years old forced to marry uncle,was not pregnant for a year, and the truth was revealed after death, Queen Zhang Yan.
In 202 BC, the Queen Mother's order was difficult to disobey, and at the age of 11, she had to enter the big red sedan chair in ignorance and marry her uncle. After many years of marriage, she was never able to give birth to an heir, until after her husband's death, she was left out in the cold until the end of her life.
However, when her body was cleaned and changed, the palace ladies were shocked to find that she had maintained her virginity in the 29 years she had been married. So, who is she?
What happened in her life that allowed her to maintain that purity and immaculate in her 29 years of marriage?
On the wedding night, the husband burst into tears and poured out his heart to the bride. In the winter and October of 191 B.C., Weiyang Palace was decorated with lights, and a luxurious and grand wedding ceremony was held here.
Liu Ying, the 20-year-old Emperor Hui of the Han Dynasty, married Empress Zhang Yan under the kneeling and witness of hundreds of civil and military officials. After the wedding, the queen was helped back to her bedchamber.
Emperor Hui of Han was dissatisfied with the arrangement of the Empress Dowager Lu, and he had been drinking and having fun with the ministers until the night was dark, and then he walked to the queen's bedroom drunk and hazy with the support of his personal eunuch.
With a "squeak" sound, the door of the dormitory was slowly pushed open, and Emperor Han Hui dragged his slightly heavy steps and slowly walked towards the bed. His footsteps startled Zhang Yan, who was sitting on the marriage bed, and involuntarily shrank back and hid towards the bed.
When Emperor Han Hui saw this, his heart was sour. He came to the head of the bed, sat down directly, stretched out a big hand, and said pitifully to the little man who had been hiding in: "Yan'er, don't be afraid, I'm my uncle."
Ever since I was a child, I've always loved you. Hearing the familiar voice, Zhang Yan's trembling body slowly eased, and she did not continue to hide in the bed. Seeing this, Emperor Han Hui reached out and lifted the hijab on the top of her head, and saw the young Zhang Yan, with mature makeup on her face that did not match her age.
Delicate is exquisite, but it makes Emperor Han Hui red-eyed. He closed his eyes, but he didn't hold back, a line of tears slipped from the corners of his eyes, and he said in a choked voice: "Yan'er, don't be afraid, come, give me your hand, uncle won't hurt you, uncle will tell you a story, okay?" ”
Zhang Yan looked at the tears on Emperor Han Hui's face, recalled her uncle's love for her, and unconsciously reached out to help him wipe away the tears on his face. Finally, the small body moved out and gently put his hand in the palm of Emperor Han Hui.
Feeling the warmth in the palm of his hand, with tears in the corners of his eyes, Emperor Han Hui hugged the person into his arms with a smile, gently patted her shoulder to show comfort, and then slowly spoke: "Once upon a time, there was an emperor who lived in the best house in the world, drank the best wine in the world, and wore the best clothes in the world.
But he's not happy at all, do you know why? Zhang Yan raised her head and shook her head ignorantly.
Emperor Han Hui sighed lightly and said slowly: "His every move, even his words and deeds, are controlled by others, like a caged sparrow, unable to spread his wings and fly, unable to escape the restraints.
You say, is he pitiful? Zhang Yan listened to Emperor Han Hui's words quietly, although he was still young, he could also feel his helplessness and sadness. She gently leaned into the arms of Emperor Han Hui, who embraced her, and her heart was full of bitterness and sadness.
He looked at the bird outside the window and said, "Did you know that life is short, and the most important thing is not to have anything, but to be able to do what you want freely, to be able to express your emotions as you like."
The birds may seem fragile and ready to be snatched at any moment, but they are at least free. Zhang Yan looked at Emperor Han Hui, her eyes full of doubts and confusion.
She thought of her parents and brothers who were about to leave, and her heart was filled with grief. She cried with Emperor Han Hui. That night that was supposed to be full of joy and warmth turned out to be a night for them to talk about life.
They spent an unforgettable night together.
Zhang Yan, a young widow, experienced the early death of Emperor Hui of the Han Dynasty and became the empress. However, the truth of the wedding night kept her and Emperor Han Hui in an uncle-nephew relationship, and the two never had a happy relationship.
In order not to arouse the suspicion of the Empress Dowager Lu, they showed affection in front of people. However, Empress Dowager Lu was anxious about the fact that the queen had no grandchildren, so she tried all kinds of methods, and even found a pregnancy remedy for Zhang Yan to try.
This made Emperor Hui of Han dissatisfied, and he proposed to Empress Dowager Lü in a way that he would no longer manage the government in the future. Empress Dowager Lü readily agreed, but Emperor Hui of Han became even more depressed because of this, and he began to indulge in wine, mingling with a group of eunuchs and palace maids, and doing nothing all day.
After Empress Dowager Lu took power, she knew that it was difficult to convince the public as a woman, so she hoped to find an heir. After trying for a long time, she decided to use insidious means to fake Zhang Yan's pregnancy and take a baby boy for herself, claiming to be born to the queen.
The baby boy was Liu Gong, who later became the crown prince. However, Liu Ying, Emperor Hui of the Han Dynasty, reigned for only seven years before dying at the age of 23 due to excessive drinking and depression. Before his death, he expressed his guilt for Zhang Yan and hoped that they would be free to choose their fate in the afterlife.
At that time, Zhang Yan was only 15 years old, still a minor, and had already become a widow.
Third, imprisoned in the North Palace, died of grief. She, Zhang Yan, who was respected as the "God of Flowers", the empress of Emperor Hui of the Han Dynasty, was imprisoned in the North Palace because of an edict. After the death of her husband, Emperor Hui of the Han Dynasty, Liu Ying, her life became even more lonely and helpless.
Originally, she lived a life of being cared for by her husband and mother-in-law, but after learning that she was killed by her mother-in-law, Empress Dowager Lu, her heart was greatly traumatized.
She was young and vigorous, and she wanted to avenge her mother, but she was reported to the Empress Dowager Lu by eyeliner. Empress Dowager Lü was afraid that Liu Gong would be unfavorable to her, so she imprisoned him and finally killed him.
In order to control the government, Empress Dowager Lü appointed Liu Yi, another son of Emperor Hui of the Han Dynasty, as emperor, and later changed his name to Liu Hong, known as "Later Young Emperor" in history. However, Empress Dowager Lü's health grew old and she died in 180 BC.
After the death of Empress Dowager Lü, the ministers could finally stand up and resist and join forces to eradicate Empress Dowager Lü's family. abolished the emperor Liu Hong, and established Liu Heng, the fourth brother of Emperor Hui of Han, as the emperor, that is, Emperor Wen of Han.
Although Zhang Yan was the queen mother at this time, she always maintained a pure and kind heart, and she was also very kind to those eunuchs and palace maids, and she never had a quarrel with anyone, nor did she have any conflicts with other concubines.
When those ministers eradicated the Empress Dowager Lu's family, they didn't attack her, but just deposed her queen and imprisoned her in the North Palace.
Zhang Yan, a woman who has lived alone in the North Palace for 17 years, whenever she looks up at the high wall of the North Palace, she always thinks of the words of Emperor Han Hui before his death, "May in the next life, you and I are birds in the forest." ”
Her fate seemed to have been in control, but in 163 B.C., the once-wealthy but now deceased queen died in the middle of a warm spring in March at the age of forty.
Her funeral was held in Anling, and she was buried with Emperor Hui of the Han Dynasty and was named "Empress Xiaohui". The day before her burial, the ladies of the palace discovered a secret that revealed the fact that she had been childless for 29 years of marriage.
People marveled at her fate and admired her innocence and steadfastness. Therefore, she was revered as the "god of flowers" among the people and built a temple to worship. These temples came to be known as the "Temple of the Flowers".