In the last years of the Qing Dynasty, there was a royal woman who was very favored by the Empress Dowager Cixi, and her life experience was even more exciting than the TV series, she was Yu Rongling. This out-and-out "talented woman of the royal family" not only studied abroad, but also started an unacceptable love affair with a eunuch after returning from school, which lasted for four years! And her miserable old age is even more embarrassing - her legs were broken, and she spent her old age alone in the stable.
Yu Rongling's life is like a costume drama with ups and downs, and her fate is full of countless twists and turns. Born in the last years of the Qing Dynasty, she was originally destined to be an extraordinary character. Her father, Yu Geng, was a member of the White Banner of the Han Army and was sent by Emperor Guangxu as a minister to Japan. Yu Rongling went to Japan with her parents when she was a child, and later moved to France, and this overseas study experience has broadened her horizons.
In Japan, she developed a keen interest in Japanese dance, and in France, she was fortunate enough to be a student of Isadora Duncan, the originator of modern dance, and showed extraordinary talent at a young age. Her dance became a sensation on the Parisian stage and was hailed as the "Queen of the Butterfly Dance of the East", and her artistic achievements can be seen.
The good times did not last long, and with the end of his father's term, the family returned to Beijing. At this time, Yu Rongling was already a girl in her prime, and she and her sister Yu Deling were elected to the palace together and became the interpreter of the Empress Dowager Cixi. Yu Rongling was smart and versatile, and soon won the favor of Cixi, and the sisters were even named county lords.
But the harshness and constraints of court life made Yu Rongling, who had always pursued freedom, feel extremely depressed. At this moment, Xiao Dezhang, a talented and talkative eunuch in the palace, entered her life. Two souls who also yearn for understanding and love soon close the distance between each other and start a secret and deep love affair. This relationship, although beautiful, is also extremely dangerous, because once exposed, the consequences are unimaginable.
And Yu Rongling's artistic career reached its peak under the nourishment of this relationship. She has integrated her emotions and pursuit of beauty into her dances, and has created many popular works such as "Fan Dance" and "Lotus Fairy Dance", which have not only been performed in the palace, but also displayed in foreign embassies and important social occasions many times, winning wide acclaim from Chinese and foreign audiences.
However, the good times did not last long, and the love affair between Yu Rongling and Xiao Dezhang was finally discovered by Cixi. In that era of extremely strict feudal etiquette, romance with eunuchs was absolutely taboo. Cixi was furious and severely punished Yu Rongling, which also became the biggest turning point in her life. Legend has it that Cixi ordered Yu Rongling's legs to be broken and exiled to a stable outside the palace as punishment. The brutal handling of all this is undoubtedly a great destruction of Yu Rongling's personality and dignity.
In those days at the stables, Yu Yong Ling was almost isolated from the world. She lived in a harsh environment, but she still maintained her love and pursuit of art. It is said that even under such difficult conditions, she continued to practice dance and tried to soothe her wounded soul through art. But no matter how hard she tried, the double blow of physical and mental damage eventually made her health worse.
Yu Rongling's later years can be said to be extremely desolate and lonely. Although she once had a glorious stage and countless accolades, she ended her life alone in the stable. Her story, like a pathetic classical music, has moved future generations. This former "queen of court dance" has left her unyielding artistic soul and unremitting pursuit of freedom in the long river of history.
If Yu Yongling didn't have that forbidden relationship, how would her fate be different? Where will her artistic career go? Or, if she hadn't been subjected to such cruel treatment, what would her talent have shone through? Although these questions cannot be answered, Yu Rongling's life has undoubtedly left us with deep thoughts.
The story of Yu Yong Ling is a legend that spans pain and glory. Her life is full of highs and lows, and her artistic achievements are intertwined with her personal destiny, forming a complex and colorful historical picture. Her experience tells us that even in the most difficult circumstances, the pursuit and persistence of beauty can make a legend.