Among the epitaphs of the Tang Dynasty, there is one epitaph that is extremely eye-catching. The owner of the epitaph is neither a princess, a concubine, nor a highly meritorious wife, but he enjoys treatment that far exceeds the specifications of the three grades in the Tang Dynasty.
The epitaph is exquisitely carved, 93 centimeters long and 93 centimeters wide, and the full text is more than 2,000 words long. However, looking through the entire historical materials of the Tang Dynasty, I couldn't find a record of her life.
So, why does this special person enjoy such high-standard treatment? Why is it not recorded in the history books? In fact, the owner of this epitaph is none other than Tang Gaozong Li Zhi's bodyguard, Ji Zhi.
Ji's identity is very special in the deep palace, she not only recorded her life experience in detail, but also revealed that there is an important role hidden in the deep palace of the Tang Dynasty. If someone thinks that the nanny is just a nanny, a wet nurse, and a nursing mother, they are very wrong.
Let's start with the identity held by Ji and gradually clear the fog of this history.
Although it was not seen in the history of the Tang Dynasty, her grandfather Ji Wei laid the groundwork for the defeat of the crown prince Yang Yong in the Sui Dynasty. Ji Wei was originally Yang Yong's confidant, but was bribed by Yang Guang to spy on Yang Yong and denounce his mistakes.
In this way, Yang Yong was imprisoned, and Yang Guang successfully ascended to the throne. Because of this, Ji Wei rose step by step, and the Ji family also became noble. Ji Yuzhi was born in such a family, and she should have followed the life path of a noble girl and married a husband who was the right person.
At the age of 14, she married Li Yiyu, the son of Li Xiaochang. Li Xiaochang is Li Yuan's younger brother, who has made meritorious contributions to Li Tang's seizure of the world and is highly favored. Therefore, Miss Ji's wedding was extremely grand.
However, the impermanence of life has changed everything, Zhenguan year, Miss Ji's father-in-law Li Xiaochang and Liu Deyu plotted a coup d'état, and Miss Ji's life fell from the clouds to the bottom.
In the early years of Zhenguan, that is, the year when Li Shimin, Taizong of the Tang Dynasty, ascended the throne, we know that he seized the throne by taking advantage of the Xuanwumen Change. Li Xiaochang, who was close to Li Yuan, rebelled, so it is not difficult to understand.
In particular, Li Xiaochang's two sons, Li Yili and Li Yiyu, had a close relationship with the crown prince Li Jiancheng and the king of Qi Li Yuanji, respectively. This family has a very distant relationship with Li Shimin.
It took Li Shimin a lot of effort to suppress the rebellion. Li Xiaochang's family almost suffered a catastrophe, and Ji Yuzhi was confiscated into the palace as a "sinner woman", and his life and fate took a fundamental turn.
However, Ji Yuzhi suffered such a misfortune, and soon ushered in a turning point - in the second year of Zhenguan, Li Shimin's sister-in-law Li Zhi was born! Ji Yuzhi was selected as Li Zhi's bodyguard.
Why would a sinner be chosen as a nanny?
In ancient China, Lu Aigong once said: "I grew up in the deep palace, and I was always surrounded by women, so I never experienced worry and fear. Although many people have not experienced this life firsthand, they may have understood what it means to be "a woman's hand."
In fact, before the Western Zhou Dynasty, there were already officials in the harem, who were responsible for tutoring and teaching the monarch and the prince, including the guard, the teacher, the fu, etc. The duty of the Protectors is to train the monarch, so their character is crucial.
All dynasties and dynasties were very strict in the selection of Bao Fu. In addition to the establishment of a bodyguard in the harem, it is also necessary to select women who are responsible for the care and education of the crown prince. During the Western Zhou Dynasty, after the prince was born, three women would be selected to serve as "Zishi", "Loving Mother" and "Nanny", who were responsible for conduct, daily necessities and daily life.
In addition, a woman needs to be selected to act as a "nursing mother". This system was not abandoned in the change of dynasties. For example, during the Northern and Southern Dynasties, there was a custom of "the death of the prince's mother", and when the prince's biological mother was away, the women in the harem who were responsible for raising the prince played an important role.
And that's how Ji Yuzhi ushered in the opportunity. Although she was a sinner, she was chosen as a nanny. Because the officials of the bodyguards were not nurses or nurses, but were to teach the thoughts and conduct of the prince Li Zhi, they usually chose from among the women who had entered the palace for their sins.
These women usually come from aristocratic families, have received a good education since childhood, and have the characteristics of both talent and skill, which can not only prevent concubines from interfering in politics, but also improve the quality of the guru officials.
Therefore, Ji Yu was fortunate to become Li Zhi's bodyguard. The deep relationship between her and Li Zhi is also a memorable part of this history.
Li Zhi lost his mother at the age of nine, and there was no hostess in the Tang Dynasty harem for more than ten years, which made Li Zhi more emotionally dependent on the four women around him: Ji Yuzhi, Xue, Mrs. Qi Guo and the nurse Lu.
Among these people, Li Zhi's feelings for Ji Yu are particularly deep. It can be seen from the specifications and titles of the epitaph that Li Zhi's love for Ji Ji is extraordinary. Ji held the title of Mrs. Xingyang County during the Tang Taizong period, but after Li Zhi succeeded to the throne, he felt that this title was too low, and changed Ji Zhi to Mrs. Zhou Guo of Zhengyipin.
Xue was named the Lady of Sanpin Hedong County, Lu Congbi was named the Lady of Yan Guo, and another woman who did not take the exam was named the Lady of Qi State. Among them, the specifications of the epitaph held by Ji Yu and the title of the country "Zhou" all show Li Zhi's deep affection for this bodyguard.
Ji Zhizhi not only gave him warm companionship when Li Zhi was young, but also managed the affairs of Li Shimin's harem during his imprisonment, and even led his concubines to the front line in Liaodong to meet him.
However, the title of "Mrs. Zhou Guo" held by Ji almost became her fatal wound.
Li Zhi was bent on giving the best treatment to Bao Fu Ji, but a few years later something embarrassing happened to him: his father-in-law, Wu Shi Tong, was named "Duke of Zhou". Wu Zetian's biological mother Yang should be named "Mrs. Zhou", but Tang Gaozong asked Ji to continue to hold the title of "Mrs. Zhou", and did not plan to change to the name of Yang.
Ji felt very embarrassed by this, and took the initiative to ask Gaozong to change his title, but Tang Gaozong disagreed. This incident shows that the weight of the mother-in-law and Ji Ji in Gaozong's heart is very different.
Ji Zhizhi was a smart and influential woman who saw Wu Zetian's growing status in the harem and realized that her title could become a problem, so she made a request to change her title.
However, Tang Gaozong Li Zhi rejected her request, leaving her mother, Yang, to be named Lady Rongguo only. Although Wu Zetian became the empress, in Tang Gaozong's harem, she also had to be careful, and she couldn't even fight for her mother's title.
In contrast, Ji Zhi's position in Li Zhi's heart was unshakable, and after her death, Li Zhi held a grand funeral for her and gave her many gifts. However, such an influential woman is not recorded in the history books, why is that?