On the eve of the prosperity of the Qin Dynasty, the fate and choices of King Zhaoxiang of Qin and the mother of Qin Shi Huang, Empress Dowager Xuan and Zhao Ji, not only affected their own lives, but also profoundly affected the political situation of the entire Qin State. It's a time of power, love and betrayal, as well as a complex time of strategy and personal desire. The state of Qin, a state that had risen from internal and external troubles, was in a critical period of transition to an empire. The political marriage between Empress Dowager Xuan and King Yiqu, as well as Zhao Ji's private relationship with Lü Buwei and Chang Yu, are all products of this era.
In the third century B.C., Empress Dowager Xuan stood in front of her spacious palace window, looking at the prosperity of Xianyang, the capital of Qin. Her mind flew to the western frontier, where a plan for the fate of the country was brewing. She recalled the peace talks between Qin and Yiqu a few years ago, which was a night of political and emotional intermingling.
"Queen Mother, King Yiqu has arrived." One of the guards whispered.
Empress Dowager Xuan took a deep breath, tidied up her clothes, and walked slowly to the meeting hall. King Yiqu sat there, his eyes revealing a thirst for power and a fear of the unknown.
"Empress Dowager Xuan, the prosperity of the Qin State is amazing." King Yiqu got up and saluted.
Empress Dowager Xuan smiled, knowing that this was a win-win game, "The king has a good reputation." We all hope that the frontiers will be peaceful and the people will live and work in peace and contentment. ”
During the conversation, the wisdom and charm of the Empress Dowager Xuan gradually moved King Yiqu. Under the moonlight, the conversation between the two shifted from state affairs to personal affairs, and finally, Empress Dowager Xuan made a secret covenant with King Yiqu for the sake of the country's righteousness. Empress Dowager Xuan knew that this was not only for the sake of the Qin State, but also for the future of her son, King Qin Zhaoxiang.
A few years later, Empress Dowager Xuan held a banquet in Ganquan Palace, confusing the King of Yiqu with wine and delicacies, and finally succeeded in cutting off the great enemy of the west in a well-planned night attack.
With this, Zhao Ji's story went in a different direction. After the death of King Xiang of Qin Zhuang, her relationship with the powerful minister Lü Buwei became more and more public, and even rumored that she had an affair with the palace guard. As a result, the Qin state fell into an unprecedented political turmoil.
Qin Shi Huang was in power, ascended the throne at a young age, and was completely ignorant of his mother's behavior in his early years. With his growth and concentration of power, Zhao Ji's affair with Chang Yu was finally revealed. Ying Zheng was so angry that he not only personally ordered the execution of Chang Yu, but also put Zhao Ji under house arrest in Yongdi's Xuanyang Palace.
"Queen Mother, why do you have to do this?" Qin Shi Huang faced Zhao Ji, his voice full of pain and incomprehension.
Zhao Ji's eyes were blurred with tears, and she knew that her actions had not only destabilized the Qin State, but also put her son in a moral dilemma. "Zheng'er, mother...... The mother was wrong. Her voice was almost choked.
Qin Shi Huang didn't speak for a long time, he turned around and left the Mingyang Palace, his heart full of complicated emotions. He couldn't forgive Zhao Ji, but his emotions as a son made him feel painful.
Eventually, under the persuasion of a minister named Mao Jiao, Qin Shi Huang decided to take Zhao Ji back to Ganquan Palace. He could not completely let go of his emotions as a son, but he also understood that as emperor, he had to ensure the stability of the country above all else.
After Zhao Ji returned to Ganquan Palace, she was almost no longer involved in any political affairs for the rest of her life. Her days are filled with reflection and remorse for her past choices. And the story of Empress Dowager Xuan, although it also ended in loneliness, her contribution to the Qin State made her occupy a place in the evaluation of history.
Qin Shi Huang's rule gradually went to extremes, and his political maneuvers became more and more cruel and authoritarian, but his handling of his mother was undoubtedly one of the most painful choices of his life.
In the corridor of power, the fate of Empress Dowager Xuan and Zhao Ji, these two women is like a mirror, reflecting the joys and sorrows and advances and retreats of women in that era. Although Empress Dowager Xuan also stepped into the quagmire of emotion, she was able to stand up for the interests of the country at a critical moment, showing her extraordinary political wisdom and sacrifice. Zhao Ji, on the other hand, reminds us how personal desires have caused waves in the long river of history, and in the end not only ruined themselves, but also almost destroyed a dynasty.
The story of these two empress dowagers is not only a narrative of personal fate, but also a profound reflection on the delicate balance between power, responsibility and personal desire. In the long course of history, every choice may become the key to the evaluation of future generations, and the true wisdom may lie in those moments when personal desires can be compromised for the sake of righteousness.