In the Ming Dynasty, the harem battles of the imperial palace were always talked about. Especially the harem of Zhu Qizhen of Ming Yingzong is full of the complexity of human nature and the struggle for power. In a palace full of resplendent gold, Zhou Guifei, an ordinary concubine, rose to prominence in this silent war, eventually became the biological mother of the crown prince, and constantly attacked the queen's throne.
Speaking of the harem of the Ming Dynasty, I have to mention the era of Zhu Qizhen of Yingzong of the Ming Dynasty. The life of this emperor can be described as eventful. In 1450, the second year after the Tumubao Incident, Zhu Qizhen returned from Wara with a disgraced face and found that the situation in the palace had changed. The Zhou family, who was originally of humble status, became the focus of everyone's attention because he gave birth to Zhu Qizhen's eldest son, Zhu Jianshen.
At this time, the queen Qian, because of a long period of worry and hard work, was even sick and lame, but she still failed to give birth to a son-in-law for Zhu Qizhen. In the traditional concept, the queen should be the mother of the eldest son, but the situation that the Qian family has no children makes the Zhou family see the opportunity to climb. Soon, Zhu Qizhen's younger brother Zhu Qiyu ascended the throne, and according to the rules, in order to stabilize Zhu Jianshen's status as the prince, Zhou's son Zhu Jianshen was made the prince.
After Zhu Qiyu ascended the throne, Empress Dowager Sun and other members of the royal family gathered in Renshou Palace, and the political pattern in the palace became more delicate. During this period, although Queen Qian was physically disabled, she was extremely strong mentally, and she not only suffered huge physical and psychological pressure, but also had to face Zhou's pressure step by step.
In 1457, Zhu Qizhen re-ascended the throne through the change of seizing the door, and this year, he decided to maintain the original pattern, Empress Qian was still the queen, Zhu Jianshen was still the prince, and Zhou was named a concubine. Zhou Guifei was extremely dissatisfied with this. She can't accept that her son is the crown prince, but she is not the queen. In her opinion, although Queen Qian is of noble character, she is childless and disabled, so she should be virtuous.
So, Zhou Guifei began to look for opportunities everywhere, and even wooed the Empress Dowager Sun, who was also ascended to the throne by the concubine back then, and wanted to retake the path of the Empress Dowager Sun. She passed on words to Empress Dowager Sun through eunuchs, and even spread unfavorable remarks about Empress Qian among eunuchs and palace maids in an attempt to shake Empress Qian's position. In Zhu Qizhen's heart, Concubine Zhou's status gradually rose, she not only controlled the management of part of the harem, but also often influenced some small court decisions.
Zhou Guifei's ambitions did not stop there. She dreams of one day becoming a true queen and making her son the legitimate and undisputed heir. She kept blowing the wind in Zhu Qizhen's ears, saying that although Queen Qian was virtuous, she was so providential that she failed to leave an imperial heir to the imperial court, but she was the mother of the crown prince, and she was more suitable to take on the heavy responsibility of the queen.
Zhu Qizhen's mind is complicated, on the one hand, he has a deep affection for Queen Qian, and on the other hand, he also knows Zhou Guifei's ambition and ability. In this case, he was never able to make a clear decision, which made the battle in the harem even more intense. After Zhu Qizhen's death, Zhou Guifei's ambitions did not stop, and she even wanted to be buried with Zhu Qizhen, in an attempt to improve her status and pave the way for her son Zhu Jianshen.
Back during the reign of Zhu Qizhen, his reign was not particularly successful, and the country faced internal and external troubles many times. Against this backdrop, the battle in the harem appears to be even more intense, and everyone is fighting for the future of themselves and their families. Although Zhou Guifei was not from a high background, she relied on her wisdom and means to climb step by step to the position of the crown prince's mother, and even had the opportunity to impact the queen's throne.
This desire and means of superiority is not only a personal ambition, but also reflects the helplessness of women in that era. They often don't have much choice, and the only thing they can rely on is their sons and their status in the harem. The story of Zhou Guifei is such a typical example, she tried her best just so that she and her son could gain a foothold in this dynasty full of crises.
Zhou Guifei's life is a profound embodiment of power, status and the struggle for survival. She not only let us see how a woman fought for her own living space through wisdom and means in a feudal society, but also made us think about how difficult their choices and struggles were in that era when women's status was extremely low. Although Zhou Guifei is ruthless, she is also the epitome of countless women who worked hard to survive in that era.