The old eunuch who once threw Concubine Zhen into the well confided in his later years, "She is really an amazing woman".
Most of the secrets of the emperors and generals of the past dynasties are passed down by word of mouth or recorded in wild history, and their authenticity is inevitably ignored. But if it is the word of mouth of the palace eunuchs, especially after many years of past events, the credibility will be greatly improved. After all, the times are different, and honor and disgrace, right and wrong no longer need to be justified.
The Qing Dynasty, as the last dynasty closest to the modern era, was perhaps the most comprehensive in revealing the secrets of the court. This is because many of the witnesses to the events lived after the founding of the state. These old-timers of the Qing Dynasty, with their dusty mouths, tell the past over the years.
For example, the old eunuch who threw his wife Zhen into the well many years ago expressed his opinion after leaving the palace in his later years. In his eyes, the dead Concubine Zhen is indeed an amazing person.
Concubine Zhen is a Manchurian Tatar, and her father is a household secretary, and she is the eldest daughter of an official eunuch family. Although she is from Beijing, she and her sister grew up with an uncle in Guangzhou. Although the uncle was a Manchu, he was not conservative, but a warm-hearted man with many friends and was able to accept new ideas.
The sisters who lived with him were also influenced by him and did not take the etiquette of their ancestors very seriously. They have the insight and ideas of women in the new era.
In the eyes of modern people, such women are rare and independent, but for both sisters, their lives ended in tragedy. They are destined to enter the palace as soon as they are born. As teenagers, they were sent to the palace to work in the harem of the young emperor Guangxu, and soon became Jin concubines and Zhen concubines.
When Guangxu first met the sisters, he was attracted by Concubine Zhen's beautiful and lovely appearance and became interested in her. She is innocent, straightforward and cheerful, Guangxu has a soft spot for her, and she is pampered with her sister.
Guangxu plays with the sisters whenever he has time. The sudden favor of the sisters naturally caused the dissatisfaction of the others, who were most indignant about the court queen of Guangxu. However, it was precisely because he didn't like the queen that Guangxu deliberately pushed her away.
In fact, the reason for Cixi's disgust was his dissatisfaction with Cixi's long-term subordination after she ascended the throne. Moreover, this decision was made by Cixi herself, and for her, the queen's choice naturally meant a submissive attitude, so it was natural for Guangxu to hate her. However, due to her dissatisfaction with the two sisters, the Empress Dowager shed tears and repeatedly complained to Cixi.
On Cixi's 60th birthday, everyone in the palace was rewarded, and the two concubines of Jin and Zhen also became concubines. However, soon after this happy event, they were punished and demoted from concubines to nobles.
The announcement of this punishment began with an appeal from the Empress. When Cixi heard the empress's words, she realized that she had to correct the emperor's mind herself. Therefore, he took the opportunity of Guangxu's greeting to announce that he would punish the Zhenfei sisters.
Guangxu wanted to dissuade him, but the emperor had no right to speak at this time. In this way, they were not only punished, but also severed ties with the nobility. The incident also involved two eunuchs and court maids, resulting in the execution or exile of most of Cixi's people, and also made the Cixi sisters realize the cruelty of the court struggle.
In the days that followed, the eldest princess's character was strengthened and life became more cautious. This brought her a period of peace and tranquility, and the following year she regained her knighthood. However, the girl developed a hatred for Cixi, and although she did not dare to confront Cixi directly, she would occasionally express her dissatisfaction in private in front of Guangxu.
This performance may have coincided with the character of Guangxu, who was actually a lover of Western studies, a visionary emperor who was committed to changing the country through the reform of the law. Cixi happens to be a representative of the conservatives, and in this regard, Concubine Zhen and Guangxu are equals, and Cixi is Guangxu's worst enemy.
However, in the deep palace, Cixi's ears and eyes were everywhere, so sooner or later Cixi would perceive the resentment between them. Because the Zhen consortium changed their minds to help Guangxu and discovered Guangxu's ability, the matter soon reached Cixi's ears. The move completely infuriated Cixi, who saw it as a provocation to her own power.
Therefore, she rebuked Guangxu and imprisoned his wife, Zhen, in a small courtyard in the harem. She was not allowed to leave her room and brought her food and water from the window every day, but she was only allowed to go to the toilet once. Even the prisoners were not punished in this way, which shows the tyranny and ruthlessness of Cixi.
After the First Opium War, Beijing was occupied by the Eight-Nation Alliance, and Cixi and Guangxu prepared to flee the Forbidden City. But before fleeing, he did not forget about the imprisoned Concubine Zhen.
So, Cixi came to the small courtyard where Concubine Zhen was imprisoned, preparing to get rid of Concubine Zhen immediately. Concubine Zhen, who had not been taken out of the room for a long time, was taken to the fountain in the courtyard, and Cixi said to her:"The Eight-Nation Coalition is about to arrive, jump into the fountain and avoid humiliation. "
Concubine Zhen hated him in the first place, how could she believe his nonsense?That sentence"The Western devils came, I fought with them, what is suicide?"。This sentence was sarcastic, so angry that Cixi winked at the eunuch, and then went to the eunuch named Cui Yugui to persuade him.
Concubine Zhen did not mention suicide at all, but condemned Cixi's meanness and willfulness. These words of hers angered Cixi, and the men, fearing that Cixi would be angry, hurriedly threw her into a well and drowned her. After Cixi returned to Beijing, she ordered that Concubine Zhen's bones be put in a coffin and buried in the royal cemetery.
At first, she committed suicide by jumping into a well, although, according to the legend of the castle, it was an unbearable humiliation. But many years later, according to the eunuch Cui Yugui who left the palace, he confessed that Concubine Zhen was forced to commit suicide by throwing herself into a well. Speaking of this past, Cui Yugui often praised Concubine Zhen, thinking that as a woman, as long as she thinks of being able to live and die with the Qing Dynasty, she is worthy of admiration.
There has never been a shortage of strong women like Concubine Zhen in Chinese history. And these women who are not afraid of power and stand up are the true portrayal of the bloody nature of the Chinese nation.