In the long river of history, what father could bear to see his most beloved daughter marry away from home and suffer humiliation in a distant and desolate frontier land?At the same time, who can be unscrupulous in front of his wife, dominate innocent women, and finally brutally kick his wife to death?
These may seem like two very different situations, but more than 300 years ago during the Qing Dynasty, the two stories were intertwined by an unfortunate woman - she was the fifth princess whom the Kangxi Emperor was extremely favored, and the wife of a noble concubine on the grassland, Princess Duanjing.
In 1692, Princess Duanjing, who was only 20 years old, was chosen by her father, Emperor Kangxi, to marry the Mongolian nobleman Wulianghan Garzang. For most Qing princesses, this political marriage was an unfortunate fate. However, for Princess Duanjing, her fate seems to be slightly different. After all, she is the most favored daughter in the eyes of the great Kangxi Emperor.
Princess Duanjing's biological mother, Zhao Jia, was originally an ordinary maid who was favored into the palace only because of her beauty. She became pregnant by chance and gave birth to Princess Duanjing, the fifth daughter of Emperor Kangxi. Zhao Jia's family is not as scheming as other high-ranking concubines in the palace, she has a soft and friendly personality, which has won the love of Emperor Kangxi. Perhaps it is for this reason that Princess Duanjing was born to inherit her mother's honesty and kindness.
Emperor Kangxi was not only a compassionate and benevolent monarch, but also a loving father. Among his many children, he was particularly pleased by Princess Duanjing's character and talent. She is gifted and intelligent, and since she has been a child, she has shown maturity and stability beyond her peers. Emperor Kangxi often took Princess Duanjing to travel in the palace, teaching her to learn to read and archery, full of father-daughter love.
It is this deep father-daughter relationship that made Emperor Kangxi start to select personal maids and guards for Princess Duanjing when she was 16 years old, and carefully plan her future marriage. From this meticulous care, it can be seen how important Princess Duanjing's position in Emperor Kangxi's heart is.
As Emperor Kangxi's favorite daughter, Princess Duanjing, grew up, he had to face a difficult decision - to send her to peace. In order to ensure that her marriage was as decent and comfortable as possible, Emperor Kangxi personally selected a Mongolian nobleman, the Ulianghan clan's Garzang, as her husband.
At first glance, Garzang behaved politely and well-behaved, while his status as a Mongolian nobleman made him look like an ideal spouse. But in reality, his character is far from perfect. Garzang misbehaved, uninhibited, and misbehaved. His actions on the steppe have seriously defiled the women of many families. It was only because of his illustrious family background that he was able to escape the punishment of the law.
All these truths were not revealed until Princess Duanjing married into his family. At that time, Emperor Kangxi believed that Garzang was an upright and generous person, and he should have warmth in his heart, so he was relieved to marry his most beloved daughter to him.
In October 1692, at the age of 20, Princess Duanjing officially married the Mongolian colt, and began her difficult and painful journey of life in the depths of the steppe.
Princess Duanjing grew up in the deep palace, accustomed to the lavish court life, and had no idea about the hardships of the outside world. Suddenly marrying into the Mongolian steppe, she not only faced a poor living environment, but also the loneliness caused by the language barrier, which made her feel great pain.
And her husband, Garzang, did not fulfill his duties. After getting married, he was idle, not on the grassland all the year round, pursuing other women everywhere, and even did not hesitate to violate other people's wives. He didn't care about the young and beautiful Princess Duanjing, and let her suffer from the wind, frost, rain and dew on the grassland.
In such an environment, Princess Duanjing often chatted with a Qing Dynasty maid who came with her to relieve the depression in her heart. However, because of Garzang's suspicions, he mistakenly believed that the princess had an unusual relationship with the maid, and his torment of the princess became more and more serious.
After separating from her father, Emperor Kangxi, Princess Duanjing was occasionally able to return to the capital to visit, and she also expressed her misfortune to her father. But Emperor Kangxi, who was far away in the capital, although he sympathized with his daughter's plight, he was powerless to change anything. Gal Zang was dissatisfied with Emperor Kangxi's expropriation of his land, and vented all his anger on Princess Duanjing.
Around 1711, the Kangxi Emperor expropriated some of the lands of the Mongol nobility, including Garzang, for the construction of an imperial garden. This action aroused the extreme dissatisfaction of the vain Gal Zang, and his insidious mind began to hatch a plan of revenge against the Qing Dynasty and Princess Duanjing.
In the same year, Karaqin Tabunang's denunciation exposed more of Garzang's bad deeds: during the princess's funeral, he forcibly appropriated other people's wives and embezzled funeral expenses.
A father who is good at nurturing his children, a domineering and unruly husband, and an unfortunate princess with a bad fate - these three originally separate trajectories of life eventually converge and cause a tragedy.
Under the accumulation of suspicions and misunderstandings, Garzang eventually lost his mind. At one particular moment, he mercilessly kicked his wife, Princess Duanjing. The fragile princess could not withstand such a brutal attack and unfortunately died on the spot.
Garzang spent extravagantly at Princess Duanjing's funeral, exposing the princess's death. Emperor Kangxi, who learned of this bad news, was devastated by the humiliation that his daughter had endured during her lifetime, which she had never revealed to him, and at the same time he was angry that he had chosen such a brutal son-in-law in short-sightedness.
In order to avenge his beloved daughter, Emperor Kangxi came up with an ingenious way. He summoned Garzang to Beijing, stripped him of his title, and demoted him to a commoner. Then, he quietly imprisoned Gar Zang in Princess Duanjing's mansion before her death.
Garzang was imprisoned, never seen the light of day, and was punished alive. This treatment not only avoided causing turmoil among the Mongol tribes, but also saved the face of Garzang's father to the greatest extent.
Three Minutes to Talk About Popular Science Although the sinner Garzang was secretly removed, how could the deceased Princess Duanjing find solace in another world?And how can we judge a father who has to watch his beloved daughter spend the rest of her life with a beast in the depths of the wasteland?
What happened to Princess Duanjing was one of the most tragic cases of the Qing Dynasty's many forced and pro-Mongol princesses. They were supposed to enjoy a carefree life as royal daughters, with dignity and wealth. However, once they leave the palace, they must silently endure loneliness, pain, and even humiliation in the desolate desert. This was their tragic fate and the cruel price paid by the Qing Dynasty to maintain the stability of the empire.
We cannot expect perfection from a monarch, but we can show understanding and tolerance for their helplessness and suffering. Because in the heart of every emperor, there is also the heart of an ordinary person, the heart of a father who loves his daughter like his life.