I once thought that the first episode of "The Legend of Zhen Huan" was just an introduction to the plot, allowing people to get a brief understanding of the characters. However, when I went deeper, I realized how superficial my previous understanding was. The first episode of "The Legend of Zhen Huan" actually contains a lot of information.
The difference in the status of Zhen Huan, Shen Meizhuang, and Chun Chang has been foreshadowed in the first episode. Zhen Huan's background is relatively ordinary compared to them. This also explains why in the follow-up plot, regardless of whether Meizhuang and Chun'er are favored or not, their family backgrounds have not changed in any way. The family members they represent behind them did not rise because of Yongzheng's ascendancy, but have a deep historical background. Therefore, after Meizhuang lost the favor of the emperor, she chose to take refuge in the queen mother;Chun'er has never ingratiated herself too much with the emperor, because she has enough confidence to pursue the life she wants.
And Zhen Huan and An Lingrong, although they entered the palace together, their family could not give them any help. An Lingrong entered the palace with the expectations of her family, and her every action was full of urgency and anxiety. She hopes to bring honor to her family through her own efforts. Although Zhen Huan's family background is better than An Lingrong, she also belongs to the nouveau riche, and her foundation is not stable. This also led to the innate anxiety and uneasiness in Zhen Huan's body.
In the first episode, when Zhen Huan goes to the temple to make a wish, the anxiety she shows already foreshadows her future fate. Compared with Shen Meizhuang, Zhen Huan and An Lingrong both seemed more anxious and impatient.
In the process of the draft, Shen Meizhuang obviously had made sufficient preparations for her at home, and she showed everyone's demeanor in every move. But Zhen Huan chose to go to the temple to make a wish, hoping that she would not be selected. This unusual behavior has actually foreshadowed her future choices and fate. Compared with Meizhuang, Zhen Huan didn't seem to show too much willingness at the time of the draft. Meizhuang is obviously more serious about the draft, but Zhen Huan reveals the idea of not wanting to enter the palace as a concubine. However, after entering the court, things develop very differently than when they first met.
Zhen Huan was in the palace and tried her best to please the emperor, even if she suffered misunderstanding, doubts, and even belittlement and humiliation from the emperor, she did not give up. This tenacious perseverance finally made her stand on the side of the winner, which makes people wonder if her original desire to "pick up the brand" and her indifference to the draft were really sincere.
On the other hand, Meizhuang, after being hit by the emperor's suspicion of fake pregnancy and competing for favor, her trust in the emperor completely collapsed and she refused to forgive. Even if the emperor lowered his posture to accommodate her, she resolutely refused to be close to the emperor anymore. This makes people wonder why Zhen Huan and Meizhuang reacted so differently when faced with the same thing
Let's go back and listen to Zhen Huan's original wish, and maybe we can get some inspiration from it: "Although a believer is not as meritorious as a man, she is not willing to let herself down easily, if she wants to marry, she must marry the best man in the world, marry him, and grow old;But ask the Bodhisattva to bless her, so that the believer girl will be put on a sign and will not be selected to enter the palace. ”
These two sentences are full of contradictions. On the one hand, Zhen Huan said that women are not better than men, and they can make contributions, and on the other hand, they said that if they want to marry, they must marry the best man in the world. The two seem to contradict each other. If these two conditions can really be met, how many people in this world can do it?If there is such a person, then he must not be an ordinary person, and who else will there be in such a person except the emperor?
This seems to show that Zhen Huan is eager to enter the palace deep down, she not only wants to enter the palace, but also wants to achieve the family's class jump through imperial power. The later plot also confirmed this, and Zhen Huan did it. Then, the first wish she made was actually to enter the palace.
The second sentence, however, is confusing. Zhen Huan said that she wanted to be put on a brand and not be selected. If that were the case, then her first wish would be meaningless. If Zhen Huan really just wants to "wish to have one heart and never separate", then Wen Shichu, who is waiting outside the temple, is the best choice, why bother to go to the temple to make a wish?
Therefore, we can conclude that Zhen Huan's wish to be put on a sign is fake, she wants to enter the palace and be elected and cherished by the emperor, and it is true that she "marries him and grows old". It is precisely because of this "delusion" that Zhen Huan will try to make the emperor really fall in love with him through her beauty and talent after entering the palace. She once believed that love and love are a solid foundation in life, which can change fate. The reason why Zhen Huan suffered so much after suffering from the emperor's injury and suspicion was because the class she was in made her have illusions about imperial power. She believes that love can overcome everything, and Concubine Hua has the same fantasy. However, after Zhen Huan's tempering in Ganlu Temple, she woke up and finally achieved a counterattack, but Concubine Hua always lived in her own fantasy and finally ended in tragedy.
Looking back on the beginning of "The Legend of Zhen Huan", I deeply understand why Zhen Huan went to the temple to pray. When people are unable to control the uncertainties of the future and their future is uncertain, the temple becomes a haven for them to seek solace in their souls. If you have a certain number in your heart and a bamboo in your chest, then you will be like Meizhuang and firm in your steps. Zhen Huan's entry into the palace heralded a war without gunpowder, and her prayers before entering the palace had revealed everything.
In the draft, Zhen Huan's outstanding performance proved her inner ambition. Compared with other show girls with heavy makeup, her elegant outfit and plain jewelry are particularly eye-catching. Shen Meizhuang once praised: "My sister is dressed up so well today, but no matter how you look at it, she is still a beauty, and she is all good." Among the many gorgeous costumes, the person who is fresh and elegant but difficult to hide his appearance can attract the emperor's attention even more. Zhen Huan had this in mind to attract the emperor's attention.
When the emperor saw Zhen Huan, he asked, "Zhen Huan, which character is Huan?"Zhen Huan immediately realized Meizhuang's clumsy strategy, but she replied not to be outdone: "Huan Huan's waist in the Chu Palace is the name of the courtier's daughter." Her answer lifted the spirits of the sleepy emperor and praised: "Poetry and books are very familiar, and Zhen Yuan is a Taoist woman." This allowed Zhen Huan to stand out in the draft. The emperor was attracted by Zhen Huan's appearance, and she also intended to let the emperor see her face.
If she really intends to lose the election, she should keep to herself and not be noticed, which is the proper way to deal with it. Obviously, Zhen Huan's wish to be eliminated was against her will, she once said that An Lingrong knew how to return to the country, why not herself?Although she won the favor of the emperor, she went against the wishes of the queen mother. The performance of Zhen Huan and Meizhuang in the draft laid a lot of foreshadowing for the later development of the story.
Meizhuang should be selected before Zhen Huan. When she knelt in front of the Empress Dowager and the Emperor and was asked what books she had read, she replied obediently: "The courtiers have only read the "Women's Rules" and "Women's Training", and have not read the four books. The Queen Mother immediately showed her love and appreciation for Meizhuang, did she really believe that a woman from such a background as Meizhuang had not read much?Of course not. The Queen Mother has come to this position step by step, and she understands the mystery too well. She likes Meizhuang, not only because of her low-key and introverted, but also because she knows how to hide and know how to measure.
The appearance of Meizhuang is in line with the Queen Mother's expectation that she wants to choose a concubine who can compete with Concubine Hua without threatening the queen's status. From that moment on, the Queen Mother and Meizhuang have tacitly recognized and guarded each other.
Looking at Zhen Huan again, she saw that Meizhuang and the Queen Mother tacitly cooperated, but she did the opposite, showing her intelligence in front of the emperor, although she immediately won the emperor's favor, but against the queen mother's wishes. A palace fighting master like the Queen Mother knows too well what kind of woman is born rebellious, especially this woman still has a bit of pure appearance, which is a huge challenge and threat to the entire harem and the Wulanala clan.
Therefore, the Queen Mother's face immediately sank, glanced at the emperor who was already fascinated by her, and said, "The showgirl's surname is Zhen, and she has committed the emperor's name." Zhen Huan didn't wait for the Queen Mother to finish speaking, so she defended: "Tell the Queen Mother that when the father of the courtiers was an official, Emperor Kangxi once saw his father's name and said that the surname Zhen was very good, and it sounded like a loyal person. ”
The Queen Mother saw that her plan could not be successful, so she had another plan. She asked Zhen Huan to come forward, first splashed water at her feet, and then released a cat to rush over, trying to make Zhen Huan lose her temper in front of the emperor. However, Zhen Huan was not frightened. Although Zhen Huan was once afraid of cats, in this incident, she behaved generously, making the Queen Mother impeccable. This ** is unwilling to enter the palace, which is clearly that she has made up her mind to compete with everyone in the harem. She firmly believes that she is not a mediocre person, but can easily capture the emperor's heart with her beauty and charm.
In the end, when Zhen Huan and Meizhuang left the palace together, she said with a little melancholy: "I couldn't leave what I wanted, but I left what I didn't want to keep." "It's a contradictory emotion!Then, she explained to Meizhuang: "Sister Mei, I didn't mean it. Meizhuang mistakenly thought that Zhen Huan was saying that it was not her intention to be selected, so she comforted: "If you don't want to stay, God won't bear to bury your pearl." ”
However, Zhen Huan actually wanted to apologize for surpassing Meizhuang in front of the palace before. She didn't do it intentionally, but when Meizhuang stood out from many show girls and was selected by the emperor and the queen mother at the same time, Zhen Huan's deep desire to win was stimulated. She doesn't allow others to surpass herself, even Sister Mei, who grew up together. She can accept failure, but she can't accept being mediocre or similar to others. This is also the root of her will to fight since she entered the palace.
At first, Zhen Huan was full of confidence in love, thinking that with the emperor's favor, she could be domineering. However, as she delved deeper into Vanity Fair and truly understood Meizhuang's "clumsy" wisdom, she realized that sincerity in the core of power was not reliable. She had longed for a desire to "have both and want", but found it difficult to achieve. Power and sincerity seem to be incompatible.
Although Zhen Huan has power, she has also lost her faith. But she also has a lovely side, willing and supportive of the good in others. She contributed to the beauty between Meizhuang and Wen Shichu, Huanbi and Guojun Wang, and Yurao and Shenbeile. What she can't do on her own, she hopes others can help her accomplish it. This may be the reason why she was able to defeat the queen and An Lingrong. These two people can't see the good of others, but Zhen Huan is willing to see the happiness of the people around her. How can a person who cannot accept the superiority of others as his own persevere?