to show the world that he would not tolerate anyone causing harm to the dignity and prestige of the royal family.
Zhao Ji, on the other hand, was driven out of Xianyang by Qin Shi Huang, and the relationship with mother and son broke down completely. As a monarch, Qin Shi Huang had to maintain the image of the royal family, and he could not tolerate such a scandal with his mother. Although this was a heavy blow to Zhao Ji, Qin Shi Huang had no choice but to make such a decision.
epilogue
Looking at this farce of the world, we can't help but ask, is Zhao Ji really just a "whore" who is carried away by desire, or is she just a poor woman blinded by power and status?
On the surface, Zhao Ji does have some "lewd" characteristics. She has had complicated emotional entanglements with many men throughout her life, first having an affair with Lü Buwei, and then having an affair with King Xiang of Qin Zhuang and Chang Yu.
However, if we dig deeper, we will find that what happened to Zhao Ji actually reflects the tragic situation of a woman in ancient society. As a woman, she cannot move as freely as a man and must always be careful about what she says and does. And when she became the queen mother, she was blinded by power and status, completely forgetting her identity and responsibilities.
Either way, Zhao Ji's life has been torn between love, power, and morality, and she has finally paid a heavy price. This past reminds us that we should not be carried away by beauty and desire at any time, let alone violate common morality, otherwise we will only be like Zhao Ji and will be left stinking for thousands of years.
We should learn from Zhao Ji's experience, cherish our own happiness, and maintain social order and morality. Only in this way will we be able to avoid repeating the mistakes of the past and move towards a better future.