The imperial concubine threatens the status of the queen? Interpret the subtle differences between ancient queens and imperial concubines
In the old court, the queen and the imperial concubine were the two shining pearls on the stage of power and intrigue in a luxurious feudal society. But why is it said that the emperor's concubine can threaten the status of the empress, and what kind of power and rules of the game are hidden in her? In ancient times, what were the subtle differences between queens and concubines that allowed them to play very different roles in court intrigues?
Let's travel back in time to an ancient world full of power and court intrigue to uncover the power game between the empress and the emperor's concubine. It could be a great historical feast that gives us a glimpse into the wit and wisdom of the women of the ancient court, and the crucial role they played in the Game of Thrones.
The birth of the title of imperial concubine.
In 1426, Zhu Zhanji, then Emperor Xuanzong of the Ming Dynasty, fell in love with his wet nurse and ** Wan Zhen'er and wanted to make her empress. However, due to the strong opposition of the ministers, he had to temporarily abandon this idea and make it queen instead. In order to appease the disappointment of the empress, Zhu Zhanji broke with the royal tradition and created a new title second only to the empress: imperial concubine.
Wan Zhen'er was only 32 years old at the time and was Zhu Zhanji's wet nurse, 17 years older than Zhu Zhanji. Perhaps it was precisely because of her maternal love for Zhu Zhanji that Zhu Zhanji won her love. Although she did not become the queen in the end, the status of a concubine is also a great favor for Wan Zhen'er.
But we must realize that the essence of this relationship is not pure. As a nanny, Manjunga is supposed to protect the little prince and not develop an intimate relationship with him that goes beyond the teacher-student relationship. She uses her position and power to satisfy her own selfish desires. Zhu Zhanji also abused his power and was stubborn. Such a relationship is bound to cause quarrels and resentment.
It's just that the newly created title of the royal consortium threatened the position of the empress from the very beginning. It violates the rules that have been passed down from generation to generation of the royal family and undermines the authority of the empress. The emergence of the second imperial concubine group shows that Zhu Zhanji's mind is not yet mature and stable, and it is very likely to repeat the mistake of his grandfather who interrupted his arm to marry a concubine in the Battle of Jingjing. This caused turmoil in the royal family and the palace.
The emperor's concubine usurped the throne and became the empress's confidant.
Since then, when successive emperors depose empresses, they will use a temporary method to make their favorite concubines as concubines"Concubine"。The concubine became a springboard for the queen to be replaced, and was eventually promoted to the queen.
For example, Emperor Jingtai, the son of Zhu Zhanji of Xuanzong of the Ming Dynasty, was very fond of his wife Tang, and he expressed this affection by ordaining a concubine. His son, Zhu Jishen, Emperor Chenghua of the Ming Dynasty, also established a family of concubines in order to get rid of the empress he didn't like. This practice is tantamount to announcing that the position of the empress is threatened.
As a result, the title of concubine became a common way for emperors to express their affection or plan to remove the empress and eventually marry a wife. This title ensured that the consul was the most immediate threat to the empress's position. Confucius emphasized"Polyandry and multiple concubines"It is also a cover that the emperor can change his ** at will.
In addition, some concubines, such as Sun Guifei, who was chosen by Xuanzong of the Ming Dynasty, actually inherited the throne. She and Ming Xuanzong's childhood sweetheart are in love. Ming Xuanzong also made an exception and gave her the Golden Book and Jinbao - this is the queen's patent. In the end, he got rid of the queen he didn't like and renamed Sun Guifei as the queen. After Sun Guifei was favored, he began to suppress other concubines and strengthen his power in the palace.
Therefore, her purpose was to appease the emperor's concubines, resolve the dispute between the emperor and the empress over the status of the emperor's concubines, and become a stepping stone to ascend to the throne, and finally ascend to the throne of the empress, becoming the most direct threat and challenge to the empress. in the palace"Gong Dou"and the battle between life and death intensified.
The Qing Dynasty stipulated that the queen was not allowed to ascend the throne during the reign of the concubine.
The situation in the Qing Dynasty was somewhat different. Kangxi's grandfather, Emperor Shunzhi, deposed the empress twice and insisted on appointing his favorite wife as empress after his death. This caused great dissatisfaction among the Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang. She believes that deposing the empress and handing over power to concubines would damage the reputation of the royal family. The victims are not only the deposed queen, but also other concubines who are afraid and fear that one day they too will be deposed for no reason. This will undoubtedly destabilize the entire harem.
Therefore, after Shunzhi's death, he set an unwritten rule: the queen is in power, and the concubine is not allowed to be canonized. Since Kangxi, this rule has become an iron law. In order to ensure the stability of the harem, it greatly reduced the possibility of the imperial concubine and the empress competing for favor. The concubines in the harem can serve the queen with peace of mind all day long.
However, this provision is not without exceptions.
The emergence of the double queen under special circumstances in the Qing Dynasty.
For example, when an empress dies and there is no one to succeed her, the emperor will temporarily appoint her concubine as regent. In this case, the emperor's concubine would have had the opportunity to be promoted to empress after the end of the empress's mourning period. Therefore, Emperor Qianlong canonized Nala as the imperial concubine, and then promoted her to empress.
Another example: when the emperor was faced with the dilemma of having to get rid of the empress, but it was difficult to get rid of the empress directly, he weakened the empress's power by ordaining a concubine. For example, when Emperor Qianlong's relationship with his stepmother Nala deteriorated, he canonized Emperor Jiaqing's biological mother, Emperor Zhaosheng Wenshun, as a concubine, thus eliminating Nala's imperial power. This creates an unusual situation in which two queens exist at the same time.
Of course, the emperor often posthumously gave his concubine a title to comfort his dying wife. Such epithets are usually sensual and not as utilitarian as others.
Therefore, in the history of the Qing Dynasty, the empress and the emperor's concubines rarely appeared side by side. According to statistics, there were only 21 imperial concubines in the entire Qing Dynasty, and this number was not as many as 29 queens. It can be seen that it is still very difficult for the concubine to replace the queen. In fact, it is difficult to ensure that they can successfully occupy the throne and dominate the harem.
Because there is an essential difference between a princess and a queen.
However, why did the emperor favor the concubine, but it was difficult for the concubine to sit on the throne of the queen? The main reason is that her identity and status have become very different from that of the empress.
First of all, in terms of legal status, the queen, as the wife, is the mother of the country and the symbol of the entire royal family; As a concubine, the concubine is legally flawed after all. Secondly, in terms of ceremonial status, only the empress had the right to receive royal rites, plough the fields, and perform other ceremonies with the emperor; The status of the imperial concubine is always after the queen. The imperial concubine is like the shadow of the queen, passively following the queen, with little room for maneuver.
In addition, the fathers and brothers of the emperor's concubines were also far less rewarded than the queen's fathers and brothers. For example, the empress's father became a first-class duke, while the empress's concubine and her brother could only become generals at best. As a result, many of the emperor's concubines complained that the emperor did not pamper them wholeheartedly. The other concubines were jealous of the queen because they felt that they were not being adequately rewarded for what they had done.
Treatment after death also varies widely. Very few royal wives were fortunate enough to be buried in the emperor's mausoleum. Most noble consuls were not much better than concubines and could only be buried in the relevant consul's garden. Not to mention the distinction of receiving nicknames and separate mausoleums. As a result, many of the concubines became ghosts after their deaths, and they were angry every day at the emperor's injustice.
It seems that the rift between the emperor's concubines and the empress is so great that it is difficult to overcome in life and death. This is why although the concubine is the most favored concubine in the harem, it is difficult for her to ascend to the throne and become the eternal queen. In the end, their position remains in an awkward position and cannot make the leap.
However, the emperor's concubines held great power and were in an awkward position, making it difficult to encourage the empress.
Is it true that the concubine has no chance to get the title of emperor? The answer is hard, hard. History shows that very few concubines became queens. Most of them are content to sit in the position of concubine forever and watch the real queen rule the world.
The status of the imperial concubine was raised. They have been living in the shadow of being deposed, and even if the emperor is posthumously crowned empress before his death, it is difficult to completely raise their eyebrows. Because of their status and status, they are destined to always be second, so it is difficult for them to ascend to the throne of the queen.