The content of this article is written with authoritative information combined with personal opinions, and the source of the literature and screenshots have been marked at the end of the article, please be aware.
In the long course of history, many events and characters have long been obscured by time, however, through film and television works, these characters and stories have been remembered again.
Although historical-themed film and television works are widely popular in the mainland and around the world, many works have distorted historical facts to varying degrees in the process of adaptation.
In this way, the original notorious historical figure has been transformed on the screen into the embodiment of justice, which not only misleads the audience's understanding of history, but also makes history confusing.
The truth about the Empress Dowager Xuan
In the TV series "The Legend of Miyue", the Empress Dowager Xuan was portrayed as a virtuous Empress Dowager with both wisdom and beauty. She dared to love and hate, and during her reign she was committed to consolidating the political status and stability of the Qin state.
Her ingenuity and political skills made her occupy an important place in the history of the Qin state.
Her love story with King Yiqu is even more touching, and for the sake of the country, she has to make a painful choice and finally kill King Yiqu.
However, the Empress Dowager Xuan in history is far from being so positive. Her affair with King Yiqu was not out of love, but for political purposes.
Empress Dowager Xuan's real name is Mi Bazi, born in the Chu royal family, and is the concubine of King Chu Wei. After she married into the Qin State, she became the concubine of King Huiwen of Qin and gave birth to her son Yingji.
After the death of King Qin Huiwen, she was made the empress dowager, listened to the government, and grasped the power of the Qin State.
After the death of King Qin Huiwen, Empress Dowager Xuan seized real power, and she skillfully used her political means to consolidate her position and that of her son.
In order to expand the territory of Qin, her fornication with King Yiqu was just one of her moves. This relationship not only allowed her to gain Yiqu's support, but also weakened Yiqu's power, and finally reached Qin's full control of Yiqu.
Under her arrangement, King Yiqu was lured to the state of Qin and subsequently killed. This incident not only shows the cleverness of her political methods, but also exposes her ruthless side.
During the reign of Empress Dowager Xuan, she reused her brothers, which caused the situation of chaos among relatives in the Qin State. Her younger brothers Wei Ran, Qi Rong and others, with her support, grasped the power of the Qin State.
They were corrupt and excluded from dissidents, making the government corrupt. This situation of the dictatorship of foreign relatives brought great hidden dangers to the politics of the Qin State.
Empress Dowager Xuan's political career was full of scheming and calculation. She will do whatever it takes to strengthen her position, including sacrificing the lives and happiness of others.
Her ruthlessness and ruthlessness have led her to be seen in history as an insidious politician. However, her wisdom and skill also allowed her to leave an important mark in the history of the Qin State.
Lu Lingxuan's true appearance
In "The Legend of Lu Zhen", Lu Zhen is portrayed as a smart, tenacious, and unafraid of powerful female characters. With her wisdom and talent, she stood out in the palace struggle, assisted Gao Zhan and the young emperor, and became a generation of famous ministers.
Her inspirational experience and love story with Gao Zhan have touched countless audiences and made her a positive female role model.
However, Lu Lingxuan in history was one of the main sinners in the fall of the Northern Qi Dynasty. She came from a humble background and was demoted to a palace maid in her early years because of her husband's failed rebellion, but with her intelligence and skill, she gradually emerged in the harem and became Cushman Cushman's nurse, and won Cushman & Wakefield's trust with this identity, thus seizing great power.
Lu Lingxuan took advantage of Cushman & Wakefield's dependence on her to meddle in government politics and exclude dissidents. She formed a party in the palace for personal gain, amassed a lot of money, and turned the court into a hotbed of corruption.
Not only did she embezzle herself, but she also connived at her cronies and friends, forming a huge corruption network. Her meddling in politics caused chaos in the Northern Qi dynasty, and her loyal minister Liang was persecuted to death by her.
Under her control, the court infighting in Northern Qi intensified. Her methods are vicious, ruthless, and unscrupulous in order to achieve her goals. Her lust for power eventually pushed Northern Qi to the brink of extinction.
Lu Lingxuan's true appearance is far from being as brilliant as depicted in film and television dramas. Every step of her promotion, there is power and calculation behind it.
Yang Guifei's pampered life
Yang Guifei, as one of the four beauties of ancient China, she has been portrayed as an innocent victim in many film and television works.
In the movie "The Legend of the Demon Cat", Yang Guifei was portrayed as a woman who was favored by Tang Xuanzong because of love, and was finally persecuted to death due to the Anshi Rebellion.
Her beauty and tragic fate made the audience deeply sympathize with her.
However, Yang Guifei in history was criticized by later generations for her arrogance and lasciviousness. Her riding on the red dust and being pampered and arrogant brought a huge impact on the Tang Dynasty.
Yang Guifei's real name is Yang Yuhuan, born in a famous family, at first she was the princess of Tang Xuanzong's son Shouwang Li Mao, and later was favored by Tang Xuanzong because of her beauty and was canonized as a concubine, and she was deeply favored.
Yang Guifei's beauty not only overwhelmed Tang Xuanzong, but also made her gain a very high status and endless favor in the court.
Tang Xuanzong's love for her can be described as meticulous, Tang Xuanzong spent a lot of money for her, built gorgeous palaces and gardens, and gave Yang Guifei a lot of rewards, so that she had countless jewels, silk and satin.
Yang Guifei not only lived a luxurious life herself, but also brought family members into the imperial court, appointed cronies, and controlled the government. Her cousin, Yang Guozhong, was appointed prime minister and took power.
Yang Guozhong's dictatorship and power made the government corrupt, loyal ministers and good people were squeezed out, and the national strength gradually declined. The arrogance of the Yang family caused widespread dissatisfaction inside and outside the imperial court, and also laid the foundation for the later Anshi Rebellion.
In order to win her favor, Tang Xuanzong often ignored the government and government, causing the country's governance to gradually get out of control.
The outbreak of the Anshi Rebellion pushed Yang Guifei to the cusp of history. On the way to escape, the sergeants' resentment against the Yang family reached its peak and demanded the execution of Yang Guozhong and Yang Guifei. In the face of public anger, Tang Xuanzong had no choice but to order the execution of Yang Guifei.
In Maweipo, Yang Guifei was given to die, and this once peerless beauty died. Yang Guifei's pampered life is not only a personal tragedy, but also a heavy history of the Tang Dynasty.
Zhu Qizhen's mediocrity
Zhu Qizhen, the sixth emperor of the Ming Dynasty, was portrayed in the TV series "The Legend of the Female Doctor and Concubine Ming" as a wise emperor who worried about the country and the people, and drove the expedition in person. However, Zhu Qizhen in history was a typical faint monarch, and his actions put the Ming Dynasty in jeopardy.
Zhu Qizhen, Ming Yingzong, ascended the throne in 1435, at the age of eight, and was listened to by his mother, the Empress Dowager Xiaogong. He ascended to the throne at an early age, and with the assistance of cabinet ministers, he was able to maintain political stability.
However, as he grew older, Zhu Qizhen began to be pro-government, and his incompetence gradually appeared.
In 1449, the leader of the Mongolia Wara tribe also led his army south to invade, and Zhu Qizhen, instigated by the eunuch Wang Zhen, decided to personally conquer the enemy, which is known in history as the "Tumubao Change".
Zhu Qizhen was captured by the Wara army during the Tumubao Rebellion, an event that had a great impact on the Ming Dynasty. The Tumubao Rebellion not only caused heavy losses to the Ming Dynasty, but also plunged the imperial court into chaos.
In order to stabilize the situation, the Ming Dynasty had to appoint Zhu Qizhen's younger brother Zhu Qiyu as the emperor, that is, the Ming Dynasty. At this time, Zhu Qizhen was forced to become a prisoner of Warat and spent a humiliating life in captivity.
During his year in captivity, Zhu Qizhen was humiliated, and the political situation in the country was complicated by his disappearance.
Using Zhu Qizhen as a bargaining chip, Warat threatened the Ming Dynasty many times, hoping to exchange it for benefits. However, the Ming Dynasty and the ministers of the imperial court behaved relatively calmly during this period, and in the end, through diplomatic means, Wara had no choice but to release Zhu Qizhen.
In 1457, under the planning of the eunuch Cao Jixiang and others, Zhu Qizhen launched the "Rebellion to seize the door" and regained the throne, which was known as the "Tianshun Restoration" in history.
After the restoration, Zhu Qizhen not only did not learn the lessons of his previous failures, but became even more mediocre. He made the meritorious ministers who seized the door to knighthood and rewarded them lavishly, which led to corruption in the government.
In foreign affairs, Zhu Qizhen also showed mediocrity and incompetence. He failed to take effective measures against the threat of Mongolia Wara, and could only sue for peace through the use of years and other means.
This weak foreign policy not only failed to solve the border issue, but on the contrary encouraged the arrogance of the enemy and kept the border areas in a state of instability for a long time.
Zhu Qizhen's mediocrity caused the Ming Dynasty's national strength to decline rapidly. His reign was a critical stage in the Ming Dynasty's transition from prosperity to decline.
His absurd deeds not only undermined the normal governance of the country, but also brought profound disasters to the people. Zhu Qizhen's name is forever associated with the image of the faint king, and his actions have been criticized by later generations.
Through the true stories of these four historical figures, we can see the huge distortion of the image of the characters in film and television dramas when adapting history. Although film and television works have the freedom of artistic creation, they should also respect the truth of history, and should not overly beautify or scandalize historical figures.
When we watch these films and television works, we should be vigilant and seek more authentic historical documents to get a more comprehensive understanding of the true faces of these historical figures. The truth of history is often more complex and interesting than film and television dramas.
Resources:
1. "The Era of the Empress Dowager Xuan in the History of Qin" - Guangming Daily
2. "<大明风华>Whose Son Is Zhu Qizhen Reveals Zhu Qizhen's Ending and Historical Prototype" - Oriental Net
3. "How Literature Interprets the Legend of Yang Guifei" - Beijing Evening News