In the early history of the Qing Dynasty, the stories inside the palace walls were often more intricate than the strife in the outside world. Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang, a woman who has experienced many twists and turns, did her best for this dynasty built on foreign rule in the early stages of its establishment. She witnessed the Qing Dynasty grow from weak to strong, from the entry of the north to the fall of the Southern Ming Dynasty, and then to the countless power struggles within the court.
However, within the palace walls, there is not only a contest of power, but also the interweaving of people's hearts. Concubine Dong E, a beautiful woman who was favored by Emperor Shunzhi, inadvertently angered the Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang.
Concubine Dong E's gentleness and wisdom, as well as her position in Emperor Shunzhi's heart, became a mortal threat to her. The flame in the heart of the Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang has been burning in the dark, and no one knows that the Empress Dowager, who controls the foundation of the Qing Dynasty, has hidden monstrous resentments in her heart.
The time is fixed in the autumn of 1644, the weather has gradually become cooler, and in the deep palace, the autumn mood is stronger. Concubine Dong E clearly felt the indifference and rejection from the Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang.
Concubine Dong E knew that if she couldn't dispel the resentment of the empress dowager with real power, her life in the palace would be extremely difficult, and it would even affect the safety of her family. Concubine Dong E's heart turned a thousand times, she knew the character of the Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang: tough as a rock, and not easy to forgive.
Legend has it that during a night talk, Concubine Dong E showed a different determination from usual. She expressed her consciousness to the Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang, expressing her willingness to be martyred for the sake of reconciliation, harmony in the deep palace, and the stability of the Qing Dynasty.
It is said that these words deeply touched the heart of the Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang, and she did not expect that Concubine Dong E, who had been hated because of the battle for favor, would have such determination and courage to do her best.
Time flies, Concubine Dong E was not really martyred, but quietly left the palace full of battles on an unknown night.
There are rumors that the Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang was merciful and gave her freedom in private; It is also rumored that Concubine Dong E killed herself with a trick and ended this unbearable palace career in her own way.
Now, the dust of history has long covered the truth of the past, and we can't know the dialogue between Concubine Dong E and the Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang, nor how Concubine Dong E ended her story.
But her feat of self-sacrifice for reconciliation has become an eternal memory, at least in the stories woven by posterity, representing a spirit of love and sacrifice that transcends the world.
History is vast, and an unconfirmed legend often leaves a deep imprint in people's hearts and becomes an infinitely woven poem and topic for future generations.
And in the narrow range of the special time and space of the Qing Dynasty, countless palace maids and concubines, like Concubine Dong E, rose and fell in the undercurrent of the court.
In the whirlpool of emotions and power, some people choose to sacrifice themselves to fulfill others, and some people choose to pursue their desires unrelentingly.
As for the entanglement in the court between the Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang and Concubine Dong E, only the long river of history may be able to give the most authentic answer.