Preface
In ancient Chinese history, there are many legendary stories of women that have been told to this day, and one of the high-profile figures is Lady Huzhu. She was brilliant with her talent and skills, and once won the emperor's exclusive favor, but in the end she chose to commit suicide by throwing herself into a well.
Her life is like a swan song, poignant and moving, making people sigh. So, what is the reason for her tragic fate? Let's go into her world together to explore this embarrassing story.
Beauty is envied and the power struggle is relentless
In the harem of the Tang Dynasty, there was a talented and beautiful woman, she was Concubine Mei Jiang Caiping. Jiang Caiping has shown extraordinary talent since she was a child, she can write at the age of seven, she can write at the age of nine, and she can talk about poetry and poetry with her father at the age of ten. In addition to poetry, she is also proficient in music and painting, which can be described as talented.
Jiang Caiping's beauty is also incomparable. She has a graceful figure, her skin is like condensed fat, her eyebrows are picturesque, and she smiles like a spring flower. Especially the innate bookish aura on her body adds a bit of noble and elegant temperament to her.
This unique temperament makes her completely different from those harem concubines with heavy makeup and deep scheming, and it is even more eye-catching. Jiang Caiping has been carefully taught by her father since she was a child, and under the dual role of good tutoring and diligence, her talent has sprung up like mushrooms after a rain.
By the age of fourteen, she was able to recite poems and songs. Jiang Caiping often compares herself to the famous female poetess Xie Daoyun of the Jin Dynasty to encourage herself. She hopes that she can also shine in the literary world with her extraordinary talent like Xie Daoyun.
In addition to poetry creation, Jiang Caiping is also proficient in piano, chess, calligraphy and painting, especially good at music and rhythm. Whenever it is quiet in the dead of night, there will always be a melodious and tactful sound of the piano from the small building of Jiangfu, which is Jiang Caiping stroking the piano. Her calligraphy is also quite accomplished, and the font is beautiful and elegant, like flowing clouds, which is pleasing to the eye.
As for painting, Jiang Caiping is even better than blue, and often paints as a gift, which is deeply loved by relatives and friends. Under the careful cultivation of her father, Jiang Caiping gradually grew into a talented and beautiful lady. Her name has gradually spread all over the country, and many dignitaries and nobles have come to her, wanting to marry their daughters to their sons.
However, Jiang Caiping has lofty ambitions and does not want to marry another woman. She is bent on making contributions and making a name for herself in the literary world. Although Jiang Ze was reluctant to marry his daughter far away, he was unwilling to force it. He knew that with his daughter's talent, if she married an ordinary family, she would definitely be overkill, and she could only hide it in the boudoir, which was a pity.
Jiang Ze secretly made up his mind that he must find a like-minded wishful husband for his daughter, so that she can display her talents and realize her ideals. Who would have thought that Jiang Caiping would eventually marry not an ordinary family, but a royal harem. She thought that marrying into the royal family would be able to make further progress in literature from then on, but she unexpectedly ended up miserable. All of this has to start with Concubine Mei entering the palace.
With her extraordinary talent and beauty, Jiang Caiping quickly stood out in the harem and was favored by Tang Xuanzong. Tang Xuanzong rewarded her with countless rewards, and built a plum garden and a plum pavilion for her in the palace for her to recite poems. The two are in love, like a fish in water. Whenever night falls and the moon is in the sky, Tang Xuanzong will invite Concubine Mei to enjoy the moon in the plum garden and chant poems and talk about poetry.
Concubine Mei also lived up to Tang Xuanzong's expectations, often chanting new poems, or singing and socializing with Tang Xuanzong, or playing the piano and dancing to entertain Tang Xuanzong. Tang Xuanzong was amazed by Concubine Mei's talent, and often talked with her about poetry and essays, chanting and singing. Gradually, Tang Xuanzong's love for Concubine Mei became deeper and deeper, almost to the point where he couldn't extricate himself.
However, Concubine Mei's beauty and talent also aroused the jealousy of the harem beauties, especially the concubine Yang Yuhuan at that time. Although Yang Guifei is as beautiful as a flower, she is narrow-minded and can't tolerate any beauties around her, for fear of robbing her favor.
Yang Guifei saw that Tang Xuanzong was very fond of Concubine Mei, and she was jealous in her heart, making things difficult for Concubine Mei everywhere, and sowing discord in front of Tang Xuanzong. Once, Tang Xuanzong and Concubine Mei had a tryst in the plum garden and were bumped into by Yang Guifei, Yang Guifei immediately became furious and made a fuss in front of Tang Xuanzong, claiming that Concubine Mei had robbed her of her favor.
Tang Xuanzong saw that Yang Guifei was making a fierce fuss, and he didn't want to hurt Concubine Mei's heart, so he sent Yang Guifei back to her parents' house as a punishment. However, Yang Guifei is not a person who easily admits defeat, she made trouble at home for a few days, and then released words, saying that she wanted to commit suicide to apologize. Tang Xuanzong was shocked when he heard the news, and hurriedly sent someone to take Yang Guifei back to the palace, apologized again, and spoke sweetly, which coaxed Yang Guifei well.
Since then, Yang Guifei's position in the harem has become more stable, and she has intensified her suppression of Concubine Mei and opposed Concubine Mei everywhere. Yang Guifei also fabricated rumors in front of Tang Xuanzong, saying that Concubine Mei had an affair with the eunuchs in the palace and intended to rebel. Tang Xuanzong listened to the slander, was furious, and ordered Concubine Mei to be sent to the cold palace and not to move around at will.
Pampering turned into a cold cry in despair, and he chose to commit suicide in despair
In the cold palace, Concubine Mei was tormented. She looked at the withered plum blossoms, and couldn't help but feel sad, and wrote the eternal swan song of "When is the spring flower and autumn moon, and how much do you know about the past". She recited poems in the cold palace every day to express her inner anguish, but she couldn't get back Tang Xuanzong's favor.
Concubine Mei spent three years in the cold palace. These three years, for her, are tantamount to three thousand years. She recited poems in the cold palace every day, expressing her inner anguish, leaving a swan song for thousands of years. However, no matter how beautiful these poems are, they can't be exchanged for Tang Xuanzong's favor. Concubine Mei was miserable in her heart, she didn't understand why she had suffered such a catastrophe.
One day, Concubine Mei heard the noise outside in the cold palace, it turned out to be An Lushan's rebellion, Chang'an City fell, and Tang Xuanzong fled with Yang Guifei in a hurry. Concubine Mei was shocked, she thought, if there is chaos today, Chang'an is in danger, and she, a concubine who has fallen out of favor, is afraid that she will be more than lucky.
When Concubine Mei thought of this, she couldn't help but feel sad. She looked at the withered plum blossoms, remembered the infinite scenery she once had, and couldn't help but cry like rain. Concubine Mei thought that instead of sitting and waiting to be killed, it was better to break it off by herself and keep her innocence. Thinking of this, Concubine Mei picked up a piece of white silk, tied a knot on the beam, and put her neck in.
Just when Concubine Mei was about to end her life, she suddenly heard a rush of footsteps. It turned out to be Tang Xuanzong's confidant eunuch Gao Lishi, who was ordered by Tang Xuanzong to pick up Concubine Mei and flee together. Concubine Mei was overjoyed, and hurriedly untied the white silk and followed Gao Lishi to the outside of the palace.
However, what Concubine Mei didn't expect was that Tang Xuanzong didn't think of her at all, and the reason why Gao Lishi came to pick her up was just a whim when passing by the cold palace. When Gao Lishi brought Concubine Mei to Tang Xuanzong, Tang Xuanzong just glanced at her coldly, then turned his head and ordered his subordinates to send Concubine Mei aside and not disturb him.
Concubine Mei's heart was cold, and she realized that she no longer had any status in Tang Xuanzong's heart. She looked at the man who had doted on her, and her heart was full of despair and sadness. Concubine Mei thought that instead of living in the world, it was better to die and keep her innocence.
In this way, on a dark and windy night, Concubine Mei took advantage of the unpreparedness of the guards and sneaked out of the camp. She came to a dry well, and looked at the mouth of the black hole, and her heart was full of despair. Concubine Mei remembered the infinite scenery she used to have, and remembered the good times spent with Tang Xuanzong in the plum garden, and couldn't help but cry like rain in her heart.
In the end, Concubine Mei gritted her teeth and resolutely jumped into the dry well. A generation of talented women died like this, and no one knows her whereabouts anymore. When Tang Xuanzong heard the news of Concubine Mei's suicide, he only sighed and put the matter behind him. At that time, he was already fascinated by Yang Guifei, and he no longer had time to take care of others.
The emperor's lack of mercy and tragedy are rooted in this
When Tang Xuanzong heard the news of Concubine Mei's suicide, he only sighed and put the matter behind him. At that time, he was already fascinated by Yang Guifei, and he no longer had time to take care of others.
Soon after, Tang Xuanzong's guards mutinied, and they forced Tang Xuanzong to execute Yang Guifei in order to appease the anger of the people. Tang Xuanzong had no choice but to agree to the request of the guards. Yang Guifei was escorted to the foot of Ma Wei Slope, and in the shouts of everyone, she picked up a white silk and slowly tied it around her neck, and died like this.
Tang Xuanzong's two favorite women left him one after another. Their deaths have a great relationship with Tang Xuanzong. If it weren't for Tang Xuanzong's ruthlessness, Concubine Mei would not have embarked on the road of suicide; if it weren't for Tang Xuanzong's excessive favor for Yang Guifei, Yang Guifei would not have incurred public resentment and was finally forced to hang herself.
The deaths of Concubine Mei and Yang Guifei sounded the alarm for Tang Xuanzong. He finally realized that his extravagance had caused public outrage in the world. In order to recover the declining situation, Tang Xuanzong decided to change his past mistakes and regain his strength.
epilogue
Concubine Mei and Concubine Yang Guifei, one is a talented woman and the other is a beauty. Although they were all favored by the emperor, they all ended up miserable. Their misfortune is certainly played by fate, but more importantly, it is Tang Xuanzong's irresponsibility.
The story of Concubine Mei and Yang Guifei has become a swan song for the ages, warning future generations of the danger of power and the weakness of human nature. They use their lives to interpret what love is and what tragedy is.
Whenever people think back to these two women, they sigh for their misfortune and feel sad for what happened to them.