In ancient times, the emperor's position was seen as supreme and he enjoyed the most privileged life, including a carefree diet and the good medicine of the palace. However, it is puzzling why most ancient emperors did not live longQianlong, the longest-lived emperor in Chinese history, lived to be 89 years old, but overall, the average life expectancy of ancient emperors was no more than forty years. This seems to be contrary to their superior living conditions, but what is the reason for this short-lived phenomenon?
The indulgent life of the emperor
Ancient emperors usually had many concubines in order to have a wide range of heirs. However, this lifestyle is often closely linked to early death. Historical records show that the earlier the dynasty, the more concubines in the emperor's harem, such as the harem of Tang Xuanzong reached 40,000 concubines. Throughout history, there have been emperors who died early due to excessive indulgence, such as Emperor Cheng of the Han Dynasty and Emperor Duzong of the Song Dynasty, the latter of whom is said to have thanked more than 30 people in one day. However, this was not the only reason for the emperor's short life, but only one of them.
The shortcomings of the ancient medical level
The level of medical care in ancient times was far from today's, and even a mild cold could be fatal. In the absence of modern antipyretic needles, ancient people often faced serious complications such as meningitis when faced with a high fever and a cold that could not be reversed, and many people died due to colds. Even if the emperor is relatively weak, once he is infected, it is difficult to get effective due to the limitations of medical conditions**. Although Chinese herbal medicine is widely used, its best effect is far less than that of modern Western medicine, making the emperors of that era helpless in the face of disease.
Taking King Qin Xiaowen as an example, due to his addiction to the beauty Zhao Ji's **, he overindulged in an indulgent life, resulting in his body gradually weakening. Under the pressure of the war in the Qin State, he finally contracted a wind chill, and due to the limitation of medical level, he could not be timely **, and finally died young and prematurely. Similar tragedies are common throughout history, illustrating the inadequacy of medical conditions at the time.
The pressure of having children
The reason why the emperor indulged in life was often not voluntary, but forced by pressure. In ancient times, one of the main responsibilities of the emperor was to have a wide heir, so the heir was not widely regarded as an unqualified emperor. During the Qing Dynasty, the palace had a fixed number of days per month, and the emperor had to spend the night with a concubine to ensure the reproduction of heirs. However, as time went on, some emperors began to feel the burden on their bodies, and some even feigned illness in order to escape this responsibility. This was also a fundamental reason for the emperor's short life, because under the medical conditions of the time, it was difficult to obtain timely and effective ** once he contracted a disease.
In ancient times, emperors, although they enjoyed supreme power and wealth, faced the problem of short lives. The combination of indulgence, inadequate medical care, and the pressure to have children constituted a complex factor in the mystery of the lives of ancient emperors. Although many years have passed, the reasons for the short life of ancient emperors are still thought-provoking. Perhaps, this is also the inspiration given to us by history, focusing on health and cherishing life, in order to find a true balance between power and wealth.